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Focke-Wulf Fw 190

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed Würger[b] (Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force) of the Luftwaffe. The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and to a lesser degree, night fighter.

Fw 190
Fw 190A-3 of Stab. 7./JG2, June 1942[a]
Role Fighter aircraft
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Focke-Wulf
Designer Kurt Tank
First flight 1 June 1939[2]
Introduction August 1941
Retired
  • 9 May 1945 (Luftwaffe)
  • 1945 (Hungary)
  • 1947 (Turkey)
  • 1949 (France)
Primary users Luftwaffe
Produced 1941–1945 (65 produced post-War for French Air Force)
Number built Over 20,000[3]
Developed into Focke-Wulf Ta 152

The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941 and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Spitfire Mk. V, the main front-line fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF), particularly at low and medium altitudes.[5] The 190 maintained its superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk. IX.[6] In November/December 1942, the Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front, finding much success in fighter wings and specialised ground attack units (Schlachtgeschwader – Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943.

The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m [20,000 ft] and above), which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor. From the Fw 190's inception, there had been ongoing efforts to address this with a turbosupercharged BMW 801 in the B model, the much longer-nosed C model with efforts to also turbocharge its chosen Daimler-Benz DB 603 inverted V12 powerplant, and the similarly long-nosed D model with the Junkers Jumo 213. Problems with the turbocharger installations on the -B and -C subtypes meant only the D model entered service in September 1944. These high-altitude developments eventually led to the Focke-Wulf Ta 152, which was capable of extreme speeds at medium to high altitudes (755 km/h [408 kn; 469 mph] at 13,500 m [44,300 ft]).[7] While these "long nose" 190 variants and the Ta 152 derivative especially gave the Germans parity with Allied opponents, they arrived too late to affect the outcome of the war.

The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces claimed many of their kills while flying it, including Otto Kittel, Walter Nowotny and Erich Rudorffer. The Fw 190 had greater firepower than the Bf 109 and, at low to medium altitude, superior manoeuvrability, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters. It was regarded as one of the best fighter planes of World War II.[8]

Early development edit

Genesis edit

Between 1934 and 1935 the German Ministry of Aviation (RLM) ran a contest to produce a modern fighter for the rearming Luftwaffe. Kurt Tank entered the parasol-winged Fw 159 into the contest, against the Arado Ar 80, Heinkel He 112 and Messerschmitt Bf 109. The Fw 159 was hopelessly outclassed and was soon eliminated from the competition along with the Ar 80. The He 112 and Bf 109 were generally similar in design but the 109's lightweight construction gave it a performance edge the 112 was never able to match. On March 12, 1936, the 109 was declared the winner.[citation needed]

Even before the Bf 109 had entered squadron service, in autumn 1937 the RLM sent out a new tender asking various designers for a new fighter to fight alongside the Bf 109, as Walter Günther had done with Heinkel's follow-on to the unsuccessful He 100 and He 112. Although the Bf 109 was an extremely competitive fighter, the Ministry was worried that future foreign designs might outclass it, and wanted to have new aircraft under development to meet these possible challenges.[9] Tank responded with a number of designs, most powered by a liquid-cooled inline engine.[citation needed]

However, it was not until a design was presented using the air-cooled, 14-cylinder BMW 139 radial engine that the Ministry of Aviation's interest was aroused.[10] As this design used a radial engine, it would not compete with the inline-powered Bf 109 for engines, when there were already too few Daimler-Benz DB 601s to go around.[11] This was not the case for competing designs like the Heinkel He 100 or twin-engined Focke-Wulf Fw 187, where production would compete with the 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 for engine supplies. After the war, Tank denied a rumour that he had to "fight a battle" with the Ministry to convince them of the radial engine's merits.[12]

Design concepts edit

At the time, the use of radial engines in land-based fighters was relatively rare in Europe, as it was believed that their large frontal area would cause too much drag on something as small as a fighter.[citation needed] Tank was not convinced of this, having witnessed the successful use of radial engines by the U.S. Navy, and felt a properly streamlined installation would eliminate this problem.[11][failed verification]

As to the rest of the design philosophy, Tank wanted something more than an aircraft built only for speed. He outlined the reasoning:

The Messerschmitt 109 [sic] and the British Spitfire, the two fastest fighters in the world at the time we began work on the Fw 190, could both be summed up as a very large engine on the front of the smallest possible airframe; in each case armament had been added almost as an afterthought. These designs, both of which admittedly proved successful, could be likened to racehorses: given the right amount of pampering and easy course, they could outrun anything. But the moment the going became tough they were liable to falter. During World War I, I served in the cavalry and in the infantry. I had seen the harsh conditions under which military equipment had to work in wartime. I felt sure that a quite different breed of fighter would also have a place in any future conflict: one that could operate from ill-prepared front-line airfields; one that could be flown and maintained by men who had received only short training; and one that could absorb a reasonable amount of battle damage and still get back. This was the background thinking behind the Focke-Wulf 190; it was not to be a racehorse but a Dienstpferd, a cavalry horse.[13]

Engine edit

The hottest points on any air-cooled engine are the cylinder heads, located around the circumference of a radial engine. In order to provide sufficient air to cool the engine, airflow had to be maximized at this outer edge. This was normally accomplished by leaving the majority of the front face of the engine open to the air, causing considerable drag. During the late 1920s, NACA led the development of a dramatic improvement by placing an airfoil-shaped ring around the outside of the cylinder heads (the NACA cowling). The shaping accelerated the air as it entered the front of the cowl, increasing the total airflow, and allowing the opening in front of the engine to be made smaller.[14]

Tank introduced a further refinement to this basic concept. He suggested placing most of the airflow components on the propeller, in the form of an oversized propeller spinner whose outside diameter was the same as the engine. The cowl around the engine proper was greatly simplified, essentially a basic cylinder. Air entered through a small hole at the centre of the spinner and was directed through ductwork in the spinner so it was blowing rearward along the cylinder heads. To provide enough airflow, an internal cone was placed in the centre of the hole, over the propeller hub, which was intended to compress the airflow and allow a smaller opening to be used. In theory, the tight-fitting cowling also provided some thrust due to the compression and heating of air as it flowed through the cowling.[15]

The eventual choice of the BMW 801 14-cylinder radial over the more troublesome BMW 139 also brought with it a BMW-designed cowling "system" which integrated the radiator used to cool the motor oil. An annular, ring-shaped oil cooler core was built into the BMW-provided forward cowl, just behind the fan. The outer portion of the oil cooler's core was in contact with the main cowling's sheet metal. Comprising the BMW-designed forward cowl, in front of the oil cooler was a ring of metal with a C-shaped cross-section, with the outer lip lying just outside the rim of the cowl, and the inner side on the inside of the oil cooler core. Together, the metal ring and cowling formed an S-shaped duct with the oil cooler's core contained between them. Airflow past the gap between the cowl and outer lip of the metal ring produced a vacuum effect that pulled air from the front of the engine forward across the oil cooler core to provide cooling for the 801's motor oil. The rate of cooling airflow over the core could be controlled by moving the metal ring to open or close the gap. The reasons for this complex system were threefold. One was to reduce any extra aerodynamic drag of the oil radiator, in this case largely eliminating it by placing it within the same cowling as the engine. The second was to warm the air before it flowed to the radiator to aid in warming the oil during starting. Finally, by placing the radiator behind the fan, cooling was provided even while the aircraft was parked. The disadvantage to this design was that the radiator was in an extremely vulnerable location, and the metal ring was increasingly armoured as the war progressed.[16]

Landing Gear edit

 
An Fw 190F's tailfin, showing the triangular hinged panel for access to the tailwheel retraction mechanism inside of it

In contrast to the complex, failure-prone fuselage-mounted main gear legs of the earlier Fw 159, one of the main features of the Fw 190 was its wide-tracked, inwards-retracting landing gear. They were designed to withstand a sink rate of 4.5 metres per second (15 ft/s; 890 ft/min), double the strength factor usually required. Hydraulic wheel brakes were used.[17] The wide-track undercarriage produced better ground handling characteristics, and the Fw 190 suffered fewer ground accidents than the Bf 109. (The Bf 109's narrow-track, outwards-retracting landing gear hinged on its wing root structure to help lower weight, but this led to inherent weakness and many failures and ground loops.[17]) The Fw 190's retractable tail gear used a cable, anchored to the "elbow" at the midpoint of the starboard maingear's transverse retraction arms, which ran aftwards within the fuselage to the vertical fin to operate the tailwheel retraction function. The tailwheel's retraction mechanical design possessed a set of pulleys to guide the aforementioned cable to the top of the tailwheel's oleo strut, pulling it upwards along a diagonal track within the fin, into the lower fuselage;[18] this mechanism was accessible through a prominently visible triangular-shaped hinged panel, on the left side in the fin's side sheetmetal covering.[c][20] On some versions of the Fw 190 an extended tailwheel oleo strut could be fitted for larger-sized loads (such as bombs or even a torpedo) beneath the fuselage.[21]

Control systems edit

Most aircraft of the era used cables and pulleys to operate their controls. The cables tended to stretch, resulting in the sensations of "give" and "play" that made the controls less crisp and responsive, and required constant maintenance to correct. For the new design, the team replaced the cables with rigid pushrods and bearings to eliminate this problem.[d] Another innovation was making the controls as light as possible. The maximum resistance of the ailerons was limited to 3.5 kg (8 lb), as the average man's wrist could not exert a greater force. The empennage (tail assembly) featured relatively small and well-balanced horizontal and vertical surfaces.[22]

The design team also attempted to minimize changes in the aircraft's trim at varying speeds, thus reducing the pilot's workload. They were so successful in this regard that they found in-flight-adjustable aileron and rudder trim tabs were not necessary. Small, fixed tabs were fitted to control surfaces and adjusted for proper balance during initial test flights. Only the elevator trim needed to be adjusted in flight (a feature common to all aircraft). This was accomplished by tilting the entire horizontal tailplane with an electric motor, with an angle of incidence ranging from −3° to +5°.[23]

Another aspect of the new design was the extensive use of electrically powered equipment instead of the hydraulic systems used by most aircraft manufacturers of the time. On the first two prototypes, the main landing gear was hydraulic. Starting with the third prototype, the undercarriage was operated by push buttons controlling electric motors in the wings, and was kept in position by electric up and down-locks.[24] The armament was also loaded and fired electrically. Tank believed that service use would prove that electrically powered systems were more reliable and more rugged than hydraulics, electric lines being much less prone to damage from enemy fire.[22]

Wing loading and Canopy edit

Like the Bf 109, the Fw 190 featured a fairly small wing planform with relatively high wing loading. This presents a trade-off in performance. An aircraft with a smaller wing suffers less drag under most flight conditions and therefore flies faster and may have better range. However, it also means the aircraft has a higher stalling speed making it less maneuverable, and also reduces performance in the thinner air at higher altitudes. The wings spanned 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) and had an area of 15 m2 (160 sq ft). The wing was designed using the NACA 23015.3 airfoil at the root and the NACA 23009 airfoil at the tip.[25]

Earlier aircraft designs generally featured canopies consisting of small plates of perspex (also known as Plexiglas) in a metal "greenhouse" framework, with the top of the canopy even with the rear fuselage; this was true of the IJNAS Mitsubishi A6M Zero, whose otherwise "all-around view" canopy was still heavily framed. This design considerably limited visibility, especially to the rear. The introduction of vacuum forming, led to the creation of the "bubble canopy" which was largely self-supporting, and could be mounted over the cockpit, offering greatly improved all-round visibility. Tank's design for the Fw 190 used a canopy with a frame that ran around the perimeter, with only a short, centerline seam along the top, running rearward from the radio antenna fitting where the three-panel windscreen and the forward edge of the canopy met, just in front of the pilot.[citation needed]

Wilde Sau edit

From mid-1943, Fw 190s were also used as night fighters against the growing RAF Bomber Command offensive. In mid-1943, one of the earliest participants in the single-engine, ground controlled, night-fighting experiments was the Nachtjagdkommando Fw 190 (Night Fighter Command Fw 190), operated by IV. Gruppe (4 Group), Jagdgeschwader 3, (Fighter Wing 3, or JG 3).[26] The main Nachtgeschwader (Night Fighter Wings) were keen to adopt a new fighter type as their twin-engine fighters were too slow for combat against increasing numbers of de Havilland Mosquito night fighters and bombers. Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1) and NJG 3 kept a pair of Fw 190s on standby to supplement the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Junkers Ju 88. The considerable performance advantage of the Fw 190 over the other two types was more than offset by the difficulties of operating at night. Few, if any, aerial successes can be attributed to these operational tests.[27]

One of the first purpose built units to use Fw 190s in this role was Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann, a unit specifically set up in April 1943 by Major Hajo Herrmann. Herrmann's unit used standard A-4s and A-5s borrowed from day fighter units to intercept bombers over or near the targeted city, using searchlights and other visual aids to help them find their quarry.[28] The first use of "Window" by the RAF during the Battle of Hamburg in July 1943, rendered the standard nightfighter Himmelbett procedures useless and brought urgency to the development of Herrmann's Wilde Sau ("Wild Boar") technique, pending the development of new nightfighting strategies.[28] Instead of restricting the Fw 190s to ground control interception protocols, the Fw 190s were given a free hand to over-fly bombed areas to see if they could locate bombers using the ground fires below. These tactics became an integral part of the nightfighter operations until May 1944.[29]

St/V Herrmann was expanded to become Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300, or Fighter Wing 300), JG 301 and JG 302. All three units initially continued borrowing their aircraft from day fighter units. The day fighter units began to protest at the numbers of their aircraft which were being written off because of the hazards of night operations; the numbers soared with the onset of winter, with pilots often being forced to bail-out through being unable to find an airfield at which to land safely. Crash landings were also frequent. Eventually all three Wilde Sau units received their own aircraft, which were often modified with exhaust dampers and blind-flying radio equipment. Another unit was Nachtjagdgruppe 10 (NJGr 10), which used Fw 190 A-4/R11s through to A-8/R11s; Fw 190s modified to carry FuG (Funkgerät) 217 or FuG 218 radar mid-VHF band equipment.[citation needed]

The Sturmböcke edit

 
Fw 190 A-8/R8 of IV.(Sturm)/JG 3, flown by Hptm. Wilhelm Moritz

The appearance of United States Army Air Forces heavy bombers caused a problem for the German fighter force. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in particular was especially durable, and the armament of the Bf 109 and Fw 190 were not adequate for bomber-destroyer operations. The B-17's eventual deployment in combat box formations provided formidable massed firepower from a hundred or more Browning AN/M2 .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns. In addition, the Luftwaffe's original solution of Zerstörer twin-engine Messerschmitt Bf 110G bomber destroyers, while effective against unescorted Allied bomber formations, lacked maneuverability and were eviscerated by the USAAF's fighter escorts in late 1943 and early 1944.[citation needed]

Two of the former Wilde Sau single-engined night fighter wings were reconstituted for their use, such as Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing) and JG 301. These units consisted of Sturmböcke. However, JG 3 also had a special gruppe (group) of Sturmböcke.[citation needed]

The Fw 190, designed as a rugged interceptor capable of withstanding considerable combat damage and delivering a potent "punch" from its stable gun platform, was considered ideal for anti-bomber operations. Focke-Wulf redesigned parts of the wing structure to accommodate larger armament. The Fw 190 A-6 was the first sub-variant to undergo this change. Its standard armament was increased from four MG 151/20s to two of them with four more in two underwing cannon pods. The aircraft was designated A-6/R1 (Rüstsatz; or field conversion model). The first aircraft were delivered on 20 November 1943. Brief trials saw the twin cannon replaced by the MK 108 30mm autocannon in the outer wing, which then became the A-6/R2. The cannons were blowback-operated, had electric ignition, and were belt fed. The 30mm MK 108 was simple to make and its construction was economical; the majority of its components consisted of just pressed sheet metal stampings. In the A-6/R4, the GM-1 (nitrous oxide) Boost was added for the BMW 801 engine to increase performance at high altitude. For protection, 30 millimetres (1.2 in) of armoured glass was added to the canopy. The A-6/R6 was fitted with twin heavy calibre Werfer-Granate 21 (BR 21) unguided, air-to-air rockets, fired from single underwing tubular launchers (one per wing panel). The increased modifications, in particular heavy firepower, made the Fw 190 a potent bomber-killer. The A-7 evolved in November 1943. Two synchronized 13 mm (.51 inch) MG 131 machine guns replaced the twin cowl-mount synchronized 7.92 mm (.318 inch) MG 17 machine guns. The A-7/R variants could carry two 30 mm MK 108s as well as BR 21 rockets. This increased its potency as a Pulk-Zerstörer (Bomber Formation Destroyer). The A-8/R2 was the most numerous Sturmbock aircraft, some 900 were built by Fiesler at Kassel with 30 mm MK 108s installed in their outer wing panel mounts.[citation needed]

While formidable bomber-killers, the armour and substantial up-gunning with heavier calibre firepower meant the Fw 190 was now cumbersome to maneuver. Vulnerable to Allied fighters, they had to be escorted by Bf 109s.[30] When the Sturmgruppe was able to work as intended, the effects were devastating. With their engines and cockpits heavily armored, the Fw 190 As attacked from astern and gun camera films show that these attacks were often pressed to within 100 yds (90 m).[citation needed]

Willy Unger of 11.(Sturm)/JG 3 (11 Staffel (Squadron) of Sturmgruppe (Storm group) JG 3) made the following comments:

Advantages; wide undercarriage, large twin-row radial engine which protected the pilot from the front, electric starter motor and electric trim system. Disadvantages; there was a danger of turning over when braking hard on soft or sandy ground. In combat against enemy fighters, more awkward because of the heavy armour plating. Strong at low altitude, inferior to the Bf 109 at higher altitude. In my opinion the Fw 190, in this version, was the best aircraft used in the formation against the Viermots.[31]

Richard Franz commented:

When we made our attack, we approached from slightly above, then dived, opening fire with 13mm and 20mm guns to knock out the rear gunner and then, at about 150 metres, we tried to engage with the MK 108 30mm cannon, which was a formidable weapon. It could cut the wing off a B-17. Actually, it was still easier to kill a B-24, which was somewhat weaker in respect of fuselage strength and armament. I think we generally had the better armament and ammunition, whereas they had the better aircraft.[32]

The number of heavy bombers destroyed by the Fw 190 is impossible to estimate. However, below is a list of the top scoring Sturmbock pilots:[33]

Name Total victory claims Heavy bomber claims B-17 claims
Georg-Peter Eder 78 Est. 36 unknown
Anton Hackl 192 Est. 34 Unknown
Konrad Bauer 57 32 Unknown
Walther Dahl 128 30 Unknown
Egon Mayer   102 26 21
Hermann Staiger 63 26 21
Willy Unger 24 21 13
Hugo Frey  [34] 32 25 19
Hans Ehlers   55 24 18
Alwin Doppler 29 25 16
Werner Gerth [35] 27 22 16
Friedrich-Karl Müller  140 23 15
Hans Weik 36 22 15
Walter Loos 38 22 Unknown
Heinz Bär 221 21 11
Emil-Rudolf Schnoor 32 18 15

Variants edit

First prototypes (BMW 139) edit

 
Fw 190 V1 in its original form with the streamlined engine cowling and ducted spinner. The pointed tip of the internal spinner can also be seen. Pilot is probably Hans Sander.
Fw 190 V1
(civil registration D-OPZE), powered by a 1,550 PS (1,530 hp; 1,140 kW) BMW 139 14-cylinder two-row radial engine.[10] D-OPZE first flew on 1 June 1939.[36]
Fw 190 V2
Designated with the Stammkennzeichen alphabetic ID code of FL+OZ (later RM+CB) the V2 first flew on October 31, 1939, and was equipped from the outset with the new spinner and cooling fan. It was armed with one Rheinmetall-Borsig 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine gun and one 13 mm (0.51 in) synchronized MG 131 machine gun in each wing root.[37]
Fw 190 V3
Abandoned
Fw 190 V4
Abandoned

Later prototypes (BMW 801) edit

 
Fw 190 V5k. This is the V5 with the original small wing. The 12-blade cooling fan and redesigned undercarriage and canopy fairings are visible.

Fw 190 V5
Fitted with the larger, more powerful 14-cylinder two-row BMW 801 radial engine. This engine introduced a pioneering example of an engine management system called the Kommandogerät (command-device) designed by BMW, who also designed the 801's forward cowling with its integral oil cooling system:[16] the Kommandogerät functioned in effect as an electro-mechanical computer which set mixture, propeller pitch (for the constant-speed propeller), boost, and magneto timing.[38]
Fw 190 V5k
(kleine Fläche – small surface) The smaller span initial variant re-designated after the longer span wing was fitted. The V5 first flew in the early spring of 1940. The weight increase with all of the modifications was substantial, about 635 kg (1,400 lb), leading to higher wing loading and a deterioration in handling. Plans were made to create a new wing with more area to address these issues.[39]
Fw 190 V5g
(große Fläche – large surface) In August 1940 a collision with a ground vehicle damaged the V5 and it was sent back to the factory for major repairs. This was an opportune time to rebuild it with a new wing which was less tapered in plan than the original design, extending the leading and trailing edges outward to increase the area. The new wing had an area of 18.30 m2 (197.0 sq ft), and now spanned 10.506 m (34 ft 5.6 in). After conversion, the aircraft was called the V5g for große Fläche (large surface). Although it was 10 km/h (6.2 mph) slower than when fitted with the small wing, V5g was much more manoeuvrable and had a faster climb rate.[39] This new wing platform was to be used for all major production versions of the Fw 190.[37]

Fw 190 A edit

 
Side-view of Fw 190 A-0
Fw 190 A-0
The pre-production Fw 190 A-0 series was ordered in November 1940, a total of 28 being completed. Because they were built before the new wing design was fully tested and approved, the first nine A-0s retained the original small wings. All were armed with six 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine guns – four synchronised weapons, two in the forward fuselage and one in each wing root, supplemented by a free-firing MG 17 in each wing, outboard of the propeller disc.[37]
 
Fw 190 A-0s or A-1s of an unknown unit in France
Fw 190 A-1
The Fw 190 A-1 was in production from June 1941. It was powered by the BMW 801 C-1 engine, rated at 1,560 PS (1,539 hp; 1,147 kW) for take-off. Armament included two fuselage-mounted 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17s and two wing root-mounted 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17s (with all four MG 17s synchronized to fire through the propeller arc) and two outboard wing-mounted 20 mm MG FF/Ms.[40]
 
Side-view of Fw 190 A-2; the most notable change over the A-0 was the addition of three vertical cooling slits on the engine cowling, just forward of the wing.
Fw 190 A-2
The introduction of the BMW 801 C-2 resulted in the Fw 190 A-2 model, first introduced in October 1941.[41] The A-2 wing weaponry was updated, with the two wing root-mounted 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17s being replaced by 20 mm MG 151/20E cannon.[42]
 
Fw 190A-3 of JG 1 in the Netherlands, summer 1942.
Fw 190 A-3
The Fw 190 A-3 was equipped with the BMW 801 D-2 engine, which increased power to 1,700 PS (1,700 hp; 1,300 kW) at takeoff.[41] The A-3 retained the same weaponry as the A-2.[43]
Fw 190 A-3/Umrüst-Bausatz 1 (/U1)
(W.Nr 130 270) was the first 190 to have the engine mount extended by 15 cm (5.9 in), which would be standardized on the later production A-5 model.[44]
Fw 190 A-3/U2
The A-3/U2 (W.Nr 130386) had RZ 65 73 mm (2.9 in) rocket launcher racks under the wings with three rockets per wing. There were also a small number of U7 aircraft tested as high-altitude fighters armed with only two 20 mm MG 151 cannon, but with reduced overall weight.[44]
Fw 190 A-3/U3
The A-3/U3 was the first of the Jabo (Jagdbomber), using an ETC-501 centre-line bomb rack able to carry up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs or, with horizontal stabilising bars, one 300 L (79 US gal) standard Luftwaffe drop tank. The U3 retained the fuselage-mounted 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17s and the wing-mounted 20 mm MG 151 cannon, with the outer MG FF being removed.[44]
Fw 190 A-3/U4
The A-3/U4 was a reconnaissance version with two RB 12.5 cameras in the rear fuselage and a EK 16 gun camera or a Robot II miniature camera in the leading edge of the port wing root. Armament was similar to the U3, however, and the ETC 501 was usually fitted with the standardized Luftwaffe 300 L-capacity (79 US gal) drop tank.[44]
Fw 190 A-3a
(a=ausländisch – foreign) In autumn 1942, 72 new aircraft were delivered to Turkey in an effort to keep that country friendly to the Axis powers. These were designated Fw 190 A-3a, designation for export models and delivered between October 1942 and March 1943.[44]
 
A captured Fw 190A-4. The USAAF-painted Balkenkreuz and swastika markings are of nonstandard size and proportions.
Fw 190 A-4
Introduced in July 1942, the A-4 was equipped with the same engine and basic armament as the A-3.
Fw 190 A-4/Rüstsatz 6 (/R6)
Some A-4s were fitted with a pair of under-wing Werfer-Granate 21 (BR 21) rocket mortars, and were designated Fw 190 A-4/R6.
Fw 190 A-4/U1
The A-4/U1 was outfitted with an ETC 501 rack under the fuselage. All armament except the MG 151 cannon was removed.
Fw 190 A-4/U3
The A-4/U3 was very similar to the U1, and later served as the prototype for the Fw 190 F-1 assault fighter.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-4/U4
The A-4/U4 was a reconnaissance fighter, with two Rb 12.4 cameras in the rear fuselage and an EK 16 or Robot II gun camera. The U4 was equipped with fuselage-mounted 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17s and 20 mm MG 151 cannon.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-4/U7
The A-4/U7 was a high-altitude fighter, easily identified by the compressor air intakes on either side of the cowling. Adolf Galland flew a U7 in the spring of 1943.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-4/U8
The A-4/U8 was the Jabo-Rei (Jagdbomber Reichweite, long-range fighter-bomber), adding twin standard Luftwaffe 300 L (79 US gal) drop tanks, one under each wing, on VTr-Ju 87 racks with duralumin fairings produced by Weserflug, and a centreline bomb rack. The outer wing-mounted 20 mm MG FF/M cannon and the cowling-mounted 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 were removed to save weight. The A-4/U8 was the precursor of the Fw 190 G-1.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-4/R1
The A-4/R1, was fitted with a FuG 16ZY radio set with a Morane "whip" aerial fitted under the port wing. These aircraft, called Leitjäger or Fighter Formation Leaders, could be tracked and directed from the ground via special R/T equipment called Y-Verfahren (Y-Control). More frequent use of this equipment was made from the A-5 onwards.[45]
 
Captured Fw 190A-5 Werknummer 150 051, in U.S. Navy colors
Fw 190 A-5
The A-5 was developed after it was determined that the Fw 190 could easily carry more ordnance. The D-2 engine was moved forward another 15 cm (5.9 in) as had been tried out earlier on the service test A-3/U1 aircraft, moving the centre of gravity forward to allow more weight to be carried aft.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-5/U2
The A-5/U2 was designed as a night Jabo-Rei and featured anti-reflective fittings and exhaust flame dampers. A centre-line ETC 501 rack typically held a 250 kg (550 lb) bomb, and wing-mounted racks mounted 300 L (79 US gal) drop tanks. A EK16 gun camera, as well as landing lights, were fitted to the wing leading edge. The U2 was armed with only two 20 mm MG 151 cannon.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-5/U3
The A-5/U3 was a Jabo fighter fitted with ETC 501s for drop tanks and bombs; it too featured only two MG 151s for armament.
Fw 190 A-5/U4
The A-5/U4 was a "recon" fighter with two RB 12.5 cameras and all armament of the basic A-5 with the exception of the MG FF cannon.
Fw 190 A-5/U8
The A-5/U8 was another Jabo-Rei outfitted with SC-250 centreline-mounted bombs, under-wing 300-litre drop tanks and only two MG 151s; it later became the Fw 190 G-2.
Fw 190 A-5/U9
Test installation of the A-7 modifications.
Fw 190 A-5/U12
A special U12 was created for bomber attack, outfitted with the standard 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 and 20 mm MG 151 but replacing the outer wing 20 mm MG-FF cannon with two underwing gun pods containing two 20 mm MG 151/20 each, for a total of two machine guns and six cannon.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-5/U14
Was able to carry a torpedo (Stkz TD+SI White 871).
Fw 190 A-5/R11
The A-5/R11 was a night fighter conversion fitted with FuG 217 Neptun (Neptune) radar equipment with arrays of three dipole antenna elements vertically mounted fore and aft of the cockpit and above and below the wings. Flame-dampening boxes were fitted over the exhaust exits. A total of 1,752 A-5s were built from November 1942 to June 1943.[46]
 
Fw 180 A-6 at Immola Airfield Finland, summer 1944.
Fw 190 A-6
The A-6 was developed to address shortcomings found in previous "A" models when attacking U.S. heavy bombers. A structurally redesigned and lighter wing was introduced and the normal armament was increased to two MG 17 fuselage machine guns and four 20 mm MG 151/20E wing root and outer wing cannon with larger ammunition boxes.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-7
The A-7 entered production in November 1943, equipped with the BMW 801 D-2 engine, again producing 1,700 PS (1,700 hp; 1,300 kW) and two fuselage-mounted 13 mm (0.51 in) MG 131s, replacing the MG 17s.[47]
 
An Fw 190 A-8/R2 in American hands. "White 11" of 5./JG 4 was captured during Operation Bodenplatte after its engine had been damaged by American light flak.
Fw 190 A-8
The A-8 entered production in February 1944, powered either by the standard BMW 801 D-2 or the 801Q (also known as 801TU). The 801Q/TU, with the "T" signifying a Triebwerksanlage unitized powerplant installation, was a standard 801D with improved, thicker armour on the BMW-designed front annular cowling, which still incorporated the BMW-designed oil cooler, upgraded from 6 mm (0.24 in) on earlier models to 10 mm (0.39 in). Changes introduced in the Fw 190 A-8 also included the C3-injection Erhöhte Notleistung emergency boost system to the fighter variant of the Fw 190 A (a similar system with less power had been fitted to some earlier Jabo variants of the 190 A), raising power to 1,980 PS (1,950 hp; 1,460 kW) for 10 minutes. The 10 minute emergency power may be used up to three times per mission with a 10 minute cooldown in "combat power" between each 10 minute use of emergency power.[48]
 
Fw 190A-8 with the under-wing WGr 21 rocket-propelled mortar. The weapon was developed from the 21 cm Nebelwerfer 42 infantry weapon.
Fw 190 A-8/R2
The A-8/R2 replaced the outer wing 20 mm cannon with a 30 mm (1.2 in) MK 108 cannon.
Fw 190 A-8/R4
The A-8/R4 featured GM1 nitrous boost to the standard BMW 801 D/Q engine. GM1 (nitrous oxide) injection increased power for short amounts of time, up to 10 minutes at a time. A 20 minute supply was usually carried.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-8/R8
The A-8/R8 was similar to the A-8/R2, but fitted with heavy armour including 30 mm (1.2 in) canopy and windscreen armour and 5 mm (0.20 in) cockpit armour.[49]
Fw 190 A-9
First built in September 1944, the Fw 190 A-9 was fitted with the new BMW 801S rated at 2,000 PS (1,973 hp; 1,471 kW); the more powerful 2,400 PS (2,400 hp; 1,800 kW) 801F-1 was still under development, and not yet available.[50][51]
Fw 190 A-10
Late in the war, the A-10 was fitted with larger wings for better maneuverability at higher altitudes, which could have allowed additional 30 mm (1.2 in) calibre, long-barreled MK 103 cannon to be fitted.[52]

A total of 13,291 Fw 190 A-model aircraft were produced.[53]

A-6, A-7, and A-8 were modified for Sturmböcke bomber-destroyer operations.

High-altitude developments edit

 
The Fw 190C V18 prototype, with large ventral "pouch" fairing for the turbocharger installation and broader-chord vertical fin/rudder.

Tank started looking at ways to address the altitude performance problem early in the program. In 1941, he proposed a number of versions featuring new powerplants, and he suggested using turbochargers in place of superchargers.[citation needed] Three such installations were outlined

Fw 190 V12
(an A-0) would be outfitted with many of the elements which eventually led to the B series.
Fw 190 V13
(W.Nr. 0036) first C-series prototype
Fw 190 V15
(W.Nr. 0036) second C-series prototype
Fw 190 V16
(W.Nr. 0036) third C-series prototype
Fw 190 V18
(W.Nr. 0036) fourth C-series prototype
Fw 190 B-0
With a turbocharged BMW 801
Fw 190 B-1
This aircraft was similar to the B-0, but had slightly different armament. In its initial layout, the B-1 was to be fitted with four 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17s and two 20 mm MG-FFs. One was fitted with two MG 17s, two 20 mm MG 151s and two 20 mm MG-FFs. After the completion of W.Nr. 811, no further Fw 190 B models were ordered.
 
An early production Fw 190 D-9 at the Cottbus plant. Note the early canopy and redesigned, simplified centreline rack carrying a 300 L drop tank.[54]

V-12 Engine edit

Fw 190 C
With a turbocharged Daimler-Benz DB 603, the tail of the aircraft had to be lengthened in order to maintain the desired centre of gravity. Four additional prototypes based on the V18/U1 followed: V29, V30, V32 and V33.
Fw 190 D
The Fw 190 D (nicknamed Dora; or Long-Nose Dora ("Langnasen-Dora") was intended as the high-altitude performance version of the A-series.
Fw 190 D-0
The first D-0 prototype was completed in October 1942 with a supercharged Junkers Jumo 213 including a pressurized cockpit and other features making them more suitable for high-altitude work.[55]
 
This captured Fw 190 D-9 appears to be a late production aircraft built by Fieseler at Kassel. It has a late style canopy; the horizontal black stripe with white outline shows that this was a II. Gruppe aircraft.
Fw 190 D-1
Initial production
Fw 190 D-2
Initial production
Fw 190 D-9
The D-9 series was rarely used against heavy-bomber raids, as the circumstances of the war in late 1944 meant that fighter-versus-fighter combat and ground attack missions took priority.[56][57][58] This model was the basis for the follow-on Focke-Wulf Ta 152 aircraft.
Fw 190 D-11
Fitted with the up-rated Jumo 213F series engine similar to the Jumo 213E used in the Ta-152 H series but minus the intercooler. Two 30 mm (1.2 in) MK 108 cannons were installed in the outer wings to complement the 20 mm MG 151s in the inboard positions.[59]
 
Fw 190 D-13/R11, Champlin Fighter Museum, Phoenix, Arizona (c.1995)
Fw 190 D-12
Similar to the D-11, but featured the 30 mm (1.2 in) MK 108 cannon in a Motorkanone installation firing through the propeller hub.
Fw 190 D-13
The D-13 would be fitted with a 20 mm MG 151/20 motor cannon.[citation needed]

Ground attack versions (BMW 801) edit

Fw 190 F
The Fw 190F configuration was originally tested in a Fw 190 A-0/U4, starting in May 1942, fitted with centre-line and wing-mounted bomb racks.
Fw 190 F-1
Renamed A-4/U3s of which 18 were built
Fw 190 F-2
Renamed A-5/U3s, of which 270 were built according to Focke-Wulf production logs and Ministry of Aviation acceptance reports.[citation needed]
Fw 190 F-3
Developed under the designation Fw 190 A-5/U17, which was outfitted with a centreline mounted ETC 501 bomb rack. The Fw 190 F-3/R1 had two additional ETC 50 bomb racks under each wing. The F-3 could carry a 66-Imp gal (300 liter) drop tank. A total of 432 Fw 190 F-3s were built.[60]
Fw 190 F-4 to F-7
designations used for projects.
 
Fw 190-F8 in 1944.
 
The National Air & Space Museum's restored Fw 190 F-8 in late war, "low-visibility" Balkenkreuz markings
Fw 190 F-8
Based on the A-8 Fighter, having a slightly modified injector on the compressor which allowed for increased performance at lower altitudes for several minutes. Armament of the Fw 190 F-8 was two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wing roots and two 13 mm (0.51 in) MG 131 machine guns above the engine. It was outfitted with an ETC 501 Bomb rack as centerline mount and four ETC 50 bomb racks as underwing mounts.[citation needed]
Fw 190 F-8/U1
long range Jabo, fitted with underwing V.Mtt-Schloß shackles to hold two of the Luftwaffe's standardized 300 L (79 US gal) drop tanks. ETC 503 bomb racks were also fitted, allowing the Fw 190 F-8/U1 to carry one SC 250 bomb under each wing and one SC 250 bomb on the centreline.
Fw 190 F-8/U2
prototype torpedo bomber, fitted with an ETC 503 bomb rack under each wing and a centre-line mounted ETC 504. The U2 was also equipped with the TSA 2 A weapons sighting system that improved the U2's ability to attack seaborne targets with a 700 kg (1,500 lb) BT 700.[60]
Fw 190 F-8/U3
heavy torpedo bomber was outfitted with an ETC 502, which allowed it to carry one BT-1400 heavy torpedo (1,400 kg (3,100 lb)). Owing to the size of the torpedo, the U3's tail gear needed to be lengthened. The U3 also was fitted with the 2,000 PS BMW 801S engine, and the tail from the Ta 152.[citation needed]
Fw 190 F-8/U4
created as a night bomber, was equipped with flame dampers on the exhaust and various electrical systems such as the FuG 101 radio altimeter, the PKS 12 automatic pilot, and the TSA 2 A sighting system. The U4 was fitted with only two MG 151/20 cannon as fixed armament.
Fw 190 F-8/R3
project with two underwing mounted 30mm MK 103 cannon.
Fw 190 F-9
based on the Fw 190 A-9, equipped with a new bulged canopy as fitted to late-build F-8s and A-8s, and four ETC 50 or ETC 70 bomb racks under the wings. According to Ministry of Aviation acceptance reports, 147 F-9s were built in January 1945, and perhaps several hundred more from February to May 1945. (Data for these months is missing and probably lost.)[citation needed]
 
Fw 190 G-1 showing the ETC 250 bomb rack, carrying a 250 kg (550 lb) bomb, and the underwing 300 litre drop tanks on VTr-Ju 87 mounts.
Fw 190 G
The Fw 190 G was built as a long-range attack aircraft (Jagdbomber mit vergrösserter Reichweite – abbreviated JaBo Rei). Following the success of the Fw 190 F as a Schlachtflugzeug (close support, or "strike aircraft"), both the Luftwaffe and Focke-Wulf began investigating ways of extending the range of the Fw 190 F. Approximately 1,300 Fw 190 Gs of all variants were new built.[citation needed]
Fw 190 G-1
The G-1 was renamed from A-4/U8 Jabo Reis. Initial testing found that if all but two wing root mounted 20 mm MG 151 cannons (with reduced ammunition load) were removed, the Fw 190 G-1 (as it was now called) could carry a 250 kg (550 lb) or 500 kg (1,100 lb) bomb on the centreline and up to a 250 kg (550 lb) bomb under each wing.
Fw 190 G-2
The G-2 was renamed from Fw 190 A-5/U8 aircraft, similar to the G-1; the underwing drop tank racks were replaced with the much simpler V.Mtt-Schloß fittings, to allow for a number of underwing configurations.
Fw 190 G-3
The G-3 was based on A-6 with all but the two wing root mounted MG 151 cannons removed. The new V.Fw. Trg bombracks, however, allowed the G-3 to simultaneously carry fuel tanks and bomb loads
Fw 190 G-3/R1
The G-3/R1 replaced the V.Fw. Trg racks with a pair of Waffen-Behälter WB 151/20 conformal cannon pods; each mounting a pair of Mauser MG 151/20 autocannon, giving the G-3/R1 – with its existing pair of wing-root mounted, synchronized MG 151/20 autocannon, a total of six such ordnance pieces.[61]
Fw 190 G-3/R5
The G-3/R5 was similar to the R1, but the V.Fw. Trg racks were removed, and two ETC 50 racks per wing were added.
Fw 190 G-8
The G-8 was based on the Fw 190 A-8, using the same "bubble" canopy as the F-8 and fitted with underwing ETC 503 racks that could carry either bombs or drop tanks.
Fw 190 G-8/R4
The G-8/R4 kit was a planned refit for the GM 1 engine boost system, but never made it into production.
Fw 190 G-8/R5
The G-8/R5 kit replaced the ETC 503 racks with two ETC 50 or 71 racks.

Trainer versions edit

 
An Fw 190 A-5/U1, the only surviving two-seat aircraft, now part of the RAF Museum's collection (1971 photograph)[62]
Fw 190 A-5/U1
Several old Fw 190 A-5s were converted by replacing the MW 50 tank with a second cockpit. The canopy was modified, replaced with a new three-section unit that opened to the side. The rear portion of the fuselage was closed off with sheet metal.[citation needed]
Fw 190 A-8/U1
A similar conversion to the A-5/U1.
Fw 190 S-5
A-5/U1 trainers re-designated.
Fw 190 S-8
A-8/U1 trainers re-designated. An estimated 58 Fw 190 S-5 and S-8 models were converted or built.[63]

Combat history edit

The Fw 190 participated on every major combat front where the Luftwaffe operated after 1941, and did so with success in a variety of roles. The Fw 190 first tasted combat on the Western Front in August 1941, where it proved superior to the Mk V Spitfire. The Spitfire's main advantage over the Fw 190, and the Bf 109 as well, was its superior turn radius. Beyond that, the Fw 190 outperformed the Spitfire Mk. V in most areas, such as roll rate, speed, acceleration, and dive performance.[64] The addition of the Fw 190 to the Jagdwaffe allowed the Germans to fight off RAF attacks and achieve local air superiority over German skies until the summer of 1942, when the improved Spitfire Mk. IX was introduced.[65] In June 1942, Oberleutnant Armin Faber of JG 2 landed his Fw 190 A-3 at a British airfield, allowing the RAF to test the Mk. IX against the 190 and learn tactics to counter it.

Production edit

A 0.40 km2 (99-acre) Focke-Wulf plant east of Marienburg was bombed by the Eighth Air Force on 9 October 1944.[66] In addition, one of the most important sub-contractors for the radial-engined Fw 190s was AGO Flugzeugwerke, which from 1941 through to the end of the war produced enough Fw 190s to earn it major attention from the USAAF, with the AGO plant in Oschersleben being attacked at least five times during the war from 1943 onwards.[citation needed]

Production[67]
Variant Number Production dates
Fw 190 A-1 102 1941 June – 1941 October
Fw 190 A-2/A-3 909 1941 October – 1943 August
Fw 190 A-4 975 1942 June – 1943 August
Fw 190 A-5 1,752 1942 November – 1943 August
Fw 190 A-6 1,052 1943 May – 1944 March
Fw 190 A-7 701 1943 November – 1944 March
Fw 190 A-8 6,655 1944 February – 1945 February
Fw 190 A-9 930 1944 September – 1945 February
Total (including prototypes
and pre-production aircraft)
13,291
Fw 190 F-1/F-2(A-4) 18 & 271 1942 May – 1943 May
Fw 190 F-3(A-5) 432 1943 May – 1944 April
Fw 190 F-8(A-8) 6,143 1944 March – 1945 February
Fw 190 F-9(A-9) 415 1944 September – 1945 February
Total 7,279
Fw 190 G-1(A-4) 183 1942 August – 1942 November
Fw 190 G-2(A-5) 235 1942 July – 1943 May
Fw 190 G-3(A-6) 214 1943 June – 1943 December
Fw 190 G-8(A-8) 689 1943 August – 1944 February
Total approx. 1,300
Fw 190 D-9 1,805 1944 August – 1945 April [e]
Fw 190 D-11 20 1945 February – 1945 March
Fw 190 D-13 1 1945 April – 1945 April
Total 1,826
Fw 190 S-5 converted from A-5 or built c. 20 1944 late
Fw 190 S-8 converted from A-8 or built c. 38 1944 late
Total 58
Ta 152 V/H-0 44 1944 December – 1945 January
Ta 152 H-1 25 1945 January – 1945 April
Total 69
Total (all variants) 23,823

Surviving aircraft and modern replicas edit

Some 28 original Fw 190s are in museums or in the hands of private collectors around the world.[citation needed]

In 1997 a German company, Flug Werk GmbH, began manufacturing new Fw 190 models as reproductions. By 2012, 20 had been produced, most flyable, a few as static display models, with airworthy examples usually powered by Chinese-manufactured Shvetsov ASh-82 twin-row, 14-cylinder radial powerplants,[68] which have a displacement of 41.2 litres, close to the BMW 801's 41.8 litres, with the same engine cylinder arrangement and number of cylinders.[citation needed]

 
The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum's airworthy Fw 190A-5, WkNr. 151 227, on indoor display between flights.

The nearly intact wreck of an Fw 190 A-5/U3 (Werknummer 151 227) that had crashed in a marsh in a forest near Leningrad, Soviet Union, 1943 was located in 1989.[69] After restoration in the US, the Fw 190 flew again (with the original BMW 801 powerplant) on 1 December 2010.[70] Following the successful test flight, the aircraft was then trucked up to the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in Everett, Washington, where it was reassembled in April 2011 and returned to airworthy condition.[71][better source needed]

At least five surviving Fw 190A radial-engined aircraft are known to have been assigned to the Luftwaffe's JG 5 wing in Herdla, Norway. More German fighter aircraft on display in museums in the 21st century have originated from this unit than from any other Axis Powers' military aviation unit of World War II.[citation needed]

The Turkish Air Force retired all of its Fw 190A-3 fleet at the end of 1947 mostly because of a lack of spare parts. It is rumored that American-Turkish bilateral agreements required retiring and scrapping of all German-origin aircraft, although that requirement did not exist for any other country. According to the Hürriyet Daily News, all of the retired Fw 190s were saved from scrapping by wrapping them with protective cloths and burying them in the soil near the Aviation Supply and Maintenance Center at Kayseri. All attempts to locate and recover the aircraft have been unsuccessful, which suggests the story is probably a hoax or myth.[72]

Operators edit

 
A Royal Hungarian Air Force Fw 190F-8 on the Eastern Front in 1944.
 
A captured Focke Wulf Fw 190A-3 at the Royal Aircraft Establishment.
 
Captured Fw 190A-5, WkNr. 150 051 in U.S. Navy tri-color scheme

Specifications (Fw 190 A-8) edit

 
Fw 190A-8 three view drawing
 
An Fw 190 A-8 (W-Nr:733682) at the Imperial War Museum showing faired-over gun ports and a belly-mounted ETC-501 bomb rack. This Fw 190 was used as the upper component for a Mistel flying bomb.

Data from Fw 190 A8,[82][83][citation needed]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Length: 8.95 m (29 ft 4 in)
  • Wingspan: 10.506 m (34 ft 6 in)
  • Height: 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 18.3 m2 (197 sq ft)
  • Airfoil: root: NACA 23015.3; tip: NACA 23009[25]
  • Empty weight: 3,200 kg (7,055 lb)
  • Gross weight: 4,417 kg (9,738 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 4,900 kg (10,803 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 639 L (141 imp gal; 169 US gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × BMW 801D-2 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine 1,700 PS (1,677 hp; 1,250 kW)[f]
  • Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 652 km/h (405 mph, 352 kn) at 5,920 m (19,420 ft)
  • Range: 900–1,000 km (560–620 mi, 490–540 nmi)
  • Combat range: 400–500 km (250–310 mi, 220–270 nmi)
  • Ferry range: 900–1,000 km (560–620 mi, 490–540 nmi) ~1800–2000 km with droptank.
  • Service ceiling: 10,350 m (33,960 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 15 m/s (3,000 ft/min)
  • Wing loading: 241 kg/m2 (49 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass: 0.28–0.33 kW/kg (0.17–0.20 hp/lb) No–full emergency power

Armament

  • Guns:
  • 2 × 13 mm (0.51 in) synchronized MG 131 machine guns
  • 2 × 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151/20 E cannons, synchronized in the wing roots
  • 2 × 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151/20 E cannons in mid-wing mounts
  • Bombs: 1 bomb under fuselage or four bombs under wings.

See also edit

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ This A-3 was landed by mistake by Oblt Armin Faber at RAF Pembrey on June 23, 1942, becoming the first Fw 190 to be captured and tested by the RAF.[1]
  2. ^ "The Fw 190 has to be regarded as one of the best single-seat fighters of the war. Its combat performance, adaptability, to a variety of operational scenarios, and ease of handling and maintenance made it a true fighter, earning it the nickname Würger – Butcher Bird."[4]
  3. ^ On all versions of the Fw 190A a wire cable was attached to the middle trunnion of the right [main landing gear] strut, this leading to the tailwheel. When the main landing gear was retracted this cable raised the air/oil tailwheel leg.[19]
  4. ^ Pushrods had been used for the ailerons and elevator surfaces of the all-metal German Junkers D.I low-winged monoplane fighter which flew near the end of World War I.
  5. ^ First entered service in 1944 Early-September[citation needed]
  6. ^ up to 1,980 PS (1,953 hp; 1,456 kW) at 1.65 ata for up to 10 minutes of emergency power[84][48][full citation needed]

Citations edit

  1. ^ Ramsey 1990, p. 147.
  2. ^ Munson 1978, p. 56.
  3. ^ Angelucci 1988, p. 50.
  4. ^ Nijboer 2016, p. 108.
  5. ^ Andrews & Morgan 1987, p. 225.
  6. ^ Delve 2007, p. 80.
  7. ^ . Air & space. Smithsonian. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Nazi Germany's Focke-Wulf FW-190: The Best Fighter Aircraft of World War II?". National Interest. 11 August 2017.
  9. ^ Shacklady 2005, p. 25.
  10. ^ a b Smith & Creek 2014, pp. 33–34.
  11. ^ a b Green & Swanborough 1976, p. 13.
  12. ^ Price 2009, p. 3.
  13. ^ Price 2009, p. 1.
  14. ^ Hansen 1998.
  15. ^ Price 2000, p. 6.
  16. ^ a b Sheffield 1942, p. 170.
  17. ^ a b Caygill 2002, p. 6.
  18. ^ "フォッケウルフ190の尾輪". www5a.biglobe.ne.jp.
  19. ^ Sengfelder 1993, pp. 99, 102.
  20. ^ Miyama, T. "傑作機、Fw190の尾輪です". biglobe (in Japanese). ne. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  21. ^ Wagner & Nowarra 1971, p. 237.
  22. ^ a b Spenser 1989, p. 12.
  23. ^ Price 2009, pp. 3–4.
  24. ^ Stephenson & E. Brown Ryle III 2003.
  25. ^ a b Lednicer.
  26. ^ Weal 1996, p. 36.
  27. ^ Weal 1996, p. 38.
  28. ^ a b Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 104.
  29. ^ Weal 1996, pp. 38–39.
  30. ^ Weal 1996, p. 78.
  31. ^ Forsyth 2011, pp. 58–59.
  32. ^ Forsyth 2011, p. 59.
  33. ^ Forsyth 2011, p. 73.
  34. ^ Weal 1996, p. 55.
  35. ^ Weal 1996, p. 77.
  36. ^ Shacklady 2005, p. 30.
  37. ^ a b c Page 2002, p. 579.
  38. ^ Spenser 1989, p. 56.
  39. ^ a b Smith & Kay 1972, p. 175.
  40. ^ Page 2002, p. 581.
  41. ^ a b Page 2002, p. 583.
  42. ^ Page 2002, pp. 582–583.
  43. ^ Page 2002, pp. 583–584.
  44. ^ a b c d e Page 2002, p. 284.
  45. ^ Page 2002, p. 587.
  46. ^ Janowicz & Prusza 2003, pp. 34–38.
  47. ^ Janowicz & Prusza 2003, pp. 40–41.
  48. ^ a b "Leistungssteigerung bei der Fw 190 mit 801 D durch motorseitige Maßnahmen" (PDF). Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  49. ^ Janowicz & Prusza 2003, pp. 41–43.
  50. ^ Page 2002, p. 593.
  51. ^ Janowicz & Prusza 2003, pp. 43–45.
  52. ^ Joineau & Breffort 2007, p. 25.
  53. ^ Janowicz & Prusza 2003, pp. 66–67.
  54. ^ Arthy 2010.
  55. ^ "Focke-Wulf Fw 190D". 2009-01-06 at the Wayback Machine csd.uwo.ca. Retrieved: August 23, 2010.
  56. ^ Rodeike 1998, p. 381.
  57. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 89.
  58. ^ Caldwell 1998, p. 421.
  59. ^ Forsyth 1996, pp. 200, 204–205.
  60. ^ a b Mondey 2006, p. 72.
  61. ^ "Royal Museum of the Armed Forces in Brussels, Belgium – photo of surviving German WB 151/20 conformal gunpod". landmarkscout.com. from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  62. ^ "Unique two-seat Fw 190 leaves RAF Museum". key.aero. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  63. ^ Janowicz & Prusza 2003, pp. 55–56.
  64. ^ Rickard 2019.
  65. ^ Rickard 2007.
  66. ^ Gurney 1962, p. 219.
  67. ^ Focke-Wulf FW 190 Vol. 1-Vol. 4 (Monografie 01-Monografie 06) by Krzysztof Janowicz
  68. ^ "Die FW 190 aus dem Flugwerk" (in German). 2016-04-02 at the Wayback Machine flugwerk.de. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  69. ^ Martt 2011.
  70. ^ Cohen & 16 March 2011.
  71. ^ Cohen & 21 April 2011.
  72. ^ "Over 50 missing warplanes found buried in central Turkey: Report". Hürriyet Daily News. 14 October 2016. from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  73. ^ Bonhardt, Sárhidai & Winkler 1992, p. 358.
  74. ^ Tibor 1989, p. [page needed].
  75. ^ Caygill 2002, p. 34.
  76. ^ Bernád 1999, p. 45.
  77. ^ Axworthy, Scafes & Craciunoiu 1995, p. 279.
  78. ^ Bernád 1999, p. 29.
  79. ^ Axworthy, Scafes & Craciunoiu 1995, p. 320.
  80. ^ Gordon and Komissarov 2008, p. 91.
  81. ^ Gordon and Komissarov 2008, p. 100.
  82. ^ . aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu. Archived from the original on 10 February 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  83. ^ Nowarra 1993, pp. 72–94, 264–265.
  84. ^ WWII Aircraft image

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  • Forsyth, Robert (2011). Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-438-3.
  • Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1976). The Focke-Wulf 190: Fw 190. Newton Abbot, UK: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-7084-1.
  • Gurney, Gene (1962). The War in the Air: A Pictorial History of World War II Air Forces in Combat. New York: Bonanza Books. OCLC 852530729.
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  • Janowicz, Krzysztof; Prusza, Łukasz (2003). Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Vol. 1. Sandomierz; Lublin: Oficyna Wydawnicza Kagero. ISBN 978-8-38-908811-6.
  • Joineau, Andre; Breffort, Dominique (2007). P-51 Mustang: From 1943 to 1945. Paris: Histoire & Collections. ISBN 978-2-91-390381-4.
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  • Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  • Martt (13 January 2011). "A Real Focke-Wulf Fw 190 is In the Air!". Airpigz.com (blog). Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  • Mondey, David (2006). The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Bounty Books. ISBN 978-0-7537-1460-7.
  • Munson, Kenneth (1978). German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour. Poole, Dorsett, UK: Blandford Press. ISBN 0-7137-0860-3.
  • Nijboer, Donald (2016). Fighting Cockpits. Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-4956-4.
  • Nowarra, Heinz J. (1993). Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945 Vol.2 – Flugzeugtypen Erla-Heinkel (in German). Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. ISBN 978-3-76-375464-9.
  • Page, Neil (November 2002). "Focke Wulf 190: Part One-the Fw 190A-series fighter variants". Scale Aircraft Modelling. Vol. 24, no. 9. Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire: Alan W. Hall. ISSN 0956-1420.
  • Price, Alfred (2009). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in Combat. London: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7524-5207-4.
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  • Rickard, J. (12 March 2007). "Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX". www.historyofwar.org.
  • Rickard, J. (10 June 2019). "Focke-Wulf Fw 190 – Design and Prototypes". www.historyofwar.org.
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  • Smith, J. Richard; Creek, Eddie J. (2014). Focke-Wulf Fw 190: Volume One 1938–1943 (2nd ed.). Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-906537-29-6.
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  • Weal, John (1996). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Western Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-595-1.

Further reading edit

  • Bowman, Martin W. P-51 Mustang vs Fw 190: Europe 1943–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1-84603-189-3.
  • A Butcher Bird's Tale: the Story of the Focke Wulf 190 (DVD). Retrieved: 3 April 2008.
  • Caldwell, Donald L. JG 26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. New York: Ivy Books, 1991. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6.
  • Crandall, Jerry. Yellow 10: The Story of the Ultra-rare Fw 190 D-13. Hamilton, Montana: Eagle Edition Ltd., 2000. ISBN 0-9660706-3-1.
  • Couderchon, Philippe & Bouvier-Belleville, René (2018). Du FW 190 au NC 900: usines souterraines et blindées en France [From FW 190 to NC 900: Subterranean and Fortified Factory in France] (in French). Le Vigen, France: Éditions Lela presse. ISBN 978-2-37468-010-1.
  • Donald, David, ed. Warplanes of the Luftwaffe. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-874023-56-5.
  • Espérou, Robert (April 2001). "Novembre 1945: Les dernières victimes d'un Focke-Wulf 190... français!" [November 1945: The Last Victims of a Focke-Wulf 190 Were French!]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French). No. 97. pp. 24–27. ISSN 1243-8650.
  • Griehl, Manfred. Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Varianten: Flugzeug Profile 45. Stengelheim, Germany: UNITEC Medienvertrieb E.K., 2008. OCLC 230135362, ASIN B006VFEHPC.
  • Jackiewicz, Jacek and Robert Bock. Captured Butcherbirds, Vol. 1. Warsaw, Poland: Ajaks, 2009. ISBN 978-83-924914-2-2.
  • Jackson, Robert. Aircraft of World War II: Development, Weaponry, Specifications. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, 2003. ISBN 0-7858-1696-8.
  • Jessen, Morten. Focke-Wulf 190: The Birth of the Butcher Bird 1939–1943. London: Greenhill Books, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-328-5.
  • Kosin, Ruediger. The German Fighter Since 1915– translation of Die Entwicklung der deutschen Jagdflugzeuge. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-822-4.
  • Lednicer, David A. "Technical Note: A CFD Evaluation of Three Prominent World War II Fighter Aircraft." Aeronautical Journal, Royal Aeronautical Society, June/July 1995.
  • Lednicer, David A. "World War II Fighter Aerodynamics." EAA Sport Aviation, January 1999.
  • Lorant, Jean-Yves and Richard Goyat. JG 300 (two volumes translated by Neil Page). Hamilton, Montana: Eagle Editions, 2006, Vol. 1: ISBN 0-9761034-0-0, Vol. 2: ISBN 0-9761034-2-7.
  • Lowe, Malcolm. Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Production Line to Front Line #5. London: Osprey, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-438-8.
  • Matricardi, Paolo. Aerei Militari: Caccia e Ricognitori (in Italian). Milano: Mondadori Electa, 2006. No ISBN
  • Manrho, John and Ron Putz. Bodenplatte: The Luftwaffe's Last Hope: The Attack on Allied Airfields, New Year's Day 1945. Ottringham, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2004. ISBN 1-902109-40-6.
  • Nowarra, Heinz J. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Fighters, Bombers, Ground Attack Aircraft. West Chester, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publications, 1991. ISBN 0-88740-354-9.
  • Page, Neil. "The Sturmgruppen—Bomber Destroyers 1944." Scale Aircraft Modelling, March 2001.
  • Ryle, E. Brown and Malcolm Laing. Walk Around Number 22: Focke-Wulf Fw 190A/F. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1997. ISBN 0-89747-374-4.
  • Spick, Mike. Allied Fighter Aces of World War II. London: Greenhill Books. 1997. ISBN 1-85367-282-3.
  • Thompson, J. Steve with Peter C. Smith. Air Combat Manoeuvres. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan, 2008. ISBN 978-1-903223-98-7.
  • Urbanke, Axel. Green Hearats First In Combat With The Dora 9. Hamilton, Montanna Usa: Eagle Editions, 1998. ISBN 0-9660706-1-5
  • Weal, John. Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front. Aircraft of the Aces No. 6. Oxford, UK: Osprey, 1998. ISBN 1-85532-518-7.
  • Weber, Eberhard-Dietrich and Eric Brown. "Dora-9 and the Tank Fighters". Air Enthusiast Quarterly, No. 1, n.d., pp. 97–112. ISSN 0143-5450
  • Winchester, Jim. "Focke-Wulf Fw 190." Aircraft of World War II. London: Grange Books, 2004. ISBN 1-84013-639-1.

External links edit

  • US evaluation of captured Fw 190 A-4 (PDF file)
  • The Flying Heritage Collection's Fw 190A fires up its BMW 801 engine
  • The Flying Heritage Collection's Fw 190D fires up its Jumo 213 engine
  • Modeller's Guide to Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Variants, Radial Engine Versions Part I 13 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  • Modeller's Guide to Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Variants, Radial Engine Versions Part II 27 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine

focke, wulf, nicknamed, würger, shrike, german, single, seat, single, engine, fighter, aircraft, designed, kurt, tank, focke, wulf, late, 1930s, widely, used, during, world, along, with, well, known, counterpart, messerschmitt, became, backbone, jagdwaffe, fig. The Focke Wulf Fw 190 nicknamed Wurger b Shrike is a German single seat single engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II Along with its well known counterpart the Messerschmitt Bf 109 the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe Fighter Force of the Luftwaffe The twin row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109 allowing its use as a day fighter fighter bomber ground attack aircraft and to a lesser degree night fighter Fw 190 Fw 190A 3 of Stab 7 JG2 June 1942 a Role Fighter aircraft National origin Germany Manufacturer Focke Wulf Designer Kurt Tank First flight 1 June 1939 2 Introduction August 1941 Retired 9 May 1945 Luftwaffe 1945 Hungary 1947 Turkey 1949 France Primary users LuftwaffeHungarian Air Force Turkish Air Force Produced 1941 1945 65 produced post War for French Air Force Number built Over 20 000 3 Developed into Focke Wulf Ta 152 The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941 and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Spitfire Mk V the main front line fighter of the Royal Air Force RAF particularly at low and medium altitudes 5 The 190 maintained its superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk IX 6 In November December 1942 the Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front finding much success in fighter wings and specialised ground attack units Schlachtgeschwader Battle Wings or Strike Wings from October 1943 The Fw 190A series performance decreased at high altitudes usually 6 000 m 20 000 ft and above which reduced its effectiveness as a high altitude interceptor From the Fw 190 s inception there had been ongoing efforts to address this with a turbosupercharged BMW 801 in the B model the much longer nosed C model with efforts to also turbocharge its chosen Daimler Benz DB 603 inverted V12 powerplant and the similarly long nosed D model with the Junkers Jumo 213 Problems with the turbocharger installations on the B and C subtypes meant only the D model entered service in September 1944 These high altitude developments eventually led to the Focke Wulf Ta 152 which was capable of extreme speeds at medium to high altitudes 755 km h 408 kn 469 mph at 13 500 m 44 300 ft 7 While these long nose 190 variants and the Ta 152 derivative especially gave the Germans parity with Allied opponents they arrived too late to affect the outcome of the war The Fw 190 was well liked by its pilots Some of the Luftwaffe s most successful fighter aces claimed many of their kills while flying it including Otto Kittel Walter Nowotny and Erich Rudorffer The Fw 190 had greater firepower than the Bf 109 and at low to medium altitude superior manoeuvrability in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters It was regarded as one of the best fighter planes of World War II 8 Contents 1 Early development 1 1 Genesis 1 2 Design concepts 1 2 1 Engine 1 2 2 Landing Gear 1 2 3 Control systems 1 2 4 Wing loading and Canopy 1 3 Wilde Sau 1 4 The Sturmbocke 2 Variants 2 1 First prototypes BMW 139 2 2 Later prototypes BMW 801 2 3 Fw 190 A 2 4 High altitude developments 2 4 1 V 12 Engine 2 5 Ground attack versions BMW 801 2 6 Trainer versions 3 Combat history 4 Production 5 Surviving aircraft and modern replicas 6 Operators 7 Specifications Fw 190 A 8 8 See also 9 References 9 1 Notes 9 2 Citations 9 3 Bibliography 10 Further reading 11 External linksEarly development editGenesis edit Between 1934 and 1935 the German Ministry of Aviation RLM ran a contest to produce a modern fighter for the rearming Luftwaffe Kurt Tank entered the parasol winged Fw 159 into the contest against the Arado Ar 80 Heinkel He 112 and Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Fw 159 was hopelessly outclassed and was soon eliminated from the competition along with the Ar 80 The He 112 and Bf 109 were generally similar in design but the 109 s lightweight construction gave it a performance edge the 112 was never able to match On March 12 1936 the 109 was declared the winner citation needed Even before the Bf 109 had entered squadron service in autumn 1937 the RLM sent out a new tender asking various designers for a new fighter to fight alongside the Bf 109 as Walter Gunther had done with Heinkel s follow on to the unsuccessful He 100 and He 112 Although the Bf 109 was an extremely competitive fighter the Ministry was worried that future foreign designs might outclass it and wanted to have new aircraft under development to meet these possible challenges 9 Tank responded with a number of designs most powered by a liquid cooled inline engine citation needed However it was not until a design was presented using the air cooled 14 cylinder BMW 139 radial engine that the Ministry of Aviation s interest was aroused 10 As this design used a radial engine it would not compete with the inline powered Bf 109 for engines when there were already too few Daimler Benz DB 601s to go around 11 This was not the case for competing designs like the Heinkel He 100 or twin engined Focke Wulf Fw 187 where production would compete with the 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 for engine supplies After the war Tank denied a rumour that he had to fight a battle with the Ministry to convince them of the radial engine s merits 12 Design concepts edit At the time the use of radial engines in land based fighters was relatively rare in Europe as it was believed that their large frontal area would cause too much drag on something as small as a fighter citation needed Tank was not convinced of this having witnessed the successful use of radial engines by the U S Navy and felt a properly streamlined installation would eliminate this problem 11 failed verification As to the rest of the design philosophy Tank wanted something more than an aircraft built only for speed He outlined the reasoning The Messerschmitt 109 sic and the British Spitfire the two fastest fighters in the world at the time we began work on the Fw 190 could both be summed up as a very large engine on the front of the smallest possible airframe in each case armament had been added almost as an afterthought These designs both of which admittedly proved successful could be likened to racehorses given the right amount of pampering and easy course they could outrun anything But the moment the going became tough they were liable to falter During World War I I served in the cavalry and in the infantry I had seen the harsh conditions under which military equipment had to work in wartime I felt sure that a quite different breed of fighter would also have a place in any future conflict one that could operate from ill prepared front line airfields one that could be flown and maintained by men who had received only short training and one that could absorb a reasonable amount of battle damage and still get back This was the background thinking behind the Focke Wulf 190 it was not to be a racehorse but a Dienstpferd a cavalry horse 13 Engine edit The hottest points on any air cooled engine are the cylinder heads located around the circumference of a radial engine In order to provide sufficient air to cool the engine airflow had to be maximized at this outer edge This was normally accomplished by leaving the majority of the front face of the engine open to the air causing considerable drag During the late 1920s NACA led the development of a dramatic improvement by placing an airfoil shaped ring around the outside of the cylinder heads the NACA cowling The shaping accelerated the air as it entered the front of the cowl increasing the total airflow and allowing the opening in front of the engine to be made smaller 14 Tank introduced a further refinement to this basic concept He suggested placing most of the airflow components on the propeller in the form of an oversized propeller spinner whose outside diameter was the same as the engine The cowl around the engine proper was greatly simplified essentially a basic cylinder Air entered through a small hole at the centre of the spinner and was directed through ductwork in the spinner so it was blowing rearward along the cylinder heads To provide enough airflow an internal cone was placed in the centre of the hole over the propeller hub which was intended to compress the airflow and allow a smaller opening to be used In theory the tight fitting cowling also provided some thrust due to the compression and heating of air as it flowed through the cowling 15 The eventual choice of the BMW 801 14 cylinder radial over the more troublesome BMW 139 also brought with it a BMW designed cowling system which integrated the radiator used to cool the motor oil An annular ring shaped oil cooler core was built into the BMW provided forward cowl just behind the fan The outer portion of the oil cooler s core was in contact with the main cowling s sheet metal Comprising the BMW designed forward cowl in front of the oil cooler was a ring of metal with a C shaped cross section with the outer lip lying just outside the rim of the cowl and the inner side on the inside of the oil cooler core Together the metal ring and cowling formed an S shaped duct with the oil cooler s core contained between them Airflow past the gap between the cowl and outer lip of the metal ring produced a vacuum effect that pulled air from the front of the engine forward across the oil cooler core to provide cooling for the 801 s motor oil The rate of cooling airflow over the core could be controlled by moving the metal ring to open or close the gap The reasons for this complex system were threefold One was to reduce any extra aerodynamic drag of the oil radiator in this case largely eliminating it by placing it within the same cowling as the engine The second was to warm the air before it flowed to the radiator to aid in warming the oil during starting Finally by placing the radiator behind the fan cooling was provided even while the aircraft was parked The disadvantage to this design was that the radiator was in an extremely vulnerable location and the metal ring was increasingly armoured as the war progressed 16 Landing Gear edit nbsp An Fw 190F s tailfin showing the triangular hinged panel for access to the tailwheel retraction mechanism inside of it In contrast to the complex failure prone fuselage mounted main gear legs of the earlier Fw 159 one of the main features of the Fw 190 was its wide tracked inwards retracting landing gear They were designed to withstand a sink rate of 4 5 metres per second 15 ft s 890 ft min double the strength factor usually required Hydraulic wheel brakes were used 17 The wide track undercarriage produced better ground handling characteristics and the Fw 190 suffered fewer ground accidents than the Bf 109 The Bf 109 s narrow track outwards retracting landing gear hinged on its wing root structure to help lower weight but this led to inherent weakness and many failures and ground loops 17 The Fw 190 s retractable tail gear used a cable anchored to the elbow at the midpoint of the starboard maingear s transverse retraction arms which ran aftwards within the fuselage to the vertical fin to operate the tailwheel retraction function The tailwheel s retraction mechanical design possessed a set of pulleys to guide the aforementioned cable to the top of the tailwheel s oleo strut pulling it upwards along a diagonal track within the fin into the lower fuselage 18 this mechanism was accessible through a prominently visible triangular shaped hinged panel on the left side in the fin s side sheetmetal covering c 20 On some versions of the Fw 190 an extended tailwheel oleo strut could be fitted for larger sized loads such as bombs or even a torpedo beneath the fuselage 21 Control systems edit Most aircraft of the era used cables and pulleys to operate their controls The cables tended to stretch resulting in the sensations of give and play that made the controls less crisp and responsive and required constant maintenance to correct For the new design the team replaced the cables with rigid pushrods and bearings to eliminate this problem d Another innovation was making the controls as light as possible The maximum resistance of the ailerons was limited to 3 5 kg 8 lb as the average man s wrist could not exert a greater force The empennage tail assembly featured relatively small and well balanced horizontal and vertical surfaces 22 The design team also attempted to minimize changes in the aircraft s trim at varying speeds thus reducing the pilot s workload They were so successful in this regard that they found in flight adjustable aileron and rudder trim tabs were not necessary Small fixed tabs were fitted to control surfaces and adjusted for proper balance during initial test flights Only the elevator trim needed to be adjusted in flight a feature common to all aircraft This was accomplished by tilting the entire horizontal tailplane with an electric motor with an angle of incidence ranging from 3 to 5 23 Another aspect of the new design was the extensive use of electrically powered equipment instead of the hydraulic systems used by most aircraft manufacturers of the time On the first two prototypes the main landing gear was hydraulic Starting with the third prototype the undercarriage was operated by push buttons controlling electric motors in the wings and was kept in position by electric up and down locks 24 The armament was also loaded and fired electrically Tank believed that service use would prove that electrically powered systems were more reliable and more rugged than hydraulics electric lines being much less prone to damage from enemy fire 22 Wing loading and Canopy edit Like the Bf 109 the Fw 190 featured a fairly small wing planform with relatively high wing loading This presents a trade off in performance An aircraft with a smaller wing suffers less drag under most flight conditions and therefore flies faster and may have better range However it also means the aircraft has a higher stalling speed making it less maneuverable and also reduces performance in the thinner air at higher altitudes The wings spanned 9 5 m 31 ft 2 in and had an area of 15 m2 160 sq ft The wing was designed using the NACA 23015 3 airfoil at the root and the NACA 23009 airfoil at the tip 25 Earlier aircraft designs generally featured canopies consisting of small plates of perspex also known as Plexiglas in a metal greenhouse framework with the top of the canopy even with the rear fuselage this was true of the IJNAS Mitsubishi A6M Zero whose otherwise all around view canopy was still heavily framed This design considerably limited visibility especially to the rear The introduction of vacuum forming led to the creation of the bubble canopy which was largely self supporting and could be mounted over the cockpit offering greatly improved all round visibility Tank s design for the Fw 190 used a canopy with a frame that ran around the perimeter with only a short centerline seam along the top running rearward from the radio antenna fitting where the three panel windscreen and the forward edge of the canopy met just in front of the pilot citation needed Wilde Sau edit From mid 1943 Fw 190s were also used as night fighters against the growing RAF Bomber Command offensive In mid 1943 one of the earliest participants in the single engine ground controlled night fighting experiments was the Nachtjagdkommando Fw 190 Night Fighter Command Fw 190 operated by IV Gruppe 4 Group Jagdgeschwader 3 Fighter Wing 3 or JG 3 26 The main Nachtgeschwader Night Fighter Wings were keen to adopt a new fighter type as their twin engine fighters were too slow for combat against increasing numbers of de Havilland Mosquito night fighters and bombers Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 NJG 1 and NJG 3 kept a pair of Fw 190s on standby to supplement the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Junkers Ju 88 The considerable performance advantage of the Fw 190 over the other two types was more than offset by the difficulties of operating at night Few if any aerial successes can be attributed to these operational tests 27 One of the first purpose built units to use Fw 190s in this role was Stab Versuchskommando Herrmann a unit specifically set up in April 1943 by Major Hajo Herrmann Herrmann s unit used standard A 4s and A 5s borrowed from day fighter units to intercept bombers over or near the targeted city using searchlights and other visual aids to help them find their quarry 28 The first use of Window by the RAF during the Battle of Hamburg in July 1943 rendered the standard nightfighter Himmelbett procedures useless and brought urgency to the development of Herrmann s Wilde Sau Wild Boar technique pending the development of new nightfighting strategies 28 Instead of restricting the Fw 190s to ground control interception protocols the Fw 190s were given a free hand to over fly bombed areas to see if they could locate bombers using the ground fires below These tactics became an integral part of the nightfighter operations until May 1944 29 St V Herrmann was expanded to become Jagdgeschwader 300 JG 300 or Fighter Wing 300 JG 301 and JG 302 All three units initially continued borrowing their aircraft from day fighter units The day fighter units began to protest at the numbers of their aircraft which were being written off because of the hazards of night operations the numbers soared with the onset of winter with pilots often being forced to bail out through being unable to find an airfield at which to land safely Crash landings were also frequent Eventually all three Wilde Sau units received their own aircraft which were often modified with exhaust dampers and blind flying radio equipment Another unit was Nachtjagdgruppe 10 NJGr 10 which used Fw 190 A 4 R11s through to A 8 R11s Fw 190s modified to carry FuG Funkgerat 217 or FuG 218 radar mid VHF band equipment citation needed The Sturmbocke edit nbsp Fw 190 A 8 R8 of IV Sturm JG 3 flown by Hptm Wilhelm Moritz The appearance of United States Army Air Forces heavy bombers caused a problem for the German fighter force The Boeing B 17 Flying Fortress in particular was especially durable and the armament of the Bf 109 and Fw 190 were not adequate for bomber destroyer operations The B 17 s eventual deployment in combat box formations provided formidable massed firepower from a hundred or more Browning AN M2 50 caliber 12 7 mm machine guns In addition the Luftwaffe s original solution of Zerstorer twin engine Messerschmitt Bf 110G bomber destroyers while effective against unescorted Allied bomber formations lacked maneuverability and were eviscerated by the USAAF s fighter escorts in late 1943 and early 1944 citation needed Two of the former Wilde Sau single engined night fighter wings were reconstituted for their use such as Jagdgeschwader 300 JG 300 300th Fighter Wing and JG 301 These units consisted of Sturmbocke However JG 3 also had a special gruppe group of Sturmbocke citation needed The Fw 190 designed as a rugged interceptor capable of withstanding considerable combat damage and delivering a potent punch from its stable gun platform was considered ideal for anti bomber operations Focke Wulf redesigned parts of the wing structure to accommodate larger armament The Fw 190 A 6 was the first sub variant to undergo this change Its standard armament was increased from four MG 151 20s to two of them with four more in two underwing cannon pods The aircraft was designated A 6 R1 Rustsatz or field conversion model The first aircraft were delivered on 20 November 1943 Brief trials saw the twin cannon replaced by the MK 108 30mm autocannon in the outer wing which then became the A 6 R2 The cannons were blowback operated had electric ignition and were belt fed The 30mm MK 108 was simple to make and its construction was economical the majority of its components consisted of just pressed sheet metal stampings In the A 6 R4 the GM 1 nitrous oxide Boost was added for the BMW 801 engine to increase performance at high altitude For protection 30 millimetres 1 2 in of armoured glass was added to the canopy The A 6 R6 was fitted with twin heavy calibre Werfer Granate 21 BR 21 unguided air to air rockets fired from single underwing tubular launchers one per wing panel The increased modifications in particular heavy firepower made the Fw 190 a potent bomber killer The A 7 evolved in November 1943 Two synchronized 13 mm 51 inch MG 131 machine guns replaced the twin cowl mount synchronized 7 92 mm 318 inch MG 17 machine guns The A 7 R variants could carry two 30 mm MK 108s as well as BR 21 rockets This increased its potency as a Pulk Zerstorer Bomber Formation Destroyer The A 8 R2 was the most numerous Sturmbock aircraft some 900 were built by Fiesler at Kassel with 30 mm MK 108s installed in their outer wing panel mounts citation needed While formidable bomber killers the armour and substantial up gunning with heavier calibre firepower meant the Fw 190 was now cumbersome to maneuver Vulnerable to Allied fighters they had to be escorted by Bf 109s 30 When the Sturmgruppe was able to work as intended the effects were devastating With their engines and cockpits heavily armored the Fw 190 As attacked from astern and gun camera films show that these attacks were often pressed to within 100 yds 90 m citation needed Willy Unger of 11 Sturm JG 3 11 Staffel Squadron of Sturmgruppe Storm group JG 3 made the following comments Advantages wide undercarriage large twin row radial engine which protected the pilot from the front electric starter motor and electric trim system Disadvantages there was a danger of turning over when braking hard on soft or sandy ground In combat against enemy fighters more awkward because of the heavy armour plating Strong at low altitude inferior to the Bf 109 at higher altitude In my opinion the Fw 190 in this version was the best aircraft used in the formation against the Viermots 31 Richard Franz commented When we made our attack we approached from slightly above then dived opening fire with 13mm and 20mm guns to knock out the rear gunner and then at about 150 metres we tried to engage with the MK 108 30mm cannon which was a formidable weapon It could cut the wing off a B 17 Actually it was still easier to kill a B 24 which was somewhat weaker in respect of fuselage strength and armament I think we generally had the better armament and ammunition whereas they had the better aircraft 32 The number of heavy bombers destroyed by the Fw 190 is impossible to estimate However below is a list of the top scoring Sturmbock pilots 33 Name Total victory claims Heavy bomber claims B 17 claims Georg Peter Eder 78 Est 36 unknown Anton Hackl 192 Est 34 Unknown Konrad Bauer 57 32 Unknown Walther Dahl 128 30 Unknown Egon Mayer 102 26 21 Hermann Staiger 63 26 21 Willy Unger 24 21 13 Hugo Frey 34 32 25 19 Hans Ehlers 55 24 18 Alwin Doppler 29 25 16 Werner Gerth 35 27 22 16 Friedrich Karl Muller 140 23 15 Hans Weik 36 22 15 Walter Loos 38 22 Unknown Heinz Bar 221 21 11 Emil Rudolf Schnoor 32 18 15Variants editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Focke Wulf Fw 190 news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2019 Learn how and when to remove this message Main article List of Focke Wulf Fw 190 variants First prototypes BMW 139 edit nbsp Fw 190 V1 in its original form with the streamlined engine cowling and ducted spinner The pointed tip of the internal spinner can also be seen Pilot is probably Hans Sander Fw 190 V1 civil registration D OPZE powered by a 1 550 PS 1 530 hp 1 140 kW BMW 139 14 cylinder two row radial engine 10 D OPZE first flew on 1 June 1939 36 Fw 190 V2 Designated with the Stammkennzeichen alphabetic ID code of FL OZ later RM CB the V2 first flew on October 31 1939 and was equipped from the outset with the new spinner and cooling fan It was armed with one Rheinmetall Borsig 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17 machine gun and one 13 mm 0 51 in synchronized MG 131 machine gun in each wing root 37 Fw 190 V3 Abandoned Fw 190 V4 Abandoned Later prototypes BMW 801 edit nbsp Fw 190 V5k This is the V5 with the original small wing The 12 blade cooling fan and redesigned undercarriage and canopy fairings are visible Fw 190 V5 Fitted with the larger more powerful 14 cylinder two row BMW 801 radial engine This engine introduced a pioneering example of an engine management system called the Kommandogerat command device designed by BMW who also designed the 801 s forward cowling with its integral oil cooling system 16 the Kommandogerat functioned in effect as an electro mechanical computer which set mixture propeller pitch for the constant speed propeller boost and magneto timing 38 Fw 190 V5k kleine Flache small surface The smaller span initial variant re designated after the longer span wing was fitted The V5 first flew in the early spring of 1940 The weight increase with all of the modifications was substantial about 635 kg 1 400 lb leading to higher wing loading and a deterioration in handling Plans were made to create a new wing with more area to address these issues 39 Fw 190 V5g grosse Flache large surface In August 1940 a collision with a ground vehicle damaged the V5 and it was sent back to the factory for major repairs This was an opportune time to rebuild it with a new wing which was less tapered in plan than the original design extending the leading and trailing edges outward to increase the area The new wing had an area of 18 30 m2 197 0 sq ft and now spanned 10 506 m 34 ft 5 6 in After conversion the aircraft was called the V5g for grosse Flache large surface Although it was 10 km h 6 2 mph slower than when fitted with the small wing V5g was much more manoeuvrable and had a faster climb rate 39 This new wing platform was to be used for all major production versions of the Fw 190 37 Fw 190 A edit nbsp Side view of Fw 190 A 0 Fw 190 A 0 The pre production Fw 190 A 0 series was ordered in November 1940 a total of 28 being completed Because they were built before the new wing design was fully tested and approved the first nine A 0s retained the original small wings All were armed with six 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17 machine guns four synchronised weapons two in the forward fuselage and one in each wing root supplemented by a free firing MG 17 in each wing outboard of the propeller disc 37 nbsp Fw 190 A 0s or A 1s of an unknown unit in France Fw 190 A 1 The Fw 190 A 1 was in production from June 1941 It was powered by the BMW 801 C 1 engine rated at 1 560 PS 1 539 hp 1 147 kW for take off Armament included two fuselage mounted 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17s and two wing root mounted 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17s with all four MG 17s synchronized to fire through the propeller arc and two outboard wing mounted 20 mm MG FF Ms 40 nbsp Side view of Fw 190 A 2 the most notable change over the A 0 was the addition of three vertical cooling slits on the engine cowling just forward of the wing Fw 190 A 2 The introduction of the BMW 801 C 2 resulted in the Fw 190 A 2 model first introduced in October 1941 41 The A 2 wing weaponry was updated with the two wing root mounted 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17s being replaced by 20 mm MG 151 20E cannon 42 nbsp Fw 190A 3 of JG 1 in the Netherlands summer 1942 Fw 190 A 3 The Fw 190 A 3 was equipped with the BMW 801 D 2 engine which increased power to 1 700 PS 1 700 hp 1 300 kW at takeoff 41 The A 3 retained the same weaponry as the A 2 43 Fw 190 A 3 Umrust Bausatz 1 U1 W Nr 130 270 was the first 190 to have the engine mount extended by 15 cm 5 9 in which would be standardized on the later production A 5 model 44 Fw 190 A 3 U2 The A 3 U2 W Nr 130386 had RZ 65 73 mm 2 9 in rocket launcher racks under the wings with three rockets per wing There were also a small number of U7 aircraft tested as high altitude fighters armed with only two 20 mm MG 151 cannon but with reduced overall weight 44 Fw 190 A 3 U3 The A 3 U3 was the first of the Jabo Jagdbomber using an ETC 501 centre line bomb rack able to carry up to 500 kg 1 100 lb of bombs or with horizontal stabilising bars one 300 L 79 US gal standard Luftwaffe drop tank The U3 retained the fuselage mounted 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17s and the wing mounted 20 mm MG 151 cannon with the outer MG FF being removed 44 Fw 190 A 3 U4 The A 3 U4 was a reconnaissance version with two RB 12 5 cameras in the rear fuselage and a EK 16 gun camera or a Robot II miniature camera in the leading edge of the port wing root Armament was similar to the U3 however and the ETC 501 was usually fitted with the standardized Luftwaffe 300 L capacity 79 US gal drop tank 44 dd Fw 190 A 3a a auslandisch foreign In autumn 1942 72 new aircraft were delivered to Turkey in an effort to keep that country friendly to the Axis powers These were designated Fw 190 A 3a designation for export models and delivered between October 1942 and March 1943 44 nbsp A captured Fw 190A 4 The USAAF painted Balkenkreuz and swastika markings are of nonstandard size and proportions Fw 190 A 4 Introduced in July 1942 the A 4 was equipped with the same engine and basic armament as the A 3 Fw 190 A 4 Rustsatz 6 R6 Some A 4s were fitted with a pair of under wing Werfer Granate 21 BR 21 rocket mortars and were designated Fw 190 A 4 R6 Fw 190 A 4 U1 The A 4 U1 was outfitted with an ETC 501 rack under the fuselage All armament except the MG 151 cannon was removed Fw 190 A 4 U3 The A 4 U3 was very similar to the U1 and later served as the prototype for the Fw 190 F 1 assault fighter citation needed Fw 190 A 4 U4 The A 4 U4 was a reconnaissance fighter with two Rb 12 4 cameras in the rear fuselage and an EK 16 or Robot II gun camera The U4 was equipped with fuselage mounted 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17s and 20 mm MG 151 cannon citation needed Fw 190 A 4 U7 The A 4 U7 was a high altitude fighter easily identified by the compressor air intakes on either side of the cowling Adolf Galland flew a U7 in the spring of 1943 citation needed Fw 190 A 4 U8 The A 4 U8 was the Jabo Rei Jagdbomber Reichweite long range fighter bomber adding twin standard Luftwaffe 300 L 79 US gal drop tanks one under each wing on VTr Ju 87 racks with duralumin fairings produced by Weserflug and a centreline bomb rack The outer wing mounted 20 mm MG FF M cannon and the cowling mounted 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17 were removed to save weight The A 4 U8 was the precursor of the Fw 190 G 1 citation needed Fw 190 A 4 R1 The A 4 R1 was fitted with a FuG 16ZY radio set with a Morane whip aerial fitted under the port wing These aircraft called Leitjager or Fighter Formation Leaders could be tracked and directed from the ground via special R T equipment called Y Verfahren Y Control More frequent use of this equipment was made from the A 5 onwards 45 dd nbsp Captured Fw 190A 5 Werknummer 150 051 in U S Navy colors Fw 190 A 5 The A 5 was developed after it was determined that the Fw 190 could easily carry more ordnance The D 2 engine was moved forward another 15 cm 5 9 in as had been tried out earlier on the service test A 3 U1 aircraft moving the centre of gravity forward to allow more weight to be carried aft citation needed Fw 190 A 5 U2 The A 5 U2 was designed as a night Jabo Rei and featured anti reflective fittings and exhaust flame dampers A centre line ETC 501 rack typically held a 250 kg 550 lb bomb and wing mounted racks mounted 300 L 79 US gal drop tanks A EK16 gun camera as well as landing lights were fitted to the wing leading edge The U2 was armed with only two 20 mm MG 151 cannon citation needed Fw 190 A 5 U3 The A 5 U3 was a Jabo fighter fitted with ETC 501s for drop tanks and bombs it too featured only two MG 151s for armament Fw 190 A 5 U4 The A 5 U4 was a recon fighter with two RB 12 5 cameras and all armament of the basic A 5 with the exception of the MG FF cannon Fw 190 A 5 U8 The A 5 U8 was another Jabo Rei outfitted with SC 250 centreline mounted bombs under wing 300 litre drop tanks and only two MG 151s it later became the Fw 190 G 2 Fw 190 A 5 U9 Test installation of the A 7 modifications Fw 190 A 5 U12 A special U12 was created for bomber attack outfitted with the standard 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17 and 20 mm MG 151 but replacing the outer wing 20 mm MG FF cannon with two underwing gun pods containing two 20 mm MG 151 20 each for a total of two machine guns and six cannon citation needed Fw 190 A 5 U14 Was able to carry a torpedo Stkz TD SI White 871 Fw 190 A 5 R11 The A 5 R11 was a night fighter conversion fitted with FuG 217 Neptun Neptune radar equipment with arrays of three dipole antenna elements vertically mounted fore and aft of the cockpit and above and below the wings Flame dampening boxes were fitted over the exhaust exits A total of 1 752 A 5s were built from November 1942 to June 1943 46 dd nbsp Fw 180 A 6 at Immola Airfield Finland summer 1944 Fw 190 A 6 The A 6 was developed to address shortcomings found in previous A models when attacking U S heavy bombers A structurally redesigned and lighter wing was introduced and the normal armament was increased to two MG 17 fuselage machine guns and four 20 mm MG 151 20E wing root and outer wing cannon with larger ammunition boxes citation needed Fw 190 A 7 The A 7 entered production in November 1943 equipped with the BMW 801 D 2 engine again producing 1 700 PS 1 700 hp 1 300 kW and two fuselage mounted 13 mm 0 51 in MG 131s replacing the MG 17s 47 nbsp An Fw 190 A 8 R2 in American hands White 11 of 5 JG 4 was captured during Operation Bodenplatte after its engine had been damaged by American light flak Fw 190 A 8 The A 8 entered production in February 1944 powered either by the standard BMW 801 D 2 or the 801Q also known as 801TU The 801Q TU with the T signifying a Triebwerksanlage unitized powerplant installation was a standard 801D with improved thicker armour on the BMW designed front annular cowling which still incorporated the BMW designed oil cooler upgraded from 6 mm 0 24 in on earlier models to 10 mm 0 39 in Changes introduced in the Fw 190 A 8 also included the C3 injection Erhohte Notleistung emergency boost system to the fighter variant of the Fw 190 A a similar system with less power had been fitted to some earlier Jabo variants of the 190 A raising power to 1 980 PS 1 950 hp 1 460 kW for 10 minutes The 10 minute emergency power may be used up to three times per mission with a 10 minute cooldown in combat power between each 10 minute use of emergency power 48 nbsp Fw 190A 8 with the under wing WGr 21 rocket propelled mortar The weapon was developed from the 21 cm Nebelwerfer 42 infantry weapon Fw 190 A 8 R2 The A 8 R2 replaced the outer wing 20 mm cannon with a 30 mm 1 2 in MK 108 cannon Fw 190 A 8 R4 The A 8 R4 featured GM1 nitrous boost to the standard BMW 801 D Q engine GM1 nitrous oxide injection increased power for short amounts of time up to 10 minutes at a time A 20 minute supply was usually carried citation needed Fw 190 A 8 R8 The A 8 R8 was similar to the A 8 R2 but fitted with heavy armour including 30 mm 1 2 in canopy and windscreen armour and 5 mm 0 20 in cockpit armour 49 dd Fw 190 A 9 First built in September 1944 the Fw 190 A 9 was fitted with the new BMW 801S rated at 2 000 PS 1 973 hp 1 471 kW the more powerful 2 400 PS 2 400 hp 1 800 kW 801F 1 was still under development and not yet available 50 51 Fw 190 A 10 Late in the war the A 10 was fitted with larger wings for better maneuverability at higher altitudes which could have allowed additional 30 mm 1 2 in calibre long barreled MK 103 cannon to be fitted 52 A total of 13 291 Fw 190 A model aircraft were produced 53 A 6 A 7 and A 8 were modified for Sturmbocke bomber destroyer operations High altitude developments edit nbsp The Fw 190C V18 prototype with large ventral pouch fairing for the turbocharger installation and broader chord vertical fin rudder Tank started looking at ways to address the altitude performance problem early in the program In 1941 he proposed a number of versions featuring new powerplants and he suggested using turbochargers in place of superchargers citation needed Three such installations were outlined Fw 190 V12 an A 0 would be outfitted with many of the elements which eventually led to the B series Fw 190 V13 W Nr 0036 first C series prototype Fw 190 V15 W Nr 0036 second C series prototype Fw 190 V16 W Nr 0036 third C series prototype Fw 190 V18 W Nr 0036 fourth C series prototype Fw 190 B 0 With a turbocharged BMW 801 Fw 190 B 1 This aircraft was similar to the B 0 but had slightly different armament In its initial layout the B 1 was to be fitted with four 7 92 mm 0 312 in MG 17s and two 20 mm MG FFs One was fitted with two MG 17s two 20 mm MG 151s and two 20 mm MG FFs After the completion of W Nr 811 no further Fw 190 B models were ordered nbsp An early production Fw 190 D 9 at the Cottbus plant Note the early canopy and redesigned simplified centreline rack carrying a 300 L drop tank 54 V 12 Engine edit Fw 190 C With a turbocharged Daimler Benz DB 603 the tail of the aircraft had to be lengthened in order to maintain the desired centre of gravity Four additional prototypes based on the V18 U1 followed V29 V30 V32 and V33 Fw 190 D The Fw 190 D nicknamed Dora or Long Nose Dora Langnasen Dora was intended as the high altitude performance version of the A series Fw 190 D 0 The first D 0 prototype was completed in October 1942 with a supercharged Junkers Jumo 213 including a pressurized cockpit and other features making them more suitable for high altitude work 55 nbsp This captured Fw 190 D 9 appears to be a late production aircraft built by Fieseler at Kassel It has a late style canopy the horizontal black stripe with white outline shows that this was a II Gruppe aircraft Fw 190 D 1 Initial production Fw 190 D 2 Initial production Fw 190 D 9 The D 9 series was rarely used against heavy bomber raids as the circumstances of the war in late 1944 meant that fighter versus fighter combat and ground attack missions took priority 56 57 58 This model was the basis for the follow on Focke Wulf Ta 152 aircraft Fw 190 D 11 Fitted with the up rated Jumo 213F series engine similar to the Jumo 213E used in the Ta 152 H series but minus the intercooler Two 30 mm 1 2 in MK 108 cannons were installed in the outer wings to complement the 20 mm MG 151s in the inboard positions 59 nbsp Fw 190 D 13 R11 Champlin Fighter Museum Phoenix Arizona c 1995 Fw 190 D 12 Similar to the D 11 but featured the 30 mm 1 2 in MK 108 cannon in a Motorkanone installation firing through the propeller hub Fw 190 D 13 The D 13 would be fitted with a 20 mm MG 151 20 motor cannon citation needed Ground attack versions BMW 801 edit Fw 190 F The Fw 190F configuration was originally tested in a Fw 190 A 0 U4 starting in May 1942 fitted with centre line and wing mounted bomb racks Fw 190 F 1 Renamed A 4 U3s of which 18 were built Fw 190 F 2 Renamed A 5 U3s of which 270 were built according to Focke Wulf production logs and Ministry of Aviation acceptance reports citation needed Fw 190 F 3 Developed under the designation Fw 190 A 5 U17 which was outfitted with a centreline mounted ETC 501 bomb rack The Fw 190 F 3 R1 had two additional ETC 50 bomb racks under each wing The F 3 could carry a 66 Imp gal 300 liter drop tank A total of 432 Fw 190 F 3s were built 60 Fw 190 F 4 to F 7 designations used for projects nbsp Fw 190 F8 in 1944 nbsp The National Air amp Space Museum s restored Fw 190 F 8 in late war low visibility Balkenkreuz markings Fw 190 F 8 Based on the A 8 Fighter having a slightly modified injector on the compressor which allowed for increased performance at lower altitudes for several minutes Armament of the Fw 190 F 8 was two 20 mm MG 151 20 cannon in the wing roots and two 13 mm 0 51 in MG 131 machine guns above the engine It was outfitted with an ETC 501 Bomb rack as centerline mount and four ETC 50 bomb racks as underwing mounts citation needed Fw 190 F 8 U1 long range Jabo fitted with underwing V Mtt Schloss shackles to hold two of the Luftwaffe s standardized 300 L 79 US gal drop tanks ETC 503 bomb racks were also fitted allowing the Fw 190 F 8 U1 to carry one SC 250 bomb under each wing and one SC 250 bomb on the centreline Fw 190 F 8 U2 prototype torpedo bomber fitted with an ETC 503 bomb rack under each wing and a centre line mounted ETC 504 The U2 was also equipped with the TSA 2 A weapons sighting system that improved the U2 s ability to attack seaborne targets with a 700 kg 1 500 lb BT 700 60 Fw 190 F 8 U3 heavy torpedo bomber was outfitted with an ETC 502 which allowed it to carry one BT 1400 heavy torpedo 1 400 kg 3 100 lb Owing to the size of the torpedo the U3 s tail gear needed to be lengthened The U3 also was fitted with the 2 000 PS BMW 801S engine and the tail from the Ta 152 citation needed Fw 190 F 8 U4 created as a night bomber was equipped with flame dampers on the exhaust and various electrical systems such as the FuG 101 radio altimeter the PKS 12 automatic pilot and the TSA 2 A sighting system The U4 was fitted with only two MG 151 20 cannon as fixed armament Fw 190 F 8 R3 project with two underwing mounted 30mm MK 103 cannon dd Fw 190 F 9 based on the Fw 190 A 9 equipped with a new bulged canopy as fitted to late build F 8s and A 8s and four ETC 50 or ETC 70 bomb racks under the wings According to Ministry of Aviation acceptance reports 147 F 9s were built in January 1945 and perhaps several hundred more from February to May 1945 Data for these months is missing and probably lost citation needed nbsp Fw 190 G 1 showing the ETC 250 bomb rack carrying a 250 kg 550 lb bomb and the underwing 300 litre drop tanks on VTr Ju 87 mounts Fw 190 G The Fw 190 G was built as a long range attack aircraft Jagdbomber mit vergrosserter Reichweite abbreviated JaBo Rei Following the success of the Fw 190 F as a Schlachtflugzeug close support or strike aircraft both the Luftwaffe and Focke Wulf began investigating ways of extending the range of the Fw 190 F Approximately 1 300 Fw 190 Gs of all variants were new built citation needed Fw 190 G 1 The G 1 was renamed from A 4 U8 Jabo Rei s Initial testing found that if all but two wing root mounted 20 mm MG 151 cannons with reduced ammunition load were removed the Fw 190 G 1 as it was now called could carry a 250 kg 550 lb or 500 kg 1 100 lb bomb on the centreline and up to a 250 kg 550 lb bomb under each wing Fw 190 G 2 The G 2 was renamed from Fw 190 A 5 U8 aircraft similar to the G 1 the underwing drop tank racks were replaced with the much simpler V Mtt Schloss fittings to allow for a number of underwing configurations Fw 190 G 3 The G 3 was based on A 6 with all but the two wing root mounted MG 151 cannons removed The new V Fw Trg bombracks however allowed the G 3 to simultaneously carry fuel tanks and bomb loadsFw 190 G 3 R1 The G 3 R1 replaced the V Fw Trg racks with a pair of Waffen Behalter WB 151 20 conformal cannon pods each mounting a pair of Mauser MG 151 20 autocannon giving the G 3 R1 with its existing pair of wing root mounted synchronized MG 151 20 autocannon a total of six such ordnance pieces 61 Fw 190 G 3 R5 The G 3 R5 was similar to the R1 but the V Fw Trg racks were removed and two ETC 50 racks per wing were added dd Fw 190 G 8 The G 8 was based on the Fw 190 A 8 using the same bubble canopy as the F 8 and fitted with underwing ETC 503 racks that could carry either bombs or drop tanks Fw 190 G 8 R4 The G 8 R4 kit was a planned refit for the GM 1 engine boost system but never made it into production Fw 190 G 8 R5 The G 8 R5 kit replaced the ETC 503 racks with two ETC 50 or 71 racks dd Trainer versions edit nbsp An Fw 190 A 5 U1 the only surviving two seat aircraft now part of the RAF Museum s collection 1971 photograph 62 Fw 190 A 5 U1 Several old Fw 190 A 5s were converted by replacing the MW 50 tank with a second cockpit The canopy was modified replaced with a new three section unit that opened to the side The rear portion of the fuselage was closed off with sheet metal citation needed Fw 190 A 8 U1 A similar conversion to the A 5 U1 Fw 190 S 5 A 5 U1 trainers re designated Fw 190 S 8 A 8 U1 trainers re designated An estimated 58 Fw 190 S 5 and S 8 models were converted or built 63 Combat history editThis section needs expansion with summary of the operational history from Focke Wulf Fw 190 operational history You can help by adding to it February 2021 Main article Focke Wulf Fw 190 operational history The Fw 190 participated on every major combat front where the Luftwaffe operated after 1941 and did so with success in a variety of roles The Fw 190 first tasted combat on the Western Front in August 1941 where it proved superior to the Mk V Spitfire The Spitfire s main advantage over the Fw 190 and the Bf 109 as well was its superior turn radius Beyond that the Fw 190 outperformed the Spitfire Mk V in most areas such as roll rate speed acceleration and dive performance 64 The addition of the Fw 190 to the Jagdwaffe allowed the Germans to fight off RAF attacks and achieve local air superiority over German skies until the summer of 1942 when the improved Spitfire Mk IX was introduced 65 In June 1942 Oberleutnant Armin Faber of JG 2 landed his Fw 190 A 3 at a British airfield allowing the RAF to test the Mk IX against the 190 and learn tactics to counter it Production editA 0 40 km2 99 acre Focke Wulf plant east of Marienburg was bombed by the Eighth Air Force on 9 October 1944 66 In addition one of the most important sub contractors for the radial engined Fw 190s was AGO Flugzeugwerke which from 1941 through to the end of the war produced enough Fw 190s to earn it major attention from the USAAF with the AGO plant in Oschersleben being attacked at least five times during the war from 1943 onwards citation needed Production 67 Variant Number Production dates Fw 190 A 1 102 1941 June 1941 October Fw 190 A 2 A 3 909 1941 October 1943 August Fw 190 A 4 975 1942 June 1943 August Fw 190 A 5 1 752 1942 November 1943 August Fw 190 A 6 1 052 1943 May 1944 March Fw 190 A 7 701 1943 November 1944 March Fw 190 A 8 6 655 1944 February 1945 February Fw 190 A 9 930 1944 September 1945 February Total including prototypes and pre production aircraft 13 291 Fw 190 F 1 F 2 A 4 18 amp 271 1942 May 1943 May Fw 190 F 3 A 5 432 1943 May 1944 April Fw 190 F 8 A 8 6 143 1944 March 1945 February Fw 190 F 9 A 9 415 1944 September 1945 February Total 7 279 Fw 190 G 1 A 4 183 1942 August 1942 November Fw 190 G 2 A 5 235 1942 July 1943 May Fw 190 G 3 A 6 214 1943 June 1943 December Fw 190 G 8 A 8 689 1943 August 1944 February Total approx 1 300 Fw 190 D 9 1 805 1944 August 1945 April e Fw 190 D 11 20 1945 February 1945 March Fw 190 D 13 1 1945 April 1945 April Total 1 826 Fw 190 S 5 converted from A 5 or built c 20 1944 late Fw 190 S 8 converted from A 8 or built c 38 1944 late Total 58 Ta 152 V H 0 44 1944 December 1945 January Ta 152 H 1 25 1945 January 1945 April Total 69 Total all variants 23 823 Surviving aircraft and modern replicas editMain article List of surviving Focke Wulf Fw 190s Some 28 original Fw 190s are in museums or in the hands of private collectors around the world citation needed In 1997 a German company Flug Werk GmbH began manufacturing new Fw 190 models as reproductions By 2012 20 had been produced most flyable a few as static display models with airworthy examples usually powered by Chinese manufactured Shvetsov ASh 82 twin row 14 cylinder radial powerplants 68 which have a displacement of 41 2 litres close to the BMW 801 s 41 8 litres with the same engine cylinder arrangement and number of cylinders citation needed nbsp The Flying Heritage amp Combat Armor Museum s airworthy Fw 190A 5 WkNr 151 227 on indoor display between flights The nearly intact wreck of an Fw 190 A 5 U3 Werknummer 151 227 that had crashed in a marsh in a forest near Leningrad Soviet Union 1943 was located in 1989 69 After restoration in the US the Fw 190 flew again with the original BMW 801 powerplant on 1 December 2010 70 Following the successful test flight the aircraft was then trucked up to the Flying Heritage amp Combat Armor Museum in Everett Washington where it was reassembled in April 2011 and returned to airworthy condition 71 better source needed At least five surviving Fw 190A radial engined aircraft are known to have been assigned to the Luftwaffe s JG 5 wing in Herdla Norway More German fighter aircraft on display in museums in the 21st century have originated from this unit than from any other Axis Powers military aviation unit of World War II citation needed The Turkish Air Force retired all of its Fw 190A 3 fleet at the end of 1947 mostly because of a lack of spare parts It is rumored that American Turkish bilateral agreements required retiring and scrapping of all German origin aircraft although that requirement did not exist for any other country According to the Hurriyet Daily News all of the retired Fw 190s were saved from scrapping by wrapping them with protective cloths and burying them in the soil near the Aviation Supply and Maintenance Center at Kayseri All attempts to locate and recover the aircraft have been unsuccessful which suggests the story is probably a hoax or myth 72 Operators editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed January 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message nbsp A Royal Hungarian Air Force Fw 190F 8 on the Eastern Front in 1944 nbsp A captured Focke Wulf Fw 190A 3 at the Royal Aircraft Establishment nbsp Captured Fw 190A 5 WkNr 150 051 in U S Navy tri color scheme nbsp Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Air Force Postwar nbsp France French Air Force 70 aircraft of the Fw 190 A 5 A 6 model were reassembled at a forward repair shop the Germans had hastily abandoned using the SNCAC NC 900 designation The aircraft were used operationally for a short period and withdrawn due to problems with the BMW 801 engine citation needed French Navy Postwar nbsp Nazi Germany Luftwaffe nbsp Hungary Royal Hungarian Air Force received a total of 72 Fw 190F 8s starting in November 1944 They were operated by the 102 vadaszbombazo szazad later 102 csatarepulo osztaly 102nd Fighter Bomber Squadron later Wing engaging in close support missions on the Eastern Front in 1944 45 73 The planes were nicknamed Foka Seal a wordplay on the German name Focke 74 nbsp Japan The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service received one Fw 190A 5 for evaluation purposes 75 nbsp Spanish State Spanish Air Force The Spanish Air Force operated Fw 190A 2 3 4 among Fw 190 A 8 and Gs with volunteers of Escuadrilla Azul 15ª Spanische Staffel JG 51 Molders VIII Fliegerkorps belonged in LuftFlotte 4 on the Eastern Front from Orel during September 1942 to Bobruisk during July 1943 and Defense of the Reich over Germany nbsp Romania Royal Romanian Air Force Following the 23 August 1944 coup by King Michael which resulted in Romania leaving the Axis powers Romania captured 22 Luftwaffe Fw 190 As and Fs 76 77 They were not used operationally 78 Nine serviceable Fw 190s were later confiscated by the Soviet Union 79 nbsp Soviet Union Soviet Air Force A number of captured aircraft were trialled by the NII VVS including Fw 190 A 4 A 5 and A 8 models as well as the long nose D 9 80 Soviet Naval Aviation The Baltic Fleet Air Arm operated a number of Fw 190 D 9 models that were captured in East Prussia including couple of Focke Wulf Fw 190 D 9s captured intact by the 2 Guards IAP of 322 IAD at a Focke Wulf facility near Marienburg Various photos exist of these machines in Marienburg in the summer of 1945 but little is known of their use 81 nbsp Turkey Turkish Air Force Beginning in mid 1942 received 72 examples of the Fw 190 A 3a export model of A 3 the a stood for auslandisch foreign from Germany to modernize their air force These aircraft were basically Fw 190 A 3s with BMW 801 D 2 engines and FuG VIIa radios and an armament fit of four MG 17s with the option of installing two MG FF M cannon in the outer wing positions The export order was completed between October 1942 and March 1943 The Fw 190 remained in Turkish service until late 1947 when they were retired due to a lack of spare parts citation needed nbsp United Kingdom Royal Air Force No 1426 Enemy Aircraft Flight RAF evaluated at least one captured Fw 190A 3 nbsp United States United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy A small number of captured Fw 190As fell into American hands in Europe and North Africa with one captured A 5 model WkNr 150 051 being flown for a time at the Patuxent Naval Air Test Center by the U S Navy during the war years nbsp Yugoslavia SFR Yugoslav Air Force Postwar one aircraft Specifications Fw 190 A 8 edit nbsp Fw 190A 8 three view drawing nbsp An Fw 190 A 8 W Nr 733682 at the Imperial War Museum showing faired over gun ports and a belly mounted ETC 501 bomb rack This Fw 190 was used as the upper component for a Mistel flying bomb Data from Fw 190 A8 82 83 citation needed General characteristicsCrew One Length 8 95 m 29 ft 4 in Wingspan 10 506 m 34 ft 6 in Height 3 15 m 10 ft 4 in Wing area 18 3 m2 197 sq ft Airfoil root NACA 23015 3 tip NACA 23009 25 Empty weight 3 200 kg 7 055 lb Gross weight 4 417 kg 9 738 lb Max takeoff weight 4 900 kg 10 803 lb Fuel capacity 639 L 141 imp gal 169 US gal Powerplant 1 BMW 801D 2 14 cylinder air cooled radial piston engine 1 700 PS 1 677 hp 1 250 kW f Propellers 3 bladed constant speed propeller Performance Maximum speed 652 km h 405 mph 352 kn at 5 920 m 19 420 ft Range 900 1 000 km 560 620 mi 490 540 nmi Combat range 400 500 km 250 310 mi 220 270 nmi Ferry range 900 1 000 km 560 620 mi 490 540 nmi 1800 2000 km with droptank Service ceiling 10 350 m 33 960 ft Rate of climb 15 m s 3 000 ft min Wing loading 241 kg m2 49 lb sq ft Power mass 0 28 0 33 kW kg 0 17 0 20 hp lb No full emergency power Armament Guns 2 13 mm 0 51 in synchronized MG 131 machine guns 2 20 mm 0 79 in MG 151 20 E cannons synchronized in the wing roots 2 20 mm 0 79 in MG 151 20 E cannons in mid wing mounts Bombs 1 bomb under fuselage or four bombs under wings See also editRelated development Focke Wulf Ta 152 Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Bloch MB 155 Curtiss XP 42 Grumman F6F Hellcat Hawker Typhoon Kawanishi N1K Kawasaki Ki 60 Lavochkin La 5 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 1 Mitsubishi J2M Nakajima Ki 44 Nakajima Ki 84 North American P 51 Mustang Republic P 47 Thunderbolt Supermarine Spitfire Vought F4U Corsair Yakovlev Yak 3U Yakovlev Yak 9 Related lists List of fighter aircraft List of aircraft of World War II List of most produced aircraftReferences editNotes edit This A 3 was landed by mistake by Oblt Armin Faber at RAF Pembrey on June 23 1942 becoming the first Fw 190 to be captured and tested by the RAF 1 The Fw 190 has to be regarded as one of the best single seat fighters of the war Its combat performance adaptability to a variety of operational scenarios and ease of handling and maintenance made it a true fighter earning it the nickname Wurger Butcher Bird 4 On all versions of the Fw 190A a wire cable was attached to the middle trunnion of the right main landing gear strut this leading to the tailwheel When the main landing gear was retracted this cable raised the air oil tailwheel leg 19 Pushrods had been used for the ailerons and elevator surfaces of the all metal German Junkers D I low winged monoplane fighter which flew near the end of World War I First entered service in 1944 Early September citation needed up to 1 980 PS 1 953 hp 1 456 kW at 1 65 ata for up to 10 minutes of emergency power 84 48 full citation needed Citations edit Ramsey 1990 p 147 Munson 1978 p 56 Angelucci 1988 p 50 Nijboer 2016 p 108 Andrews amp Morgan 1987 p 225 Delve 2007 p 80 Focke Wulf Ta 152 Air amp space Smithsonian Archived from the original on 27 December 2019 Retrieved 27 December 2019 Nazi Germany s Focke Wulf FW 190 The Best Fighter Aircraft of World War II National Interest 11 August 2017 Shacklady 2005 p 25 a b Smith amp Creek 2014 pp 33 34 a b Green amp Swanborough 1976 p 13 Price 2009 p 3 Price 2009 p 1 Hansen 1998 Price 2000 p 6 a b Sheffield 1942 p 170 a b Caygill 2002 p 6 フォッケウルフ190の尾輪 www5a biglobe ne jp Sengfelder 1993 pp 99 102 Miyama T 傑作機 Fw190の尾輪です biglobe in Japanese ne Retrieved 31 January 2014 Wagner amp Nowarra 1971 p 237 a b Spenser 1989 p 12 Price 2009 pp 3 4 Stephenson amp E Brown Ryle III 2003 a b Lednicer Weal 1996 p 36 Weal 1996 p 38 a b Caldwell amp Muller 2007 p 104 Weal 1996 pp 38 39 Weal 1996 p 78 Forsyth 2011 pp 58 59 Forsyth 2011 p 59 Forsyth 2011 p 73 Weal 1996 p 55 Weal 1996 p 77 Shacklady 2005 p 30 a b c Page 2002 p 579 Spenser 1989 p 56 a b Smith amp Kay 1972 p 175 Page 2002 p 581 a b Page 2002 p 583 Page 2002 pp 582 583 Page 2002 pp 583 584 a b c d e Page 2002 p 284 Page 2002 p 587 Janowicz amp Prusza 2003 pp 34 38 Janowicz amp Prusza 2003 pp 40 41 a b Leistungssteigerung bei der Fw 190 mit 801 D durch motorseitige Massnahmen PDF Retrieved 29 June 2022 Janowicz amp Prusza 2003 pp 41 43 Page 2002 p 593 Janowicz amp Prusza 2003 pp 43 45 Joineau amp Breffort 2007 p 25 Janowicz amp Prusza 2003 pp 66 67 Arthy 2010 Focke Wulf Fw 190D Archived 2009 01 06 at the Wayback Machine csd uwo ca Retrieved August 23 2010 Rodeike 1998 p 381 Caldwell amp Muller 2007 p 89 Caldwell 1998 p 421 Forsyth 1996 pp 200 204 205 a b Mondey 2006 p 72 Royal Museum of the Armed Forces in Brussels Belgium photo of surviving German WB 151 20 conformal gunpod landmarkscout com Archived from the original on 22 August 2017 Retrieved 26 April 2018 Unique two seat Fw 190 leaves RAF Museum key aero 27 October 2023 Retrieved 7 March 2024 Janowicz amp Prusza 2003 pp 55 56 Rickard 2019 Rickard 2007 Gurney 1962 p 219 Focke Wulf FW 190 Vol 1 Vol 4 Monografie 01 Monografie 06 by Krzysztof Janowicz Die FW 190 aus dem Flugwerk in German Archived 2016 04 02 at the Wayback Machine flugwerk de Retrieved 9 September 2012 Martt 2011 Cohen amp 16 March 2011 Cohen amp 21 April 2011 Over 50 missing warplanes found buried in central Turkey Report Hurriyet Daily News 14 October 2016 Archived from the original on 26 April 2018 Retrieved 26 April 2018 Bonhardt Sarhidai amp Winkler 1992 p 358 Tibor 1989 p page needed Caygill 2002 p 34 Bernad 1999 p 45 Axworthy Scafes amp Craciunoiu 1995 p 279 Bernad 1999 p 29 Axworthy Scafes amp Craciunoiu 1995 p 320 Gordon and Komissarov 2008 p 91 Gordon and Komissarov 2008 p 100 Focke Wulf FW 190A 8 aeroweb brooklyn cuny edu Archived from the original on 10 February 2006 Retrieved 13 October 2019 Nowarra 1993 pp 72 94 264 265 WWII Aircraft image Bibliography edit Andrews C F Morgan E B 1987 Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 2nd ed London Putnam ISBN 978 0 85177 800 6 Angelucci Enzo 1988 Combat aircraft of World War II Orion Books ISBN 978 0 517 64179 8 Arthy Andrew 24 December 2010 Fw 190 W Nr list hobbyvista com Archived from the original on 5 July 2008 Retrieved 23 August 2010 Axworthy Mark Scafes Cornel Craciunoiu Cristian 1995 Third Axis Fourth Ally Romanian Armed Forces in the European War 1941 1945 London Arms amp Armour Press ISBN 978 1 85409 267 0 Bernad Denes 1999 Rumanian Air Force The Prime Decade 1938 1947 Carrollton Texas Squadron Signal Publications Inc ISBN 978 0 89747 402 3 Bonhardt Attila Sarhidai Gyula Winkler Laszlo 1992 A Magyar Kiralyi Honvedseg Fegyverzete The Royal Hungarian Army Weapons in Hungarian Kecskemet Hungary Zrinyi Kiado ISBN 963 327 182 7 Caldwell Donald L 1998 The JG 26 War Diary Volume Two 1943 1945 London Grub Street ISBN 978 1 898697 86 2 Caldwell Donald L Muller Richard R 2007 The Luftwaffe over Germany Defense of the Reich London UK Greenhill Books ISBN 978 1 85367 712 0 Caygill Peter 2002 Combat Legend Focke wulf Fw 190 Ramsbury UK Airlife Publishing Limited ISBN 978 1 84037 366 0 Cohen Aubrey 16 March 2011 Restored German WWII fighter set to fly Saturday Hearst Seattle Media LLC Archived from the original on 27 November 2012 Retrieved 25 November 2012 Cohen Aubrey 21 April 2011 Unique WWII German fighter reassembled in Everett seattlepi com Archived from the original on 31 October 2012 Retrieved 31 October 2012 Delve Ken 2007 The Story of the Spitfire An Operational and Combat History London Greenhill books ISBN 978 1 85367 725 0 Focke Wulf Flugzeugbau GmbH Fw 190 D 9 Flugzeug Handbuch Teil 8A Schusswaffenlage Rechlin Germany Erprobungsstelle der Luftwaffe Rechlin November 1944 Focke Wulf Flugzeugbau GmbH Fw 190 D 9 Flugzeug Handbuch Teil 8C Sonderwaffenlage Berlin Der Chef der Technischen Luftrustung January 1945 Forsyth Robert 1996 JV 44 the Galland circus Burgess Hill UK Classic Publications ISBN 978 0 9526867 0 5 Forsyth Robert 2011 Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942 45 Oxford UK Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84908 438 3 Green William Swanborough Gordon 1976 The Focke Wulf 190 Fw 190 Newton Abbot UK David amp Charles ISBN 978 0 7153 7084 1 Gurney Gene 1962 The War in the Air A Pictorial History of World War II Air Forces in Combat New York Bonanza Books OCLC 852530729 Hansen James 1998 Engineering Science and the Development of the NACA Low Drag Engine Cowling Chapter 1 The NACA and NASA Collier Trophy NASA Archived from the original on 31 October 2004 Janowicz Krzysztof Prusza Lukasz 2003 Focke Wulf Fw 190 Vol 1 Sandomierz Lublin Oficyna Wydawnicza Kagero ISBN 978 8 38 908811 6 Joineau Andre Breffort Dominique 2007 P 51 Mustang From 1943 to 1945 Paris Histoire amp Collections ISBN 978 2 91 390381 4 Lawrence Joseph 1945 The Observer s Book Of Airplanes London and New York Frederick Warne amp Co Lednicer David The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage m selig ae illinois edu Retrieved 16 April 2019 Martt 13 January 2011 A Real Focke Wulf Fw 190 is In the Air Airpigz com blog Archived from the original on 1 December 2016 Retrieved 31 October 2012 Mondey David 2006 The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II London Bounty Books ISBN 978 0 7537 1460 7 Munson Kenneth 1978 German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour Poole Dorsett UK Blandford Press ISBN 0 7137 0860 3 Nijboer Donald 2016 Fighting Cockpits Zenith Press ISBN 978 0 7603 4956 4 Nowarra Heinz J 1993 Die Deutsche Luftrustung 1933 1945 Vol 2 Flugzeugtypen Erla Heinkel in German Koblenz Bernard amp Graefe Verlag ISBN 978 3 76 375464 9 Page Neil November 2002 Focke Wulf 190 Part One the Fw 190A series fighter variants Scale Aircraft Modelling Vol 24 no 9 Berkhamsted Hertfordshire Alan W Hall ISSN 0956 1420 Price Alfred 2009 Focke Wulf Fw 190 in Combat London Sutton Publishing ISBN 978 0 7524 5207 4 Ramsey Winston 1990 The Blitz Then and Now Volume 3 May 1941 May 1945 After the Battle First Editions edition London Battle of Britain Prints International Ltd ISBN 978 0 900913 58 7 Rodeike Peter 1998 Focke Wulf Jagdflugzeug Fw 190 A Fw 190 Dora Ta 152 H in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 44 1 Rickard J 12 March 2007 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX www historyofwar org Rickard J 10 June 2019 Focke Wulf Fw 190 Design and Prototypes www historyofwar org Sengfelder Gunther 1993 German Aircraft Landing Gear Atglen Pennsylvania Schiffer Publishing ISBN 978 0 88740 470 2 Shacklady Edward 2005 Butcher Bird Focke Wulf Fw 190 Bristol UK Cerberus Publishing Ltd ISBN 978 1 84145 103 9 Sheffield F C 13 August 1942 The B M W 801A Details of Germany s Latest Twin Row Radial Power Plant Low drag Cowling amp Oil Coolers Flight Archived from the original on 26 April 2014 Retrieved 25 April 2014 via Flightglobal Archive Smith J Richard Kay Anthony L 1972 German Aircraft of the Second World War London Putnam amp Company Ltd ISBN 978 0 370 00024 4 Smith J Richard Creek Eddie J 2014 Focke Wulf Fw 190 Volume One 1938 1943 2nd ed Hersham Surrey UK Ian Allan Publishing ISBN 978 1 906537 29 6 Spenser Jay P 1989 Focke Wulf Fw 190 Workhorse of the Luftwaffe Washington D C Smithsonian ISBN 978 0 87474 885 7 Stephenson Robert E Brown Ryle III 19 June 2003 Fw 190 Undercarriage HyperScale An Online Magazine for Aircraft and Armour Modellers Archived from the original on 27 February 2008 Retrieved 14 February 2008 Tibor Tobak 1989 Pumak foldon egen Egy vadaszrepulo kalandjai in Hungarian Budapest Hatter ISBN 978 9 63 740335 4 OCLC 908868282 United States Air Force Museum Guidebook Wright Patterson AFB OH Air Force Museum Foundation 1975 Wagner Ray Nowarra Heinz 1971 German Combat Planes A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945 New York Doubleday OCLC 918039674 Weal John 1996 Focke Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Western Front Oxford UK Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 85532 595 1 Further reading editBowman Martin W P 51 Mustang vs Fw 190 Europe 1943 45 Oxford UK Osprey Publishing 2007 ISBN 1 84603 189 3 A Butcher Bird s Tale the Story of the Focke Wulf 190 DVD Retrieved 3 April 2008 Caldwell Donald L JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe New York Ivy Books 1991 ISBN 0 8041 1050 6 Crandall Jerry Yellow 10 The Story of the Ultra rare Fw 190 D 13 Hamilton Montana Eagle Edition Ltd 2000 ISBN 0 9660706 3 1 Couderchon Philippe amp Bouvier Belleville Rene 2018 Du FW 190 au NC 900 usines souterraines et blindees en France From FW 190 to NC 900 Subterranean and Fortified Factory in France in French Le Vigen France Editions Lela presse ISBN 978 2 37468 010 1 Donald David ed Warplanes of the Luftwaffe London Aerospace Publishing 1994 ISBN 1 874023 56 5 Esperou Robert April 2001 Novembre 1945 Les dernieres victimes d un Focke Wulf 190 francais November 1945 The Last Victims of a Focke Wulf 190 Were French Avions Toute l Aeronautique et son histoire in French No 97 pp 24 27 ISSN 1243 8650 Griehl Manfred Focke Wulf Fw 190 Varianten Flugzeug Profile 45 Stengelheim Germany UNITEC Medienvertrieb E K 2008 OCLC 230135362 ASIN B006VFEHPC Jackiewicz Jacek and Robert Bock Captured Butcherbirds Vol 1 Warsaw Poland Ajaks 2009 ISBN 978 83 924914 2 2 Jackson Robert Aircraft of World War II Development Weaponry Specifications Edison New Jersey Chartwell Books 2003 ISBN 0 7858 1696 8 Jessen Morten Focke Wulf 190 The Birth of the Butcher Bird 1939 1943 London Greenhill Books 1998 ISBN 1 85367 328 5 Kosin Ruediger The German Fighter Since 1915 translation of Die Entwicklung der deutschen Jagdflugzeuge London Putnam 1988 ISBN 0 85177 822 4 Lednicer David A Technical Note A CFD Evaluation of Three Prominent World War II Fighter Aircraft Aeronautical Journal Royal Aeronautical Society June July 1995 Lednicer David A World War II Fighter Aerodynamics EAA Sport Aviation January 1999 Lorant Jean Yves and Richard Goyat JG 300 two volumes translated by Neil Page Hamilton Montana Eagle Editions 2006 Vol 1 ISBN 0 9761034 0 0 Vol 2 ISBN 0 9761034 2 7 Lowe Malcolm Focke Wulf Fw 190 Production Line to Front Line 5 London Osprey 2003 ISBN 1 84176 438 8 Matricardi Paolo Aerei Militari Caccia e Ricognitori in Italian Milano Mondadori Electa 2006 No ISBN Manrho John and Ron Putz Bodenplatte The Luftwaffe s Last Hope The Attack on Allied Airfields New Year s Day 1945 Ottringham UK Hikoki Publications 2004 ISBN 1 902109 40 6 Nowarra Heinz J The Focke Wulf Fw 190 Fighters Bombers Ground Attack Aircraft West Chester Pennsylvania Schiffer Publications 1991 ISBN 0 88740 354 9 Page Neil The Sturmgruppen Bomber Destroyers 1944 Scale Aircraft Modelling March 2001 Ryle E Brown and Malcolm Laing Walk Around Number 22 Focke Wulf Fw 190A F Carrollton Texas Squadron Signal Publications 1997 ISBN 0 89747 374 4 Spick Mike Allied Fighter Aces of World War II London Greenhill Books 1997 ISBN 1 85367 282 3 Thompson J Steve with Peter C Smith Air Combat Manoeuvres Hersham Surrey UK Ian Allan 2008 ISBN 978 1 903223 98 7 Urbanke Axel Green Hearats First In Combat With The Dora 9 Hamilton Montanna Usa Eagle Editions 1998 ISBN 0 9660706 1 5 Weal John Focke Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front Aircraft of the Aces No 6 Oxford UK Osprey 1998 ISBN 1 85532 518 7 Weber Eberhard Dietrich and Eric Brown Dora 9 and the Tank Fighters Air Enthusiast Quarterly No 1 n d pp 97 112 ISSN 0143 5450 Winchester Jim Focke Wulf Fw 190 Aircraft of World War II London Grange Books 2004 ISBN 1 84013 639 1 External links editUS evaluation of captured Fw 190 A 4 PDF file The Flying Heritage Collection s Fw 190A fires up its BMW 801 engine The Flying Heritage Collection s Fw 190D fires up its Jumo 213 engine Modeller s Guide to Focke Wulf Fw 190 Variants Radial Engine Versions Part I Archived 13 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine Modeller s Guide to Focke Wulf Fw 190 Variants Radial Engine Versions Part II Archived 27 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine Portal nbsp AviationFocke Wulf Fw 190 at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Media from Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Focke Wulf Fw 190 amp oldid 1223736394, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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