Army FW-189 “Flying Eye”

Aeroplane identification poster, published 1942

63 x 47 cm

A particularly unusual style of aeroplane identification poster, owing to the very arty images. Most such posters rely on very plain silhouettes, this series – and we have several in this series; view them here – have a much more arty approach to the task with shading and an interesting angle view.

The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (“Eagle Owl”) was a German twin-engine, twin-boom, three-seat tactical reconnaissance and army cooperation aircraft. It first flew in 1938, entered service in 1940 and was produced until mid-1944. It was nicknamed the “Flying Eye.”

Patrolling the vast flatlands of Ukraine and Belarus, the Flying Eye was used extensively on the Eastern Front with great success. It was nicknamed “Rama” (“frame”) by Soviet forces, in reference to its distinctive tailboom and stabiliser shapes, which gave it its characteristic quadrangular appearance. Despite its low speed, the Fw 189’s manoeuvrability made it a difficult target for attacking Soviet fighters. When attacked, the Flying Eye was often able to out-turn enemy fighters by simply flying in a tight circle.

Condition: generally very good.

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