Focke-Wulf 190 Fighter

The Fw190 was one of the greatest fighters of WWII. Designed by Dr. Kurt Tank, the Fw 190 was built as a sturdy fighter-interceptor to augment the Messerschmitt 109. It proved itself to be an excellent all-round fighter, the early Fw 190A's were superior to the Spitfire Mk.V. This development spurred the continuing evolution of the Spitfire with ever more powerful engines, which pushed evolution of the Fw-190. It was a better fighter than the Bf109, except at high altitude, and it carried much heavier armament. A major advantage was the wider stance the aircraft had. The Messerschmitt proved to be easy to bounce onto a wing-tip on landing due to the narrow landing gear. The Focke Wulf did not have this problem, which saved pilots lives and aircraft. It was also successfully developed into a series of fighter-bombers, culminating in the superb TA 152. Total Fw 190 production was 20001.

Technical Details
The Fw 190A-1 first flew in 1941 and quickly pushed the Bf109 aside as the main Luftwaffe fighter. It was powered by a 1,600 hp (1250kW) BMW 801C-1 engine that gave it a maximum speed of 389 mph (626 km/h), with a ceiling of 34,775 ft (11300m) and a range of 497 mi (800 km). Armament consisted of four 7.9mm machine guns.

The Fw 190A-3 was brought into production in 1942 featuring the BMW 801 A-1 engine that gave it a bit more speed, 392 mph (636 kph). Armament was uprated to two 7.9 mm machine guns and four 20 mm cannons in the wings.

The Fw 190D-9 of 1944 had a powerful 1300kW Junkers Jumo 213A-1 powerplant. This gave it a speed of 685 kph, a ceiling of 12,000 m and a range of 835 km. It was armed with 2 heavy 13mm machine guns, 2 20 mm cannons and up to 500 kg (1,100 lbs) of bombs. The Fw 190D-series used a liquid-cooled Junkers engine instead of the radial BMW, and had increased span and length. The Fw 190D was a very good high-altitude interceptor, equal to the P-51D or Spitfire XIV and without the altitude limitations of the Fw 190A. It was the stepping-stone to the Ta 152.

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