FW189 Nightfighter help please

[Guest]

Hi gang,

I just ordered the great wall FW 189 and want to build a nightfighter version. The problem is I'm having a real hard time finding decent pics, anybody got any ?

the kit

and one of the few pics I've found

any help would be greatly appreciated

[AlanG]

LuftArchiv.de - Das Archiv der Deutschen Luftwaffe

[Guest]

This is actually a very interesting article, although contains only one FW 189 picture:

Schräge Musik - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is alo something you might find interesting, although again no pictures for this project:

Unteroffizier Lothar Mothes - Pilot Portraits - Aviation Art by Geoff Nutkins

and finally it might be worth dropping a PM to this guy who obviously knows a bit more about this aircraft that most of us:

Focke Wulf 189 A-1 Eule Nightfighter - RC Groups

[Guest]

thanks Allyne ,Richard every bit helps

[stona]

Cripes,I'm not at home at the moment and can't really check up on my facts but I'm not sure that the Fw189 was ever actually used as a nightfighter. It was designed to meet an RLM requirement for a reconnaissance aircraft. It seems woefully underpowered for a fighter of any type and I'd be scared to fit a 20mm "Schrage Musik" installation in there for fear of breaking the airframe!

Those radar installations were pretty hefty too.

I stand to be corrected.

Cheers

Steve

[PJP]

Reference works

According to Smith & Kay in German Aircraft of the Second World War, "the Fw 189 Uhu (or Owl) was a short range reconnaisance aircraft, also used in the comunications role and as personal transport by Field Marshal Kesselring and Luftwaffe Genereal Hans Jeschonnek".

The only reference to a nightfighter version I can find is the remark that "several aircraft were used by I./NJG 100, the Eisenbahn-Nachtjagd, or railway nightfighter unit". "This unit operated against the small Po2 biplanes of the Soviet Airforce which carried out nuisance raids against German rail targets at night".

Apparently 864 aircraft including prototypes were built in all but I have no images of a radar equipped version.

Perhaps Steve (Stona) will be able to help with that when he gets home.

Hope this is useful.

Peter

[Guest]

thanks for the input , Yes strange as it seems they did build a very few Nachtjager Fw189's this is what I've found on it so far

there is a reference in my Luftwaffe book that says a unit Nachtkette/NAGr15 at Naglowitz(south Poland)operated with these in 1944

if anybody could find a pic of the interior radar set up or the shrage music instal that would be huge. Thanks again for all the help

[PJP]

Schrage Musik

This installation was typically of several upward firing cannon mounted obliquely forward, along the centre line of the fuselage.

The daytime versions were fired by an early version of an infra red detector as the attacker flew beneath a bomber. Unlikely to be appropriate for a night fighter version.

You could check other aircraft types (e.g. Ju88) for pictures of this installation and see how it would be likley to be adapted for the Fw189.

Bearing in mind the relatively low speed and short range of the 189, it is unlikely to have been used as a mainstream night fighter. The only records I have of this are for the Ostfront.

Sorry I can't be more help.

Pedro

[stona]

Well I stand corrected! They obviously did use it in a limited night fighting role. I'm guessing it carried it's standard wing root MG17s (7.92mm,I think,machine guns) or the MG151 (20mm cannon) of the so called ground attack version (can't remember the dash number!) I'm not sure how you'd go about shooting someone down,at night, with the essentially rearward firing MG151/20 in the pictures above. I can't believe they would have fitted a "Shrage Musik" installation. This was used to destroy our four engined bombers by sliding in underneath them,unobserved, and firing upwards into the wing root (fuel tanks).They could down a Halifax or Lancaster with only a few rounds and the crew would never know they were being attacked until it was too late.They tried not to fire into the fuselage,one Lancaster crew member described a load of H.E. bombs as an "armoured belly". He wasn't so happy with the late war load of a "Cookie" blast bomb and incendiaries! Anyway it wouldn't be useful against a Soviet biplane!!!

Great choice of a subject. When I get home I'll certainly have something on it but you'll be done and dusted by then!

Good luck with the build.

Cheers

Stona