| The Fw 190, one of
Germany's best fighter airplanes of WW II, made its first flight on June
1, 1939. It appeared in action over northwestern France in September
1941 and rapidly proved its superiority over the Mark V Spitfire,
Britain's best fighter of the period.
Most Fw 190s were the "A"
series, powered by a BMW radial engine. Late in 1943, however, the
"D" series appeared in action against U.S. bombers, powered by
the Jumo 213 inline, liquid-cooled engine. With its more powerful
engine, the "D" had better performance than the "A"
but because of the lengthened nose, a 20-inch section had to be added to
the fuselage just forward of the tail. During its lifetime, more than
20,000 Fw 190s of all types were built.
The Fw 190D on display was assigned to
the JG3 "Udet" Geschwader, one of the Luftwaffe's most famous
fighter units which was named for Ernst Udet, Germany's leading ace to
survive WW I. The airplane was captured and brought to the U.S. for
testing at the end of WW II. It is on loan from the National Air and
Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 34 ft. 5 1/3 in.
Length: 33 ft. 5 1/4 in.
Height: 11 ft. 1/4 in.
Weight: 10,670 lbs. combat-loaded
Armament: Two 20mm MG 151 cannons in wings and two 13mm MG 131 machine
guns in nose
Engine: Junkers Jumo 213 of 2,240 hp. with methanol-water injection
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 426 mph.
Cruising speed: 280 mph.
Range: 520 miles
Service Ceiling: 40,000 ft. |
