PlaneFox tracks 1 Fw 44 Stieglitz aircraft for sale and re-reads every one of them from the broker and dealer sites it watches, so the figures below move when the market moves. Every number on this page is measured from those live listings, not taken from a published price guide.
A Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz flies about 365 nm, roughly 676 km, which is about 3 h 55 min in still air at typical cruise.
The Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz is a two-seat, open-cockpit biplane developed in Germany as a primary trainer and aerobatic aircraft. Designed under Kurt Tank, it first flew in 1932 and entered production in the 1930s, with manufacture and license production continuing in several countries before and during the Second World War. Its significance comes from its role as one of the standard Luftwaffe training aircraft and as a widely exported military and civil trainer. For today’s buyer, the Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz is best understood as a historic tailwheel biplane, valued for authenticity, aerobatic heritage and vintage flying qualities rather than utility transport.
Typical Fw 44 performance depends on variant, propeller, engine condition and restoration standard. Published figures for common Siemens-Halske Sh 14 powered aircraft indicate a cruise speed in the region of 85 to 95 knots, with maximum speed around 115 knots. Range is commonly quoted at roughly 300 to 350 nautical miles, and service ceiling is about 12,000 to 13,000 feet. The usual powerplant is the Siemens-Halske Sh 14A, a seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engine rated at about 150 hp. Maximum takeoff weight is approximately 1,985 lb, with useful load in the area of 700 lb on representative examples.
The Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz has two tandem open cockpits, normally arranged for instructor and student. There is no cabin in the modern touring-aircraft sense, and baggage capacity is limited. Original aircraft were equipped with basic flight and engine instruments suitable for visual training and aerobatics. Surviving examples usually carry a practical VFR fit, such as airspeed, altimeter, compass, turn and bank or slip indication, engine gauges, handheld or panel-mounted radio, transponder where required, and sometimes a compact GPS. Integrated glass suites such as Garmin G1000 or Garmin Perspective are not typical for this aircraft.
Used-market positioning is that of a rare antique biplane and historic trainer, not a mass-market recreational aircraft. Condition, documentation and restoration quality usually matter more than equipment level. Buyers should review airframe history, originality, accident repairs, fabric age, corrosion in the welded steel tube fuselage, condition of wooden wings, spars and ribs, landing gear alignment, control rigging, fuel system integrity and availability of Sh 14 engine support. Commonly encountered variants include the Fw 44B, Fw 44C, Fw 44D and Fw 44J, along with license-built aircraft from foreign production programs. Sensible upgrades are generally limited to discreet VFR avionics, modern radios, transponder compliance and safety equipment that does not compromise structural approval or historic value.