Air Reconaissance: What Aircraft?

[redcoat]

Did the Luftwaffe make much use of single engined fighters like the Bf 109 or Fw 190 in the reconaissance role ?

[schjertzer]

I think you gentlemen forgot the Fiesler Storch - mainly Army Cooperation aircraft, but also one of the most used aircraft in army recce during the first part of the war!!

[Andreas]

Did the Luftwaffe make much use of single engined fighters like the Bf 109 or Fw 190 in the reconaissance role ?

Quick websearch brings up Me 109 G-8 and FW-190 A-5/U4 as recce versions with built-in cameras.

All the best

Andreas

[Trackhead M2]

The Luftwaffe had plenty of purpose-designed reconnaissance types.

Here are some I can think of immediately:

Dornier Do 17F, Do 17L, Do 17P, Do 17S.
Junkers Ju 86P,
(Granted, the Do 17 and Ju 86 were converted from bomber designs, but the versions mentioned were built as recon aircraft from new and not conversions of old bombers. In the case of the Ju 86, the high-altitude recon version had almost nothing in common with the original Ju 86 bomber.)

Dear TS,
Were the conversions similar to what was done to P-38's for reconnaissance work?
Strike Swiftly,
TH-M2

[Denniss]

Bf 109 and Bf 110 had dedicated recon versions as well.

[Hellcat45]

The little Fieseler Storch Fi-156 was particularly suited for this task as an FAC (Forward Air Control) and recce aircraft.

Inherent in it's unique design was the the ability to fold it's wings against the fuselage (Much like the USN Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat. Unique to it though was it's towing feature. It could be towed behind an auxiliary vehicle in it's 'folded' mode and utilized by front-line commanders for coordinated artillery, Panzer, and infantry thrusts.

The ultra-unique characteristic of the little bird was it's STOL capability. (Short take-off and landing) and it was used by Skorzeny to shuttle Mussolini from San Grasso in '43.

[Denniss]

A Fi 156 wasn't used by Skorzenny to shuttle Mussolini, it was SKorzenny basically jumping into the Fi 156 designated to transport Mussolini, leading to a dangerously overloaded Fi 156 that was barely able to take-off.

[Capsoda]

Yes, don't forget Fieseler Fi 156 Storch. It was highly effective in the reconaissance role. It could almost hover, could land at 4mph and in rough fields thanks to the forward slats (on the leading edge of the wing) like on modern aircraft. It could also take off at 26mph on very short runways. A perfect spotter and reconaissance aircraft able to do things other purpose built aircraft could not do.

[Dili]

Depends what kind of reconaissance we are talking about. Planes like Fieseler and even less worse - i am talking about all cooperation aircraft - were only possible to operate with full air superiority - or just at very short range or very sparse areas.
Lysander for example turned to more of transport, liasion, special forces. In Italy with hundreds of cooperation aircraft: Imam ro.37 and all series of Caproni 3xx allready in 1941 some were being diverted to coastal sea search/patrol.