Fw 58 Questions
 

Would like to learn the history of Fw 58 WN 51020.

Does the type designation FW 58.K.A6 make sense? I believe the K type is corrrect for an export version. What could the A6 mean?

Thank you,
Steve

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

Steve,
I do not have any Fw 58 with a W.Nr. in this range - 51 -. Unfortunately I do not have my listing for the Hungarian machines to check it here in my job. I also never saw any mention for a K.A6 in the material I have. Looks interesting.

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

Steve,
Did a quick search on other material I have here and model may be K-6. In according the table I have, K-6 where bomber trainer models sent to Hungary and Romania. Anyway I still must check all sources for the correct models identification.

In case I find a matching W.Nr. in home I post it here.

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

Yes, the designation makes perfectly sense.
The actual spelling would be Fw 58Ka-6 (a for Ausland, i.e. abroad). This sub-type was manufactured at MWG at Györ, Hungary.
What info do you have on this particular machine?

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

Hi Stephen,

After arriving home and two sandwiches...

Dénes is absolutely correct on the Ka-6 model. When I saw the A6 in capital letters I confused myself with the most commom system used during WWII like Fw 190-A6, Ju 88 G-1, Bf 109-E1, etc...

If my tables are correct, W.Nr. 51020 is an Hungarian built machine that flew as G-266. Did you have a plaque "liberated" in Austria? Zeltweg maybe?

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

Hello!

I think it is actually KA (not Ka). It seems that this type of designation was introduced with the Fw 58KA-2 and KA-5 for Hungary and the Fw 58KO-1 for Sweden. My guess is that it was a special system used only by FW for its export aircraft.

Lennart Andersson

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

In my interpretation, these were not export aircraft, but aircraft manufactured abroad, hence the lower case 'a' suffix, as in Ka-6, Ka-7 and Ka-8 -- all built at MWG, in Györ, Hungary.

If anyone has original documents related to this detail, I'd very much like to heard from him.

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

The information came from a main data plate for a Fw 58 built by MWG, in Györ, Hungary. The plate is a typical Focke Wulf style but the text is Hungarian, not German.

Here's how the model entry line (die-stamped) reads: "F.W.58.K.A6." All the letters are capitalized since that's how the common die tools were made. The build year entry line reads "1943".

I hope to be able to share a photo sometime later.

Thank you for the helpful replies.

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

Steve,

this particular Fw 58 Ka-6 (51020) was flown to Küpper from Vát in early (January?) 1945 with several other Fw 58's of the "Műszerrepülő kiképző század" (training squadron for instrument flying).

Other Fw 58s of this unit known to retreat to Küpper (according to George Punka's research):
G.2+58 Fw 58Ka-6 WNr. 51012
G.2+72 Fw 58Ka-6 WNr. 51026
G.2+79 Fw 58Ka-? WNr. 51033?
G.2+80 Fw 58Ka-? WNr. 51034?
K.3+51 Fw 58
K.3+66 Fw 58

Regards,
Péter

Re: Fw 58 Questions
 

Péter, are you sure about this last one?
I have the serial number block up to only K.358.
Or, should I ask Gyuri directly? :)

BTW, AFAIK all machines in the K.3XX row were German-made B-2s and C-2. Do you agree?