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==Development== ===Background=== The origins of the Ta 154 ''Moskito'' is closely linked to the wartime demands of the ''[[Luftwaffe]]''. In 1942, it had become increasing clear that, amid increasingly intense [[Area bombing directive|Allied bombardment of Germany]], a new type of [[night fighter]] was desirable to replace both the [[Messerschmitt Bf 110]] and [[Junkers Ju 88]].<ref name = "smithkay 211"/> One such aircraft, the [[Heinkel He 219]], was already in development, however, during September 1942, the [[Ministry of Aviation (Nazi Germany)|''Reichsluftfahrtministerium'']] (RLM) issued a fresh requirement that called for a specialised night fighter that, unlike the He 219, would be primarily constructed out of wood. The intended benefit of this decision was not only as an economic measure to minimise the use of [[metal]] but also to take advantage of Germany's available [[Labour (human activity)|labour]] pool, which had numerous skilled woodworkers that had not effectively transitioned to metalworking.<ref name = "smithkay 211">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 211.</ref> This requirement was received by the German aircraft manufacturer [[Focke-Wulf]], who quickly decided to undertake work towards fulfilling it.<ref name = "smithkay 211"/> A [[Bremen]]-based design team at the firm, headed by [[Kurt Tank]], set about studying a fast attack-[[bomber]] aircraft that had been initially designated Ta 211 (due to its planned use of an uprated [[Junkers Jumo 211|Jumo 211R]] engine). The envisioned ''Ta 21'' bomber was a high-wing twin-engined design, built primarily of [[plywood]] and bonded with a special [[phenolic resin]] adhesive called [[Tego film]].<ref>Goodman 1998, p. 47.</ref> The material composition of the basic design included approximately 57 per cent wood, 30 per cent [[steel]], and 13 per cent [[duralumin]]. Both single-seat and twin-seat variants were proposed at a relatively early stage.<ref name = "smithkay 211"/> Due to the scarcity of steel tubing, both the primary and auxiliary [[Spar (aeronautics)|spar]]s made use of wood box construction while extensive use of wood bonding was made across the whole airframe.<ref name = "smithkay 211"/> A retractable nose-wheel [[landing gear|undercarriage]] was selected, the main gear of which retracted rearwards into recesses within the engine [[nacelle]]s while the nose gear pivoted backwards into the fuselage. Furthermore, it was fitted with broad diameter [[Tyre (wheel)|tyre]]s as to permit the aircraft to use grass airstrips.<ref name = "smithkay 2112">Smith and Kay 1972, pp. 211–212.</ref> It had a stepped cockpit canopy, the windscreen of which was composed of armoured glass; an additional 150 kg of armour was strategically distributed around the cockpit to protect its occupant(s). Dependent upon the variant, the cockpit contained a single pilot and a radio/[[radar]] operator, the latter just aft of the former.<ref name = "smithkay 212"/> Fuel was housed in a pair of fuselage tanks, one was located directly aft of the primary wing spar while the other was just behind the auxiliary spar.<ref name = "smithkay 212">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 212.</ref> By 14 October 1942, the basic calculations were complete; layout drawings were completed five days later.<ref name = "smithkay 211"/> The RLM warmly received Focke-Wulf's proposal and promptly issued a general development contract. It was at this stage that the ''Ta 154'' designation was applied to the aircraft; unofficially, it was named ''Moskito'' in reference to its similarity to the [[de Havilland Mosquito]] fast bombers (which was also largely made of wood) already in service with the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF).<ref name = "smithkay 211"/> Around this time, the de Havilland Mosquito, was conducting missions upon Germany itself and was quickly building up an impressive record; in its first 600 bombing missions, only one was shot down, compared to an average of five per cent for the RAF's [[Medium bomber|medium]] and [[heavy bomber]]s.<ref>Longmate 1983, p. 236.</ref> [[Erhard Milch]] personally requested a purpose-built German answer, and selected the Ta 154. Infighting within German circles started almost immediately, because the RLM and night fighter units — as well as [[Ernst Heinkel]] himself — still wanted the [[Heinkel He 219]]. Milch took this personally, and spent the better part of the next two years trying to have the He 219 program terminated, partly against Ernst Heinkel's wishes.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} During the aircraft's development, it became apparent that the most suitable engine to power the Ta 154 was the more powerful [[Junkers Jumo 213|Jumo 213]], and that Junkers could not deliver the originally-desired Jumo 211R engine on schedule due to technical and production difficulties.<ref>Merriam 2017, {{page needed|date=October 2024}}.</ref> ===Into flight and production issues=== [[File:Ta 154 V2 Image45 001.jpg|thumb|Focke-Wulf Ta 154 V2]] On 1 July 1943, the prototype ''Ta 154 V1'', which was outfitted with Jumo 211F engines and bore the ''Stammkennzeichen'' identification code ''TE+FE'', performed its [[maiden flight]] in the hands of Kurt Tank.<ref name = "smithkay 212"/> It was followed by ''V2'' with Jumo 211N engines, which was kept at the factory for handling trials. V1 was later dispatched to [[Rechlin-Lärz Airfield]] to conduct fly-off testing against the competing He 219A as well as the new [[Junkers Ju 388]]. Reportedly, the aircraft reached almost 700 km/h (440 mph) and easily outflew the other two aircraft, but those were both fully armed and equipped with radar apparatus. In comparison, neither V1 or V2 were fitted with radar at this stage.<ref name = "smithkay 212"/> On 23 November 1943, the ''V3'' prototype, which was also the first to be powered by the Jumo 211R engines and carry radar apparatus, made its first flight.<ref name = "smithkay 212"/> The added weight of the guns and drag of the 32-dipole element ''Matratze'' radar antennas used on its [[UHF]]-band FuG 212 C-1 [[Lichtenstein radar]] unit slowed the aircraft by a full 75 km/h, although it was still somewhat faster than the He 219. The rest of the 15 prototypes were then delivered as ''A-0'' models, identical to the V3. Some of these also included a raised [[Aircraft canopy|canopy]] for better vision to the rear.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} During March 1944, the ''[[Jägerstab]]'' decreed that Focke-Wulf should produce 37 Ta 154s by May 1944; in combination with other manufacturing assets, the production rate was somewhat unrealistically expected to reach 250 aircraft per month by November 1944.<ref name = "smithkay 213"/> This schedule came in advance of the completion of the first eight pre-production aircraft, designated ''Ta 154A-0'', which occurred in August of that year. These were briefly trialled by the service test unit before returning to development work.<ref name = "smithkay 213"/> Transportation issues, which prevented subcontractors from delivering components, were highly damaging to the company's efforts to ramp up production; at one point, each airframe was reportedly taking 12,000 [[man-hour]]s to produce.<ref name = "smithkay 213">Smith and Kay 1972, p. 213.</ref> By June 1944, the Jumo 213 was finally arriving in some numbers, permitting the completion of several ''Ta 154 A-1s'' with these engines.{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} However, the Ta 154 received a fatal blow when the only factory that produced Tego-Film, in [[Wuppertal]], was [[Bombing of Wuppertal in World War II|bombed out]] by the RAF, and the plywood glue had to be replaced by an alternative.<ref name = "smithkay 213"/> While determined efforts were made towards this end, the new bonding agents proved to be neither as strong and even weakened the wood due to it containing too much [[acid]] and thus being [[corrosive]]. In July 1944, several Ta 154 A-1s reportedly disintegrated during high speed flight, allegedly due to the [[delamination]] and failure of the plywood wing.<ref name = "smithkay 213"/> This same problem also critically affected the [[Heinkel He 162]] ''Spatz'', Ernst Heinkel's "''Volksjäger''" jet fighter program entry; the issue with the bonding agent was eventually resolved on this programme however.<ref name = "smithkay 213"/> Accordingly, production came to a halt in August 1944. One month later, the RLM officially cancelled the Ta 154, by which point Milch had been removed from his position and thus could no longer protect the programme. It is believed that about 10 production aircraft had been completed, 2 at Erfurt and 10 at Posen)<ref>Green (1979), pp.243,244.</ref> and a number of the A-0 preproduction aircraft were later modified to production standard.<ref name = "smithkay 213"/> An unknown number of the aircraft served with ''[[Nachtjagdgeschwader 3]]'' (Night Fighter Wing 3), and a few were later used as [[Flight training|training]] aircraft for jet pilots.
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