Focke Wulf FW190 Volume 1: 1938-43Author :
Hardback
Published : Thursday 17 November 2011
Description
Because it undoubtedly ranks as one of the premier and most successful aircraft of World War Two, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 has been the subject of a great number of books; many of these however have done little more than to scratch the surface of the aircrafts complex and extensive history, much less its design and development during the late 1930s and, and many, in reality, give scant accurate information on this remarkable aircraft.When a design was first proposed in 1938, it was for an aircraft with good handling characteristics and performance which could be produced in the shortest possible time. This was to be achieved though simple design, with major sub-assemblies which could be installed or replaced without incurring excessive fitting work. Maximum reliability was to be achieved through the avoidance of complicated mechanics. An ease of serviceability was requested through good accessibility and reliable parts. Thus emerged Kurt Tanks radial-engined Fw 190.When it first appeared in Luftwaffe service in the skies over France in late 1941, the Fw 190 represented a formidable and ominous foe to the RAF. Entering service with JG 26, the new fighter was powered by a BMW 801 engine which developed 1,700 hp. Despite some initial technical problems, mainly due to its new BMW engine, the Fw 190 soon proved itself as a dependable and potent fighter aircraft. At key altitudes, it was markedly superior to the existing marks of Spitfire and Hurricane - and armed with two nose-mounted machine guns and two fast-firing wing-mounted cannon, with provision for further armament, it packed a punch.This considerable armament package blended with manoeuvrability on the ground pleased pilots; the wide undercarriage track of the Fw 190 was an improvement over the Bf 109 F, as was the air-cooled engine technology which bettered that of the more vulnerable liquid-cooled system on the Messerschmitt.By 20 June 1942, some 250 Fw 190s were operational in the West. This was a shock to the Allies and provided a new dimension to air combat on the Western Front - as did the appearance in strength of the USAAFs heavy bombers. The encounters which would follow over the next three years between the B-17 and the Fw 190 would form some of the most titanic and bitter contests of the air war.Meanwhile, the Eastern Front provided the German fighter force with an abundance of targets and quickly, the Fw 190 - known by the sobriquet of Butcher Bird - proved to be the best piston-engined fighter of the war. A great number of German aces were created flying the Fw 190, many quickly surpassing the 100-kill mark. Flying over extensive distances often in extreme weather conditions, the Fw 190 also excelled in the ground-attack role, inflicting destruction and damage to Soviet armour and ground defences. The Fw 190 would go on to see combat for five years on every battlefront on which the Luftwaffe fought.In this first volume of their magnificent study of this important aircraft, world-renowned Luftwaffe historians, J. Richard Smith and Eddie J. Creek portray and explain the story behind the design and development of the Fw 190 as well as its introduction to operational service on the Western Front, in the East and in North Africa between 1941-1943. They have researched this aeroplane for more than 35 years and have assembled an unrivalled archive of documents, manufacturers manuals and drawings, and photographs.This study is the key reference work.
You may also like ...
by
Paperback
23 May 2024
Biography: historical, political and military
€22.22
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
by
Paperback
26 Jul 2023
Dentistry
€83.06
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
by
Paperback
13 Jun 2023
Regional / International studies
€43.28
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
by
Hardback
08 Jun 2023
Biography: historical, political and military
€35.10
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
Reviews