http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_other/ta152.html
Focke-Wulf Ta 152
Kurt Tank's finest
As promised, here is the follow-on to the Fw 190D story --- Kurt Tank's own Ta 152.
Before the end of 1940, the Focke-Wulf design bureau headed by Dipl.-Ing. Kurt Tank had initiated work on variants of the Fw 190 intended to improve its high-altitude performance. Three alternative proposals were considered, designated Fw 190B, C, and D. The Fw 190B was basically similar to the Fw 190A, but was to be powered by a BMW 801 radial boosted by nitrous-oxide (GM 1) injection pending the availability of an exhaust-driven turbosupercharger. A pressure cabin was to be fitted, and the wing area was to be increased. The Fw 190C was basically similar to the B but was to be powered by the Daimler Benz DB 603 liquid-cooled engine using either a mechanically-driven supercharger operating in conjunction with nitrous oxide injection or a turbosupercharger. The Fw 190D was powered by the Jumo 213. The Fw 190B and C both ran into an extensive series of teething problems, and, in the event, never entered production. Priority was therefore given to the Fw 190D even though Tank felt that that the DB 603 was a better high-altitude engine than the Jumo 213 and had greater development potential. The result was the superb "Dora" version of the Fw 190, which was described in a previous post.
When Germany declared war on the USA, the Luftwaffe had initially assumed that the Americans would give the war in the Pacific their first priority, and had not worried too much about high-altitude bombing raids from B-17 bombers. However, by the autumn of 1942, it became readily apparent that the USAAF was planning a full-scale massive bombing campaign against Germany from its bases in the UK, and that the Luftwaffe would soon require fighters with better high-altitude performances to face the threat from American bombers. By that time, the Luftwaffe was also aware of the existence of the B-29, and they were also aware that the existing Fw 190 would be incapable of effectively intercepting this American bomber at the altitudes at which it was supposedly capable of operating. Consequently, Dipl.-Ing Kurt Tank undertook the development of of a Hochleistungsjäger, or High-performance Fighter, offering a much improved combat ceiling.
The Luftwaffe envisaged a two-phase program for the production of its new high-altitude fighter. The first phase would produce an aircraft based to the extent possible on an existing production airframe. The second phase would design a fighter from the ground up specifically for the high-altitude role.
To meet the requirements of the first phase, Focke-Wulf proposed the Fw 190 Ra-2 and Ra-3 designs, both based on the Fw 190D. These two proposals were basically similar, differing from each other principally in wing span and armament, the Ra-2 having a standard Fw 190D wing and the Ra-3 having extended wing outer panels giving a wing with a rather high aspect ratio. The engine was to be a Jumo 213E with a a three-speed two-stage supercharger and induction cooler which offered superior high-altitude performance over the Jumo 213A. Both designs had a pressure cabin and provision for both nitrous oxide (GM 1) and methanol-water (MW50) injection. The fuselage was common to both models, and was lengthened to provide increased internal capacity. The cockpit was moved sixteen inches further aft in relation to the wing attachment points in order to balance the center of gravity. Vertical tail surfaces were enlarged, and both aircraft had a 30-mm engine-mounted cannon and a pair of 20-mm MG 151 cannon in the wing roots, however the Ra-2 was to have an additional pair of MG 151s in the upper deck of the forward fuselage.
The requirements of the second phase were to be met by the Fw 190 Ra-4D. Although it was based broadly on the Fw 190, the Ra-4D embodied a complete structural redesign and numerous aerodynamic refinements. It was from the start to use a turbosupercharged Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine, the engine which Kurt Tank had preferred all along.
Dipl.-Ing Kurt Tank had by this time obtained almost legendary status as a result of his successful aircraft designs, and the RLM decided to honor him by using the prefix "Ta" instead of "Fw" for aircraft coming out of his design bureau. Since the Ra-2 and Ra-3 were considered sufficiently different from their predecessors to deserve a new designation, they were the first to receive the new "Ta" prefix. They were both redesignated Ta 152 by the end of 1942. Logic would seem to dictate that the Ra-2 and Ra-3 be designated Ta 152H and K, since they followed on directly from the Fw 190F and G (I and J were not used as suffixes). However, Tank had a different idea. He proposed that the short-span Ra-2 be designated Ta 152B, where the B stood for Begeleitjäger or Escort Fighter, and the long-span Ra-3 be designated Ta 152H, where the H stood for Hohenjäger or High-Altitude Fighter. Such was the prestige of Kurt Tank that he immediately got his way. The Ra-4D was assigned the designation Ta 153.
Although Tank was pressing the Luftwaffe to allocate production priority to the Ta 152, the authorities were reluctant to disrupt existing assembly lines for the introduction of a new type. Consequently, the work on the Ta 152 proceeded only very slowly, and it was not until the spring of 1944 that serious preparations for production were begun. By that time, the USAAF bomber offensive was in full gear, and the Luftwaffe was in dire straits. The Luftwaffe desperately needed a counter to the P-51 Mustang which was cutting German fighters to pieces.
The wing of the proposed Ra-4D/Ta 153 had a slightly greater span and area than that of the Fw 190D. This wing was seen to have certain advantages over the wing originally envisaged for the Ta 152. In addition to having better aerodynamic characteristics, the Ta 153 wing was deemed easier to manufacture and was capable of carrying more fuel. The Luftwaffe consequently proposed that that the new wing be adopted for the Ta 152B, with the outboard panels and flaps being extended for the long-span Ta 152H.
Kurt Tank was still pressing for permission to use the DB 603 engine in the Ta 152, owing to its superiority over the Jumo 213E at high altitudes. Although the Luftwaffe still insisted that the Jumo 213E remain the primary Ta 152 powerplant, it permitted Tank to begin work on a DB 603-powered version under the designation Ta 152C. There was no designation conflict with the Fw 190C, since all work on that version had been abandoned by this time owing to chronic turbosupercharger problems.
The first Ta 152H prototypes were completed in the summer of 1944.
Several Fw 190C airframes were used in the project. The first Ta 152H-0 service test aircraft rolled off the assembly lines in October-November 1944. The Ta 152H-0s had no fuel tanks in their wings. They were joined a month later by the first production Ta 152H-1 aircraft, which had fuel tanks in the wings. The Ta 152H-1 was armed with one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon with 90 rounds and two 20-mm MG 151 cannon in the wings with 175 rpg. 330 pounds of armor were carried for the protection of the engine and the pilot. Most production machines were delivered to Ta 152H-1/R11 bad-weather fighter standards. A MW 50 boost tank was fitted in the inboard port wing tank for use in enhancing low-altitude performance, with the GM 1 high-altitude boost tank aft of the cockpit being standard.
Approximately 150 Ta 1252H-1 fighters were manufactured between January 1, 1945 and the final abandoning of production with the arrival of Soviet forces at the Cottbus assembly plant. No Jagdgruppen ever completely converted to the type, but several Jagdstaffeln operated the Ta 152H alongside the Fw 190D and other types. Most of the Ta 152s operated in the close-support role. Others flew "top-cover" for bases from which Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters operated, trying to protect the jets from being "bounced" by Allied fighters during takeoff or landing. It was said that no British or American fighters risked attacking an Me 262 during landing while Ta 152s were known to be circling the airfield. The large wing area of the Ta 152 made it quite easy to fly. Most of the Ta 152Hs, however, were destroyed on the ground by Allied air attacks while awaiting delivery. A few Ta 152Hs were allocated to the Mistel program.
Near the end of 1944, Kurt Tank himself had a narrow escape while flying one of his Ta 152Hs. He was flying from Langenhagen near Hannover to attend a meeting at the Focke-Wulf plant in Cottbus. His plane carried armament, but no ammunition. Shortly after takeoff, he was jumped by four Mustangs. Tank pressed the button which activated his MW 50 boost, opened the throttle wide, and quickly left the Mustangs far behind in a cloud of blue smoke.
Engine: Junkers Jumo 213E-1 twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine rated at 1750 hp for takeoff (2050 hp with MW 50 boost) and 1320 hp at 32,800 feet (1740 feet with GM 1 boost). Maximum speed: 332 mph at sea level (350 mph with MW 50 boost), 465 mph at 29,530 feet with MW 50 boost, 472 mph at 41,010 feet with GM 1 boost. Service ceiling was 48,550 feet with GM 1 boost. Initial climb rate was 3445 feet/minute with MW 50 boost. Weights were 8642 pounds empty, 10,472 pounds normal loaded, 11,502 pounds maximum. Wingspan 47 feet 41/2 inches, length 35 feet 1 2/3 inches, height 11 feet 0 1/4 inches, wing area 250.8 square feet.
The Ta 152B has originally been envisaged as having interchangeable Jumo 213 or DB 603 "power eggs", but with the acceptance of the Ta 152C the Jumo 213 was standardized. The original plan to install cabin pressurization was abandoned. However, it was decided to give higher priority to the Ta 152C, and only three prototypes of the Ta 152B-series were completed before the war came to an end.
Series production orders for the Ta 152C had been placed in October 1944, the delays being a result of the Luftwaffe still continuing to support the Jumo 213 over the DB 603 for the Ta 152 as late as the autumn of 1944. The Ta 152C with the lighter DB 603 engine was otherwise identical to the Ta 152B. It was considered primarily as a Zerstorer. The MW 50 boost installation for the enhancement of low-altitude performance was standard. An Fw 190D prototype had been rebuilt and flown with a DB 603 engine in support of the Ta 152C program, and this plane took to the air for the first time in October 1944. During December 1944 and January 1945, the first Ta 152C-O service test aircraft joined the test program. The definitive production version was to be the Ta 152C-1, and it was hoped that the first examples could be rolling off the production lines in April of 1945. However, series production of the Ta 152C was only just beginning when Allied forces overran the assembly plants, so this fighter never entered service with the Luftwaffe.
The Ta 152C-1 was powered by a Daimler-Benz DB 603LA twelve-cylinder liquid cooled engine rated at 2100 hp (2300 hp with MW 50) for takeoff and 1750 hp at 29,530 feet (1900 hp at 27,560 feet with MW 50). Armed with one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon with 90 rounds, two fuselage-mounted 20-mm MG 151 cannon with 250 rpg, and two wing-mounted 20-mm MG252 cannon with 175 rpg. Maximum speed was 227 mph at sea level (356 mph with MW 50), 436 mph at 37,730 feet (460 mph at 32,810 feet with MW 50). Initial climb rate was 3050 feet per minute and service ceiling was 40,350 feet. Weights were 8849 lbs empty, 10,658 lbs normal loaded, and 11,733 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 36 feet 1 inch, length was 35 feet 6 1/2 inches, height was 11 feet 1 inch, and wing area was 290.89 square feet.
Undoubtedly the best fighter that actually saw combat in WWII, even if it was only brief glory. :nerd Lots of info out there about this plane.
