Focke Wulf 38

[Tavingon]

Just discovered this interesting aircraft, certainly looks a strange beast! I believe it was a trainer but modified for training gun crew, maybe it was even used in action once or twice.

[Ze-Jamz]

Originally Posted by Tavingon

Just discovered this interesting aircraft, certainly looks a strange beast! I believe it was a trainer but modified for training gun crew, maybe it was even used in action once or twice.

Strange beastie indeed...is that some sort of night radar on it aswel or just more radio antenna

[Tavingon]

Maybe.. the thing I find interesting is the top gunner, it seems to have a very good field of fire there.. looks like a strange beastie.

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by Ze-Jamz

Strange beastie indeed...is that some sort of night radar on it aswel or just more radio antenna

If you mean the circular one behind the cockpit, it's a regular direction finding antenna for use with ground-based beacons.

Many aircraft of the era had them, some were housed in teardrop fairings to streamline them (eg, in the B-17), others were carried recessed in the fuselage (Ju-88 ) and so on.

The way it usually worked is that the navigator would tune into a known frequency where a ground station broadcasted, then start rotating the antenna until the signal reception peaked. In other words, this is turning the antenna to "face" where the ground station is. Then, another instrument (properly calibrated) could be used to display a relative bearing to that ground beacon, based on the direction the antenna was pointing at.

If you have ever flown a civilian flight sim like X-plane or FSX, it's essentially the same thing as an ADF (automatic direction finder) system to be used with NDB stations (non-directional beacons).

[StG2_Davesteu]

It´s a Fw 58 "Weihe" - no Fw 38 ;D

It was usead as trainer for gunner and bombardier and also for ambulance flight, weather reconnaissance and many other, little usages.


Dave

[Tavingon]

Would be nice if someone made it at a later date, sure looks interesting.

[Richie]

What is that nose art? I'm a mini mouse hiding behind something.

[Kongo-Otto]

Originally Posted by Ze-Jamz

Strange beastie indeed...is that some sort of night radar on it aswel or just more radio antenna

The picture shows a Focke-Wulf 58G-3 "Weihe" Werk Nummer: 58023
Stammkennzeichen: KB+HP
The plane was used until its loss by 3./JG5
Loss Date 9 July 1943

The round Antenna is a Funkpeilrahmen (sorry don't know the english term)
which was common on German airplanes in the late 30's.
It was also used on German U-Boots:

[zander]

I'd rather have one of these: