Fw 190 file photo [63]

Fw 190 Würger

CountryGermany
ManufacturerFocke-Wulf Flugzeugbau GmbH
Primary RoleFighter
Maiden Flight1 June 1939

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe prototype Fw 190 Würger ("Shrike") aircraft flew on 1 Jun 1939. The maneuverable and speedy aircraft very quickly made a good impression on the Luftwaffe officers, and by late 1940 they were seen on the front lines, though they did not serve in combat roles until Aug 1941. Engine reliability issues caused by overheating, however, plagued Fw 190 fighters until spring of 1942 when BMW engines arrived. With the engine reliability issue resolved, they were seriously considered for ground attack roles. The Germany Army considered them a good candidate for close ground support because there were no liquid cooling systems that were vulnerable to battle damage; the BMW radial engines were air cooled. The sturdy and wide undercarriage also made them ideal for landing and taking off from crude airfields on the front lines.

ww2dbaseWhen the British first encountered Fw 190 fighters, they had no idea they were facing a new type of aircraft; the British pilots thought they were facing captured French fighters, but the outstanding performance of the hostile German aircraft eventually generated some suspicions. It was not until the British captured one in Jun 1942 before they confirmed it was a completely new German design. It was not until that time the British realized the Germans had the potential to outclass the sluggish Spitfire fighters with the Fw 190 aircraft.

ww2dbaseJapan was given a Fw 190 fighter of the A-8 variant by Germany for technical evaluation. The results of the study by Japanese engineers were incorporated in the design of the Ki-61 fighter.

ww2dbaseAltogether, 20,051 were delivered during the war.

ww2dbaseSources: Aircraft of the Second World War, Spearhead for Blitzkrieg; Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Mar 2007

Fw 190 Würger Timeline

1 Jun 1939 The Focke-Wulf Fw-190 fighter made its maiden flight at Bremen, Germany. The aircraft displayed excellent handling characteristics and was highly maneuverable but suffered from engine overheating problems which required the fitting on a redesigned engine cowling to overcome.
23 Jun 1942 Anxious to learn the secrets of the Luftwaffe's new Focke-Wulf 190 fighter, the British was planning a Commando-type raid to steal one from a French airfield. They were saved the trouble when disorientated German pilot Lieutenant Arnim Faber of 111/JG2 landed his Fw 190A-3 fighter at RAF Pembrey in South Wales, United Kingdom, mistaking it for an airfield in France. The captured aircraft was taken to the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford, England, United Kingdom where it was discovered, during trials, that the Fw 190A was superior in all respects except turning circle to the Spitfire VB then equipping most of RAF Fighter Command.
3 Nov 1944 Fw 190 prototype aircraft V21 completed its rebuilding as the first Ta 152C prototype.

SPECIFICATIONS

A-8
MachineryOne BMW 801Dg 18-cyl two-row radial engine rated at 1,700hp (2,100hp with boost)
Armament2x13mm MG 131, 4x20mm MG 151, optional 1x500kg bomb
Crew1
Span10.51 m
Length9.00 m
Height3.96 m
Wing Area18.30 m²
Weight, Empty3,200 kg
Weight, Loaded4,900 kg
Speed, Maximum653 km/h
Service Ceiling11,410 m
Range, Normal900 km

D-9
MachineryOne Junkers Jumo 213A-1 12-cyl inverted-V liquid cooled engine rated at 1,776hp (2,240hp with boost)
Armament2x13mm MG 131, 4x20mm MG 151, optional 1x500kg bomb
Crew1
Span10.50 m
Length10.20 m
Height3.35 m
Wing Area18.30 m²
Weight, Empty3,500 kg
Weight, Loaded4,840 kg
Speed, Maximum704 km/h
Service Ceiling10,000 m
Range, Normal900 km

Photographs

Fw 190 fighter in flight, circa 1940sFocke-Wulf Fw 190A-3 at rest at the RAF airfield at Pembrey, South Wales, United Kingdom after German pilot Oberleutnant Armin Faber landed there by mistake after a furious dogfight over Devon, 23 Jun 1942Wing of a Ju 52/3m aircraft (foreground), wreck of a Me 323 Gigant aircraft (center), damaged Hs 129B aircraft (behind Me 323), and damaged Fw 190A-4 aircraft (right edge of background) at El Aouiana Airfield, Tunis, Tunisia, May 1943Chinese observers attached to Allied units posing with a captured German Fw 190 fighter, North Africa, 15 May 1943; left to right: Major Huang, General Lam (Air Force), General Hu Xianqun, Colonel Lee (military intelligence)
See all 18 photographs of Fw 190 Würger Fighter



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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed Alan Chanter says:
16 Dec 2007 04:24:45 AM

Production of the High-Altitude Ta.152H-1 fighter began on November 21, 1944 but only ten had been completed by the time that the war came to an end.
2. Casual Joe says:
20 Apr 2008 12:27:47 PM

Ki-61 was influenced by Me-109 and not FW-190, as it was build on a derivative of DB601 liquid-cooled engine.
Just look at the aircrafts - FW has a radial engine :)
3. G!Wiz says:
15 Apr 2011 03:43:30 AM

FW's were not only produced with radial engines, but also with inline engines.
4. Sadao KARO says:
1 Jun 2014 06:55:13 AM

Mr. Doi, the engineer who developed Ki-100 (Type 5 fighter, radial-engined version of Ki-61) admitted the exhaust layout was influenced by FW190 as he found it as ideal solution.
5. zakkandrachoff says:
1 Jun 2014 09:14:12 AM

"Joe, they maybe at talking, not the ki61, maybe of the Ki100, that ar a Ki61 with radial engines.
6. Derrick says:
10 Dec 2014 07:55:26 PM

There seems to be much vagueness regarding the top speed of the 190D. Most references claim a top speed of 426mph at 22,000 feet, but others state 440mph at 40,000 feet. I suspect the latter claim was based on the use of nitrous oxide boost, but no text actually states this. Can anybody out there shed light on this?
7. Commenter identity confirmed Alan Chanter says:
16 Jul 2017 12:22:48 AM

The Focke-Wulf Fw190D-9 was armed with only two 20mm MG 151 cannon (not four as stated here). On the D-9 the outboard cannons were deleted to allow for a MW 50 (methanol-water) power boost which raised the power of the Junkers Jumo 213A-1 engine from 1,776 h.p. to 2,240 h.p. for take-off. The methanol-water mixture was carried in a 25 Imperial gallon tank aft of the cockpit and was sufficient for 40 minutes’ use. The D-9 became operational with J.G.3 (Jagdgeschwader Udet) at Detmold in the winter of 1943-44, and proved an immediate success when employed against Allied bombers.

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Fw 190 Würger Fighter Photo Gallery
Fw 190 fighter in flight, circa 1940s
See all 18 photographs of Fw 190 Würger Fighter


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