The purpose of this site is to highlight the major design, engineering and materials science breakthroughs that gave each iconic World War II warbird its unique flight characteristics. We hope you enjoy!!
The Focke-Wulf 190 A3 entered service in March 1942. Its combination of firepower, speed, and agility made it a formidable adversary. Although the Fw 190 had many strengths, it was prone to sudden and unexpected stalls during extreme combat manoeuvres. The following characteristics were crucial for pilots to understand in order to effectively operate this iconic World War II fighter aircraft in a combat environment:
Armament: Standard armament of the Fw 190 A3 included 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns mounted in the cowl and 2 x MG 151/20 20 mm cannons mounted in the wing roots. The MG 151 fired high-explosive incendiary rounds and high-capacity, high-explosive rounds called mine-shells. The sensitive fuses of the high-capacity, high-explosive mine shells were triggered by contact with an aircraft’s aluminium skin and the timing of detonation was set to cause maximum damage to airframe structural integrity. Each high-capacity, high-explosive mine-shell carried 1/3 the explosive charge of a World War 2 hand-grenade and only 20 to 25 hits were needed to bring down a heavy bomber.
Sub-variants of the Fw 190 A3 could have two additional 20mm “MG FF” cannons mounted mid-wing. The A3 could also be modified to carry up to 500 kilograms in rockets or general purpose bombs.
Engine: The hallmark of the Fw 190 A3 was the 41.8 litre, 14-cylinder, air-cooled BMW-801 D2 double-row radial engine. The D2 series engine ran on 100 octane C2/C3 fuel, with later variants fitted with methanol/water injection systems. The BMW-801D could produce up to 1,700 HP with Emergency Power at 1.42 ata for up to 3 minutes. The gear-driven single-stage two-speed supercharger was optimised for low and medium level performance.
The cowling of the Fw 190 was ingeniously designed with an inlet fan to provide positive pressure in the cowl for maximum cooling whilst minimising drag. The cowl also housed a unique ring-shaped armoured oil cooling radiator in its leading edge and served as a cool air inlet for the supercharger. Moving these features from the airframe to the cowl further reduced drag. Interestingly, technical publications have reported the overall drag for an A-series Fw 190 was lower than a Spitfire Mk IX.
Engine Management: The Fw 190’s BMW 801 had a comprehensive engine-control system that allowed the pilot to control power output just by adjusting the throttle lever. In response to throttle input, a mechanical-hydraulic command unit automatically optimised fuel mixture, propeller pitch, ignition timing and manifold pressure. This precursor to today’s digital Engine Control Unit significantly decreased workload and allowed the pilot to focus on other important combat-related tasks. No Allied planes had similarly comprehensive engine control units.
Maneuverability: The Fw 190 had a robust airframe and well-balanced control surfaces. At low altitudes, the Fw 190 A3 outperformed is main adversary, the Spitfire V: The A3 had excellent roll rates, better top speed, outstanding climb and good dive characteristics. It even matched the Spitfire V on maximum performance turn rates. However, at high altitudes the short wings of the Fw 190 limited manoeuvrability and its single-stage supercharger was not optimised for high-altitude performance.
The pilot should be cautioned that when the angle of attack increases during extreme manoeuvring, there is almost no pre-stall buffeting. If flight is not corrected after minor buffeting is felt, stall will occur suddenly.
Speed: The Fw 190 A3 could reach 347 mph (560 km/h) at sea level and 410 mph (662 km/h) at 20,000 feet (6,400 m). Compared to the Spitfire V, the top speed of the Fw 190 A3 was 10% faster at all altitudes.
Climb: The Fw 190 A3’s climb rate was an outstanding 3,149 ft/min (16.0 m/s) at sea level, which was 20% greater than a contemporary Spitfire V. At 10,000 ft (3,000 m) the Spitfire V and Fw 190 A3 had equivalent climb rates of 2,560 ft/min (13 m/s). By 20,000 ft (6,000 m) the Spitfire V’s climb rate was 20% higher than the Fw 190 A3.
Dive: The Fw 190 A3 was faster than a Spitfire in a dive, especially during the initial phase. The maximum dive speed limit was rated as 528 mph (850 km/h) with a Mach Limit of around 0.79. Dive speeds as high as 567 mph (912 km/h) have been reported. At high dive speeds, expect extremely slow response to the elevator until lower altitudes (below 5,000 feet / 1,500m) are reached.
In closing: 13,291 Fw 190 A-series fighters were produced during the Second World War. Overall, the Fw 190 A3 was a well-balanced fighter aircraft with excellent low-altitude performance. Its combination of speed, agility, and firepower gave it the potential to beat any Allied fighter it encountered.