FOCKE-WULF Fw 190 Described ::. GEOFFREY PENTLAND & ANTHONY SHENNAN = MODELLERS’ £ KOOKABURRA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS Jd 42°1qN(@id é SERIES.Series 1 No.5 TECHNIGAL MANUAL PUBLISHED BY KOOKABURRA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS DANDENONG, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA @® CONTENTS COPYRIGHT KOOKABURRA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS 1970 Cover: A Channel-based Fw 190A-3 of J.G.2 on shipping patrol off the coast of France in late 1942.PART | of TWO PARTS. FOCKE-WULF Fw190 DESCRIBED By GEOFFREY PENTLAND and ANTHONY SHENNAN Wk Nr. 748, On 23rd June 1942 observers at R.A.F. Pembrey watched with interest as a sleck fighter streaked over the aerodrome perform- ing a neat series of victory rolls, side-slipped steeply, lowered its undercarriage, landed and taxied up to the control tower. Ground crew stared incredulously at the brightly painted spinner and undercowling on the strangely proportioned aircraft, Only when ithad stop- ped did they notice its black and white Luft waffe markings! The duty officer was the first to act. Quick- ly grabbing a Very pistol he leapt on the wing and levelled the weapon at the German pilot’s head. ‘The Allies had been presented with their first intact example of the Luftwaffe’s latest fighter, the hitherto secret Focke-Wulf 190. The pilot’s ‘official’ story was that he had mistaken the Bristol channel for the Eng- lish Channel and thought he was landing on an airfield in France! Arnim Faber, under interrogation, later told of how he found him- self dangerously low on fuel, and owing to a previous flying accident during which he injured his back, was unwilling to bale out over England. His stories were received with mixed credence. However the acquisition of the newest type of German fighter enabled the Allies to gain for the first time an accurate assessment of the capabilities of this potent aircraft. Features from the Fw 190 were in fact incorporated into subsequent fighters produced in Great Britain. No greater tribute than this could be paid to this fighter which was able to es- tablish ascendancy over the best of the fighters of Fighter Command — a lead which was Fw 190A-4 flown by von Hauptnann Siegfried Schnell while with HI/JC 2. to give it almost unchallenged supremacy for nearly two years. The Fw 190 was conceived in the Autumn of 1937 when a fighter was required to supple- ment the Messerschmitt BE 109. Dipl. Ing Kurt Tank, the Technical Director of Focke- Wulf prepared two alternative design pro- posals: one based on the use of the 12 cylinder inverted-vee liquid cooled Daimler-Benz DB 601 and the other around the BMW 139 air-cooled radial. (I¢ is interesting to recall that a specially boosted version of the Daimler. Beng engine, when installed in a Messerschmitt BY 109V13 raised the International Speed Record for landplanes to 379.39 m.p.h. on 11th November, 1937). ‘The then-recent design preference had been towards using the liquid cooled inline engine for single engined fighters, principally because of the low drag offered. As against this line ‘of thought there were those who believed that the drag of a radial engine could be greatly reduced by the use of close cowling and care- ful design. Therefore, it came as something of a surprise to Tank and his design team to learn that General Ernst Udet wished them to proceed with the BMW proposal. The de cision was to have profound consequences in the air war over Europe a few years later. At this time the Messerschmitt BE 109 was believed to be superior to any other fighter in the world and moreover, it was expected that this advantage would be held for some years. This situation allowed Tank's men to proceed unhurriedly with the project for their unusual and highly functional fighter. The new machine embodied a combination ofFw 190A—1, KB—PJ used for evaluation with an armament of two MG 17 machine guns in the upper cowling and two in the wings. On the right is an earlier Fw 190A—O. (K.Merrick) simple yet strong construction allied to light weight, ease of field maintenance, and offered the attractive possibility of using widespread sub-contracting factories, a vital factor in war time as it was to prove. The successful stream- lining of the bulky radial engine was one of the outstanding features of the design, and as with most aesthetically attractive machines, it offered handling qualities to match Work started in the Summer of 1938, the R.L.M. type number Fw 190 being allocated. Within ten months the first prototype, the Fw 190VI, powered by a 1550 h.p. BMW 138 radial engine was ready. The aircraft was unusual in that it featured an exceedingly large ducted spinner in an effort to reduce drag, It was also hoped that this would elimin- ate the need for a heavy engine cooling fan, but it was found that cylinder head tempera- tures rose alarmingly without the fan. Itwas first tested on Ist June, 1939 by FockeWull’s chief test pilot Fluykapitan Hans Sander, who was highly impressed by the new fighter The wings spanned only 31 ft 2 in, and had an area of 160 sq. fi. Loaded weight was a mere 3968 Ib. 1804 kg). Afier only five test flights the machine was handed over to a number of the Lufiwaffe’s most talented test pilots, All voiced great enthusiasm over the well balanced controls, high degree of man oeuvrability and excellent performance. An outstanding feature was the impressive rate of roll which would have torn the wings off many a contemporary fighter. The delightful landing and takeoff characteristics were also a great improvement over the Bf 109 which had already displayed a high mortality rate on account of its narrow track undercarriage. In fact the only serious complaint concerned the proximity of the engine to the cockpit, which caused uncomfortably high tempera- tures and singed the feet of the pilot! A maximum speed of 370 m.p.h. was attained during a series of trials at the Zuft waffe test centre at Rechlin. Concurrently, the second prototype, designed Fw 190 V2, was being developed. The second prototype was first flown in October 1939 and the loaded weight was a low 4410 Ib. (2000kg). It is interesting to note that the Fw 190 was to nearly triple its loaded weight by the time the A series ended. By comparison, the Spitfire 1 began life at 5280 Ib. and the Spitfire IX had only increased to 7500 Ib. The aircraft was then employed for arma- ment tests, having two 13 mm.MG 131 and two MG 17 machine guns of 7.9 mm installed Fw 190 sign: RM the second prototype (radio call + CA) being flight tested in 1939The second prototype in flight. (Montage: A. Shennan) in the wing roots and synchronized to fire through the propeller. On completion of these tests the Fw 190 V2 returned to Rechlin where the machine was destroyed owing to a failure of the crankshafi afer some 50 hours of flight testing. Early in 1940 Marshal Goering visited the Focke-Wulf factory for an inspection of the Fw 190V2. Suitably impressed, he became a firm advocate for the Focke-Wulf fighter giving, his personal approval to mass production. The Fw 190V2 was tirst flown at a loaded weight of 4410 Ibs, the extra load being due to the weight of guns, cooling fan and arm- oured cowling rings. Early in May 1939 it had been decided to halt work on the Fw 190V3 and V4 as an entirely new engine, the BMW 801 was proving highly satisfactory during bench run ning and although heavier, showed great promise of increased power output. To accom- modate the new engine, a number of modi- fications were necessary to the design but these were later turned to good account. As the new engine was appreciably heavier, the cockpit was moved further aft, thus solving both the centre of gravity and cockpit over- heating problems in one siroke. Two new protoypes constructed also used the B MW 801 which needed additional stiffen- ing of the airframe structure and stronger engine mounts. These two new aircraft were designated Fw 190V 5k and Fw 190V5.g re- spectively, the former having identical wings to the first two machines (A/ein:small) and the latter, larger wings (gross large) in an effort to improve manoeuvrability. The Fw 190V 5g did in fact show a marked improve- ment in manoeuvrability and was only penal- ized by some 6 m.p.h. in level flight by the slightly larger wing. Dimenstons for the Fw 190V5k wings were 31 fi. 2 in, and 160 sq. fi. area, and for the Fw 190V5g, 34 ft. 5-3/8 in. and 196.98 sq. ft area, Both prototypes were flown in the Spring of 1940 and carried four 7.9 mm. MG 17 machine guns. The Fw 190V5é was completely wrecked the fol lowing August when it collided with a tractor on landing. Meanwitile another prototype, the Fw 190 V6 was under construction, being fitted also with the larger wing. This aircraft was the preproduction prototype and made its first fight October 1940. THE Fw 190 A SERIES Initial enthusiasm over the trials of the first prototype had resulted in an order for 18 preproduction machines with the earlier BMW engine, the first of these being ready for service evaluation in October 1940. Be- cause the relative merits of the two types of wings had not been fully realized, the first seven (Werk Nos, 0008 to 0014) of the batch of Fw 190A-0 fighters were fitted with the original short span wings. But with the bene- fits of the increased span wing now a proven reality, the remaining eleven machines (Werk Nos. 0015 to 0025) received the modification which became standard for the following pro- duction versions. These aircraft were powered with the 1600 h.p. BMW 801C and were armed with four 7.9 mm. MG 17 machine guns — two in the wing roots and two in the fuselage upper decking. The later machines were similar to the initial production Fw 190 A-1—named unofficially, as the Wurger or Butcher Bird. An order for one hundred of these fighters (Werk Nos. 0026 to 0125) had been com- pleted at the Focke-Wulf plants at HamburgFw 190 V2 stands between Fu 190A-0 series. (Photo: Ken Merrick ) and Bremen by late Spring of 1941. The Wurger was well tested by Luftwaffe fighter squadrons and as a result of suggestions made, many practical improvements were in corporated in the Fw 190A-2, the next pro- duction model. These included a re-stressed cowling with stronger locking toggles, a more efficient engine cooling fan, a cartridge type cockpit canopy jettison mechanism, and ad ditional guns in the form of two MG FF (Gerlikon) cannon in the wing roots, replacing the former twin MG 17 (Rheinmetadi) machine guns. Later, wwo additional MG 17 guns were added outboard of the wing root, bringing the total to four, as complaints had been made by Service pilots that earlier armament had been inadequate The Fw 190A-2 saw its first operational use with Jagdgeschwader ].G. 26 "Schlageter? in July 1941 at Cherbourg when commanded by Adolf Galland. By now with modifications and increased armament, loaded weight of the A-2 had increased to 7716 lb(3500kg). Top speed was 389 m.p.h. at 18,000 ft. After the big tactical switch of the Lufé waffe to the Russian front at this time, Jagdge- schwader 2 and 26, the remaining fighter units were reequipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 Fs which, however, proved to have no superiority over the R.A.F. Spitfire Vs. Be- cause of this. priority was given to the rapid introduction of the new FockeWulf fighter on the Channel coast. The first few Fw 190A-1s and A-2s were not long in revealing the weak- nesses of the Spitfires which from then on began to fall in increasing numbers to the guns of the new fighter. At first, J.G. 26 op- erated both Bf 109F-4s and Fw 190A-1s and A-2 s until the Bf 109 5 were completely replaced. The BMW engine showed early teething troubles, and equipped with the generally un- satisfactory slow firing MG FF cannon, the machine was hardly justified in combat. Rela tively few Fw 190 4-2 5 were constructed, being superseded by the new A-3 model which of fered several advantages and appeared in the Autumn of 1941 The new Fw 190A-3 featured increased armament and armour protection plus the installation of a 1700 h.p. BMW 801Dg engine. The MG FF cannon were moved out- board, being replaced by a pair of faster firing 20 mm. MG 151 cannon in the wing roots which provided more elfective striking power for the usual brief seconds of a firing pass during combat. The twin MG 17 machine guns in the fuselage upper decking were ré tained. High priority was given to the Focke- Wulf construction programme with the result that by February 1942 the Fw 190 output had increased to over 250 machines. per month It was at this time that the testing of Faber’s relinquished machine began in England. The: colourful fighter, now recamouflaged and marked by the R.A.F. found itself the mount for experienced British pilots and although showing minor faults, demonstrated a marked superiority over the Spitfires then in pro- duction, In particular the interesting structure of the aircraft came in for much favourable comment, the result being the issuing of sev- eral new British fighter specifications, eventu- ally culminating in the sleck Hawker Fury (the predecessor to the Typhoon and Tempest) and the Folland Fo 118. Design details and conception of both these aircraft owed much Fe 190 V5k, the third prototype with short span wings, (Photo: Ministry of Defence)Left English experts examine captured Fu 190A-3. Right: Faber’s surrendered Fw 190A-3 was recamouflaged in British temperate scheme of dark earth, dark green uppersurfaces and sky blue undersurfaces, and bore serial MP 499. to the captured Fw 190 A-3 which before long was not the only Focke-Wulf fighter in Allied hands. The vital concern of the R.A.F, was to arrest the high losses of the Spitfire Vs which were then falling to the multiple guns of the 190s. Indeed the Spitfire V was proving in- adequate and with Fw 190As appearing in greater numbers the production of a fighter having a matching performance became amat- ter of vital urgency for the Allies, The result, but never the complete answer, despite its top speed of over 400 m.p.h. was the Spitfire IX. However it was some time before the Spitiires were in a position to even challengethe Fw 190 which enabled the latter to maintain a super- lority over the Spitlire Vs for almost two years. In fact, the Fw 190 had a speed and rate of climb advantage only over the early Spitfire but not over the Spitlire IX (see ap pendix ) although both British aircraft could easily outrun the German machine, and with good fortune get in a quick burst. The climb of the Spitlire IX exceeded that of the Fw 190 to 18,000 ft. Combat tactics for the 190 5 Kommodore Joseph Priller of J.G. 26 demonstrates tactics to a group of pilots usually consisted of a fast diving attack fol- lowed by a rapid climb to altitude, when the attack was usually repeated. The early Spitfires had no real counter. In mid 1942 the aircraft appeared in a new role — that of the Fw 190A-4 fighter bomber, boasting an MW 50 supplementary fuel injection system which increased the power of the BMW 801 D-2 to 2100 hip. for short bursts and raised the maximum speed to 416 m.p.h. A modification for use in the Mediterranean theatre known as the Fw 190.A-4/Trop. was fitted with the customary dust filters at each side of the cowlings to prolong engine life, an essential for dusty operations in this sector, Standard fighter armament was carried plus a rack for one 551 Ib. bomb under the centre section. A further fighter-bomber variant, the Fw 190 4/U8 carried a 66 gal: drop tank beneath each wing, provisions for one 1102 Ib bomb and a reduction in armament to the two wing mounted MG 151 cannon. Special FuG 16 7, and FuG 25a radio and navigational equip- ment was carried. If necessary the wing under- in front of his machine Wk. Nr. 310 which displayed a red ace of hearts on a white playing card. (E.McDowell)Sl ee ‘we me Left. Fw 190A-3 being run up at an operational airfield. (Pholu: Ken Merrick ). Right: ‘Red 10"of operational unit, Note pilot’s lifgacket. (Photo: Gary Field, Australia) surface could be stripped clean in a matter of minutes permitting the aircraft to function as a normal fighter. In September 1942, the Jabo (long-distance fighter-bomber from Jagd- bomber) units of }G2 and [G26 were equipped with the A-4/U8 for low-level *tip-and-run” raids on the English coast. These raids were highly effective and caused RAF. Fi Command considerable trouble, as the R.A.F. were forced to maintain standing patrols in an attempt (0 combat the annoying attacks. The Fw usually (but not always) attacked in pairs, streaking in low over the sea, below the radar net, hitting their coastal town tar. gets and then speeding off before the R.A.E. fighters could engage them. The following '88 reports come from “Aircraft Recog: June 1943. ‘The first Fw 190 was a bit ahead of the rest and he seemed to cut right across the front of the whole formation — his yellow motor cowl showing clearly. ‘The rest of the formation — I saw roughly cight.— though there were more than that — seemed to be in no definite order though they were all at different heights, none below about 100 ft as near as I could judge. They seemed to be taking their runs by flying along the main roads or parallel to the eyewi “My most vivid recollections are the ‘float- ing’ Fw 190s as they slowly (apparently) descended the hillside towards us practically dead head-on. So perfectly set in the air, beautifully coloured, like extraordinarily good models, they were steady as rocks while doing Fv 1904-3, Wh. Nr. 313, surrendered by Obl. Arnim Faber in its original colours, light grey with dapple dark grey overspray on fuselage: uppersurfaces ight and dark green splinter: Undersurfaces: pale grey-blue (Photo: Ministry of Defence). their bombing runs, ‘wriggling’ their wings ever so slightly now and then. No impression of speed until on top of you. ‘The next im- pression is of the bomb coming at us — I watched the bomb rather than the aeroplane — though it passed over us only 30 ft. away ‘The introduction of the Typhoon finally re- duced the Fw 190A-4s' effectiveness and gained a respite for the oftpounded towns of the English Channel coast. Yet another version, the Fw 190A-4/R6 was produced with the MW 50 fuel injection boost omitted but with standard fighter arma ment and WG21 rocket missile tubes under each wing. Dimensions of the WG 21 rocket inissile were as follows: Length: 29.5 in.(1.25 cm); diameter: 8.25 in. (21 em). These were designed for use against massed bomber form- ations or against ground targets. By the end of 1942 the principal tighter Staffel of the Luftwaffe were now equipped almost equally with the Bf 109 and Fw 190 respectively; by far the greater part of Fw 190 production for that year being reserved for the fighter units. Out of the total of 1918 machines produced during 1942, 68 of these were A-4/U8 and A-4/Trop. versions. Reports from the Mediterranean and Russian fronts indicated that the need for these ground attack fighters was becoming increasingly great, and in early 1943 part of the rapidly expanding Fw 190 production was allocated to cater for these and other units. All variants of the A-5 series featured a redesigned engine mount which placed the BMW 801D-2. 6 in. (152.5 mm) further forward. Modifications to the basic A-5 model now began to appear thick and fast, and with Allied Bomber Command’s nightly destruction creasing in intensity an attempt was made to use the Fw 190 as a night fighter, thi version being designated Fw 190 These machines were fitted with anti-dazale screens and flame shrouds over the exhausts Until withdrawn at the onset of Winier they were outstandingly successful against Allied bombers, in Wilde San (Wild Boar) tactics, which involved co-operation between fighters and searchlight units.The bulk of machines delivered in 1943 consisted of the new Fw 190A-5/U3, fighter bomber and A-5/U8 long range fighter bom ber. On the former, defensive armament was again reduced to two MG 151 20mm,cannon, but the bomb load was increased to one 1102 1b. bomb under the fuselage and one 551 Ib. bomb slung under each wing. The longer range Fw 190A-5/U8 carried two 66 gal. drop tanks and provision for a 1102 Ib. bomb load; and a special ground-support version making its first flight late in 1943 — the A-5/UI1 in which two 30mm.MK 103 guns replaced the outboard 20mm. MG FF cannon. In November 1943, a specially adapted fighter designated Fw 190A-5/U15 began making dropping tests with a single 2090 Ib (950kg) LT 950 torpedo. A greatly lengthened tailwheel yoke afforded the necessary ground clearance for this unusual configuration, Three aircraft of this type were tested, one featuring a 30mm. MK 103 cannon outboard under each wing. The others had the customary armament of two wing mounted 20mm. MG 151 cannon. These aircraft were later used in action against bridges and were attached to III/KG/200 during Winter 1944/45, op- erating from Berlin in 1945, In an effort to further increase the fire power of the Fw 190, several ideas were tried. The Fw 190A-4/R6 was fitted with a pair of 21 cm.WG 21 mortars whilst the Fw 190A- 5/U16 was fitted with two 30mm. MK 108 cannon in place of the usual MG FF, only however, to pay the price by suffering de creased manoeuvrability. One of the best solu- tions to the problem of gaining more firepower was offered in the Fw 190A-6 where the slow firing MG FF were replaced by the faster firing MG 151, now providing a total battery of four MG 151 cannon plus two MG 17 machine guns. By now, inferior manoeuvra bility, one of the penalties of added firepower was beginning to adversely affect the fighter’s performance and with the A-6 model an at tempt was made to arrest the vicious weight Loft. Fa 190A-5/U3. Trop. bombs beneath launching tubes. (Photo: Ministry of Defence) selai Photo: A, Shennan, ih experimental ins XK Upper exp Fourth production Fe 190A-1 with imental bomb rach and 250 ke bomb Fw 1WAL U8 of SKG 10 which dat West Malling during a night in truder raid over London, 16th July 1943, Lowe: Fw 1904-5 U1S Torpedo fighter (Photo: Imperial War Museum). Contre spiral consequent upon such development. In meeting this problem the design staff was quite successful and managed to reduce the loaded weight to 8600 Ib.(3901 kg) as compared to the 9480 1b.(4200 kg) of the Fw 190-5 and 8377 Ib.(3800 kg) of the A-3 model. The following model, the A-6, was equipped with two 7.9 mm.MG 17 machine guns and four 20mm.MG 151 cannon. A fighter-bomber allations for eight rockets and rack for four chk: Fw L90A-4/RO with two WG 21 mortarFw 190A. fu: 6 with two WG 21 mortars version, the A-6/R2 carried three 551 Ib. (250kg) bombs. The main innovation of the Fw 190A-7 was the stronger undercarriage, a necessary feature in view of the heavy loads the aircraft was frequently called upon to bear. The A-7/R2 featured yet another of the now almost inevitable armament revisions (this time consisting of two 13mm. MG 131, two 20 mm. MG 151 and wo 30 mm, MK 108) as did the A-7/R3 (two MG 131 and four MG 151). In spite of the heavy attacks by the R.ALF. and the 8th U.S.A.A.F. which disrupted pro: duction, a remarkable recovery was made during 1944, The monthly output of Focke Wulfs actually increased from 380 in Janu ary to some 1390 in September! New variants flourished, the next being the Fw 190A-8 with n extra 25 gallons of internal fuel tankage A feature of the Fw 190A-8/R1 was the op- tional use of GMI power boost in place of the extra fuel tank giving 2100 h.p. for short periods. Four MG 151 cannon were mounted under the wings with the outboard wing can- non removed. Some Fw 1904-8 aircrait were ski-fitted for operations on the Russian front but were not used to any great extent. An / This aircraft had yellow band as background to we balkenkreuze and yellow undercowling. (Photo: Ministry of Defence). interesting sub-variant was the A-8/R3, aclose support fighter with two MG 151 cannon in the wings and a 30 mm.MK 103 (high velocity) cannon ounted in a gondola under each wing, heavy armament suitable for at- tacks on armoured units and reminiscent of the Hurricane IID tank buster used with suc- cess in the Western Desert. The A-8/R11 was a “bad weather" fighter with special radio equipment and an automatic pilot for safer navigation through cloud and rain. An impressive array of aerials sprouted fore and alt of the cockpit and below the in- board section of theewings. A dual control trainer, the A-8/U1 was a tandem two seater intended for the conversion training of former Ju 87D pilots. However two prototypes and one production machine only were built before the project was abandoned. The A-8/UI1 fighter-bomber served with Ju 87D in various ‘ound assault units. It was armed with one 551 Ib. bomb and four smaller 110 lb. bombs. Next of the series was the Fw 190A.9, powered by the same BMW 801F enginewhich offered 2,000 h.p. for take-off whilst the A-9/ R11, another “bad weather” fighter employed the BMW 801 TS equipped with an exhaust Left. Fe 190A-4/U8 in foreground with Fw 190A-2sin background. (Photo: Imperial War Museum) Reht: Fu 190A-5/U8 with one 1102 tb. bomb and fittings for racks for 66 gal. drop tanksLeft Tropicalized Bw 190A-5/UR fighter-bomber with heavy bombloud of 2204 tb, Right Fw 190A-5/U8 a for 1102 tb, bomb. driven turbo-supercharger. Finally, the last of the production variants, the Fw 190A-10 emerged as a fighter-bomber equipped with an exhaust driven turbo-supercharger with further strengthened undercarriage, one 2205 1b.(1000 kg) bomb, or for long range fighter escort, three 66 gal. drop tanks. It is interesting to note that the degree of supremacy the Fw 190A series had enjoyed over Allied fighters was now being seriously challenged. The Spitfire IX had been develop- ed to combat the “Focke-Wulf scourge” whilst the Hawker Typhoon despite its inauspicious introduction was qujte capable of caiching and challenging the later models of Fw 190A fight ers. The monotonous high altitude bombing formations over Germany, heavily escorted by Thunderbolts, Lightnings, and later Mustangs, were also proving a headache to the 1 High Command. Fighter development work still proceeded although test flights were of carried out when the sky was rela- tively cle: OTHER DEVELOPMENTS An early experiment in the quest for a high performance altitude fighter was the Fw 190V13 which appeared early in 1941. This machine was intended to precede the proposed B series but despite a GM1 nitrous oxide power boost system for its air-cooled BMW 801C engine and pressurized cockpit, only partly answered the challenge The design was therefore reworked to use the liquid-cooled Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine, the first of these machines only using the nor. mal mechanically driven turbo-supercharger and threebladed propeller. The other two, characterized by a large belly mounted turbo. supercharger unit were dubbed Kangaruh (Kangaroo ), a humorous reminder of the shape of this unusual marsupial. For maxi- mum efficiency in the rarified air, four-bladed propellers were used and the aircraft were frequently tested above 40,000 ft. A further fh 2 x 66 gal (300 titre) drop tanks and rack bencuth fuselage six prototypes were built and tested, namely: V18/U1, V29, V30, V31, V32 and V33. A prototype without the turbo- supercharger, the Fw 190C was also built but this project Threc views of antiglare shield over exhausis on Fw 190A-3/U8 probably for night intru: der operations,Fw 190A-4/U8 with 2 x 66 g was speedily dropped when the findings of test with the Junkers Jumo fitted Fw 190 V17 and V18 — predecessors of the Fw 190D series — were made known. Small numbers of Fw 190D-O0 and D-1s were delivered for service evaluation during mid-1943 and re- sults were so promising that no time was lost in proceeding with full scale production of the first variant of the new series for combat — the Fw 190D-9. The introduction of the Junkers Jumo engine had in fact provided once again ‘a small speed advantage over that of con- temporary Allied fighters, in the case of the Fw 190D-1 a maximum speed of 432 m.p.h, being attained. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION Combining a simple sturdy airframe with ease of handling and maintenance, the Focke- Wulf 190 was undoubtedly one of the most functional fighter aircraft to see operational service in W.W. 2. Theory behind the design suggested that it would be quicker to have (Fw 1904-3) Fw 190A-1 series al an operational airfield, drop tanks aud rack bencuth fuselage fo 1102 th. bomb parts of the plane replaced rather than repair the parts themselves, Therefore from the out- set, the emphasis was on reducing field main- tenance time to a minimum, and many fittings and items of equipment showed evidence of much thought, ingenuity and thoroughness. Fuselage The fuselage comprised two major com- ponents, the fore section extending from the firewall to frame No. 8 behind the pilot's seat, and the aft section extending from frame No. 8 to the empennage. The basic framework of the aircraft con- sisted of a double deck box-type structure, the top section making up the cockpit, and the lower section housing the fuel tank bays. The firewall, or No. 1 bulkhead was of light sheet steel to which were fitted attachment points for both lower side engine mounts and front wing spar. From these four points longerons ran aft to the rear fusdage, the top longeron serving as tracks for the sliding cockpit canopy. Riveted to the lower longerons 1942,vo6r #1 ATOM-AMOOA AHLLoft. Cooling fan detail Right of double skin was a sheet of aluminum alloy which formed the cockpit floor, and separated it from the fuel tanks underneath. Numerous bulkheads stiffened the fuselage throughout its length up to No. 14 to which the empennage was bolted. ‘A tube mounted in frame No. 13 was designed to accommodate a lifting bar to raise the rear of the aircraft. In the lower fore fuselage six frames were fied, No. 4 being the tiethrough member between rear spar fittings and also serving to separate the two fuel tank bays. A belly skin panel was attached to the lower fuselage by screws, giving access to the two self-sealing fuel tanks which were suspended from the contour rib-bulkheads by heavy web straps Lefts Fe This installation was later 190A-3 converted for fig used on Ful Tailwheel Fetraction access in fin Jer boniber trials with bombrack ji 190A-4 U3 Note ‘dimple’ construction Immediately aft of the top engine mount fittings the fuselage structure, flat at this point, formed a shelf for two 7.92 mm machine guns firing forward through the propeller. Attached to this front panel was a hinged aluminum alloy panel of an interesting" walle” type construction and designed to neatly house the twin guns. The two skins of the “waffle” were fastened together by means of one rivet in each inner skin dimple. Three rather heavy locking toggles which were typical of others throughout the aircraft were used to hold each side of the cowling in place. Thus the cowling was always attached to the aircraft whilst being serviced, and was consequently ready for quick locking and takeoff if re quired. Also, in case the cowling became dis four 250 kg. bombs, Trops. in North Africa. Right: SG 119A Foisler sonde Zweimontage in Fu 190A-8. Installation for ground attach against armors 27%1. Gerdtebretter und -banke A. Beschreibung 1. Gerétebretter + Gerdtetafeln und -banke im Fuhrerraum COCKPIT Fw 190A-7, A-8, A-9, Aug. 1944 Key to Abb. 1. English translation. Serrsvpene 14. 15. 16, 17, 25, 26, 27. 28 . Fuel-oil pressure . Oil temperature |. Fuel gauge i 12, 13. . Stabilizer trim switch 19. 20. 21, 22, = 24, Altimeter Air speed indicator Artificial horizon . Ammeter Repeater Compass . Boost Pressure gauge Tachometer Fuel warning light Fuel gauge selector Propeller pitch indicator Oxygen valve Oxygen pressure gauge Oxygen flow indicator Stabilizer trim indicator Flap and landing gear switches Flap setting indicator Not known Flight instrument panel Engine instrument panel Left instrument console Right instrument console Holder for flare pistol Storage for flare cartridge Not known ‘Abb. 2: Haupigerdtebrett ohne Blends Key to Abb. 2. English translation. . Fuel contents gauge Instrument panel . Rear fuel pump . Front fuel pump . Fuel warning lights . Fuel gauge tank selector. OaReNe ‘Abb. 11: Schicbehaubenbetétigung und. Notabwurfvorrichtung BTwo Mai76 7.92 mm. ‘Treaded_typs (A-3) Two M6131 13mm ‘machine guns VOM three -biaded propeller 109f¢. diameter Toning: stata orn sale! gs 8 Navigation light, Red Ren “Metal framework -Bulged access covers to cannon Allecon (Fm 1804-8) Armour plate, 14mm thick Fabric covered: Elevators shown uncovered Ew l90A-8 Fw 190A: peer Plan View Front Elevation| 20mm cannon alight - green — Metal framework Aileron (Fp 1904-8, Fabrie covered Front Elevation to Adjustable teifglene Bullet creen— calibrations— Armoured cowli (amen. thick | | _——— A | See S Lae ri) It 2 @ 4 Vo ° a -Smmarmour \ DE Looe: FwIQ0A- ‘Woe Ib. bomb, = 2604/35 m0 Electrical/ 8500 bomb as rs omitted Smooth tyre ‘bomb rach — at ‘Release cly Electrically Split fia Fw I90A-8 Underneath Plan Access te master compats. 77 Bite Sate, \ ~~ erermagaines ‘Detachable tips: 100 x175.mm. ‘Smooth contour Sinch extension to nere Access to MO isle Shall ejector chute Underneath View | Scale Drawings by FOCKE-WULF Fw190 i ee |G.G. Pentland. KOOKABURRA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS 1967~ Fwl90A-SUIS Fw190A-8)R1 FOCKE-WULF FW190 scateQrings bs a a a KOOKABURRA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS 1967Fw190A-8R3 Fw 1904-8/U1 (| ee 5 J —- mm = aamounriare anes a Ground Attack Versions ——=0=— ome mn a © erm ir exat6 (St fo 2xme isp Q=— amor pus rere soysne zee; 2xmsras —exmeis! Ar Bae ac ARMAMENT DATA MANUFACTURER | CALIBRE VELOCITY ROUNDS PER Rheinmetall MG FF {Oerlikon 20.00 mm. MG 131 | Rheinmetall 13.00 mm. 950 MG 151 | Mauser 15.00 mm MK 103] Rheinmetall 30.00 mm Rheinmetall DIMENSIONS: Fw 190A SERIES Type Span Length ‘Type Span Length Fw 190V1 and V2 | 312° 286%" | Fw 1904-0 312" 28°10%" | Fw 190V5k 312" 28°10," 34°5%" f= 28°1014" Fw 190V5g 34°5 15" 28'10%" | Fw 190A-1 to Ad 34°54" 28°10." Fw 190V6 34°5Y2" | 28°10%" | Fw 1904-5 to Al0 | 34°51" | 294-3/8"Above: Centre panels, Fw 190-3 oN ae vw: Left: Port console, Fw 190A-3. Right: Starbo le, Fw 1904-3, (Photos: MinistryUpper: Fu 1904-8 with one external tank of unusual design. Lower: Fw 190A-8 with “Double Rider” external tank installation (Photos: Heinz Nowarra) torted, the toggles were strong enough to pull it into position for locking. Side access panels, swinging down around the engine mount, were designed for use as convenient work platforms for mechanics working on the front of the aircraft The cockpit canopy and its fairing formed one unit at the base of which was a 3/8 in tubular member bent in an inverted U at the front to fit into the windshield. The wind- shield itself had a front pandl fabricated from 1-3/4 in, bulletproof glass at a 63 degree angle. At the rear of the moulded hood a stamped flanged aluminum A frame was set between the tube frame ends and was riveted an alumimum alloy fairing mounted on a 3/4 in. tube extending aft. The whole unit rode on three ball bearing rollers, one on each side of the structure in the top fuselage longer- ons, and one attached to the tube, running in a channel section set in the fuselage turdedeck. The cockpit cover could only be operated from inside by means of a crank attachment, emergency exit being effected by pushing down on a small handle located near the crank. This caused a cartridge to explode, jerking the canopy backwards far enough to allow the slipstream to flow under the rear end and pull it away. The small explosive charge was located aft of a piece of silhouette shaped 1/4 in. 14 mm. armour plate just behind the pilot's head. The arrangement of the radio antenna was such that it led into the cockpit over a pulley set in the roof of the canop and irrespective of whether the canopy was open or not the radio antenna remained in tension, Flight and engine instruments were arrang. ed on two panels beneath the windshield on horizontal panels on each side as can be seen in the photographs and illustration, Thepilot’s seat, which was fitted with 8 mm.thick armour plating at the rear, accommodated a seat parachute, and was adjustable four inches up and down to suit the pilot’s réquirements The aft section of the fuselage — frames . 8 to 14 — featured semi-monocoque con- suction and was attached to the front section by rivets passing through both skins and the flanged portion of No.8. In frame No. 12, there was a fabric panel designed to prevent dust from entering and interfering with the radio, camera, and master magnetic compass located just to the rear of the wing fairing, ‘This section of the fuselage had six Z shaped stringers on either side and five on the bottom, in addition to two heavy U shaped stringers at the joint of bottom and side sections. Flush riveting was employed throughout the frame- work of the aircraft. Empennage Construction of the empennage was very neat, being quite light butexceptionally strong It was attached to the aft fuselage section by bolts through mating flange frames. A stamped flanged rib extended from sideto side, and beneath this was a further full width rib, both having lightening holes in unstressed portions. ‘The backbone of the entire empen. nage was the diagonal spar which carried tailwheel loads on the ground and flying surface loads whilst airborne. On the front face of this diagonal spar between two horizontal ribs was riveted a forged fitting for an attachment point for the rear stabilizer spar. At the leading edge of the fin, the skin was crimped and rive ted together with five diamond shaped self-locking nuts inserted and rive ted between the crimp. ing. The leading edge skin, of formed alum Below: Fw 190A-8/R1 with two MG 131s and six.20 mm, cannon.inum alloy was then fastened in place with flush flathead screws fitting into the diamond nuts. The skin aft of the diagonal member was of “waffle” construction, eliminating the need for stringers. Access to the tailwheel retraction unit was gained by means of a triangular shaped inspection door. ‘The dynamic and mass-balanced rudder was built round a single spar of stamped flanged aluminum alloy to which three hinge fittings were affixed. The leading edge was flush riveted to the spar. Rounded gusset plates were fitted to the ribs, the whole rudder being fabric covered. The rudder trim was adjustable only on the ground, this being simply a metal strip riveted to the trailing edge, with a series of perforations parallel to the riveting to facilitate bending. Two types of tabs were employed, some with slotted perforations and some with round holes. A feature of the stabilizer was an attach- ment for a screwjack fitted to an electric motor suspended from within the fin leading edge. The motor moved the leading edge of the stabilizer over the full range of adjustment — about 1-1/2 inches — in about 20 seconds. The stabilizer upper and lower skins were crimped and rive ted together in a similar manner to the fin. The rivet alignment and acing was irregular throughout its length. vators were of conventional construction with a single spar, metal leading edge, metal ribs with rounded gusset plates, metal trailing edge and fabric covering. Each ¢levator was hinged to the stabilizer at three points. Wing The wing construction of the Fw 190 was unique in that it was built as a single unit from tip to tip, necessitating a completechange if damaged between thedetachabletips. Strong- est part of the tapering front spar was the integral centre section, as it bore the weight of the lower side and bottom engine mounts, fuselage fitting attachments, four 20 mm.can- non and main landing gear. At the centre line it was a built up triple web ‘I’ beam heavily reinforced to take necessary loads. At the position of the side mounts for the engine, the spar was bent forward 14 deg. maintaining this angle to the main landing gear fittings, from which point it paralleled the centre section. This bend permitted the landing gear wheel to retract and fit snugly against the spar. Immediately outboard of the landing gear fittings, where the spar again bent was a rive ted gusset reinforcement ex- tending just beyond the cannon port. From this point to the tips the spar consisted of a single web ‘I’ beam with lightening holes throughout its length. The leading edge was screwed to the full length of this outer portion. Upper: Two-seat Fw 190A-8/U1 at Augsburg, (Photo: lohn Weidman). Lower of VIC 54 ‘The main leading edge member, just out board of the gun port was a double stamped, flanged rib with cutout for the landing gear strut. Other stamped flanged ribs formed a feature of this section. Five partribs, besides those at the wingtips were attached to both top and bottom skins. Fw 1904-4 ‘The rear spar, consisting of a conventional tapering ‘I’ beam extended from top and bottom forged fuselage attachment fittings to the tips, and carried both flaps and ailerons A double web extended out some 32 inches from the fuselage fittings, from there it was single to the tips. The rear spar and the top wing panel were built as an integral unit being attached to five top and bottom ribs Three stamped flanged contour ribs were used between the five solid ribs, with a further six being utilized between the outer flap hinge and the tip rib. All ribs featured cutouts for Z shaped spanwise stringers of which there were nine outboard of the flap, and eleven between the full depth ribs. Above the flap the skin was a separate sub-assembly attached by ten contour ribs riveted to the spar web and featuring one continuous stringer between the spar and the trailing edge. The bottom skin panel was built as a unit, and was screwed to both front and rear spars. One contour rib was located at the fuselage attachment fittings, with one be- tween the cannon and landing gear ports, and five between the outer solid rib and thetips. All these ribs had diagonal cutouts for Z shaped stringers similar to those in the upper panel. The split type flaps followed conventional practice, the monospar being made up of a rolled section with beaded stiffeners. ‘The top section was cut out in the familiar rounded gusset pattern, and the ribs were normal stam. ped flanged construction. Both top and bottom sections were rive ted together at the leading edge. The whole unit was fabric covered. Each flap spanned 7 ft. 10 in. On top of the trailing edge ten 1/2 in. diameter rubber bumpers were fitted to absorb vibration between theflap and the wing trailing edge. Inboard and out board hinge fittings were castings rive ted to the flap spar, the mid fitting which formed the flap actuating arm was of builtup welded construction. In order that the pilot might have exact readings for each flap position, a dial reading from 0-60 deg. was visible through the hole in the wing top skin panel. ‘The flaps were driven by electrically operat- ed gear trains and had a maximum extension of 60 degrees. Two motors were connected through a relay control box so that neither flap could move more than 3 deg. out of synchronization with the other The fabric covered metal Frisetype ailerons were as light in weight as they were on the pilot’s controls. They were built round a chan- nel monospar with beaded vertical stiffeners to which were rive ted upper and lower, two- layer metal leading edge skins, the inner ones having beaded stiffeners. Aft of the spar were ten conventional ribs, with ten intercostals of stamped Manged aluminum alloy; the latter to allow the fabric to be securely stitched down with wire before doping. The ailerons were mounted on three self aligning ball bear- ing hinges at Ribs No. 1, 5, and 9. Balance weight washers were fastened into the hinge slots with a bolt and captive nut rive ted to each side of the slots. On the inboard end of the right aileron was a trim tab simil ar to those on the stabilizer. It was adjust Experimental bomb racks oui Fe 190A-3. able only on the ground. Undercarriage The undere arriage extension and retraction was electrically actuated with a separate unit for each wheel, The main landing gear was a single strut oleo unit with conventional torque scissors attached to a forged steel tapered roller bearing spindle assembly. The front face of the mounting was flanged to bolt to the front spar. The fairing itself was built in three sections; one attached to brackets extending up from the hub, another bolted to the oleo strut and the third hinged to the lower fuselage centre. A scale painted on the two fairings attached to the upper and lower sections of the undercarriage leg indicated at a glance if correct pressure was being maintained in the shock strut. A small scaled rod projected up through the wing as the gear was lowered to show the pilot the exact position of each wheel. As the gear retracted, the oleo strut just above the wheel came into contact with a coupling which snapped into place, locking the gear in the up position and automatically shutting off the retracting gear motor. The tailwheel was automatically retracted with the main gear, and was mounted in a steel fork fitting into the front of a heavy steel figure eight casting. This placed thecentre of the yoke six inches ahead of the wheel to permit castoring. The tailwheel drag yoke attached to the diagonal empennage member and to the figure eight casting just ahead of the bottom of the oleo strut, which fitted into, the aft portion directly over the wheel centre. Loads of both the front end of the drag yoke and the top of the oleo strut were taken by the diagonal member. Gravity and a heavy coil spring combined to pull the unit down where it was locked by the resultant load on the diagonal member. The tailwheel was auto- matically retracted with the main gear by means of a cable and pulley connection ar rangement. Main landing gear tyres were 700x175 mm. smooth contour, and the tail tyre 350x135 mm. also smooth contour. Note that undercarriage doors have been reiained.Cockpit controls Stick and rudder controls were of the con- ventional push-pull rod and cable type, except that the elevator and rudder controls embodied differential bellcranks in order to smooth out control action at high speeds. The rudder pedals were of stirrup type with heel plates. ‘The hydraulic brake cylinder was embodied in the unit so that toe pressure energized the tem. Distance of the rudder pedals frori the pilot’s seat could be adjusted by turning a knurled nob on each push-pull rod on either side of the cockpit aft of the pedals them- selves. There were also four positions for the pedal fulcrum point. Rudder pedal units were suspended from brackets attached to bulkhead No. 2. Push- pull rods led directly aft through the fuselage up to a differential bellcrank suspended from the top longeron at bulkhead No. 13. From. there cables led alt inside the empennage skin and attached to the rudder spar. The control stick was pivo ted in a cast metal mounting in the fuselage floor between bulkheads 3 and 4, providing clevator and aileron control via a system of cables and belleranks. Ball bearings wereextensively used throughout the control system so that there was little motion lost even when bearings came loose. One of the most brilliant features of the air- craft was the throttle quadrant and its Kom mandgerat or “brain box’, a finely built com- plicated unit measuring 16x16x12 inches lo- caied just ahead of the engine mount ring. When the pilot moved the throttle lever this hydraulic-electric unit automatically adjusted fuel flow, fuel mixture propeller pitch setting, ignition, and at the proper altitude cut in the second stage of the supercharger. If however the pilot desired to make a propeller pitch change without altering the other setungs, he could do so manually by pushing a rocking lever switch set in the throttle. Fuel System The total fuel supply was carried in two self-sealing fibre type fuel tanks suspended by fabric straps in the lower fore fuselage section. The fore tank with a capacity of 51 Imp. gal. (61.2 U.S. gal.) was fitted between the wing spars, the larger rear tank having a capacity of 64 Imp. gal. (76.8 U.S. gal.). Both tanks were filled from the starboard side of the fuselage, the filler pipe cover plates being quickly detachable and lying flush with the fuselage skin. Each tank contained a sealed submerged electric pump. All gauges were clectrically operated, the fue warning light and pump indicator lights being arranged vertically in the centre of the lower instrument panel; the fuel supply gauges for each tank 23 Repainted two-seater on display in England 1963, were just to their right; and the selector gauge to the right of the latter. The manually operat- ed fuel selector valve was mounted on the left of the top instrument panel. Electrical System Most of the highly complex electrical com- ponents were mounted on the starboard side of the fuselage. Here for example were located the distributor, two generators, battery and main junction box with its ground supply connecting plug — the latter unit being located in the aft fusclage between frame No. 8 and 9. Wires leading from the quickly removable top instrument panel went out through three quick-disconnect plugs to the right for power or as in the case of the dash repeater com- pass aft to the master compass Two control switch junction boxes were employed, one on each side of the cockpit. The one on the left contained the throttle quadrant, ignition switch, propeller pitch con- tol, starter mixture control, flap and landing gear indicator lights, stabilizer trim switch and indicator, flap and landing gear switches, primer pump switch and radio. The right hand panel contained forward and rear cir- cuit breakers, external battery indicator, fuel booster pump switches and engine starter. Engine One BMW 801 Dg engine rated at 1,700 hp. for takeoff. Armament Two 7.9 mm.MG 17 machine guns mount ed in the fore top fuselage section synchron- ized electrically to fire through the propeller are as were two inboard rapid fire 20 mm. cannon mounted in the wing roots. A further two 20 mm. MG 151 cannon were mounted outboard in the wings just outside the pro- peller arc. One 551 lb. bomb could bemounted on an electrically operated rack beneath the wing centre section. Performance Max. level speed:391,m.p.h. at 30,600 f. 375 m.p.h. at 18,000 fi. 304"‘m.p.h, at sea level. Initial climb rate 2760 ft/min, Rate of Climb to 25,000 fi: 1900 fi/min. Service ceiling: 32,800 ft.Height TAA. Boost Ft MPH. Ib/sq. in Remarks Sea Level 304 2450 45 4,500 326 2450 4.5 | Full throtle height, M. blower 8,000 315 2450 24 | M blower 11,000 325 2450 4.5 | S. blower 18,000 375 2450 4.5 | Full throwle height, S. blower 25,000 351 2450 0.5 |S. blower Rates of climb Height Rate of climb RPM Boost Remarks Fu Ft/min, Ibjsq.in, J 0-4000 2760 2350 3.5 | 30 minute “rating M. blower 0-4000 3050 2450 4.5 | 3 minute rating M. blower 8,000 2250 2450 1.9 | Fuil throttle M. blower 10,000 2750 2350 3.5 | 30 minute rating S, blower 17,500 3280 2450 4.5 | 3 minute rating S. blower 25,000 1900 2450 0 Full throtie S. blower 32,000 500 2450 500ft/min, ceiling All these results are corrected 10 a weight of 8580 Ib. Fw 190 A-4/U8 Fighter-bomber Airframe ns of the airframe were similar to the A-3 model, but some modi- fications were made. The wings were stiffened by the addition of vertical cross bracing be- tween the ribs consisting of light alloy strip, and was intended to take flying and landing loads when in tension. The rear end of the fuselage was also reinforced by the addition of fish plates on the outside near the tail plane mainspar. ‘The bottom halves of the landing wheels were uncovered when in the retracted position as the fairings which norm- ally attached to the fuselage underside of the fighter version were deleted. Various equipment ‘The cockpit contained a switch socketwhich provided electrical supply for heated clothing for the pilot. Provision was also made for a small camera in the rear of the fuselage for photographing targets and positions. The standard Draeger oxygen equipmentwas fitted with three globe steel bottles. Armour was unchanged. Armament Two MG 151 20 mm. cannon in the wing roots were harmonized at 220 yds. instead of the usual 490 yds. as in the standard A-4 fighter. The 7.92 mm. machine guns, usually mounted above the engine were re moved and the troughs in the top cowling blanked off, although the mountings were still retained. No cannon were fitted in the outer wings, An E'TC 501 bomb carrier with release slip 500/XIL was mounted under the fuselage with a long streamlined fairing be- hind. it. Operated electrically, this could carry either a 551 Ib. or 1,102 Ib, bomb. 24 Weights A plate on the aircraft stated that for a flying weight of 9,480 Ib. tyre pressure should be the equivalent of 71 Ib./sq. in. and for a weight of 10,803 Ib. , pressure should be 78 Ib./sq. in. This compared with a tyre pressure of 57 Ib./ sq. in. for the standard Fw 190 A-4 at a weight of approximately 8600 Ib. All underwing and centre section fittings could be removed in minutes to convert the aircraft to a fighter in the event of tactical necessity. Tankage In addition to the normal internal tank- age of 115 gallons, two jettisonable fuel tanks of 66 gal. (300 litre) each were carried under the wing just outboard of the undercarriage. ‘These were mounted under large fairings at- tached to the lower surface of the wing and containing four suspension hooks and two suspension eyes. The tanks were jettisoned mechanically by pulling a small T shaped handle in the cockpit. Doping pipes ran to each cylinder and the tank for the MW 50 installation was moved to the rear of the pilot's seat. Thethree louvres at the rear of each side of the engine cowling were controllable from the cockpit by a small rotating handle on the upper instrumentpanel. The oil tank was of standard capacity but when jettisonable petrol tanks were carried, the oil content was increased. Performance Climb to 18,000 ft. 10.25 minutes; maxi- mum speed with 2x66 gal. drop tanks and bombs; 275 m.p.h. at sea level; 320 m.p.h. at 19,000 ft,HEADOUARTERS EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS UNITED STATES ARMY SUBJECT: Flight Test of Fw 1904-3, Spit fire IX and Lockheed P-38 Lightning SOURCE: Extract from diary of B.A.F. Air Fighter Development Unit 1. F/Lt. Clive in Fw. 190, Col. Stone (US.A.AF) in Lockheed P-38F and F/O Godefroy in Spitfire IX. Alevel run was carried out at a height of 2,000 ft. for approximately 2 minutes, after which the Fw 190 was leading and followed by the Spitfire very close be- hind, with the Lockheed about 400 yards behind. 2. The aircraft then re-formed information and carried out a climb from 2,000 fi. at maximum continuous climbing conditions to 8,000 ft Fw 190 1 min. 45 sec. Spitfire IX — 1 min. 45 sec. P-38 Lightning 2 min. 0 sec. Indicated airspeed before commence. ment of the climb was 300-315 m.p.h. 3. The difference between the Fw. 190 and the Lockheed was about the same as at 2,000 ft. but the Spitire IX was quickly drawing away, and at the end of the run was approximately 200 yards ahead. 4. The aircraft then re-formed information and carried out a dive together from 8,000 ft. to 1,000 ft. The Fw 190 ac celerated away at the beginning of the dive and remained ahead. The Lock: heed appeared to be catching up slight ly at the end of the dive but its acceler ation was not nearly as good as the Fw 190, The Spitiire IX was left behind and although appeared to be catching up slightly, is likely to be ourdived by the Fw 190. ‘The Fw 190 appeared to be running satisfactorily, although the engine is still rough when throttled back, a 6. /42 No. 229 F/1a, Clive in Fw 190 and F/O Gode- froy in Spitlire IX (ook off to wy jump: ing one another at various speeds at 2,000 ft. and 8,000 ft. At 8,000 ft. the Spitlire cruising at 0 boost, 2200 revs. was jumped by the Fw 190, 2,000 ft above. When the Fw 190 came within 1000 yards, the Spitfire was opened up to full power and put into « gentle dive, but the Fw 190 managed to catch it easily and the Spitfire was reduced to taking evasive action. ‘This trial is to be repeated again and it appears that the Spitfire must, while in an area where enemy fighters are likely to be met, fly at fast speed. During this test the motor of the Fw 190 appeared to be rather rough. ‘The aircraft there (sic) landed and was run up on the ground, which, however, proved no drop on the 2 mags. (magnetos) Comparative climb between F/14. Clive Fw 190, Col. Stone in Lockheed 81 and F/O-Godelroy in Spitire IX. Climb started at 5,500 fi from approxi mate cruising speed, of up to maximum climb to 18,000 fi. Spitfire IX: 3 min, 17 sec. at 9 Ib. boost, 2650 revs. Fw 190: min. 25 sec. at 1.3 boost, 2400 revs. Lock: heed P-38: 3 min, 39 sec. at 37.8 boost; 2600 revs. ‘The angle of climb of all three aireraft was approx. the same, although the Lockheed fell behind in the initial stages of the climb was gaining ground as a higher altitude was reached, Aircraft reformed in formation at 15,000 ft and a straight run for 2 minutes gave the following results: ‘The Spitlire was leading by approxi mately 50 yards from the Fw 190 and the Lockheed 100 yds behind the Machines of 2nd Staffel, I Gruppe in dunkelgrau 74 and grau 75 finish with hellblau 65 undersurfaces Black and white spinners, red ‘2” outlined in white.Fw 190. At 15,000 ft. the Lockheed at maximum cruising speed was jumped by the Fw 190 and the Spitire from about 1500 tt, above. Theevasive action taken was that the Lockheed went into a shallow turning dive and gained speed. ‘This appeared to be very eflective against the Fw 190. Although it had an initial advantage by diving 1500 tt. i is thought that a very long distance would be required to close to firing range as the Lockheed gains speed very quickly and the Lockheed was pulling up out of the dive, it was fuund impos: ible for the Fw 190 to follow. ‘The Spitfire IX was able to follow the Lockheed in its pullout and turning (turned) inside it. The Lockheed seemed to be capable of out-climbing the fire, after it had gained speed from the initial dive, It carried out a series of spiral climbs terminating in a half roll which was continued to about 8,000 fi. pulling oF ning for another climb In these manoeuvres the Lock- heed seemed very manoeuvrable and it was necessary for the Spitire to turn very tightly to keep inside it. In the half roll, it pulled away and could only be caught hy turning inside as it (the Lock- heed) pulled out Melvin F, MeW. Major, U.S.A.F. PERFORMANCE Fw 190 V. Lockheed P-38 Lighting the Fw 190 was compared with an oper ationally equipped P-38F flown by an experi enced U.S. Army Air Corps pilot. ‘The two aircraft were compared for specd and all round manoeuvrability at heights up to 23,000 fi, The Fw 190 was superior in speed at all heights up to 22,000 fi, where the ovo air- cralt were approximately the same. ‘The dif ference in speed decreases as the P-38F gains altitude until at 23,000 ft. it is slightly faster ‘The approximate differences in speeds are as follows: At 2,000 fr. Fw 190 is 15 mph. faster than P-38F; At 8,000 ft Fw 190 is 15 m.p-h. faster than P-38F; At 15,000 ft Fw 190 is 5 - 8 m.p.h, faster than P-38F; At 23,000 ft, P-38F is 6 - 8 m.p.h. faster than Fw 190 Cliub: The climb of the P-38F is not as good as that of the Fw 190 up to about 15,000 ft Above this height the climb of the P-38F im- proves rapidly until at 20,000 fi, it becomes superior. ‘The best climbing speed of the P-38E is about 20 m.p.h, lessthan thavofthe Fw 190 and the angle, approximately the same. ‘The initial rate of climb of the Fw 190 either from level flight or a dive is superior to that of the P-38F at all heights below 20,000 fe and above this height, the climb of the P-38F becomes increasingly better. Dive Comparative dives between the wo aic cralt proved the Fw. 190 to be hetter, particu- larly in the initial stage. During prolonged dives the P-38F on occasion, was catching up. slightly with the Fw 190, but during actual combat it is unlikely that the P-38E would have time to catch up. Manocwvrabitity: The manoeuvrability of the Fw 190 is superior to that ol the P-38E, particularly in the rolling plane, Although at high speed the Fw 190 is superior in turn- ing circles, it can be outturned if the P-38F reduces its speed to about 140 mp.h.. at which speed it can carry out a very tight turn which the Fw 190 cannot follow. ‘The acceleration of the ovo aircraft was compared and the Fw 190 was found tw be better in all respects When the Fw 190 ‘bounced’ the P-381 and was seen when over 1,000 yds.(away) the pilot's best manoeuvre was to go into a diving wrn and if ic found dhe Fw 190 was catching up, t0 pull into a spiral climb, flying at its siowest possible speed. Although timedid, not permit trials to be carried out with the Fw 190 being “hounced” by the P-38F it is thought that the P-38F would stand a reason- able chance of shooting down the Fw 190 provided it had a slight height advantage and the element of surprise. Ifthe pilot of the Fw. 190 sees the P-38F when it is just out of range, a quick turn in one direction followed by a diving turn in the opposite direction will give the P-38F a most diflicult target, and as acceleration and speed of the Fw 190 in a dive builds up rapidly, it is likly w be able to dive away out of range, Fw 190A—1, Wk. Nr. 047 in dunkelgrau 74 and grau 75 over basic hellblau 65. Spinner and lower cowl was red with the radio call sign in black.CAMOUFLAGE AND MARKINGS Fw 190A—t in similar scheme to above. Yellow 7 and fuselage band outlined in white with yellow lower cowl and rudder. Black spinner. Fw 1904-3 of 7th Staffel II1J.G.2, Luftflotte IIT in France. Dunkelgrau 74 upper decking and mottle over hellblan 65. Upper flying surfaces dunkelgrau 74 and grau 75. Red spinner, rudder and lower cowl with white number and bar thinly outlined in black. Tropicalized Fw 190A-—3, North Africa, 1942 in hellblau 65 with all upper surfaces brownish-yellow. Fuselage mottling dunkelgrin 71, yellow number and other markings white. j Fw 190A—4 of 6]J.G.L. Undersurfaces and sides hellblau 65 with entire top decking dunkelgriin 71. Upper flying surfaces dunkelgrin 71 and R.LM. grau 02 in standard pattern. Yellow cowl, rudder, black edged number and bar. Unit emblem was pale green and black. When the Fw 190A-1 and A-2 were first splinter camouflaged in jagged angular pan- introduced, the camouflage scheme then pre _els of dark green (dunkelgrin 71) over light vailing was the flecked spot system of gradu- _greyish-green. ated bluegrey spots up thesides of thefuselage, ‘As the War progressed, and the Fw 190s shading into a darker bluegrey at the top. began to operate in other theatres, new colour This was sprayed or sponge applied over schemes were introduced. Inthe Mediterranean the basic colour of the fuselage sides which and North African areas, one scheme, a light were sprayed light blue, or as it wasknown, sandy brown was used for upper surfaces hellblan 65. This colour was also used for This colour was probably gelb 27 (1941) the undersides as well, and it should be noted that is, a sand ochre. Over this colour was that this was NOT a clear pale blue but applied irregular patches of dark green could best be described as a pale greyish (dunkelgritn 71) and no doubt, when applied, blue. Upper surfaces of wings and tail'were the sandy brown beneath would influence and 27.