Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe

what is it?

The Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe (Harrier) was a twin-engine multi-role aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Focke-Wulf. It was developed in response to a request from the Luftwaffe, which sought a multi-role aircraft that could be operated as an advanced trainer for pilots, gunners and radio operators alike. The resulting Fw 58 was a low-wing monoplane powered by a pair of Argus As 10C V-8 piston engines mounted in nacelles on the wing's leading edges.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 21 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 254 km/htop speed
• range 690 kmwithout refuelling
• size 2,930 kgmax take-off weight
• built 1,350made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 91 years ago, in 1935.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.0× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 21 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1935

introduced

1937

number built

1,350

role

trainer, transport, air ambulance

makers

Focke-Wulf

engines

2× Argus As 10C / Argus As 10

length

14.1 m

wingspan

21 m

height

4.2 m

max take-off weight

2,930 kg

top speed

254 km/h

cruise speed

238 km/h

range

690 km

ceiling

5,400 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.