Focke-Wulf Ta 183

Make that, "With the large thirst the early turbojets had"

reply

With such a small airframe the Focke-Wulf Ta 183 could not have carried much fuel. With the large thrust the early turbojets had, it could only have been a "point defense" weapon. That would made it of little use in stopping the overwhelming number of bombers the US was sending into Germany at the time. Wars are not won or lost by one or two "Wonder Weapons". The combined industrial might of the Allies could not have been defeated by Hitler's last minute gadgets. Also, remember that the US had the Lockheed P80 coming off the assembly lines in February 1945, and the UK had the Gloster Meteor in production and the De Havilland D.H.100 Vampire coming on line.

reply

The wind-tunnel model and 3-view drawing are the Type I designed by Hans Multhopp, color profile is Type II designed by Kurt Tank (rejejected by RLM).
The plane that flew in Argentina was heavily redesigned by Tank and cannot be used as an example to say that Multhopp's original design would or would not have been successfull.

reply

The MIG-15 is a good copy of this beautiful aircraft exept its more expanded boddy & highest total drag (of the MIG), bacause of the centrifugal type jet engine.

reply

This plane is a fighter and it does not look real.

reply

Right after WW2 the Russians captured an air base it had a wind Tunnel test model and the russians of course got it made VERY big improvements on it like tail,flaps,gun placement,cockpit and thats how the MIG-15 was born

reply

That is a very small air craft, from front to back. I think joe (second to bottom) is right it does look like a Mig-15; except it seems to be smaller. I also agree with Ta-183(third to bottom).this would have been a big blow to the Allies.

reply

Dr. Kurt Tank also designed the Tail wing for the Handly Page Victor.

reply

The latter tail unit was meant to be interchanged with the Design II tail unit for comparison tests. Armament consisted of two MK 108 30mm cannon located in the top, forward

reply

Saying that MiG-15 was born by coupling RR engine and this airframe is an oddity. Mikoyan and Gurevic developed their own line of designs in wich only the swept wing german experience was taken. MiG-15 was a really different plane!!!

reply

Despite all comments a version of the TA 183 was built, by Kurt Tank, in Argentina, after the war, it was flown by the Focke Wulf chief test pilot who described it as the worst aircraft he had ever flown. It killed him on the second flight

reply

Dr. Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf was the design genius behind this airframe. The reason it did not fly was the Luftwaffe didn't have an engine to match the airframe. 'Dolf didn't want anyone to KNOW about this plane until it was "ready."

When the Russians entered Berlin, the airframe was seized as a spoil of war. To shrink a great story, as part of Lend-Lease the Brits gave Russia a number of Rolls-Royce Nene turbines, which Dr. Vladimir Klimov "reverse-engineered" to create the VK-1 turbine engine. It was mated with the reverse-engineered TA-183 by the Mikoyan Design Bureau, and the MiG-15 was born.

Interesting that the prime enemy aircraft in Korea (and early Viet Nam) was a German airframe and an English engine.

reply

MiG-15 and F-86 Design inspired by this jet fighter

reply

Instead of saying...this plane didnt go operational... you should hahe said... Thank god it did'nt

reply

Its a pity this aircraft didnt go operational. It would've been big blow to the Allies since it was designed to be armed with X-4 guided missiles.

reply

Question, rather than comment: Was this A /C a strong influence to the Russians in the evolution of the Mig-15?

reply

according to www.luft46.com This was the second design of the Focke-Wulf Ta 183 jet fighter. It was similar to the Ta 183 Design II, except the wings were swept back at 35 degrees and the cockpit was set farther aft. Also, the tail unit was of a more conventional design, with a curvilinear sweep of the fuselage into the vertical tail. The horizontal tail planes were mounted lower than the first design, which were placed atop the vertical fin. There were two versions of the Design III, one in which the tail curved into the fuselage (see three-view above) and another where the tail unit faired straight into the fuselage (see drawing below). The latter tail unit was meant to be interchanged with the Design II tail unit for comparison tests. Armament consisted of two MK 108 30mm cannon located in the top, forward fuselage.

reply