Focke Wulf FW.44 Steiglitz, Barry Clay, Scratchbuild

Second only to the Focke Wulf FW.190 as the most prolific Focke-Wulf design, the FW.44 Steiglitz ( means 'Goldfinch') trainer appeared in 1932,the prototype making its first flight in the late summer of that year in the hands of Gerd Achgelis. Powered by a 140 hp Siemens Sh.14a radial engine,the aircraft was a single bay biplane with a welded steel fabric covered fuselage,with wooden wings and fabric covering,in its original form the aircraft suffered some undesireable flight characteristics, but these were soon sorted out after an extensive flight test programme undertaken by Professor Kurt Tank who joined the company during 1931 from the BFW organisation, he headed the design and flight test departments of Focke-Wulf when Heinrich Focke became pre-occupied with his rotary wing activities.The Steiglitz became an outstanding aerobatic mount,particularly in the very hands of Achgelis, Emil Kropf and Ernest Udet, it won many export orders from Bolivia, Chile, China, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Romania, Switzerland and Turkey, licence production was also undertaken in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, and Sweden. Built in substantial numbers for the Luftwaffe,serving as a trainer until the end of World War 2.

The model was made from a stripped down Revell Boeing PT-17 Stearman kit, the wings needed to be swept back and a new aerofoil section filed in, the shape had to be altered dramatically, ailerons replaced, new undercarriage built up, the fuselage was cut just aft of the cockpit and a new front fuselage made from Jabrok grafted into place, the Siemens engine was scratch built from toothpicks bound with button thread, rocker covers made from a toothbrush handle,pushrod guides from pins.The tail is made from Miralyte 1=64th ply two laminations, struts made from Contrail/Sutcliffe streamlined section pinned to the board and glued together, the whole model was then primed with Holts white primer and sprayed with auto enamel Canary yellow, details hand painted.