THE 456th FIGHTER INTERCEPTOR SQUADRON

THE PROTECTORS OF  S. A. C.

 

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Focke-Wulf Fw 190 "Würger "

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The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was widely regarded as Germany's best fighter. It was more than a match for the contemporary Spitfires. Shown above is the FW-190 of I./JG 51 Verner Molder, Russia 1943.

 

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The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was widely regarded as Germany's best fighter. It was more than a match for the contemporary Spitfires. Shown above is the FW-190 of Ost. Maj. Hermann Graf, France 1943.

In June 1942, a Luftwaffe deserter fortuitously presented the Allies with his Fw 190A fighter intact, the detailed examination of this remarkable product of the Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau profoundly influenced fighter thinking in Britain. It directly result in the issue of specification F.2/43 to which was designed the Hawker Fury, embodying numerous features directly copied from the Fw 190A, and F.19/43 which produced the Folland Fo.118 fighter project, also owing much to the design of the Fw 190A. What higher tribute could have been paid to what was undoubtedly the finest warplane to which Germany gave birth.

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Ranks with the Supermarine Spitfire, Vought F4U Corsair and North American P-51 Mustang as one of the best fighters of World War II. The Focke-Wulf 190 was the work of a team of German designers headed by the famous Kurt Tank. It was evolved basically as a successor to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, although the official view was that it would never be capable of matching the operational prowess of the Bf 109. How wrong this proved!

Chief company designer Kurt Tank's Wurger (Butcher Bird) was Germanys most potent piston-powered World War II fighter When the Fw 190A entered combat in the summer of 1941. It immediately outclassed the Spitfire V, which appeared sluggish and outdated by comparison. From that time on, in spite of some severe problems with the BMW 801 engine, the 190 kept even or ahead of Allied fighters through successive versions.

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The Fw 190 was armed to the teeth. Four 20 mm cannon plus two machine guns. Later versions could carry a 30 mm cannon firing through the propeller boss. Early Fw 190s, powered by an air-cooled BMW radial, were Germany's first radial-engined monoplane fighters. Shown above is the FW-190 of I./JG 54 Feldwebel Karl Schnorrer.

The BMW 801 engine tended to overheat, but this fault was rectified by improvements to the cooling fan and, in general, the Fw 190A was highly praised by the test pilots. They particularly favored the wide-track undercarriage which tremendously improved ground stability as compared with the Bf 109. One of the unusual features of the fighter commented on by test pilots was the fact that, at high altitude and high speed, the BMW 801 engine produced a pair of contrails which started immediately behind the exhaust exits and completely hid the wings.

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The FW-190 of II./JG 1 Maj. Heinz Bar.

The FW-190 of 9./JG 2 Haupt. Siegfried Schnell, Vannes 1943.

The Fw 190 prototype first flew on June 1,1939 and production deliveries began in late 1940. Within a year, Fw l90s were making low-level sweeps over southern England in daylight, against which the Spitfire Vs, then in service, achieved little success. The situation did not improve until the Royal Air Force received more powerful Spitfire IXs, in partnership with four-cannon Typhoons.

In the autumn of 1937 the Reichluftministerium placed an order with the Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau for the design development of a new single-seat fighter to supplement the Messerschmitt Bf 109. A second "iron in the fire" as RLM officials referred to the order at the time. The contract was placed with Focke-Wulf primarily because this company was not extensively committed to the development of other combat aircraft and possessed a highly qualified design team headed by Dipl.Ing.Kurt Tank. Tank's design team prepared two proposals; one based upon the use of the Daimler-Benz DB601 liquid-cooled engine and the other upon the use of the BMW 801 air-cooled radial engine. At that time the radial engine was not favored as a fighter power plant owing to its drag and the restrictions that its bulk placed upon forward view during taking-off and landing, and, in consequence, General Ernst Udet's decision to proceed with the development of the radial-engined fighter came as a profound surprise to Tank and his colleagues.

The BMW 801 was a considerably heavier engine than its predecessor, although the overall dimensions differed little, and necessitated a stiffer engine mount and extensive structural strengthening. The re-design involved gave Blaser an opportunity to rectify one of the few faults that had manifested themselves in the first prototype. Test pilots had objected to proximity of the engine to the cockpit which resulted in extremely high cabin temperatures, sometimes reaching 55øC. (131øF.), which, as Sander said, felt as though he had his "feet in the fireplace." In addition, exhaust gases found their way into the cockpit and necessitated the continuous use of an oxygen mask. Therefore in the next prototypes the cockpit was relocated further aft, a move also suggested by the c.g. problems presented by the heavier engine.

Most of the Fw 190A-0s were sent to Rechlin Roggenthin for pre-service tests. During intensive flight testing it was discovered that the engine cowlings frequently flew off at high speeds, and internally stressed cowlings with stronger locks were requested. Some re-stressing was also proved necessary, and it was found that above 250 mph the cockpit canopy could not be released in an emergency. The latter problem was solved by fitting two standard 20 mm cartridges which blew the rear end of the canopy backward far enough to let the slipstream get under it and pull it away. Pilots also complained that there was a serious risk of hitting the tail assembly when baling out and requested the fitting of some form of ejector seat which would throw them clear. However, in view of the serious weight penalty imposed by an ejector seat, the engineers refused to install this equipment, resulting in a serious disagreement between the test pilots and the manufacturers.

The Focke-Wulf was not only faster but its superior handling and faster roll rate gave it an edge in the hands of even less experienced pilots. Such sparkling performance combined with the 190's superior armament presented Allied pilots with a real challenge until German pilot training began to drop in quality. The standard Fw 190A was quickly modified to perform a number of roles, particularly that of fighter-bomber in the F and G versions. These deleted the outer 20 mm cannon in favor of various combinations of bomb racks or cannon pods for the MK 103 30 mm cannon. Later versions of the FW 190A featured up to six 20 mm cannon (FW 190A6R1); the A-6/R-6 had two 210 mm (8.27 in) unguided rockets with which to attack US heavy bombers. The wide track landing gear assured ease of handling on takeoff and landing, unlike the twitchy Messerschmitt 109. The 190 was also one of the first fighters to feature a clear rear canopy, allowing pilots to keep an excellent lookout for enemy fighters.

Meanwhile, the Fw 190 was also proving a good fighter-bomber, carrying a reasonable bomb load or, in some cases, rocket projectiles. The new war started by Hitler on the Eastern Front resulted in most of the new production Fw 190s being thrown into the fighting against the Russians. Others were needed equally urgently by Rommel in North Africa, to combat the Western Desert Air Force and Allied ground forces who, by the latter part of 1942, were pressing hard at Alamein.

The long-nosed Fw 190D was also developed into the Ta 152 after its designer, Kurt Tank-in which the installation of a 2,300 hp (with boost) DB 603 engine pushed the speed up to 745km/h (463 mph). Had the Ta 152H been built in enough numbers and been flown by expert pilots it could have taken its place alongside the Me 262 as a near unbeatable air superiority fighter and bomber killer.

 

Specifications:
Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8
Dimensions:
Wing span: 34 ft 5.5 in (10.49 m)
Length: 29 ft (8.84 m)
Height: 13 ft (3.96 m)
Weight:
Empty: 7,055 lbs (3,200 kgs)
Operational: 10,800 lbs (4,900 kgs)
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 408 mph (653 km/h)
Service ceiling: 37,400 ft (11,410 m)
Range: 560 miles (900 km)
Powerplant:
BMW 801D 1,700 hp 14-cylinder radial engine.
Armament:
Two 13 mm machine-guns plus four 20 mm cannon or
two 20 mm and two 30 mm cannons.

As RAF and USAAF bombing raids got heavier and heavier in Europe, new tactics were employed by some German fighter units flying Fw 190s. Against US heavy bombers on daylight raids, several Fw 190s would form a queue and approach from the rear of the bomber formation. At very close range, the fighters would then 'open up,' so giving the rear gunners in the bombers very little chance of firing methodically at all the attackers.

During 1943, the Fw 190 was encountered frequently in Europe while performing night fighter missions. About the same time, the first Fw 190s came off the production line fitted with inline, rather than radial, engines. General appearance stayed the same, because of the use of an annular radiator at the nose.

The new Junkers Jumo 213 powerplant made the aircraft, once again, the fastest Luftwaffe operational fighter and those pilots with the skill to use such advantages did very well. Unfortunately excellent fighter designs could not compensate for poor production standards, lack of fuel, poor pilot training and overwhelming Allied numerical superiority.

In honor of designer Kurt Tank, the Fw 190's designation was changed to Tank or Ta 152. This beautiful inline-engine fighter was to be the ultimate version of the famous fighter but delays resulted in the stopgap Fw 190D, in itself an outstanding aircraft. In the chaotic final year of the Third Reich the D ended up being the major inline engine version with only a few Ta 152Hs, and possibly a few Ta 152Cs, getting into combat.

The extended wing (14.5m), high altitude Ta 152H was indeed a sterling performer with a top speed of 755 km/h (472 mph) and a service ceiling of 15,000 m (49,215 ft). It was armed with a 30 mm cannon in the nose and two 20 mm cannon in the wing roots. Had it been built in enough numbers and been flown by expert pilots it could have taken its place alongside the Me 262 as a near unbeatable air superiority fighter and bomber killer. The lower altitude version, the Ta 152C, barely made it out of the test phase before the war ended. Between October 1944 and February 1945 when production ended, Focke-Wulf managed to roll 67 completed Ta 152 aircraft (H-0, H-1, and C-1 models) off the line. By the end of the war, more than 20,000 Fw 190s had been built; about one-third as fighter bombers.

 

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German single-seat, single-radial engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. It was used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War in a variety of roles. Like the Bf 109, the Fw 190 was employed as a "workhorse", and proved suitable for a wide variety of roles, including air superiority fighter, strike fighter, ground-attack aircraft, escort fighter, and operated with less success as a night fighter. Early 190s performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above) which complicated its use as a high-altitude interceptor, but these complications were mostly rectified in later models, notably the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D variant in the autumn of 1944. In spite of its successes, it never entirely replaced the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

When it was first introduced in 1941 it was quickly proven to be superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V variant.[1][2] The 190 wrested air superiority away from the RAF until the introduction of the vastly improved Spitfire Mk. IX in the autumn 1942 restored qualitative parity.[3] Improvements to the 190 were met by similar improvements in its opponents throughout the middle of the war, allowing the 190 to maintain relative parity with its Allied counterparts until the widespread introduction of the P-51 Mustang in early 1944.

The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces flew the Fw 190, including Otto Kittel with 267 victories, Walter Nowotny with 258 victories and Erich Rudorffer with 222 claimed kills. A great many of their kills were claimed while flying the Fw 190.

 

 

 

Focke-Wulf Fw 190

Germany's Radial Engine Fighter of WWII

 

 

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The long-nosed Fw 190D was also developed into the Ta 152 after its designer, Kurt Tank-in which the installation of a 2,300 hp (with boost) DB 603 engine pushed the speed up to 745km/h (463 mph). Had the Ta 152H been built in enough numbers and been flown by expert pilots it could have taken its place alongside the Me 262 as a near unbeatable air superiority fighter and bomber killer.

Jagdgruppe I./JG.51 left the front lines in August 1942, for East Prussia to convert to the new Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-3, the first unit from the Russian Front to adopt Kurt Tang’s radial engine fighter. The BMW engine offered two big advantages over the Bf 109’s water-cooled Daimler Benz. First, its massive bulk up front helped protect the pilot. Second, it could absorb a lot of battle damage and keep running; like the American P-47, tales spread of Fw 190’s making it back to base with a cylinder head shot away. But when the engine did fail, the Fw 190 had the gliding ability of a brick. Dead-stick landings were extremely hazardous, although belly landings, with the big engine clearing away almost all the obstacles, frequently letting the pilot walk away unharmed.

The plane’s ground handling was a mixed bag. The wide track landing gear offered excellent stability in the muddy, snowy surfaces of the Russian airfields. On the other hand, the large engine cowling obstructed the pilot’s forward view. Three point take-offs were called for; raising the tail too soon caused the propeller to dig in and flip the aircraft.

The Fw 190’s performance fell off at altitudes above 20,000 feet. While this limited its effectiveness in the West, where the Allied bombers flew high, in the East, with its preponderance of low-level combat, the 190 was ideal. It was rugged, maneuverable, stable, and, with its two 7.9mm machine guns and four 20mm cannon, powerfully armed.

Hermann Krafft’s I./JG.51 pilots learned about the airplanes vicious stall characteristics. Below 200 kilometers per hour (127 MPH), the port wing would abruptly fall off. In a tight turn, it could flick over and go into a spin. Properly controlled and with sufficient altitude, a spin could even offer an escape; no Soviet plane could match it.

Focke-Wulf Fw 190

The pilot climbed into the Focke-Wulf using retractable stirrups and handholds. Inside the cockpit he saw many familiar controls, similar to those in the Bf 109, plus many new electric devices, notably the Kommandogerat, a primitive computer that automatically set propeller pitch, air/fuel mix, and RPM. Electric motors also raised and lowered the landing gear and controlled the flaps. Other buttons armed the guns, with a required three-second delay between each pair, so as not to overload the battery.

When everything was set for take-off, the mechanic jumped off the wing. Then, “Clear?” … “Yes, all clear ahead.” … “Contact,” then the radial BMW spat blue smoke and rumbled into life. The pilot gave it twelve degrees of flaps, let off the brakes, accelerated to 180 KPH, and lifted off the airstrip.

After two or three weeks of such familiarization, the fliers of I./JG.51 returned to battle on the Eastern Front.

 

Development

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In 1937, even as the Bf 109 was just beginning to realize its potential, the the RLM, Reichsluftfahrt Ministerium, prudently issued a request for a next generation fighter plane. The Focke Wulf company's initial responses (based on the DB 601 engine) drew little interest, but their designer Kurt Tank proposed to use the eighteen-cylinder, air-cooled, radial BMW 139 in a fighter. This idea resulted in an order for four prototypes, and soon, forty production aircraft. By June 1939, the first prototype, the Fw 190V-1, had flown over Bremen airport. During the early test flights, Tank gave it the nickname "Wuerger" or "Shrike." These flights revealed carbon monoxide leaking into the cockpit, landing gear problems, and overheating of the engine and cockpit. The overheating, which raised cockpit temperatures to 55 degrees Celsius (130 F.), proved difficult to resolve. Despite these problems, Luftwaffe pilots enthused over the type.

Even though the V-1 aircraft was fast and agile, it needed a better engine. The BMW 801, more powerful and heavier than the BMW 139, powered the Fw 190V-5 prototype. With the much heavier BMW 801, Tank moved the cockpit back to maintain the correct center of gravity. This change also reduced the heat in the cockpit and allowed more room up front for weapons.

Focke-Wulf delivered seven copies of the pre-production version, the Fw 190A-0, to the Luftwaffe in March 1940. The A-0 frequently failed and caught on fire; it was so troublesome that the RLM almost canceled the Fw 190 program. But after more than 50 changes, production was approved.

 

Fw 190A-1

With a 1600 horsepower BMW 801C engine powering a three-bladed variable pitch propeller, the Fw 190A-1 made a top speed of 388 MPH. The wide-track landing gear folded in toward the fuselage, was extra strong to accommodate future weight growth, and offered good stability on the ground. The bubble-style plexiglass canopy offered excellent visibility in all directions; when it proved difficult to jettison, an ejection mechanims was devised. The Fw 190 was built in a modular fashion, for easy repair and replacement in rough field conditions.

For weaponry, the Fw 190A-1 carried four rifle-caliber machine guns, two in the cowling and two in the wing roots; all fired through the propeller arc.

In September 1941, the Fw 190A-1 first appeared in battle against the RAF. At first, the British weren't sure what they were facing. They soon found out, as the FW 190 bested the Spitfire Mark V. However, the four 7.9mm machine guns were not adequate firepower; an upgrade to heavier armament had been planned as soon as the guns were available.

Fw 190A-2

The next version, the Fw 190A-2, replaced the machine guns in the wing root with belt-fed 20mm cannon. Some A-2's added two more 20mm cannon further outboard in the wings. Oddly, these were drum-fed guns, whose ammunition was incompatible with the cannon in the wing roots.

An uprated BMW 801C-2 engine powered the A-2, which began to be delivered in the fall of 1941.

 

The Channel Dash

In February 1942 the Germans determined to bring the battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen from Brest, where the RAF regularly bombed them, to better protected anchorages in Norway. On the night of February 11, the big ships slipped out of Brest. While the British had the harbor under close watch, a series of accidents and mistakes allowed the German ships to get out undetected. By dawn, they were off Cherbourg where German fighters began to escort them. Further British misjudgements hindered accurate identification of the warships until mid-day. By that time, they were nearly at the Straits of Dover, under heavy escort by Fw 190's and Bf 109s of JG.2 and JG.26.

Few British strike aircraft were ready and they launched a pitifully small group of Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers, led by Lt. Cdr. Eugene Esmonde. Despite Spitfire fighter cover, the Focke-Wulfs and Messerschmitts destroyed all seven Swordfish; Esmonde earned a posthumous Victoria Cross. As Adolf Galland put it in The First and the Last,

"For two hours in full daylight German warships had been passing along the English coast, following a route which in the history of British sea supremacy no enemy has dared to take since the seventeenth century."

Later that afternoon, many more British bombers went after the battle cruisers, but the German fighters and bad weather prevented them from hitting their targets. The three ships made it to German ports that evening, in no small way thanks to the Fw 190.

 

Fw 190A-3

In the spring of 1942, the A-3 began rolling off the Focke-Wulf production lines at Cottbus, Marienburg, Neubrandenberg, Schwerin, Sorau, and Tutow. Driven by the latest BMW 801D, with 1700 HP and carrying four 20mm cannon and two machine guns, this version of the Fw 190 threatened to outclass all Allied fighters.

The British were working on a commando operation to snatch one when an errant Luftwaffe pilot saved them the trouble. On June 23, 1942, Oblt. Armin Faber landed his A-3 at an RAF airfield. British flight tests revealed few weaknesses with the airplane. To cope with this threat, the British rushed into production the Spitfire Mark IX, basically a Mark V with a new Merlin 61 engine. At Dieppe, the RAF looked to take the measure of Luftwaffe fighter defenses, especially the Fw 190. The Focke-Wulf's mauled the Spitfires; one German pilot downed seven Spitfire Mark V's that day.

 

Fw 190A-4

By injecting a water-methanol mixture into the cylinders, WW2 engines (and some auto racing engines today) could briefly sustain a compression over the redline and get a little more horsepower. The Fw 190A-4 incorporated such a scheme, its only real difference from the A-3. The A-4 also added a short radio antenna atop the tail. It was the first Fw 190 to see significant service on the Russian Front.

 

Fw 190A-5

Introduced in April 1943, the A-5 was virtually identical to the A-4, except that longer engine mounts added six inches to the length of the fuselage.

 

Modifications and Upgrades

As with the Bf 109, subvariants and modifications to the Fw 190 were numerous and identifying all of them would require a level of detail beyond the scope of this web site. Some were adapted for desert warfare, indicated with the suffix "/Trop." Umruest-Bausatze (factory) and Ruestsaetze (field) modification kits were designated by "U" and "R" codes, respectively. Fw 190's were modified as Jabos (fighter-bombers), Zerstorers (bomber destroyers), and reconnaissance fighters.

 

Fw 190A-6

The A-6 standardized the cannon, using the MG-151/20 in both the outer and wing root positions. This model also was designed for ground attack, Shlacht, missions; in this role it slowly replaced the obsolete Ju 87 Stuka. The A-6 allowed for a maximum of flexibility in its adaptability to many different Ruestsaetze, or field modifications.

 

Fw 190A-8

While only eighty Fw 190A-7 were built, this subvariant introduced 13mm machine guns in the cowling, replacing rifle-caliber weapons.

The heavier machine guns likewise armed the Fw 190A-8 (generally similar to the A-7), which was the most numerous 190 subvariant, more than 1,300 produced. It could reach a top speed of 408MPH.

 

Fw 190D

While the radial BMW 801 engine was great below 20,000 feet, it had always performed poorly at higher altitudes. Kurt tank and his team tried the inline Daimler Benz, DB 603 in prototypes 190B and 190C.

For the Fw 190D, they settled on the Jumo 213A-1, another inline engine, for the proposed high-altitude fighter. The "D" model or "Dora" needed a longer nose to accomodate the Juno 213, and was visibly different from the "A" model.

The first production version, the Fw 190D-9, caem out in the summer of 1944. (The disposition of codes D-1 through D-8 is unclear.) Armed with two 13mm machine guns in the cowling, and two 20mm cannon in the wing roots, capable of 425MPH, with great climbing ability, the Dora was the best prop-driven, production Luftwaffe fighter of the war.

By late 1944, it was too late for the Dora to have an impact. Shortages of fuel and trained pilots constrained everything. While many Fw 190D-9's were built, relatively few saw combat, frequently covering the Me 262 airfields.

The last notable Focke-Wulf 190 variant was identified as the Ta 152, the "Ta," denoting Kurt Tank's design influence. The definitive version was the Ta 152H, a long-winged, high-altitude fighter.

 

Over 20,000 Fw 190's were built. While no flying models are extant, many survive in aviation museums.

 

Sources:

  1. Great Aircraft of the World, Len Cacutt (editor), 1986
  2. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 by Greg Goebel, an excellent web article, more detailed than this.
  3. Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces, No 6), by John Weal
  4. The First and the Last by Adolph Galland. This book is a history of the air war over Europe from the German perspective, with a fair amount devoted to aircraft development, internal Luftwaffe problems, and such events as the Channel Dash. Even the Russian campaign and the American bombing strategy are surveyed. Relatively little on Galland's personal activities, dogfights, etc.
  5. The Luftwaffe Fighter Force: The View from the Cockpit, by Adolf Galland (Editor), Dave C. Isby

 

Like the American P-38, Germany's Focke Wulf Fw 190 lent itself to multiple uses, and existed in a myriad of variants. It was, for example, a capable tank-buster that could carry air-to-ground missiles or rockets.

 

 

 

The Focke-Wulf FW-190

Greg Goebel / Public Domain

 

Focke-Wulf FW-190A-5

The burden of air combat for Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe fell mainly to two fighter aircraft: the Messerschmitt "Bf-109" and the Focke-Wulf "FW-190". Of the two, the FW-190 was the more advanced and potent aircraft, and served not only in air-to-air combat, but as a fighter-bomber; a close-support aircraft; and photo-reconnaissance platform. This document provides a short history of the FW-190.

 

ORIGINS

Professor Kurt Waldemar Tank started out in the aviation industry in 1924 as an engineer at the Rohrbach company, changing jobs in 1930 to work for Willy Messerschmitt in Augsburg. The Messerschmitt concern fell on hard times in 1931, and so Tank left to join the Focke-Wulf company in Bremen, where he became technical director.

Tank designed a number of aircraft for Focke-Wulf, including the "FW-200 Kondor" long-range airliner, which would be used as a ocean patrol aircraft in the war. Although the Kondor would be a terrible nuisance to the Allies in the conflict, they would be even more threatened by one of his later creations: the radial-engine fighter known as the "FW-190".

* In the spring of 1938, the Messerschmitt Bf-109 was filling up the ranks of the Luftwaffe as the service's first-line fighter. The Bf-109 was an excellent aircraft and had not yet reached its full potential, but the German Air Ministry (ReichsLuftMinisterium / RLM) wanted to hedge their bets and have an alternate fighter in case future improvement of the Bf-109 ran out of steam sooner than expected.

The RLM issued a request for such an advanced fighter. The Focke-Wulf company responded with a number of designs based on the Daimler-Benz "DB-601" 12-cylinder inverted-vee water-cooled engine, which was to be the main production engine for the Bf-109. The RLM rejected these designs since they didn't offer that much new over the Bf-109, which was to be allocated all DB-601 production anyway.

Tank had a different idea, a design that featured a "BMW-139" two-row 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engine with 1,156 kW (1,550 HP). Tank's choice was contrary to the general preference of German fighter designers for inline water-cooled engines. He chose the BMW radial engine because he believed it offered high reliability, greater horsepower in the long run, and was in principle available to support volume production of a new type of aircraft.

The RLM was interested in Tank's concept, and in the summer of 1938 the ministry awarded Focke-Wulf an initial contract for three prototypes, followed by authorization of a fourth in the spring of 1939. The RLM's enthusiasm for the type was so great that the manufacture of 40 pre-production aircraft was authorized as well, even before any of the machines had flown.

The "FW-190-V1" (V1 meaning "Versuchs 1 / Prototype 1") flew from the Bremen airport on 1 June 1939 with test pilot Hans Sander at the controls. Tank himself, a skilled pilot and definitely a "hands-on" engineer, performed some of the test flights. He gave the machine the name "Wuerger (Butcher Bird / Shrike)". Early test flights demonstrated some problems, including leakage of carbon monoxide fumes into the cockpit; failure of the landing gear to lock in place after being raised; and engine and cockpit overheating. The first two problems were quickly resolved, but the overheating troubles proved harder to fix.

FW-190-V1

 The V1 machine originally featured a three-bladed variable-pitch propeller with an oversized prop spinner. The spinner fitted flush to the edge of the engine cowling for streamlining, with a central duct surrounding a ten-bladed fan for airflow, but this configuration didn't cool the rear set of cylinders very well. The oversized prop spinner was replaced by a conventional prop spinner, which didn't do much to eliminate the overheating problem but demonstrated no real reduction in performance, and so was retained for all following FW-190s.

The cockpit overheating remained a serious nuisance. Temperatures reached up to 55 degrees Celsius (130 degrees Fahrenheit) and Sander complained that sitting in the cockpit "was like having your feet in a fire!" Unfortunately, the canopy couldn't be opened in flight to cool off, since the open canopy created disruptive turbulence over the tail.

The difficulties did not disguise the fact that the new fighter was fast, powerful, and agile. Sander demonstrated the V1 at the Luftwaffe flight test center at Rechlin in early July 1939, including a show for Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering, who was so enthusiastic that he endorsed mass production of the type, saying it should be "turned out like hot rolls!" Luftwaffe test pilots were also enthusiastic about the new machine, stating that it handled better than the Bf-109.

However, the BMW-139 engine was clearly unsatisfactory. Even before the initial flight of the V1 prototype, the decision had been made to go to a different engine. Although the "V2" prototype was too near completion to be modified, the BMW-139-powered "V3" and "V4" prototypes were both cancelled, with prototype construction moving on to a "V5" prototype with an air-cooled 14-cylinder two-row "BMW-801" engine providing 1,195 kW (1,600 HP), fitted with a 12-blade cooling fan.

The BMW-139-powered V2 prototype performed its first flight in October 1939. It had the oversized prop spinner and was the first FW-190 to be armed, with two MG-17 7.9 millimeter machine guns fitted in the cowling in front of the cockpit, and an MG-17 fitted in each wing root, for a total of four guns. Unfortunately, after only 50 hours of test flights, the crankshaft of the BMW-139 engine broke and the aircraft crashed.

The V5 performed its first flight in April 1940. The BMW-801 engine provided more horsepower than the BMW-139, but it was also heavier, and to maintain center of gravity the cockpit of the V5 was shifted back along the fuselage. This reduced the cockpit overheating problem and provided greater space in the nose for armament. The weight increase was substantial, 635 kilograms (1,400 pounds), leading to higher wing loading and reduced agility. As a result, following a collision with a ground vehicle in August 1940 that sent the V5 back to the factory for major repairs, the aircraft was rebuilt with larger wings and a modified tailplane, to be redesignated "V5g" (where "g" stood for "grosser / bigger"). The new wing provided much better handling.

By this time, the Luftwaffe was evaluating pre-production "FW-190A-0" aircraft with BMW-801 engines, following initial deliveries of this subvariant in March 1940. The first seven A-0s had the original short-span wing, with the larger wing that had been evaluated on the V5g fitted on the eighth, to then become production standard.

Although the BMW-801 engine was a major improvement over the BMW-139, the service evaluation was plagued by engine failures and fires, to the extent that pilots were reluctant to fly the FW-190A-0s very far from their airfields. Arguments and finger-pointing between Focke-Wulf and BMW became as hot as the engines, and the RLM even threatened to cancel the program. Focke-Wulf and BMW, threatened, then put their differences aside as best they could and focused on getting the engine problems under control.

After 50 modifications to fix the engine problems, the FW-190 was approved for series production in mid-1941, with several factories tooling up to build the machines. Deliveries of the first formal production model, the "FW-190A-1", began in June 1941. 100 were built.

 

 

FW-190A-1 THROUGH FW-190A-5

The FW-190A-1 was a tidy, muscular, sturdy, aggressive-looking aircraft, powered by a "BMW-801C" engine with 1,195 kW (1,600 HP) driving a three-bladed variable-pitch propeller, featuring a low-mounted wing and "taildragger" landing gear. The flight control surfaces provided large area for high maneuverability, and used an unusual system of control connections. Traditionally, aircraft flight surfaces had been moved by a system of wires and pulleys connected to the cockpit controls, but the wires tended to stretch over time, leading to slop. The FW-190 replaced the longer connections with a system of rods to correct this problem.

The landing gear had been designed to be stronger than required by the aircraft's expected maximum take-off weight to give some margin for future weight growth. The main gear hinged in the wings to retract towards the fuselage, giving the aircraft a wide, comfortable track for ground handling, while the tailwheel was semi-retractable. However, the taildragger configuration and the big radial engine gave the pilot a terrible forward view while taxiing, leading to accidents. Pilots would learn to taxi with a ground crewman sitting or lying on the wing to give them directions.

The FW-190 was one of the first aircraft to feature a one-piece plexiglas canopy to give the pilot all-round vision. The canopy slid backwards to open. The canopy proved very difficult to jettison in an emergency at high speeds, and so an ejection mechanism was designed to pop the canopy up into the airstream, where it would be pulled off by the draft.

Armament consisted of four MG-17 7.9 millimeter machine guns, with two in the top of the engine cowling and one in each wing root. All four guns were synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. The cockpit was fitted with armor plate for pilot protection.

Performance and maneuverability of the "Anton", as Luftwaffe pilots called the A-series, were excellent, though the machine did have a few eccentricities that caused problems for inexperienced pilots, and its performance fell off at altitudes above 6,000 meters (20,000 feet). The reliability of the BMW-801 engine also remained unsatisfactory for the moment.

The FW-190 was designed in a modular fashion, to allow dispersal of sub-assembly production among many different manufacturers, as well as simplify maintenance by permitting rapid replacement of aircraft assemblies in the field. The FW-190 was very well thought-out from all points of view. Tank, who had been in the cavalry during World War I, called the FW-190 a "cavalry horse", built to endure rough field conditions, as opposed to other fighters built mostly with performance in mind, which he called "racehorses".

The British Royal Air Force (RAF) first encountered the FW-190A-1 in air combat over the coast of northern France in September 1941. The new German aircraft was more than a match for the Spitfire V. British intelligence was initially puzzled by reports of the new German fighter, with some speculation that the type might actually be a captured French Curtiss Hawk 75 or the Bloch 151 fighter, both of which were radial-engine machines with a vague resemblance to the FW-190. By the end of the year, the British had no doubt that they were up against something much more formidable.

The dogfights demonstrated to the Germans that the FW-190A-1's four 7.9 millimeter guns lacked killing power. The Focke-Wulf design team was aware that the FW-190's armament was inadequate, having settled on the four machine guns due to temporary difficulties in obtaining heavier armament -- and in fact the A-1 was basically regarded as an operational evaluation type, not entirely fit for real combat.

The next A-series subvariant, the "FW-190A-2", replaced the MG-17 machine gun in each wing root with a more potent Mauser belt-fed MG-151/20 20 millimeter cannon with 200 rounds per gun, providing a total armament of two machine guns and two cannon. Replacement of the wing-root machine guns with the cannon required addition of a shallow blister on the top of the wing near the fuselage.

Many of the A-2s were fitted with an MG-FF 20 millimeter cannon, a copy of the Swiss Oerlikon design, in each wing outboard of the landing gear, for a powerful total armament of two machine guns and four cannon. The MG-FF was drum-fed, with 55 rounds per drum. Some sources state that the MG-FF, not the MG-151/20, was also used in the wing root station, but this appears to be incorrect. Admittedly the mix of cannon types was a bit odd -- all the more so because the two cannon used incompatible ammunition -- but the same odd combination would be used in the next subvariant, the A-3, and is well documented. In addition, pictures of what is described as the A-2 show a long-barreled cannon in the wing root position, consistent with the MG-151/20, which was about half again as long as the MG-FF.

The A-2 also featured an improved "BMW-801C-2" engine. Deliveries of the A-2 began in the fall of 1941. All the fighters were sent to the English Channel front for the moment, since Luftwaffe fighter pilots had been intimidated by the Spitfire V and wanted to put the RAF in their place.

 In February 1942, FW-190s of Adolf Galland's JG-26 squadron escorted the battle cruisers SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU on their famous "Channel Dash" from France to the Baltic, with the Focke-Wulf fending off attacks by RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires, and shooting down all of a flight of six Swordfish torpedo-bombers that courageously pressed their attack despite the odds.

By spring, Focke-Wulf had shifted production to the next version of the Anton, the "FW-190A-3". The A-3 featured an uprated "BMW-801D-2" engine with 1,270 kW (1,700 HP), plus the four wing cannon as production standard, and minor cowling modifications. The BMW-801D-2 was the first really reliable engine variant, largely eliminating the engine problems that had dogged the FW-190, and would be retained in later A-series production. Following initial production, the A-3's FuG-7 HF radio was switched to the FuG-16 VHF radio, with more power and longer range.

The FW-190 was proving such a menace to the RAF that a risky commando mission named Operation AIRTHIEF was planned to steal one from a French airfield, but the mission was called off because on 23 June 1942, Oberleutnant Armin Faber got a little confused and landed his A-3 on an RAF airfield by mistake. Flight evaluation of the captured Focke-Wulf showed it to have weaknesses -- just not very many. The RAF rested their hopes in matching the FW-190 with the new "Spitfire IX", which was a Spitfire V hastily fitted with a new "Merlin 61" engine featuring a two-stage supercharger.

The Spitfire IX went into service in July 1942. The RAF hoped to give the Luftwaffe a bloody nose during the "practice invasion" at Dieppe in August 1942, which was partly intended to lure the FW-190s up to fight. Unfortunately, the Dieppe operation was badly planned and executed, and the FW-190s were more than willing to accept the RAF's challenge, inflicting disproportionate losses on the Spitfires. One FW-190 pilot, Josef Wurmheller, shot down seven Spitfire Vs in one day over Dieppe.

The Spitfire IX did help even the odds over the long run, but Focke-Wulf was still churning out better versions of the Butcher Bird. The "FW-190A-4" went into production in late 1942, the primary improvement being the addition of an "MW-50" water-methanol power boost system for the BMW-801 engine. The MW-50 injected water into the engine's cylinders to raise the engine's redline limit for a short period of time. The methanol was mainly intended as anti-freeze. The A-4 also introduced a small but distinctive modification in the form of a short radio aerial wire mast mounted on top of the tailfin. This item would be retained in later production. The A-4 was the first FW-190 subvariant to see real service on the Eastern Front.

In April 1943, the production lines began turning out the next subvariant, the "FW-190A-5", which was almost indistinguishable from the A-4 but added a longer engine mounting to increase strength and reduce vibration. The new mounts stretched the aircraft by about 15 centimeters (six inches) and became production standard.

These new subvariants were produced in a number of modifications, the details of which are a confusing subject. Some of the modifications were straightforward: for example, the "Trop (Tropicalized)" modification provided engine sand filters and a survival kit for desert warfare.

However, in most cases, the subvariant modifications were provided initially in the form of factory upgrade kits, known as "Umrust-Bausatz" and given "U"-series modification codes, and then field upgrade kits, known as "Rustsaetze" and given "R"-series modification codes, and the variations are bewildering. For example, the tropicalized A-4 was an "FW-190A-4/Trop"; the "FW-190A-3/U1" featured a factory upgrade kit with a bomb rack for use a fighter-bomber ("Jagd-Bomber" or "Jabo"); and the "FW-190A-4/U4" featured two cameras in the rear fuselage for service as a reconnaissance-fighter.

Documenting the subvariant modifications is troublesome, not merely because there were so many of them, but because the same modification code might have a different meaning when applied to different subvariants, and aircraft were sometimes fitted with multiple upgrade kits. Poking around in the subject in detail is a headache. In any case, the upgrade kits reached full expression with the A-5, with at least sixteen different modifications, though no more than half actually saw combat. Modifications did see operational service included:

In the Jabo role, the FW-190 could carry a 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) bomb, or combinations of other stores, such as fragmentation bombs or cluster bombs. A 1,000 kilogram (2,200 pound) SB 1000 bomb could be carried if one of its tailfins was removed, though it was a cumbersome load. Jabo FW-190s armed with 250 kilogram (550 pound) bombs were used to make "hit-and-run" daylight attacks on British towns in 1942 and 1943. Most of these were nuisance attacks on coastal towns in ones or twos, but on 31 October 1942, 30 FW-190s hit Canterbury in reprisal for RAF raids on German cities.

The FW-190 bomber-destroyers provided an important component of the Reich's air defense system after the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) began daylight raids in late 1942. The Luftwaffe quickly learned that USAAF B-24s and B-17s were not easy targets, as both bombers could soak up many hits before going down and had heavy defensive armament.

At first, Luftwaffe pilots used "tail-chase" tactics, but then it was realized that the bombers were much more vulnerable to fire from the front, and also had weak forward defensive armament. The result was a switch to "head-on" attacks, which allowed the fighters to exploit these weaknesses. The high relative speed of the interceptors as they passed through the bomber formations from front to back also complicated the lives of American gunners. However, on the other side of the coin the head-on attacks gave Luftwaffe pilots little time to score hits or to react to a looming head-on collision. The new tactics were much more effective for good fighter pilots, but less effective for mediocre ones.

Despite this, FW-190s smashed up a raid on Regensburg and Schweinfurt on 14 October 1943 so badly that the Americans gave up daylight bombing over Germany until the long-range P-51B/C Mustang escort fighter came into service. Even when escorts arrived, the FW-190 was never a pushover for any Allied pilots, anyplace, anywhere. A tale circulated during the later years of the war that when an overenthusiastic American manufacturer printed an advertisement that displayed an FW-190 to mock it with the caption: "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wulf?" -- they got a copy of the ad sent back to them in the mail along with a letter signed by everyone in a bomber unit that said: "We are."

Many Luftwaffe pilots racked up large numbers of kills, particularly on the Eastern front. The Luftwaffe's fourth highest scoring pilot, Oberleutnant Otto Kittle, who scored 267 victories, got 220 of his kills in FW-190A-4s and A-5s, making him the high scorer with the type. Other German aces, including Walter Nowotny, Heinz Baer, Herman Graf, and Kurt Buhligen, all scored over a hundred kills in the FW-190.

The FW-190 was also pressed into service as a night fighter against RAF bombers, using "Wilde Sau (Wild Boar)" tactics championed by Major Hajo Hermann. Although the FW-190s used in Wilde Sau sorties had few or no optimizations for night fighting, the glare of fires below and searchlights highlighted the attackers, allowing the fighters operating above the bomber stream to see target aircraft beneath them. After the British started dropping "window" (chaff) to jam German radars in July 1943, Wild Sau suddenly acquired a new importance and priority. Wilde Sau was effective but troublesome, since getting back to base and landing in the dark, particularly in poor weather, was difficult and dangerous. By early 1944, the Luftwaffe had been able to compensate for an extent to Allied radar countermeasures, and the Wilde Sau squadrons were generally returned to day combat.

 

FW-190A-6 THROUGH FW-190A-10

* As is often the case with aircraft that evolve through a long series of variants, the FW-190 suffered from "weight creep", and so a new, bigger, lighter wing was designed, going into production in the "FW-190A-6" subvariant in June 1943. The new wing featured standard fit of an MG-151/20 cannon in the wing root and the outer wing, replacing the MG-FF in that position, for a total of four cannon, along with the MG-17 machine guns in the cowling. The A-6 was primarily designed for the battlefield close-support role, and also featured increased armor. This was referred to as the "Schlacht" or "Battlefield" mission; the term is sometimes mistranslated as "Slaughter", but that is "schlachten", a different word.

In Schlacht operations, the FW-190 carried such warloads as eight SC-50 50 kilogram (110 pound) bombs, with four on the wings and four on the centerline rack, and also the AB-250 250 kilogram (550 pound) cluster bomb canister. The AB-250 could be filled with a range of submunitions, such as SD-2 two kilogram (4.4 pound) anti-personnel fragmentation "butterfly bombs",or SD-4 four kilogram (8.8 pound) hollow-charge anti-armor bomblets. The cannon of the FW-190 also proved effective in attacks on ground targets, and the aircraft was rugged enough to take punishment as well as dish it out. The FW-190 would gradually become the backbone of the Schlacht force, displacing the antiquated and overly-vulnerable Junkers Ju-87 Stuka. [3]

FW-190 warloads

 

As with the A-5, upgrade kits were developed for the A-6. However, while the A-5 was fitted with factory upgrade kits, the focus for the A-6 was field upgrade kits, so that the aircraft could be adapted on the front line to different roles as the tactical situation demanded.

The primary improvement in the "FW-190A-7", which went into production at the end of 1943, was the replacement of the two 7.92 millimeter MG-17 machine guns in the cowling with 13 millimeter MG-131s, with a new gunsight provided as well. While most of the Anton subvariants were built in quantities of hundreds, only about 80 A-7s were built, with the aircraft configured as bomber destroyers, fitted with underwing rockets or additional cannon packs.

FW-190A-8

 The next subvariant, the "FW-190A-8", turned out to be the most heavily produced of all FW-190 subvariants, with over 1,300 built. It was essentially an A-7 with the option for either GM-1 nitrous-oxide engine boost for high-altitude operation, or an additional internal fuel tank, as well as many detail improvements. 

   FOCKE-WULF FW-190A-8:
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________
 
   spec                    metric              english
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________

   wingspan                10.5 meters         34 feet 5 inches
   wing area               18.3 sq_meters      197 sq_feet
   length                  8.96 meters         29 feet 5 inches
   height                  3.96 meters         13 feet

   empty weight            3,470 kilograms     7,650 pounds
   max loaded weight       4,900 kilograms     10,800 pounds

   maximum speed           657 KPH             408 MPH / 335 KT
   service ceiling         10,300 meters       33,800 feet
   range                   800 kilometers      500 MI / 435 NMI
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________

Many different modifications of the A-8 were implemented, employing the full range of factory and field update kits. The "R1" and "R2" were bomber destroyers with heavy underwing armament, while the "R3" was a tank destroyer with a long-barrel, high-velocity MK-103 cannon mounted in a fairing under each wing. The MK-103 apparently proved a bit too hefty and powerful for the FW-190, and this fit did not proceed beyond evaluations.

FW-190 gunboat configurations

The "R8" was an improved bomber destroyer, nicknamed the "Sturmbock (Battering Ram)", with armor protection for the pilot and around the front of the engine, plus an MK-108 30 millimeter cannon in each outboard wing position instead of an MG-151/20. The armor allowed the Sturmbock to close in on a bomber and then kill it with the MK-108 cannon, using tail-chase tactics.

There were other experiments with heavily-armed bomber destroyers, but the increasing presence of escort fighters presented the Luftwaffe with a nasty dilemma. If the FW-190's armor and firepower were increased to deal with the bombers, the Focke-Wulf would then find itself outclassed in air combat with Allied fighters. If its armor and armament were reduced, the FW-190 could hold its own, but it would then find it difficult to take on bombers.

As a result, the Luftwaffe established the "Sturmgruppe" tactic, in which a mass of FW-190s Sturmbocks would attack a bomber formation from behind, while they were protected from Allied escort fighters by Bf-109Gs optimized for dogfighting. Sturmgruppe pilots often wore "whites of the eyes" jacket patches, with two white crescents set side-by-side, to indicate their dedication to point-blank attacks. The first Sturmgruppe missions were conducted in July 1944 and proved devastating. However, the USAAF quickly adapted to the tactic, sending escort fighters in the lead of the bomber formation to pounce on Sturmgruppe formations and break them up, and scheme gradually ceased to be effective.

 In fact, by the fall of 1944 the decline of the Luftwaffe was obvious. Hobbled by a lack of fuel and well-trained pilots, completely outnumbered by Allied fighters, the Luftwaffe made fewer and fewer sorties, and with those flights the rewards continued to diminish while the losses increased. They fought on until the end, but all they could do was delay the inevitable.

German factories continued to produce FW-190s as best they could, but the A-8 turned out to be the last production Anton. The "FW-190A-9" was an A-8 with a BMW-801F engine with 1,490 kW (2,000 HP). Some sources also claim the A-9 was fitted with an armored wing leading edge for service as a "Rammjaeger", knocking down bombers by ramming them. Home defense squadrons had been encouraged to use this tactic late in the war with earlier FW-190 subvariants, though it appears few pilots did so. The "FW-190A-10", was a Jabo subvariant that was to feature an improved BMW-801TS or BMW-801TH engine. Neither of these subvariants got out of prototype evaluation.

 

 

FW-190F / FW-190G

The "FW-190B" and "FW-190C" were experimental variants that did not reach production, and are discussed below. The "FW-190D" was a production FW-190 derivative with a inline engine, which did reach production and is also discussed below. The "FW-190E" was to be a specialized reconnaissance variant, but modifications of FW-190As proved adequate for this role, and the FW-190E never even reached the prototype stage.

The "FW-190F" series did see service in numbers. The FW-190F was essentially an Anton tweaked as battlefield close-support aircraft, or "Schlachtjaeger", with armor plate under the engine and cockpit for protection against ground fire, stronger landing gear to support greater take-off loads, and other modifications. The type was difficult to distinguish from an FW-190A, and in fact the series prototype was the "FW-190A-5/U17", a modification optimized for the Schlacht role. Although their optimizations for the Schlacht role hampered performance somewhat, Schlacht Focke-Wulfs were still dangerous adversaries in air combat and racked up their own long lists of kills.

The "FW-190F-1" subvariant was based on the FW-190A-4. Only a small number were built, for evaluation purposes. The F-1 had reduced gun armament, with two MG-17 7.92 millimeter machine guns in the cowling and a 20 millimeter cannon in each wing, for a total of four guns. In compensation, it had racks under the fuselage for carriage of one 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) or four 50 kilogram (110 pound) bombs, plus an optional rack under each wing for a single 250 kilogram (550 pound) bomb or two 50 kilogram bombs.

The "FW-190F-2" was a derivative of the A-5 and featured a new "bulged" canopy to improve pilot vision, with the first of this series rolling off the production line in early 1943. The "FW-190F-3" was similarly derived from the A-6, with first deliveries in the summer of 1943.

Work on "F-5", "F-6", and "F-7" subvariants was abandoned near the end of 1943 to allow focus on the G-series, discussed below, but the F series was revived in 1944 as the "F-8", based on the A-8. The F-8 was the most heavily produced of the F-series, reaching service in the fall of 1944. It was much like the F-3, but had underwing stores racks as standard, an improved bomb-release system, and MG-131 13 millimeter cannon in place of the cowling-mounted MG-17s. The F-8 was followed by the "F-9", which had a turbocharged BMW-801TS engine providing 1,490 kW (2,000 HP) and optional MW-50 water-methanol boost, but this subvariant did not reach service.

The "FW-190G" was a long-range Jabo variant, built in parallel with the F-series, and generally similar except for the deletion of cowling guns to decrease weight and extend range. In fact, the G-series actually entered production before the FW-190F, initially seeing action in North Africa at the end of 1942. Like the F-series, the G-series were basically equivalent to A-series aircraft modified for the Schlacht role. The "G-1" was based on the A-4, while the "G-2" was based on the A-5. The "G-3" was bit more of a custom item, with an autopilot and a fuel injection system. The G-8 was based on the A-8.

 

 

FW-190B & FW-190C / FW-190D / TA-152 / FW-190 IN FOREIGN SERVICE

Although the BMW-801 radial engine was very powerful, as well as very rugged, its high-altitude performance was poor. Since the GM-1 water-methanol boost system provided only a modest improvement in high-altitude performance, Kurt Tank's engineering team decided to see what might be done with water-cooled inline inverted vee-12 engines, including the Junkers Jumo 213 and the more powerful Daimler-Benz 603.

The "FW-190B" series of prototypes Focke-Wulf's first attempts to build a high-altitude version of the Butcher Bird and featured test fits of the DB-603 engine, as well as the BMW-801 with GM-1 nitrous oxide boost. Some of the prototypes were also used to evaluate a pressurized cockpit, but these tests did not go well. Since the FW-190B didn't quite have the high-altitude reach that the RLM desired, the effort was abandoned in late 1942.

Focke-Wulf then concentrated on an improved high-altitude fighter variant, the "FW-190C", with the DB-603 inline engine. Following an initial prototype adapted from an FW-190B, six FW-190C prototypes were built. They featured a DB-603 inline engine, an annular radiator that gave the engine some appearance of a radial installation, and a four-bladed propeller. The six final prototypes featured an elaborate turbocharger installation, with two fitted with a Hirth 9-2281 turbocharger and four with a DVL TK-11 turbocharger.

FW-190C

 The turbocharger scheme had some similarities to that on the US Republic P-47 Thunderbolt but wasn't as clean, resulting in a large assembly on the belly that gave the type the nickname "Kangaruh (Kangaroo)", since it suggested a kangaroo's pouch. The program was finally abandoned in the fall of 1943, the turbocharger systems having proved unreliable.

Tank's engineering team was also working on another inline-powered variant, the "FW-190D", in principle for the high-altitude fighter role. The FW-190D was fitted with a Jumo 213A-1 engine providing 1,325 kW (1,775 HP), or 1,670 kW (2,240 HP) for short periods with MW-50 water-methanol boost.

Development began in the spring of 1942, with prototype development based on modifications of FW-190A-0 fighters, the first of six flying in March 1942. These machines were given a rear fuselage extension to compensate for the lengthened nose, which had been stretched to fit the Jumo 213 engine, and were armed with twin MG-17 machine guns in the cowling and an MG-151/20 cannon in each wing root. Some problems were encountered, but the type seemed promising enough for the RLM to authorize the construction of "FW-190D-0" preproduction prototypes in late 1943. These machines were similar to the development prototypes, but were based on FW-190A-7 airframes.

In the meantime, Tank was moving forward on the first full-production subvariant, the "FW-190D-9". Exactly what happened to the "D-1" through "D-8" subvariant codes is a bit of a puzzle. In any case, the D-9 went into production in June 1944, with initial service deliveries in August.

FW-190D-9 / Dora-Nine

 The D-9 different from the prototypes in having a bigger tailfin to improve yaw stability; two MG-131 13 millimeter cannon replacing the two MG-17 guns in the cowling; and a belly rack for carriage of a 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) bomb, as well as an optional stores rack under each wing. An MW-50 water-methanol boost system could also be installed. After initial production, the type was fitted with a bulged canopy to give better all-round vision. A range of modification kits were provided for the type.

Tank made it plain that he regarded the Jumo-powered FW-190D-9 as an "interim solution", leading Luftwaffe pilots to believe that they were going to get an indifferent and clumsy lashup. Once they got their hands on the machine, they found out that the "Dora-Nine", as they called it, was a superb aircraft. It was faster, climbed more rapidly, and handled better than an Anton, and almost certainly the best piston fighter to be fielded in numbers by the Luftwaffe. The Dora-Nine proved to be a nasty handful for American P-51Ds and late-mark RAF Spitfires. Tank was just being fussy. 

   FOCKE-WULF FW-190D ("DORA-NINE"):
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________
 
   spec                    metric              english
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________

   wingspan                10.5 meters         34 feet 5 inches
   wing area               18.3 sq_meters      197 sq_feet
   length                  10.19 meters        33 feet 5 inches
   height                  3.36 meters         11 feet

   empty weight            3,490 kilograms     7,695 pounds
   normal loaded weight    4,300 kilograms     9,480 pounds

   max speed at altitude   685 KPH             425 MPH / 370 KT
   service ceiling         12,000 meters       39,400 feet
   range                   840 kilometers      520 MI / 450 NMI
   _____________________   _________________   _______________________

The Dora-Nine was produced in good numbers, but Nazi Germany was falling apart by this time; there were few pilots, there was little fuel. Many of the FW-190D-9s built never saw combat, and in any case they were too few to have any influence on the course of the war. Those that did see action were often used as "top cover" for airfields operating the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter, whose poor acceleration made it highly vulnerable during landings.

Focke-Wulf still continued to work on other subvariants of the D-series, though none of these others ended up being built in any numbers, if at all. For example, the "D-12" deleted the two MG-13 cannon in the cowling and replaced them with an MK-108 30 millimeter cannon firing through the propeller spinner, plus a more powerful Jumo 213F engine with 1,535 kW (2,060 HP).

* Tank continued to tweak the inline-powered designs, resulting in the "Ta-152" series, with work along this line begun in late 1942. The "Ta" stood for "Tank", in honor of his contributions to the Reich. A confusing number of different Ta-152 variants were considered or built in prototype form in 1943 and 1944, converging on two types, the short-wing "Ta-152C" and the long-wing "Ta-152H", where the "H" stood for "Hoehenjaeger (High Altitude Fighter)."

The Ta-142C very much resembled the Dora-Nine, but featured a modified fuselage with the wing moved forward. While early "Ta-152A" and "Ta-152B" prototypes were fitted with different models of the Jumo 213 engine, the Ta-152C featured the DB-603 engine. Armament was an MK-108 or MK-103 cannon firing through the prop spinner, along with two MG-151/20 cannon in the cowling and one in each wing root. Only about five Ta-152Cs were completed, the first flying in November 1944, the decision having been made to focus on the Ta-152H.

Ta-152H

 The Ta-152H was, as its name suggests, intended for the high-altitude interceptor role. It featured a modified fuselage like that of the Ta-152C, as well as extended wings with a span of 14.5 meters (47 feet 7 inches), and a Jumo 213E engine with a three-speed supercharger and 1,400 kW (1,880 HP). It was armed with an MK-108 cannon firing through the propeller spinner and an MG-151/20 cannon in each wing, and was fitted with a centerline stores rack.

Initial service delivery of the Ta-152H was in November 1944. Only about 150 Ta-152Hs were completed. They saw very limited combat, when fuel could be found to fly them. A turbocharged "Ta-153" series was also considered, but never got out of the development stage.

Despite the fact that Tank regarded the DB-603 as the best possible inline powerplant option for his fighter, and some sources claim the DB-603 powered FW-190 prototypes had excellent performance if the turbocharger problems were ignored, no DB-603 powered variant reached production. This may have been due to limited availability of the engine, which did enter mass production and was built in the thousands, but was heavy and allocated to twin-engine aircraft like the Me-410 and the Do-335.

A total of over 20,000 FW-190s of all types were built during the war. The type saw limited foreign service:

A number of FW-190s survive today on static display in various museums around the world, but it does not appear that any are flying at this time. The "FlugWerke" group of Munich does sell a flight-worthy replica in kit form, however.

 

 

UNUSUAL FW-190 VARIANTS

* Given the large number of FW-190s built, unsurprisingly there were many odd experiments and offshoots of the type:

 

 

FW-190 VARIANT SUMMARY

* Development prototypes:

* A-series ("Antons):

* F-series and G-series:

* Other variants:

 

 

SOURCES

* Sources include:

Greg Goebel / Public Domain

 

 

Last Updated

07/16/2010

 

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