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One of four aircraft submitted in response to the “Armed Aircraft IV” specifications of February 1934. This called for a low-wing all-metal monoplane fighter, and was initially issued to Arado, Heinkel and Messerschmitt. In September 1934 Focke-Wulf was also invited to tender for the contract.
Focke-Wulf submitted the Fw 159. It was a high-wing strut braced monoplane, similar to their successful Fw 56 trainer aircraft. The prototypes were to be powered by the Jumo 210 B engine, and armed with two MG 17 machine guns located in the nose. The Fw 159 V4 reached a maximum speed of only 385 km/h (). The Fw 159 was not a serious competitor in the contest to become the Luftwaffe’s new front line fighter aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Messerschmitt Bf 109.
Aircraft of the Luftwaffe 1935-1945, Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage.
Combines a good background history of the Luftwaffe with a comprehensive examination of its aircraft, from the biplanes of the mid 1930s to the main wartime aircraft and on to the seemingly unending range of experimental designs that wasted so much effort towards the end of the war. A useful general guide that provides an impressively wide range of information on almost every element of the Luftwaffe
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