The Focke-Wulf Fw 57 was a prototype

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

heavy fighter A heavy fighter is a historic category of fighter aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s, designed to carry heavier weapons, and/or operate at longer ranges than light fighter aircraft. To achieve performance, most heavy fighters were twin-eng ...

and

fighter-bomber A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...

. Prototypes were built in 1936 but never entered production.

Design and development

In 1934, the

Reich Air Ministry The Ministry of Aviation (german: Reichsluftfahrtministerium, abbreviated RLM) was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany (1933–45). It is also the original name of the Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus building on the Wilhelmstrasse ...

(RLM) declared a requirement for a ''Kampfzerstörer'' (battle destroyer), a tactical multi-role fighter/bomber concept, and a possible predecessor to the late-1930s German ''

Schnellbomber A ''Schnellbomber'' (German; literally "fast bomber") is a bomber that relies upon speed to avoid enemy fighters, rather than relying on defensive armament and armor. Concept The concept developed in the 1930s when it was believed that a ver ...

'' concept. Focke-Wulf submitted the Fw 57,

Messerschmitt Messerschmitt AG () was a German share-ownership limited, aircraft manufacturing corporation named after its chief designer Willy Messerschmitt from mid-July 1938 onwards, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, in partic ...

submitted the

Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engine (Des ...

and

Henschel Henschel & Son (german: Henschel und Sohn) was a German company, located in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicle ...

submitted the Hs 124. The Fw 57 was larger than its two competitors; it was heavier and did not handle as well as them. The Fw 57 was a twin-engine all-metal monoplane of conventional configuration, with a single

fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...

and rearwards-retracting maingear members comprising its

tailwheel undercarriage Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynami ...

, into the engine nacelles. The pilot and navigator sat in tandem under a long

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

, the aft end of which had a gunner's turret. Three Fw 57 prototypes (V1-V3) were completed during 1936. The aircraft was severely overweight and handled poorly. The original ''Kampfzerstörer'' concept, which specified a multi-role aircraft with turret-mounted armament had been abandoned by autumn 1936 in favor of the simpler ''Zerstörer'' represented by the Bf 110, which omitted gun turrets and bombing capability to allow greater performance. All further research into the Fw 57 was abandoned shortly thereafter.Green and Swanborough 1994, p. 213.Green 1972, pp. 176–178.

Specifications (Fw 57 V1)

References

*Green, William. ''Warplanes of the Third Reich''. New York:Doubleday, 1972. . *Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''The Complete Book of Fighters''. New York, Smithmark, 1994. . *Herwig, D and H. Rode.''Luftwaffe Secret Projects - Ground Attack & Special Purpose Aircraft''. *Wagner, Ray and Heinz Nowarra. ''German Combat Planes: A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945''. New York: Doubleday, 1971.

External links

Picture and specifications of Fw 57
{{RLM aircraft designations Abandoned military aircraft projects of Germany Fw 057 Focke-Wulf Fw 057 Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1936 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft