Focke-Wulf Fw 190

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was a single-seater, single-engine fighter aircraft of the Luftwaffe. Used extensively during WW II from 1941 over 20,000 were manufactured including around 6,000 fighter-bomber models.

Designed around the radial air-cooled BMW 139 engine, the Fw 190 was quite a different aircraft to the Messerschmitt Bf 109. It was ordered by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium in 1937 as an addition to the Bf 109. Design work began around two different engines, the BMW 801 and the liquid-cooled DB 601, although common thinking supported the 'stream-lined' vee-engine design, Ernst Udet supported the BMW 139 radial engine. This was despite reliability problems with the early engines including a tendency to overheat, high cockpit temperatures (exceeding 55° C) and the leakage of exhaust gas into the cockpit. The BMW 139 finally was canceled, and the Fw 190 employed the BMW 801 instead.

The armament of the A-1 series consisted of two MG17 (7.92mm) guns mounted in the upper engine cowling, one MGFF 20 mm gun at each wing root and a MG17 in each wing. The A-4 series had this changed to 2x MG17 in the cowling, a MG151/20 (a development of the 15 mm MG151 to the 20mm caliber) at each wing root and a MGFF 20 mm gun in each wing. The A-6 Series replaced these outer MG FF guns for the more powerful MG151/20 model and the A-8 had the cowling mounted MG17s replaced by the more powerful MG131 (13mm) Also the A-8 had the option of fitting the very powerful MK108 30 mm gun instead of the wingboard MG151/20. These heavier weapons were more suited to combat the bombers. One version of the A-8, the A-8/R8 was specially developed for this task and was given extra armour to protect against the defensive guns carried the bombers.

The first prototype was flown on June 1, 1939 and soon proved to have good qualities for such a comparatively small craft including excellent handling, good visibility and promising speed (initially around 610 km/h), its wide landing gear made it a more versatile aircraft than the Bf 109 and a safer one. Examples were delivered to front-line squadrons in late 1940 but the aircraft did not reach combat units in any numbers until autumn 1941. Oddly the Allies were entirely unaware of the new fighter and initial reports were dismissed as "Curtiss P-36 Mohawks captured from the French"; they were soon disabused of this idea and when the British acquired an intact Fw 190A-3 in 1942 (when Luftwaffe pilot Armin Faber landed on a British airfield by mistake) they were quick to raid the aircraft for its technical secrets.

With the introduction of the North American P-51 in late 1943 and early 1944, the USAAF fighter units were gaining a distinct advantage over the Fw 190 in terms of speed. After high-altitude experiments in 1942 with new engines the long-nosed 'D' (or Dora) variant was fitted with the new liquid-cooled 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) Jumo 213, with MW50 injection the engine could produce 2,240 hp (1,670 kW) of emergency power. As it was used in the anti-fighter role, armament in the 'D' was generally lightened compared to that of the earlier aircraft - usually, the wing cannon were dropped so that the armamement consisted of 2 x 13 mm MGs and 2 x 20 mm wingroot cannon. However, the Dora still featured the same wing as the A-8 and as demonstrated by the D-11 and D-13 variants was capable of carrying wing cannon as well.

While virtually all variants could carry bombs, the dedicated fighter-bomber variants were the 'F' and 'G'. Wing armament was sacrificed for two hardpoints and a third was added under the belly, and extra armour was also added. The initial bomb load was around 500 kg (A-4), but this was soon increased to 1000 kg (A-5) and eventually a 1800 kg bomb could be carried. These aircraft had a loaded weight almost four times higher than the 1941 aircraft.

After the 'D' later variants of the 190 were named 'Ta' in honour of Focke-Wulf designer Kurt Tank. The most promising design was the Ta 152HH, it used the liquid-cooled Jumo 213E engine, and with greater wing area for better high altitude performance it was capable of speeds in excess of 700 km/h and had a service ceiling of around 15,000 m. Armed with a single 30 mm cannon and two MG151/20 guns it was highly successful. But manufacturing problems, materials shortages and the disruption towards the end of the war resulted in very few Ta 152s being built, no more than 150 in total. Effort was also diverted into further prototype work, the lower altitude Ta 152C with a DB 603L engine and five cannon.

General characteristics

(view detailed specifications)

Wingspan: 10.49 m (34ft 5in)
Length: 8.84 m (29ft 0in)
Height: 3.96 m (12ft 12in)
Weight: 3,200 kg (7,060 lb) empty, 4,900 kg (10,800 lb) gross
Engine: BMW 801D, 1,270 kW (1,700 hp), 1,600 kW (2,100 hp) with boost
Maximum speed: 650 km/h (404 mph) @ 4,800 m (15,750ft)
Service ceiling: 11,410 m (37,430 ft)
Armament: 2 × MG 131 13 mm machine guns, 4 × MG 151/20 20 mm cannon

Focke-Wulf Fw 190

General characteristics

Related Content