Focke-Wulf Fw 47 Höhengeier

The Focke-Wulf Fw 47 Höhengeier, the Vulture, known inside Focke-Wulf as the A 47, was a meteorological aircraft developed in Germany in 1931. It was a parasol-wing monoplane of largely conventional design, unusual only in the large area of its wing. The Reichsverband der Deutschen Luftfahrtindustrie tested it first and then the weather station at Hamburg, after which the type was ordered into production to equip ten major weather stations around Germany. The prototype A 47a used an Argus As 10 engine and the production Fw 47C, D and E versions used the As 10C, As 10D and As 10E. It is a rare example of a Focke-Wulf design built specifically for atmospheric research rather than for passengers, training or war.