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==Development==
In 1936 the [[RLM]], the German ministry of aviation, formulated a requirement for a shipboard seaplane for reconnaissance missions, to replace the [[Heinkel He 114]]. The aircraft was to be light, with a maximal weight of 2.5 tons and a crew of one or two, and suitable for catapult launching. Equipment and armament were to be kept to a minimum.<ref name="Becker">Becker, Hans-Jurgen: Wasserflugzeuge - Flugboote, Amphibien, Schwimmerflugzeuge. Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Germany, 1994.</ref>
Focke-Wulf competed with the Fw 62, a conventional biplane design. The Fw 62 was of mixed construction and powered by a 705 kW (945 hp) [[BMW 132]]K radial engine. The engine was tightly cowled and drove a two-bladed propeller. The biplane wings were of equal span and featured two N-type struts on each side. They could be folded for shipboard storage. Every wing had a plain flap and an aileron.
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The first prototype was flown on 23 October 1937. The first and second prototype had twin floats, while the third and fourth had a large central float and smaller outboard stabilizing floats. Official tests began in [[Travemünde]] in January 1938. The Fw 62 was a capable aircraft and well liked by the test pilots, but the competing [[Arado Ar 196]] monoplane was both conceptually and structurally much more modern, and was chosen for production.<ref name="Wadman">Wadman, David; Bradley, John; and Ketley, Barry: Aufklärer - Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Aircraft & Units 1935-1945, Hikoki Publications, UK 1997.</ref>
The Fw 62 prototypes were evaluated for a while longer, mainly because the sprung attachment of the floats, to reduce stress loads on landing, was of interest.
==Specifications==
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