The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor

At a time when the commercial airline industry was still young and inexperienced, Germany designed a revolutionary trans-Atlantic passenger plane whose colossal wingspan would earn it the name Condor.

The unique airliner offered unparalleled cruising altitudes for commercial use at the time and was a reliable and safe aircraft meant to push Germany's aviation industry forward.

However, the plane built in times of peace would not accomplish the role it was designed for, and as World War 2 exploded, the groundbreaking airliner would become a one-of-a-kind warplane.

First used as a reconnaissance aircraft due to its high-altitude capabilities, it was then turned into a heavy bomber as the conflict dragged on. The Condor excelled in its new role, raining destruction over the Allied maritime supply lines with no mercy.

Just three months after its debut as a bomber, the Condor had sunk over 90,000 tons of Allied shipping. Later, as the besieged Germans clung to life within the ruins of Stalingrad, Hermann Göring used Condors in daring supply runs to deliver goods to the starving 6th Army troops.

However, its most eccentric and noteworthy role would not come in combat, but as the modified unit Immelmann III, a private model arranged for Adolf Hitler himself…


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