The Fw 189C was a ground attack version proposed by Focke Wulf when the Luftwaffe announced a tender for a new close support aircraft. The Focke Wulf proposal was a Fw 189 aircraft with a heavily modified central fuselage. The glass greenhouse was replaced with a smaller armored cockpit, two prototypes V1b and V6 were converted. Nevertheless, Focke Wulf lost the tender to Henschel’s Hs 129. The Hs 129 was developed to a 1937 requirement for a twin-engine ground attack aircraft mounting at least two 20mm cannons and with heavy armor for the pilot and engines. The initial prototypes, flown in 1939, were underpowered but Henschel ended up with the contract since their design was cheaper and smaller than the closest competitor (the Fw 189C).

The Focke-Wulf 189 “Eule” was known in the popular press as “the flying eye.” Officially named the “Eule,” it was better known to those who flew it as the “Uhu,” – the owl. Like the owl, its appearance was deceptive. Despite its fragile look, the airplane was maneuverable and capable of absorbing considerable punishment and still returning to base; several were the victims of Russian ramming attacks and managed to make it back with parts of the tail section knocked off the airplane! It was popular with those who flew it, and filled an important niche in operations on the Eastern Front, where it saw service almost exclusively.

Originally designed by Kurt Tank in 1938 in response to an RLM proposal for a replacement for the Henschel Hs-126 Army co-operation aircraft, the Fw-189 was very radical for such an assignment. It overcame the traditionalists at the RLM with its performance, and began to enter Luftwaffe service in 1941. Its superb handling and agility made it a very difficult and elusive target for enemy fighters.

Kurt Tank of Focke Wulf ignored the single engine requirement and built a two engine twin boom aircraft reminiscent of the P 38, the Fw 189. The crew area was an extensively glazed pod placed between the engine booms. The Fw 189 was considered an unorthodox approach to the requirements of a short range reconnaissance aircraft and was viewed with suspicion by the more conventional personnel of the Technischen Amt. In combat the Fw 189 proved to be a extremely effective aircraft becoming one of the more important aircraft in the Luftwaffe’s inventory. The RLM probably soon learned to appreciate the fact that the Fw 189 used two low powered engines (Argus AS 410 rated at 465 hp for takeoff) rather than one high powered engine. This did not place any additional strain on the production of high powered engines which were always in short supply. Also the twin engine arrangement improved the combat survivability of the Fw 189.

The Fw189 was a twin-tailed plane, with a central fuselage with many windows. It was powered by 2 Argus As410A-1 V inverted 12 cylinder. The crew was made up of 3 or 4 members, pilot, observer, rear-gunner and observer/gunner in the rear ventral position. The armament of the Fw189 was heavy for a plane of this category with 2 7.92mm MG17 in inner wings, a twin 7.92mm MG81 for the rear gunner, and another twin 7.92mm in the rear ventral position. The Fw189 could also carry 4 110 lb bombs under the wings. The Fw189 was not a combat plane, but many times was used as an infantry close support aircraft on the Eastern Front. With great agility the FW189 was able to escape enemy fighters, and if it could not totally escape the strong construction made it able to reach its base with heavy damage.

Attempts were made to build special attack variants with small strongly nacelles, but they were unsatisfactory. Ten Fw 189B trainers were specially manufactured and had a conventional nacelle with side-by-side dual controls in a normal cockpit, and above the trailing edge there was an observer. The Fw 189A-3 also had dual-controls but the normal “glasshouse” housing the crew. Gradually only the French factories with assembly at Bordeaux-Mérignac were producing the Fw 189, and they stopped as the Allies closed in during 1944. Many different models and a number of developments with more powerful engines were built, but only the basic types of A-1, A-2 (more armament) and A-3 appeared in substantial numbers. The production total of all versions amounted to 846.