Art Model AM 7204 Focke-Wulf Ta 152H-1 WWII German High-Altitude Interceptor

Focke-Wulf Ta 152H-1 WWII German High-Altitude Interceptor

The Focke-Wulf Ta 152H-1 was the Luftwaffe’s premier high-altitude interceptor during the final months of World War II. Although visually reminiscent of the Fw 190D-9, the Ta 152H was an entirely redesigned aircraft featuring a pressurized cockpit, an extended high-aspect-ratio wing, and an enlarged vertical stabilizer. Power was provided by a liquid-cooled Junkers Jumo 213E-1 inverted V-12 engine equipped with a two-stage, three-speed supercharger. Utilizing MW 50 water-methanol injection and a GM 1 nitrous oxide boost system, the fighter achieved a top speed of 475 mph at 41,010 ft, pushing the absolute performance envelope for operational piston-engine aircraft of the era (estimated at roughly 500 mph).

A parallel short-span variant, designated the Ta 152C and powered by the Daimler-Benz DB 603LA, never reached full-scale production. Only about 60 Ta 152 airframes of all variants were completed between December 1944 and the end of hostilities. A handful of these aircraft saw service with Stab/JG 301. Operating in airspace dominated by overwhelming Allied air superiority, they were largely relegated to flying low- to medium-altitude top cover for Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters during takeoff and landing. Entering service far too late and in negligible numbers, the Ta 152 never had the opportunity to prove its design potential in the high-altitude combat for which it was engineered.

Technical Specifications of the Focke-Wulf Ta 152H-1

• Length — 35.14 ft
• Wingspan — 47.38 ft
• Height — 11.06 ft
• Normal take-off weight — 10,472 lb
• Powerplant — 1 × Junkers Jumo 213E-1 liquid-cooled inverted V-12 engine, 1,730 hp (2,230 hp with MW 50 injection)
• Maximum speed — 475 mph (at 41,010 ft with MW 50)
• Service ceiling — 48,556 ft
• Operational range — 1,243 miles (with 79-gallon drop tank)
• Armament — 1 × 30 mm MK 108 motor cannon, 2 × 20 mm MG 151 wing-root cannons