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12-WWII-Focke-Wulf-Fw-190

WWII Aircraft Listings - 1

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Focke-Wulf 190 Würger became the backbone of the Luftwaffe's Jagdwaffe. 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.

Maiden flight: 01 Jun 1939, Length: 29.42 ft, Wingspan: 34.42 ft, Passengers: 1, Retired: 09 May 1945,
Introduced: Aug 1941

A low-wing monoplane powered by a BMW air-cooled radial engine, it was ordered by the Luftwaffe in 1937 as a hedge against shortages of the liquid-cooled Daimler-Benz DB601 engine, which powered the Bf 109. The first prototype flew in mid-1939, but the aircraft was redesigned to take advantage of a new and more powerful BMW engine, and the Fw 190 did not actually enter service until late 1941. It proved to be an outstanding fighter in its own right. Displaying excellent maneuverability and typically carrying a heavy armament of two 7.9-mm (0.3-inch) machine guns in the engine cowling, two 20-mm (0.8-inch) cannons on the wing roots, and two 20-mm cannons at mid-wing, the Fw 190 became the outstanding air-to-air fighter of the mid-war period. It established a clear ascendancy over opposing Allied fighters that lasted until the Spitfire IX restored parity in July 1942, and it more than held its own for another year. The Fw 190A-2, the first mass-produced version, had a top speed of about 410 miles (660 km) per hour and a ceiling of 35,000 feet (10,600 metres). The fighter’s heavy cannon armament made it a potent bomber destroyer, and it played a major role in turning back the U.S. Army Air Force’s unescorted daylight bombardment offensive in the summer and autumn of 1943. Special units of Fw 190s, mounting as many as four additional 20-mm cannons in underwing gondolas, were used in mass attacks to break the integrity of B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator defensive formations. The Fw 190’s career as a bomber destroyer was cut short by the appearance of large numbers of drop-tank-equipped P-38 Lightnings and P-47 Thunderbolts over Germany in late 1943, for the Focke-Wulf could not match the performance of these turbo-supercharged U.S. fighters above 30,000 feet (9,100 metres). The subsequent appearance of the P-51 Mustang in large numbers put the Fw 190 at a permanent disadvantage.

The designer of the Fw 190, Kurt Tank, remedied the fighter’s performance deficiencies by fitting the machine with a powerful Junkers Jumo 213 in-line liquid-cooled engine. The result was the Fw 190D, which entered service in the winter of 1943–44 with a top speed of about 440 miles (710 km) per hour and an armament of two cowling-mounted machine guns and a pair of 20-mm cannons in the wing roots. In principle, the Fw 190D was a match for its Allied opponents, but not enough were produced to make a difference, and few surviving German pilots had the skill needed to take advantage of its performance.

In the meantime, the Fw 190F and G had become the Luftwaffe’s standard fighter-bomber for ground attack. Though used in small numbers by Allied standards, the planes were effective in this role. Both ground-attack variants had additional armour protection, and the G version also could carry a single 4,000-pound (1,800-kg) bomb or numbers of smaller bombs. The Fw 190 also enjoyed a brief career as a night fighter during the autumn and early winter of 1943–44, using conventional daylight methods to attack British Royal Air Force heavy bombers after they had been illuminated by searchlights and the glare of burning cities. These Wildesau (“wild boar”) tactics were highly successful at first, but they demanded a high level of piloting skill, and the difficulty of returning safely to base in adverse winter weather forced their abandonment.

Fw 190, abbreviation of Focke-Wulf 190, German fighter aircraft that was second in importance only to the Bf 109 during World War II.

The Focke Wulf Fw 190 was one of the most successful combat aircraft of World War Two and its introduction into service on the English Channel coast in 1941 marked the beginning of a period of heavy losses and mounting alarm for the Royal Air Force.

This new German radial-engined fighter was superior in almost all respects to the contemporary British Spitfire V and was able to maintain this advantage until the arrival of the first Spitfire IXs in July 1942.

Focke Wulf Fw190s operated as a day fighters alongside Messerschmitt Bf109s on all German war fronts, from North Africa to Arctic Russia, until the end of World War Two. As German ground attack units demanded higher performance aircraft they were quickly fitted with bomb racks for fighter bomber work. Later still they were used as night fighters against the British bombers.

Although the company manufactured a prototype two-seat Fw190 to help with the conversion of pilots from slower ground attack units, all the other two-seaters, like this one, were produced by modifying existing aircraft.

Operators
Czechoslovakian Air Force (Postwar)
France - French Air Force — The French Air Force ordered 64 aircraft post-war from the SNCA aircraft company. The Fw 190 A-5/A-6 model that was chosen carried the designation NC 900. The aircraft were used operationally for a short period and withdrawn due to problems with the BMW 801 engine.
French Navy (Postwar)
Nazi Germany - Luftwaffe
Hungary - Royal Hungarian Air Force received a total of 72 Fw 190F-8s starting in the November 1944. They were operated by the 102. vadászbombázó század, later 102. csatarepulö osztály (102nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron, later Wing) engaging in close-support missions on the Eastern Front in 1944–45.
Japan - Japanese Army Air Force received one Fw 190A-5 for evaluation purposes.
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 "Mölders" 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.
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.They were not used operationally.[56] Nine serviceable Fw 190s were later confiscated by the Soviet Union.
Turkey - Turkish Air Force — Not entirely unlike Finland's Ilmavoimat air arm of the World War II years, the Turkish Air Force was the only air force, other than the Finns, who operated both Allied and Axis aircraft throughout World War II. Beginning in mid-1942, received 72 examples of the Fw 190 A-3a (export model of A-3, a stood for ausländisch—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 service until the end of 1947 after that all of them had to be retired because of lack of spare parts.
United Kingdom - Royal Air Force — No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight RAF evaluated at least one captured FW 190A-4.
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.
Yugoslavia - SFR Yugoslav Air Force — Postwar, one aircraft.

Performance
Maximum speed: 656 km/h (408 mph) at 19,420 ft (5,920 m)
Range: 800 km (500 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,410 m (37,430 ft)
Rate of climb: 15 m/s (2,953 ft/min)
Wing loading: 241 kg/m² (49.4 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.29–0.33 kW/kg (0.18–0.21 hp/lb)

Armament
Guns:
2 × 13 mm (.51 in) synchronized MG 131 machine guns with 475 rounds per gun
4 × 20 mm MG 151/20 E cannon with 250 rpg, synchronized in the wing roots and 140 rpg free-firing outboard in mid-wing mounts.

General Characteristics Specifications (Fw 190 A-8)
Crew: 1
Length: 9.00 m (29 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 10.51 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.95 m (12 ft 12 in)
Wing area: 18.30 m² (196.99 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,200 kg (7,060 lb)
Loaded weight: 4,417 kg (9,735 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 4,900 kg (10,800 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × BMW 801 D-2 radial engine, 1,250 kW (1,700 PS, 1,677 hp)

Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Primarily Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG, but also AGO, Arado, Fieseler, Mimetall, Norddeutsche Dornier and others
Designer: Kurt Tank
First flight: 1 June 1939
Introduction: August 1941
Retired: 9 May 1945 (Luftwaffe)
                      1949 (Turkey)
Primary users: Luftwaffe
                          Hungarian Air Force
                          Turkish Air Force
Produced: 1941–45; 1996: 16 reproductions
Number built: Over 20,000
Variants: Ta 152

General characteristics Specifications (Fw 190 D-9)
Crew: 1
Length: 10.20 m (33 ft 5½ in)
Wingspan: 10.50 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 18.30 m² (196.99 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,490 kg (7,694 lb)
Loaded weight: 4,270 kg (9,413 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 4,840 kg (10,670 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Junkers Jumo 213A 12-cylinder inverted-Vee piston engine, 1,287 kW (1,750 PS, 1,726 hp) or 1,508 kW (2,050 PS, 2,022 hp) with boost (model 213E)

Performance
Maximum speed: 685 km/h (426 mph) at 6,600 m (21,655 ft), 710 km/h (440 mph) at 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
Range: 835 km (519 mi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
Rate of climb: 17 m/s (3,300 ft/min)
Wing loading: 233 kg/m² (47.7 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.30–0.35 kW/kg (0.18–0.22 hp/lb)

Armament
Guns: (all synchronized to fire through propeller arc)
2 × 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns with 475 rpg
2 × 20 mm MG 151 cannons with 250 rpg in the wing root
Bombs: 1 × 500 kg (1,102 lb) SC 500 bomb (optional)