Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz

The Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz, the Goldfinch, was a twin-seat biplane intended for pilot training and sport flying, and it was the company first major international success. It had straight untapered wings, a fixed tailwheel undercarriage and two open cockpits in tandem, both with flight controls, and the usual power was a Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine. The design team was headed by Kurt Tank and the first prototype flew in late summer 1932. After early troubles it was modified into a capable aerobatic aircraft that many noted pilots flew. Flying schools and clubs in Germany and abroad ordered it in such numbers that Focke-Wulf opened a second factory and licensed production to other countries, and the Luftwaffe later used it for training.