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| The TA152 parallel to Launched the "Sofort programm" from which D-9 results, the long-term program of the RLM (Verrücken programs) required the development of a new hunter of average and high altitude. Ta152, is the result of the efforts of Focke Wulf in Brème, to want to remelt Fw190A with the engine DB603 which had, according to its engineering and design department of the undeniable assets. Indeed, without awaiting the green light of the engineering departments of the RLM, the engineers and technicians of the team of K.Tank were since of long month invested in the programs B and C Although abandoned on order, these tests were rich in technical data and made it possible to quickly define the broad outline of Ta152. The profile of the engine cowling was re-examined for an engine on line and was lengthened to receive an armament of more powerful cap. The wings were advanced and the fuselage lengthened in front of the cruciform empennage to compensate for the displacement of the centre of gravity forwards. Drift at summer widened for a better effectiveness at high altitude. Increase in the range operating with also envisaged with 6 car-sealing flexible tanks which could be placed in the wings thanks to the rehandling it it centre section of the this wing.  The wing itself with been able to be reduced by the cut of the members right beyond fixings of the landing gears, the rigidity of the remainder of the wing being ensured by an assembly of narrowly juxtaposed steel rods. K.Tank considered a version purely intended for the high altitude of which the basic concept remained the same one, the only difference was the scale, lengthened with almost 15 meters! At that time, the RLM gave are green light with the launching of this program (like its competitor Me155B). The technische Amt imposed the following constraint (the project of Messerschmit was seen imposed constraint similar), the development of this hunter should not encroach on the production and the development of versions A and especially D, this last version having the preference of the leading authorities of the RLM. N the other hand, can be, it is at this time that K.Tank received the authorization to call the project with its name, and Focke Wulf 190 of high altitude became the Ta152.The designation of different under versions from Ta152 was done in the following way. In order to avoid any confusion with the Fw190A series, the initial prototype Ta15À was redésigné Ta152B. This under version was heavily to be armed with an axial gun MK108 with 30mm and 2 other identical guns in the wing roots. The remainder of the plane included/understood the modifications of the basic project. This under version was neglected by the RLM which required to concentrate all the efforts on the version of high altitude. The letters D, F and G being already allotted to version of Fw190, the letter E reserved for the version of recognition and the letter C in Ta152 with engine DB603 whose K.Tank had still not given up the idea.  It is thus the letter H which was allotted to the version high altitude, which corresponded perfectly to the Höhenjäger2 program. At the same time, the preparation of the production line of the preproduction was launched in the factory of Sorau and a new factory of production was planned in Cottbus. Several Fw190 were allotted to the program, the majority recovered on the program C, as Fw190V33 which left the workshops of Langenhagen modified in July 1944. Equipped with the new lengthened wing of 14,44 meters advanced scale of 42 centimetres with its 6 additional tanks and of a Jumo21É engine in the place of the DB603 this prototype would have to be used as test bench for the new aerofoil. Unfortunately, the following day, July 12, it was crushed with its first flight. August 6, the second prototype modified starting from Fw190V30, accomplished its first flight, it was crushed the following week! Then modification of Fw190V29 at the beginning of September, then Fw190V32 which had was used as engine test stand at Daimler Benz. This prototype received the lengthened wings before intended another prototype whose manufacture was deferred, it was thus used as prototype to the 2 version H, H0 (without tanks of wing) and H1 (with the 6 tanks of wings). The prototype ëme ex-Fw190V18 was also crushed to him during its first flight on October 8, 1944.  Three prototypes manufactured arrived before the winter at Langenhagen, indicated Ta152V3, V4 and V5 (V1 and 2 being for the survivors of the preceding planes), it were with the Ta152H-1 standard. At the same period the first apparatuses of preproductions manufactured in Cottbus, joined Erprobungsstelle de Rechlin or had been just created Erprobungskomando Ta152 under the command of Hptm Bruno Stolle old of the JG2. This unit had in responsibility of test the new apparatus. A score of apparatus to the H-0 standard were sent to Rechlin for the operational tests, their N° of series starting with 15001, the chain of Cottbus continuing the production with of Ta152H-1 whose 34 specimens could be finished before the end of the war. Ta152H-0 differed from H-1 only by the absence of the additional tanks of wings. Lengthened of 0,77 meter the cap of Ta152 with licence the installation of an axial gun, and, to rebalance the plane, the wing is advanced of 0,42 meter and is fixed at the medium of this new section. This displacement obliged to refit the compartment of the tanks of fuselage under the cockpit. To perfect this balancing, as on D9, a section of 0,50 meter was added in front of the back empennage and this new space was made profitable to install the cylinders of compressed air necessary to the operation of the axial gun. This additional section is stiffened by duralumin sections like D9. The depth and rudders remain identical to D9 but the drift is extended to 1,77m² to improve longitudinal stability at high altitude. Because of the increase in the weight, the caudal caster and the trains are reinforced. The latter were been driven by hydraulic engine for the increase in the place of the electric motors of Fw190. These bulky engines could be installed after the lengthening of 0,25 meter of each wing what increased the way by 0,50 meter and made the operations on the ground sourer. The scale of the plane was lengthened with 14,44 meters. The pressurized cabin made it possible to the pilots to evolve/move with more than 10000 meters, the pressure reigning in the cockpit was that corresponding to 5000 meters of altitude. With 10600 meters, the Jumo21É engine provided 1260 more Cv to 3000 rpm, its maximum capacity being of 1730 Cv on takeoff with 3250 rpm. The fuel was of type B4 (87 of octane), the propeller of the type VS9 to 3 blades out of pasted wooden covered with a plasticized coating, are diameter was 3,60 meters. Ta152 was equipped with the 2 devices of overpower now known, the MW50 for the low one and average altitude which injected a eau/méthanol mixture to enrich the gas mixture and to cool the engine. The 70 liters which conferred on this device a 28 minutes total of operation, was in the inboard tank of the left wing (all the others contain gasoline). The 2nd device is the GM1, for high altitude. The 85 liters of nitric oxide necessary for 17 minutes of maximum use per section of 60, 100 or 150 seconds are in a cylindrical tank located behind the pilot. The nitric oxide was stored in liquid form. Ta152H-0, plane of preproduction, had an autonomy limited to its 2 tanks of fuselage of 233 and 362 liters to which have could associate a ventral reserve of 300 liters. H-1 had an autonomy definitely improved thanks to the additional tanks of wings, the 5 remainders had a capacity of 400 liters on the whole, which with a ventral reserve of 300 liters made it possible H-1 to take off with almost 1300 liters is a 4 hour endurance of flight. Ta152, at this stage could not carry bombs; it was a hunter. The version H-1, first produced series, was armed with axial Mk108 of 30mm supplied with 90 blows and of 2xMG151/20 of root of wing supplied with 150 blows. Thus grouped, the power and the density of fire were to be terribly effective, when have knows that 2 or 3 shells of 30mm of the MK108 placed well broke the wing of a hunter into two and that a dozen judiciously drawn shells were enough to cut down one of frightening the flying fortress B17. The performances of this hunter filled more than largely the hope of K.Tank, at such a point that the unit which evaluated it in Rechlin, only suggested at the end of 8 weeks of tests, are integration within operational units. But for the RLM, Ta152 was only one program secondary compared to Me190K, Fw190D and especially Me26À. The beginning January 1945, in spite of the little of interest of RLM, Erprobungskomando Ta152 redésigné meanwhile Stabsstaffel 301, taken provisions to convert the remainders of the III/JG301 (decimated at the time of the operation "Bodenplatte" and equipped with Fw190A-8) on Ta152H. These 2 units settled in Alteno, 80 kilometers in the south of Berlin and tested with the combat the apparatuses placed at their disposal. The theoretical equipment of Stabsstaffel 301devait being of 16 apparatuses, numbers ever reached, which did not prevent some pilots carefully selected to start to familiarize itself with the animal as of January 10, 1945. The first fatal accident take place on February 1 with under officer Hermann Durr with the orders of N°150037, which was crushed not far from the tracks during a training flight. The causes of this crash are unknown for me. The first exit operational took place on February 8, but led to any contact with the enemy. The 2 units, to support this contact, moved in Sachau in the West of Berlin the 18 of this same month, and as of the 21, met a formation of B17 to the top of Berlin. This meeting showed a victory of Oberfeldwebel Josef Feil on board "3 green" in end according to midday. This same pilot, in saddle since 1939, and having obtained his first victory over a Dutch hunter in May 1940, confirmed his qualities and that of his mounting, by a victory over P51 at the end of the morning on March 1, 1945. This pilot obtained 5 more other victories over Ta152 until the end of the war, the 2 Soviet last one being doubled on 2 Yak-3 above Berlin on April 21, 1945.  Oberstlt Aufhammer, which ordered the group since the beginning of January 1945 and some others control whose Obfw Loos, Stephan, Gossow, Fw Reschke and Blum carried out operational missions on this apparatus. The testimonys and documents collected after the conflict announced its excellent acceleration and climbing speed, its stability in turn even very tight and its excellent behavior at high altitude. No Ta152 was cut down by an enemy apparatus, but it A was used only in small number and little as time. An anecdote quoted by K.Tank; during a flight in disarmed Ta152, indicator which it was followed by of P51, it engaged overpower and so much acceleration left on the spot them was strong (Note that it is rare in the history of aviation to see a manufacturer carrying out tests on the apparatuses which it designed, but K.Tank was those). But, push of the Russian armies, particularly towards Berlin, and that of the allies caused the backward flow of the 2 groups towards the western North from Germany in many Neustadt/Glowe.De Ta152 were burned for lack of spare parts or gasoline to evacuate them, not to fall to the hands from Russian. At the beginning of April Stabstaffel 301 had only 7 apparatuses, the III/JG301 6 apparatuses for respectively 16 and 52 hunters (theoretical equipment). Nothing evolved/moved until May 7, 1945, for these 2 units from now on crossed their sources of provisioning regular and blocked on the ground for lack of gasoline, where the grounds at the border of Denmark were invested by the Britannique army. There, the operational last Ta152, one of most formidable of the hunters with piston engine of the 2nd world war, had found an ultimate refuge. | ||||||||||||||||
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