Post by Bernard/Administrator on Sept 15, 2024 16:16:49 GMT
In August 1938 a Focke-Wulf FW 200 "Condor" D-ACON of Deutsche Lufthansa flew from Berlin Staaken Airport nonstop to Floyd Bennett Field, NY. The flight was done in 24 hours an 56 minutes. It was the first heavier than air craft flying from Europe to the American continent without atop-over.
FW 200 D-ACON taking off from Berlin Staaken Airfield
reaching later the coast of the North Sea
and in the morning of next day flying over New Haven and the Long Island Sound
Final approach of Floyd Bennett Field (with Empire State Building in the background)
and landing there after this very long trip.
In fact, that's how we really know it: just in black and white!
Some few months later, in November of same year, the aircraft did a further record flight to Japan. With stop-overs at Saloniki, Cairo, Basrah, Karachi and Hanoi it reached Tokyo Tachikawa in 46 hours and 18 minutes. On the flight back to Germany, it had to ditch in Cavite Bay of Manila due to a defective fuel line.
Meanwhile I found this comment:
"The successful flight of D-ACON to New York proved that large land aircraft can also conquer oceans. And this with significantly lower structural weights and therefore lower fuel consumption compared to flying boats with their heavy hulls."
Bernard
FW 200 D-ACON taking off from Berlin Staaken Airfield
reaching later the coast of the North Sea
and in the morning of next day flying over New Haven and the Long Island Sound
Final approach of Floyd Bennett Field (with Empire State Building in the background)
and landing there after this very long trip.
In fact, that's how we really know it: just in black and white!
Some few months later, in November of same year, the aircraft did a further record flight to Japan. With stop-overs at Saloniki, Cairo, Basrah, Karachi and Hanoi it reached Tokyo Tachikawa in 46 hours and 18 minutes. On the flight back to Germany, it had to ditch in Cavite Bay of Manila due to a defective fuel line.
Meanwhile I found this comment:
"The successful flight of D-ACON to New York proved that large land aircraft can also conquer oceans. And this with significantly lower structural weights and therefore lower fuel consumption compared to flying boats with their heavy hulls."
Bernard