# Funky Focke-Wulf



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Hobby Boss issued a 1/48 kit of one of the experimental FW-19o. The V18 was equipped with a Daimler Benz 603A-1 inline engine, and a Rube-Goldberg-rigged external turbo-supercharger, and a pressurized cockpit, for high-altitude intercepting. It was probably less plumbing than a P-47 had, but it was all on the outside! It was basically an unarmed prototype.

So I What-Iffed it a little. Here's what it might have looked like put into trial service with JG1. For long patrols, I swiped Doppelreiter overwing fuel tanks from another FE kit, and likewise borrowed underwing gondolas with twin MG 151/20mm cannons from another. The prototype had provision for cowl machine guns, but carried no wing guns, so I figgered the cannon pods were necessary. I went with an overall RLM 76 graublau finish, seen on some JG1 Bf-109s.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

That's impressive, and nicely done!

I've seen external tanks like that usually called 'slipper' tanks. Were they jettesonable or fixed? Or just conjectural and never actually used of course. 

Somehow it looks like it should have a larger wing area. The front end reminds me of the Do 223 (?) 'Arrow' 'push/pull' heavy fighter/interceptor.


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

It's looks pretty cool actually. As you say in a rube goldberg way.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I'm not sure if those things were jettisonable or not! The Brits called them slipper tanks, but there's were underwing, and of course, these are German, and slipper is an English word. 


They're real, not made-up, but I doubt they were used beyond testing:
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Doppelreiter%22+fuel+tanks&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhz76B8cnUAhUGPiYKHevlCPAQ_AUIBygC&biw=1245&bih=993&dpr=1


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

Aircraft with huge wing pods are always a visual delight. I concur with Steve H, it does seem as though it should have a larger wing area for a high altitude interceptor, perhaps more like the Ta 152. If this one had been fully produced it may have. I'd be curious to know what she sounded like with that exhaust fit for a school bus. A bit like a turbo-supercharged school bus with a V12 displacing over 44 liters maybe? :hat:

Excellent work John P, the plane photographs very well.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Full Flaps! said:


> Aircraft with huge wing pods are always a visual delight. I concur with Steve H, it does seem as though it should have a larger wing area for a high altitude interceptor, perhaps more like the Ta 152. If this one had been fully produced it may have. I'd be curious to know what she sounded like with that exhaust fit for a school bus. A bit like a turbo-supercharged school bus with a V12 displacing over 44 liters maybe? :hat:
> 
> Excellent work John P, the plane photographs very well.


I think the 'story' I would imagine would be that this was SUPPOSED to have larger wings but being late in the war and resources being tight they just used what exiting FW-190 tooling was available to speed up construction. I would think it would have been a handful to fly. Those 8th AAF B-29s weren't going to stop on their own! 

Landing gear looks a little weak as well but again, it's what was on the tooling, right?


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

Steve H said:


> Landing gear looks a little weak as well but again, it's what was on the tooling, right?


I've never heard that the Focke-Wulfs were known for weak gears, but the Messerchmitt 109 certainly had that reputation, with its rather narrow and canted design. Supposedly Willy Messerchmitt refused to compromise the aerodynamics in favor of a more robust arrangement. The history books have recorded some pretty wild but tough to substantiate loss claims attributed to that landing gear over the decades.


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