Focke-Wulf Fw 42

One of the most unusual bombers ever designed, the Focke-Wulf Fw 42 was a twin-engine aircraft with main wing placed at the rear and tailplane at the front. Designed in 1932, the aircraft was planned with a retractable landing gear, a crew of six, a span of 25 m (82 ft), a length of 17.7 m (58 ft 1 in), a height (at cockpit) of 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in), and an empty weight of 5,600 kg (12,346 lbs). Defensive armament included two machinegun posts, one in the nose, the other in the tail. A bomb load of 1,000 kg (2,205 lbs) could be carried. The Fw 42 was to be powered by two 750-hp BMW V1 12-cylinder engines, and it would have had a maximum speed of 310 km/h (193 mph) and a range of 1,200 km (746 miles). A full-size mock-up was built and, although good results were reported from wind-tunnel tests, no contract was issued, and all work on this curious “canard” design was abandoned.

Specifications (Fw 42)

General characteristics

    Crew: Six

    Length: 17.7 m (58 ft 1 in)

    Wingspan: 25 m (82 ft 0 in)

    Height: 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)

    Wing area: 108 m2 (1,160 sq ft)

    Empty weight: 5,600 kg (12,346 lb)

    Max takeoff weight: 9,000 kg (19,842 lb)

    Powerplant: 2 × BMW VI liquid-cooled inline piston engines, 560 kW (750 hp) each

    Propellers: 4-bladed, 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) diameter

Performance

    Maximum speed: 310 km/h (190 mph; 170 kn)

    Cruising speed: 260 km/h (160 mph; 140 kn)

    Range: 1,200 km (746 mi; 648 nmi)

    Service ceiling: 6,000 m (19,685 ft)

Armament

    Guns: Two machine guns in nose and tail positions

    Bombs: 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) in internal bay