The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor was a long-range German airliner that first flew on 27 July 1937. Powered by four Bramo 323 Fafnir engines, it has the distinction of being the first aircraft to fly non-stop from Berlin to New York and return, which it did in August 1938.
Passenger capacity was usually 26 people in a 2 x 1 arrangement and up to 30 could be carried in a military transport role. Airline operators were Luft Hansa, Det Danske Luftfartselskab (Danish Air Lines) and Syndicato Condor.
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor Video
Following on from the last video about the Junkers G.38 where passengers sat in the wings, this time we stay in Germany for a look at the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor. Running for just over 11 minutes, this video gives a good history of the aircraft in both civil and military service.
The close ties between Germany and Japan at the time are evident, as the plane was sent to Tokyo on a promotional flight. It was even ordered by Imperial Japanese Airways, but the outbreak of war meant these were never delivered.
Due to the war, the Luftwaffe operated the aircraft in a maritime patrol and reconnaissance role and it could be fitted with bombs and mines to sink the enemy’s shipping. Structurally it turned out to be a bit problematic, with wing spars failing and fuselages breaking.
One Focke-Wulfe Condor was even adapted as Adolf Hitler’s personal transport aircraft, which is perhaps not too surprising. He was the leader of the country at the time so why not have the biggest and best.
Overall Thoughts
There were 276 Focke-Wulfe Condor’s manufactured between 1937 and 1944 and today just one still exists. It is on display at the former Berlin-Tempelhof Airport and was raised from Trondheim Fjord in Norway. Restoration took place between 1999 and 2021, which is a remarkable achievement considering it was just a wreck when they started.
It’s interesting to think about how things may have been different if war had not occurred. Perhaps the Condor would have been found crisscrossing the North Atlantic between Germany and the USA on a regular basis. Who knows!
Have you ever heard of the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor? What did you think of the video? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image via PNP.
Funny co-incidence, as only TWO hours ago, I was conversing (via forum P.M), to a well-known author who’s already written THREE books about the Focke Wulf Fw.200 Condor.
I was asking him about the fate of THIS very Fw.200, marked as ‘F8+LH’ (see attachment)
I first learned about this plane (type), around the time The Beatles broke up (1970), so, asking my Dad’s brother (RAF) he supplied me with a SUPERB ‘William Green’ (Purnell / McDonalds) book on the Fw200 and ALL of it’s sub-types & sub-variants – Fascinating for a kid like me, who was (then) heavily into building Military WW.II “AIRFIX” models, in 1/72.
Built my very 1st “Revell” Fw200 Condor in 1974 having now had a few years knowledge of the type, so, was already hooked ! – Winston Churchill himself referred to the British Parliament during the commons, that the Fw200 “Condor” was Britain’s “Scourge of the Atlantic”, for ALL the damage it had done (“skip-bombing at low-level” – British ships, Mid-Atlantic – Something HAD to be done fast, so, in desperation, they converted some old freighters into “CAM Ships” – Essentially, these ships had NO landing deck, just a ‘catapult’ with which to launch a ‘knackered’ & war-weary old Mk.I Hawker Hurricane into the air, on a “one way ticket” to ATTEMPT to catch, shoot-down & hopefully destroy the marauding German Maritime patrol planes, which the Fw200’s had been converted to. As I found (in the book Ken lent me, the Fw200 had been loaded (afterwards), with so much added weight (in it’s “new” military guise”), that the type now succumbed to ‘back failure’ & structural rear fuselage “collapse” on a not irregular basis (I know of 13 that did !)
Worse yet (again, due to fatigue) – An Fw.200 actually “broke up” in mid-flight, not far off the Norwegian coast (in mid 1944), killing no-less than 46 women who were Female Luftwaffe staff (nurses, plotters, auxiliaries, etc), with all 51 on board killed, falling to their deaths – The Fw200 was also THE first German a/c to be shot-down by the USAAF, falling victim to three separate attacks from P.38’s & a lone (early) P.40-C Warhawk – First P.38 on the scene WAS heavily damaged by accurate return fire, whilst another (much later, separate) P.38 attack, caused the Fw200 to actually ‘explode’ in mid-air (none survived).
I’ve only managed to pick up ONE (newer) “Revell” Fw200 kit, as they seem to sell-out quickly – Those on the 2nd-hand (E-Bay market, fetch about £50.00, which is getting expensive – Lastly, those who LIKE the plane & are fascinated by it, might like to know (“if” they’re currently unaware ?), that a few years back, an Fw200 Condor was “dredged-up” in Norway, salvaged, with a view to semi-restoring this (previously) “Extinct” bird.
Strange kinda “mish-mash”, as the plane WAS actually a military bird, or “birds” (plural)
Luftwaffe Fw 200C-4 F8+BR = (Werknr. 0063), from a Norwegian fjord where it had ditched on 22 February 1942 – That plane fromed the basis, whilst they “blagged” parts from the wreck of a second Condor, F8+AK (Werknr. 0140) which became the donor of the port wing and several smaller parts for the restoration project.
This plane, F8+AK had crashed on Kvitasoni Mountain in Norway on 27 December 1942
So, it means that BOTH of these ‘retrieved’ (salvaged) Fw.200 Condors were actually part of Hitler’s military Luftwaffe kit & arsenal.& used “offensively” during WW.II.
Meantime the restoration team CHOSE to use the two salvaged & then “remake” an Fw.200 Civilian Airliner in “shiny silver”, which NEITHER of these two ever were – curious !
Strange & some have remarked they’ve “caved-in” to “Politically Correct” 21st Century “pressures” – I see their point, as you wouldn’t take a Roman Centurion’s Helmet or Breastplate (armour), then hammer-out flowers & dollies on it !!!!! – It’s unrealistic.
History HAPPENED – Mark it back up the way it ACTUALLY was, as a Maritime Patrol plane (both planes, plural !) – Revisionist historians, Phwahaaa (by pretending it’s Civilian)
P.S ; I note that a few survived WW.II & were briefly used by the Danes, postwar.in 1946.
What a fascinating piece of information you’ve shared there. I really enjoyed getting to hear all the details of this aircraft, which isn’t one I was particularly familiar with previously. Thanks so much for taking the time to write all that up, along with the picture and the excellent detail. Really enjoyed the read – much appreciated!
Thanks T.F.D – Glad to add some info’ to your piece.
In addition to all the above (in my previous post), I’ve since, recently come across another superb web-page article, about an Fw.200 (of KampGeschwader 40), that just happened to find itself “in Greece” towards the later stages of the war, narrowly being involved being strafed by harrasing RAF Beaufighters – The Fw200 survived & was eventually flown by the South Africans – However, they were NOT aware that the Fw200’s BMW.801 radial engines had already been ‘sabotaged’ by the KG.40 crew (on demand of their cranky officer, who the South Africans had described upon capture, as, “Arrogant”)
Luckily, for the South Africans “joyriding in it”, only ONE engine packed-up, mid-flight, so they diverted to another airfield (blissfully unaware that the Fw200 had been tampered with) – Apparently, they’d filled the engines with sand, which finally meant that the old & now abandoned Fw200, would never (sadly) fly again.
Hopefully, here’s a link to that magnificent article…..regarding Fw.200 Condor ‘G6+FY’
https://www.ww2wrecks.com/portfolio/the-fw200-condor-g6fy-of-rodos-island-by-danie-van-der-spuy/
That article is a great find and very thoroughly researched. Nice to see some good sleuthing going on. A shame they contaminated the oil with sand, otherwise who knows what would have happened to the aircraft. Thanks for linking to that, really interesting stuff!
Yes, I remember seeing pictures of that sleek looking plane and thank you for posting photos without showing a swastika emblazoned on the tail, which most LH planes had at the time. Politics aside, as with most of these old birds you scrounge up it would have been a thrill to take a flight on one.
“Scrounge up” is pretty much right. Still plenty to go, but they’re becoming more and more obscure as the time goes on. Keeps it interesting for me, as I’m learning as I go 🙂
I’ve read about them a bit in the Honor books about WWII Argentina by W.E.B. Griffin. An astonishing plane with capabilities ahead of its’ time.
Interesting, I’ll have to see if I can check that out. Thanks for that!