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Availability: Available through Zoukie-Mura Website through link to either Japanese or US distributors. Priced at approximately £77.00 but don’t forget that you may get charged for import tax and handling into the UK (at time of writing around £32.00).
Reviewed by Dave Coward
Background info…
The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 was a World War II German high-altitude fighter-interceptor. The Ta 152 was a development of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft, but the prefix was changed from “Fw” to “Ta” to recognize the contributions of Kurt Tank who headed the design team. The number 152 was chosen in the German air ministry’s list of numbers allocated to German aircraft companies, and was not related to the designer’s previous projects or achievements. It was intended to be made in at least three versions — the Ta 152H Höhenjäger (“high-altitude fighter”), the Ta 152C designed for slightly lower-altitude operations and ground-attack using a different engine and smaller wing, and the Ta 152E fighter-reconnaissance aircraft with the engine of the H model and the wing of the C model.
The first Ta 152H entered service with the Luftwaffe in January 1945. The total Ta 152 production is not well known but 43 are identified, (H-0 and H-1) with c.6 prototypes. This was too late to allow the Ta 152 to have a significant impact on the war effort.
Design for high-altitude performance…
To reach higher altitudes, a pressurized cockpit was added to the H models. The canopy was sealed via a circular tube filled with rubber foam which was inflated by a compressed air bottle, while the engine compartment was also sealed from the cockpit with a rubber foam ring. A Knorr 300/10 air compressor provided the pressure, maintaining the cockpit at .36 atmospheres (5.29 psi) above 8,000 m (26,250 ft). To prevent fogging, the windscreen was of a double-pane style with a 6 mm (.32 in) thick outer pane and a 3 mm (.118 in) inner pane with a 6 mm (.24 in) gap. The gap was fitted with several silica gel capsules to absorb any moisture forming between the panel.
The aircraft had an increased wingspan compared to the previous Fw 190 design, as a further accommodation towards better high-altitude performance. Due to the war’s impact on aluminum availability, the wing was built around two steel spars, the front extending from just past the landing gear attachment points, and the rear spar spanning the entire wing. The wing itself was designed with 3° of washout, from the root to the flap-aileron junction, to prevent the ailerons from stalling before the center section of the wing. This design allowed the pilot to maintain roll control during a stall and extreme flight envelope manoeuvres.
The Ta 152H boasted excellent high-altitude performance, using a Jumo 213E engine (a high-altitude version of the Jumo 213A/C used in the Fw 190D), a two-stage, three-speed supercharger and the MW 50 methanol-water mixture engine boost system.
Armament…
The H-model had heavy armament to allow it to deal quickly with enemy aircraft. It had three weapons firing through the propeller arc: one 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 Motorkanone cannon centered within the propeller hub and two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons located in the wing roots.
Performance…
The Ta 152H-1, with the Jumo 213 E engine, was among the fastest piston-engined fighters of the war, capable of speeds up to 755 km/h (472 mph) at 13,500 m (41,000 ft, using the GM-1 boost) and 560 km/h (350 mph) at sea level (using the MW 50 boost).To help it attain this speed, it used the MW 50 system mainly for lower altitudes (up to about 10,000 m/32,800 ft) and the GM-1 system for higher altitudes, although both systems could be engaged at the same time. The Ta 152 was one of the first aircraft specifically designed to employ a nitrous oxide power boost system.
In late 1944, Kurt Tank reported that while flying an unarmed Ta 152H to a meeting at the Focke-Wulf plant in Cottbus, he saw two P-51 Mustangs. He made his escape by engaging the MW 50 boost, opening the throttle wide to gain maximum speed to escape the enemy fighters, and left the two Mustangs behind him. There is no evidence from Allied reports that these P-51s ever saw him.
References used:
- Aircraft of the Third Reich Part 1 by William Green
- Luftwaffe Colours 1939-1945 by Michael Ullmann
- Wikipedia