High-Altitude Fighter Focke-Wulf

Back in 1942, the chief designer of the Focke-Wulf company, Kurt Tank, developed several prototypes on the basis of the Fw-190, intended for operation at high altitudes. The Ta-152 fighter was intended mainly to intercept enemy high-altitude bombers and reconnaissance aircraft.

The Focke-Wulf designers were constantly improving the Ta 152H. So, when testing the Fw 190D, it was found that the simple use of rubber gaskets at the junction of motor hoods gives an increase in aircraft speed by 17 km / h. This, of course, could be applied to the Ta 152, for which a special "integral hood" began to be developed. The Ta 152 was intended to be powered by a more powerful Jumo 222E engine and a new laminar wing. But by the very end of the war, it became clear that Ta 152 with Jumo 222 would remain only a project. Priority was given to jet aircraft.

In total, before the end of the war, 67 Ta-152 aircraft of various modifications were produced. In terms of its tactical and technical characteristics, this aircraft was the pinnacle of the development of the Fw-190 family of fighters.

Ta-152 modifications

• Ta 152А-1: unbuilt project similar to FW 190D-9 with FuG 24 radio
• Ta 152A-2: unbuilt project similar to Ta 152A-1 but with four 20mm guns
• Ta 152V-1: unbuilt project with a 30 mm cannon firing through a propeller hub
• Ta 152V-2: unbuilt project with GM-1 afterburner
• Ta 152V-3: armored attack fighter project Ta 152 V-4: heavy fighter project,
  R1 - with two 13 mm machine guns and two 20 mm cannons,
  R2 - with three 30mm guns and two 20mm guns
• Ta 152V-5: one FW 190 V53 prototype built. three guns of 20 mm caliber:
  R11 - three prototypes of the Ta 152V19 were built. V20HV21
• Ta 152C: three prototypes built, DB 603L engine, all-weather fighter

• Ta 152С-0 and С-1: three prototypes were built, the DB 603L engine was supposed to have many armament options
• Ta 152E-1: photo reconnaissance aircraft, two prototypes built
• Ta 152E-2: Ta 152E-1 high altitude version, one prototype Ta 152V26 built
• Ta 152H: high-altitude fighter, engine Jumo 213E-1. three prototypes were built by modifying the FW 190 (FW 190V29, V30 and V32)
• Ta 152Н-0: in 1944, 20 preproduction aircraft were built in Cottbus, engine Jumo 213 E-1;
  R11.R21 and R31 - variants with afterburner system and various radio equipment


Ta-152H-0. Outwardly, it was no different from the Ta-152H-1, but since it did not have internal fuel tanks in the wing, an ETC 504 holder and a 300-liter external fuel tank were installed on it.

• Ta 152H-1: one prototype Ta 152 V26 V32, modified from Ta 152E-2 and about a dozen production vehicles produced:


Ta-152H-1. Under the hood of this aircraft, the Jumo 213E-1 engine is installed. Outwardly, this can be seen from the shape of the pipes, the location of the air intake of the supercharger, characteristic of this modification of the form, it is located on the right. Pay attention to the unusual shape of the shutters of the annular radiator, they differ from those on the FW-190D-9 both in shape and quantity (there are 12 of them). The FuG16ZY radio antenna is visible under the wing. On the fuselage, about 500 mm of the insert, you can see the AZA10 launcher for flares (4 flares on both sides). Convex cockpit canopy, such as was used on the latest FW-190F and FW-190D-9 series.

• Ta 152H-10 - unbuilt Ta 153 reconnaissance fighter: one FW 190 V32 prototype modified from a Ta 152H prototype with a very high aspect ratio wing

Bibliography

• "Aviation of Luftwaffe" /Viktor Shunkov/
• "Encyclopedia of military engineering" /Aerospace Publising/
• "Fighter FW 190" /А. Rusetckiy/