Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe

The Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe, the Harrier, was a twin-engine multi-role aircraft built after the Luftwaffe asked for a machine that could serve as an advanced trainer for pilots, gunners and radio operators alike. It was a low-wing monoplane powered by two Argus As 10C V-8 piston engines in nacelles on the wing leading edges, with an enclosed cockpit, a retractable tailwheel undercarriage and an open rear fuselage forming a movable machine-gun station. The first prototype flew in 1935 and the type entered regular service two years later. The Luftwaffe bought it in large numbers for training, and it also served as a VIP transport, air ambulance, feeder airliner, photo reconnaissance and weather research aircraft. Several countries built it under licence, including Bulgaria, Hungary and Brazil.