In the middle of the thirties, the Air Force workshop at Västerås (CFV - Centrala Flygverkstaden i Västerås - which in 1936 changed its name to CVV - Centrala Verkstaden i Västerås - nothing has to be too simple!) employed nearly 200 persons. The factory was busy with license production of the naval reconnaissance aircraft S 5, usually called ”Hansa”. But the production was soon coming to an end. The Air Force looked for a suitable replacement. It was decided that CFV would build the Focke-Wulf Fw 44J Stieglitz trainer aircraft.  

A license contract had been signed with Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau A. G. in the end of 1936. The Air Force had chosen the Stieglitz as a standard trainer after an impressing display at Ljungbyhed in 1935. The aircraft showed itself suitable as a basic as well as an advanced trainer. Two aircraft were purchased for evaluation. The Stieglitz was given the Swedish designation Sk 12. Totally 85 Sk 12’s were delivered to the Swedish Air Force.  

The first step was to order further 14 aircraft from Germany for prompt delivery. In 1940, another batch of 12 aircraft were purchased directly from Focke-Wulf. 

37 aircraft were built by CFV/CVV. They were delivered in 1939-1943. But the new Defence Plan of 1936 had been passed by the Parliament. This stated that no further aircraft were going to be built by Air Force itself. Incidentally is worth to be mentioned that CVV nevertheless expanded. In 1944, more than 1000 persons - excluding all conscripts - were employed. CVV was laid down in 1970. 

The order of the remaining 20 aircraft was given to ASJA at Linköping. The Air Board made it a condition that the aircraft were to delivered as fast as if they had been ordered directly from Germany. ASJA delivered the aircraft as early as 1937-1938.  

While the flying surfaces of the Stieglitz mainly was a wooden construction, the fuselage was of welded steel tube. The structure was fabric covered except parts of the wings that partially were covered by plywood. The engine cowling plating was made of aluminium.  

The fixed landing gear could be fitted with skis at winter time. The main wheels were provided with hydraulic brakes.  

The Sk 12 was powered by an air-cooled 7-cylinder Bramo Siemens Halske 14A radial engine. The engine, delivering 145 hp, was manufactured by BMW Flugmotorenwerke in Berlin.  

The Stieglitz was replaced as standard trainer at the Air Force Flight Academy at Ljungbyhed in the end of WWII by the Sk 25 Bücker Bestmann. The Sk 12’s were spread out to all Air Force Wings in Sweden. They were used for liaison, weather flying, etc. and of course training. When the last aircraft was written off in the end of the sixties, many were still flying for flying clubs or had been sold to private owners. It became a popular tug for sailplanes.

Two Stieglitz are preserved at Svedino's Automobile and Aviation Museum, both built at Västerås. Photo at top: Sw/AFn 5787 built in 1943. It later got the civil registration SE-BWR. The photo is taken at an airshow at Ljungbyhed in 1976. Photo courtesy Svedino's.

Photo below: Sw/AFn 647, built in 1939. Also this aircraft carried a civil registation - SE-BWZ. Is is painted and marked as one of the two first purchased aircraft. 

Bottom: Map of the location of Svedino's Automobile and Aviation Museum on the Swedish West Coast. Photo of Stieglitz SE-BEW, flown By Björn Svedfeldt of Svedino's for some years. This aircraft has no Swedish military history. It is built at CKD and operated in Finland. Photo of SE-BWR: Anders Svensson.

Length: 7,29 m. Span: 9,01 m.  MTOW: 915 kg. Max. speed: 168 km/h.

For the Model Builder

Huma Modell has an injection moulded plastic model kit of the Fw 44 Stieglitz. The kit includes Swedish decals for buildning a Sk 12. Scale 1:72. Catalouge number 2500. Click on thumbnail for larger image.

© Lars Henriksson

Updated 2013-02-03