Focke-Wulf
A 32 Bussard
The Focke‑Wulf A 32 Bussard was a twin‑engine, low‑wing monoplane developed in the late 1930s to serve as a versatile light transport and liaison aircraft for the Luftwaffe. First flown on 14 April 1939, the Bussard emerged from Focke‑Wulf’s A‑series of utility planes, combining conventional wooden‑covered metal structure with a streamlined nose and retractable undercarriage. Its two Argus As 10C air‑cooled inverted V‑8 engines produced 240 hp each, granting a maximum speed of 340 km/h, a service ceiling of 7 500 m and a range of roughly 1 200 km. The cabin accommodated a pilot, co‑pilot and up to six passengers or a small cargo load, and featured removable seats that allowed rapid conversion to a medical evacuation layout. Robust fixed landing gear and forgiving handling made the A 32 well suited to operation from rough forward airfields. Though only 124 examples were built before production shifted to the more powerful A 34 Rheintochter, the Bussard proved influential as a testbed for Focke‑Wulf’s later twin‑engine designs and demonstrated the practicality of low‑cost, multi‑role aircraft in pre‑war and early‑war Europe. Its modest success helped shape post‑war liaison and transport concepts. Today, the surviving examples are prized by vintage aircraft enthusiasts, illustrating Focke‑Wulf’s engineering ingenuity.
