While representing an effective reversal of the orthodox arrangement of positioning the tail unit aft of the wings, the general configuration of the aircraft actually dated back to the pioneering days of European aviation, prior to the First World War.

[2] A extensive series of model tests were conducted prior to work commencing on the construction of the first aircraft, which was undertaken at the Gottingen Experimental Institute.

Exhaustive windtunnel testing was conducted at the prior to the construction of the second aircraft, the completion of which was delayed by a fire that burnt its half-complete fuselage in 1929.

[3][4] The aircraft's center of gravity was less forward, permitting more effective braking without risking capsizing, which in turn shortened the landing distance required.

[8] Specifically, it was a high-wing cantilever monoplane that had a relatively thick profile, a gentle dihedral, and tips that were shaped to bolster the aircraft's lateral stability.

The fuselage's framework was composed of welded steel tubing, which was largely covered with fabric with a few areas of light metal and plywood.

[11] Its career would be relatively short, however, as the aircraft was destroyed on 29 September during a demonstration of single-engine flight, the loss being attributed to a control rod that had broken mid-flight.

Focke-Wulf co-founder Georg Wulf was killed in the crash; his loss was a considerable hindrance for the project and the company alike.

[13] It proved to be satisfactory, to the extent that it completed type tests that were indicative of the aircraft's full acceptance, even for the carriage of passengers.

[14] This aircraft was dispatched on a promotional tour around Europe during the following year; it visited Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK.