Hawker Tempest

The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war. During development of the Typhoon the design team, under the leadership of Sydney Camm, were already planning design improvements, this process resulting in the Hawker P. 1012 (or Typhoon II).

Although the Typhoon was basically a good design, Camm and his design team were disappointed with the wing which proved to be too thick in its cross section; this created problems with the airflow and inhibited the performance of the aircraft, especially at higher altitudes. In March 1940 a few engineers had been assigned to investigate the new low drag laminar flow wing that NACA in the United States had developed and which had been used in the new North American P-51 Mustang. The new laminar flow wing adopted for the Tempest series had a maximum thickness to chord ratio of 14.5% at the root tapering to 10% at the tip. By comparison the Typhoon's wing, using a NACA 4 digit series wing section, was substantially thicker - 19.5% (root) to 12% (tip). The maximum thickness of the Tempest wing was set further back at 37.5% of the chord versus 30% for the Typhoon's wing.

The wingspan was originally greater than that of the Typhoon at 43 ft (13.1 m), but the wingtips were later "clipped" and the wing became shorter; 41 ft (12.5 m) versus 41 ft 7 in (12.7 m). The wing planform was changed to an elliptical shape to accommodate the 800 rounds of ammunition for the four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano cannons, which were moved back further into the wing. The new elliptical wing had greater area than the Typhoon's.



The thinner wing also displaced fuel tanks that had been fitted into the leading edge of the Typhoon's wing. This greatly reduced fuel capacity but Hawker engineers added a new 21 in (53 cm) bay ahead of the cockpit accommodating a 76 gal (345 l) fuel tank, giving a maximum of 360 gal (1,636 l) and an operational radius of 500 mi (805 km) Another important feature of the new wing for the Tempest I was Camm's proposal that radiators for the new Napier Sabre IV engine were to be fitted into the leading edge of the wing inboard of the undercarriage. This eliminated the distinctive "chin" radiator associated with the Typhoon and improved aerodynamics.

A further improvement of the Tempest wing over that of the Typhoon was the exceptional, flush riveted surface finish, essential on a high performance laminar flow airfoil. Fortunately for the pilots the new wing and airfoil, and the four-bladed propeller unit, eliminated the high frequency vibrations that had plagued the Typhoon.

The redesigned main undercarriage legs were longer and had a wider track (16 ft/5 m) to improve stability at the high landing speed of 110 mph (180 km/h), and to allow tip clearance for a new four-blade, 14 ft (4 m) diameter propeller. The main undercarriage units were designed to incorporate a system of trunnions which shortened the legs as they retracted. The main wheels also needed new thin tyres in order to fit within the wing. Finally, the retractable tailwheel was fully enclosed by small doors.

Camm and the Hawker design team placed a high priority on making their aircraft easily accessible to both air and ground crews; to this end the forward fuselage and cockpit areas of the earlier Hurricane and the Tempest and Typhoon families were covered by large removable panels providing access to as many components as possible, including flight controls and engine accessories. Both upper wingroots incorporated panels of non-slip coating. For the pilot a retractable foot stirrup under the starboard root trailing edge was linked to a pair of handholds which were covered by spring loaded flaps. Through a system of linkages, when the canopy was open the stirrup was lowered and the flaps opened, providing easy access to the cockpit. As the canopy was closed the stirrup was raised into the fuselage and the flaps snapped shut.



General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 33 ft 8 in (10.26 m)
• Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.49 m)
• Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.90 m (tail down))
• Wing area: 302 ft² (28 m²)
• Empty weight: 9,250 lb (4,195 kg)
• Loaded weight: 11,400 lb (5,176 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 13,640 lb (6,190 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Napier Sabre IIA or IIB or IIC liquid-cooled H-24 sleeve-valve engine:, 2,180 hp (1,625 kW) Sabre IIA
  
• Propellers: Four-bladed Rotol or de Havilland propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 432 mph (695 km/h) Sabre IIA at 18,400 ft (5,608 m), Sabre IIB 435 mph at 19,000 ft (700 km/h at 5,791 m)
• Range: 740 mi (1,190 km)
• 1,530 mi (2,462 km) with 90 gal (409 l) drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 36,500 ft (11,125 m)
• Rate of climb: 4,700 ft/min (23.9 m/s)
• Wing loading: 37.75 lb/ft² (184.86 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.21 hp/lb (0.31 kW/kg)

Armament

• 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Mark II Hispano cannons, 200 rpg
• 2 × 500 lb (227 kg) or 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs
• 8 × 3 in (76.2 mm) RP-3 rockets
• 2 × 45 gal (205 l) or 2 × 90 gal (409 l) drop tanks.

** Hawker Tempest - Warbird Fare

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Hawker Typhoon

The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied this requirement. Other external events in 1940 prolonged the gestation of the Typhoon.

Nicknamed the Tiffy in RAF slang, the Typhoon's service introduction was also plagued with problems, and for several months the aircraft faced a doubtful future. However, in 1941 the Luftwaffe brought the formidable Focke-Wulf Fw 190 into service. As the only fighter in the RAF inventory capable of catching the Fw 190 at low altitudes, the Typhoon secured a new role as a low-altitude interceptor. In addition, the Typhoon won the support of pilots such as Roland Beamont. Through their dedication the Typhoon established itself in roles such as night-time intruder and a long-range fighter. From late 1942 the Typhoon was equipped with bombs; from late 1943 ground attack rockets were added to the Typhoon's armoury. Using these two weapons, the Typhoon became one of the Second World War's most successful ground-attack aircraft.



Even before the new Hurricane was rolling off the production lines in March 1937, Sydney Camm had moved on to designing its replacement. This was to be a large fighter designed around the large and more powerful 24 cylinder Napier Sabre engine. The work proved useful when Hawker received Specification F.18/37 from the Air Ministry in January 1938 which asked for a fighter based on either the Sabre or the Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. Both engines used 24 cylinders and were designed to be able to deliver over 2,000 hp (1,491 kW); the difference between the two was primarily in the arrangement of the cylinders — an H-block in the Sabre and an X-block in the Vulture.


General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 31 ft 11.5 in (9.73 m)
• Wingspan: 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m)
• Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.66 m)
• Wing area: 279 ft² (29.6 m²)
• Empty weight: 8,840 lb (4,010 kg)
• Loaded weight: 11,400 lb (5,170 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 13,250 lb (6,010 kg)
• Powerplant: 3 or 4-blade de Havilland or Rotol propeller× Napier Sabre IIA, IIB or IIC liquid-cooled H-24 piston engine, 2,180, 2,200 or 2,260 hp (1,626, 1,640 or 1,685 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 412 mph with Sabre IIB & 4-bladed propeller (663 km/h) at 19,000 ft (5,485 m)
• Stall speed: 88 mph (142 km/h) IAS with flaps up
• Range: 510 mi (821 km)
• Service ceiling: 35,200 ft (10,729 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,740 ft/min (13.59 m/s)
• Wing loading: 45.8 lb/ft² (223.5 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.20 hp/lb (0.33 kW/kg)

Armament

• 4 × 20 mm Hispano Mk II cannon
• 8 × RP-3 unguided air-to-ground rockets.
• 2 × 500 lb (227 kg) or 2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs

** Hawker Typhoon - Warbird Fare

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Grumman F4F Wildcat

The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940. Although first used in combat by the British in Europe, the Wildcat was the only United States Navy or Marine fighter in World War II 1941–42 in the Pacific Theater besides the brief appearance of the F2A Buffalo. With a top speed of 318 mph (512 km/h), the Wildcat was outperformed by the more nimble 331 mph (533 km/h) Mitsubishi Zero, but its ruggedness and tactics such as the Thach Weave resulted in an air combat kill-to-loss ratio of 5.9:1 in 1942 and 6.9:1 for the entire war.

Lessons learned from the Wildcat were applied to the faster F6F Hellcat which could outperform the Zero on its own terms. The Wildcat continued to be built throughout the remainder of the war to serve on escort carriers, where larger and heavier fighters could not be used.

Grumman fighter development started with the two-seat Grumman FF biplane. The FF was the first US naval fighter with landing gear which retracted, but left the tires visibly exposed although flush on either forward fuselage side. The F2F and F3F were single-seat biplane fighters which established the general outlines and landing gear configuration of what would become the Wildcat. In 1935, while the F3F was still undergoing flight testing, Grumman started work on its next fighter biplane, the G-16. The Navy favoured the monoplane Brewster F2A-1, ordering development early in 1936, but placed an order for Grumman's G-16, with the navy designation XF4F-1 as a backup in case the Brewster monoplane failed.

It was clear to Grumman, however, that the XF4F-1 would be inferior to the Brewster monoplane, so Grumman abandoned the XF4F-1, designing a new monoplane fighter, the XF4F-2. The Wildcat would retain the fuselage-mounted, hand-cranked landing gear with its relatively narrow track. In service, this would lead to distressingly common landing accidents when the landing gear did not fully lock into place. This unusual main landing gear design was originally designed by Leroy Grumman for Grover Loening in the 1920s and used earlier on all of Grumman's fighter biplanes (from the FF-1 through the F3F) of the 1930s and on the J2F Duck amphibious flying boat.

Even this new monoplane fell short against the Buffalo. The XF4F-2 was marginally faster, but the Buffalo was otherwise judged superior and was chosen for production. Grumman's prototype was then rebuilt as the XF4F-3 with new wings and tail and a supercharged version of the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 "Twin Wasp" radial engine. Testing of the XF4F-3 led to an order for F4F-3 production models, the first of which was completed in February 1940. France also ordered the type, powered by Wright R-1820 "Cyclone 9" radial engines, but France fell before they could be delivered and they ultimately went to the British Royal Navy, which named them "Martlets", using their own naming system early in World War II. Both the British aircraft and the US Navy's F4F-3, with an armament of four .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns, joined active units in 1940.

Although the Buffalo was the Navy's first monoplane fighter, it would prove disappointing in combat and be withdrawn early in World War II. The name "Wildcat" was officially adopted on 1 October 1941. The Wildcat's successor was the F6F Hellcat, a complete redesign which dropped Grumman's distinctive, exposed main landing gear arrangement. First flying in 1942, the Hellcat outclassed the Zero almost completely, surprising many Japanese pilots at first that often mistook the outlines for the older, slower Wildcat. The Navy would also introduce the F4U Corsair first to land and later to shipboard use which could match the top speed of the fastest land-based planes.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 28 ft 9 in (8.76 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft (11.58 m)
• Height: 11 ft 10 in (3.60 m)
• Loaded weight: 7,000 lb (3,200 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-1830-76 double-row radial engine, 1,200 hp (900 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 331 mph (531 km/h)
• Range: 845 mi (1,360 km)
• Service ceiling: 39,500 ft (12,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,303 ft/min (11.7 m/s)

Armament

• 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns
• 2 × 100 lb (45 kg) bombs and/or 2 × 58 gal (220 L) drop tanks

** Grumman F4F Wildcat - Warbird Fare

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Fiat G.50 Freccia

The Fiat G.50 Freccia ("Arrow") was a World War II Italian fighter aircraft. First flown in February 1937, the G.50 was Italy’s first single-seat, all-metal monoplane with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear to go into production. At the beginning of 1938 the Freccia was in service with the Regia Aeronautica. Several were sent to reinforce the Aviazione Legionaria, in Spain, where they proved to be fast and, typical of most Italian design, very manoeuvrable. On the other hand, pilots disliked the sliding cockpit canopy, which was not easy to open quickly and interfered with vision, so in later production an open cockpit was adopted.

There were 118 G.50s available when Italy entered World War II (97 in front line duty), most assigned to the 51 Stormo based in Ciampino airport, just outside Rome and in Pontedera, with 22 Gruppo of 52 Stormo. On 10 June 1940, when Italy declared war against France, 22 Gruppo G.50s went into action, followed by the 48 aircraft of 20 Gruppo.

Appreciated mainly for their strength, G.50s were used primarily for attack roles in the second half of the war. During the opening phase of the Allied invasion of Sicily, the G.50 was the most numerous aircraft used by Regia Aeronautica to counter-attack Allied landings. Just before the invasion, the Regia Aeronautica moved to Southern Italy 50 Stormo Assalto, a specialized ground attack unit, equipped with Fiat G.50bis fighter-bombers. As soon the invasion started, on July 10, 1943, further unit were rushed to the area. Forty-five Fiat G.50 bis of 158 and 159 Gruppi Assalto, from Pistoia. were committed – with other Italian and German ground attack units - to attack ships, landing craft and troops. Intercepted by an overwhelming fighter “umbrella”, the G.50 formations suffered heavy losses, among them, that of Tenente Colonnello Guido Nobili, commander of 5 Stormo Assalto.

By the time of the Italian Armistice with the Allies, only a few were left in Italian service, some were used as part of the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, while four others were used by the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana as fighter trainers. The top scoring Italian pilot in a Fiat G.50 was Furio Lauri, who was credited with 11 "kills" before the end of 1941 with a final score of 18.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 10.58 m (34 ft 8 in)
• Height: 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 16.82 m² (181.00 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,964 kg (4,330 lb)
• Loaded weight: 2,200 kg (4,840 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,395 kg (5,280 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Fiat A.74 R.C.38 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 650 kW (870 hp) at 2,520 rpm for takeoff

Performance

• Maximum speed: 504 km/h (313 mph) at 4,500 m (14,765 ft)
• Range: 570 km (354 mi)
• Service ceiling: 8,900 m (29,200 ft)
• Rate of climb: 15.3 m/s (3,030 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 131.7 kg/m² (26.9 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.286 kW/kg (0.176 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2× 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, 370 rpg
• 8× 15 kg (33 lb) or 2× 50, 100, or 150 kg (110, 220, or 330 lb) bombs

** Fiat G.50 Freccia - Warbird Fare

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Hawker Hurricane

The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Although largely overshadowed by the Supermarine Spitfire, the aircraft became renowned during the Battle of Britain, accounting for 60% of the RAF's air victories in the battle, and served in all the major theatres of the Second World War.

The 1930s design evolved through several versions and adaptations, resulting in a series of aircraft which acted as interceptor-fighters, fighter-bombers (also called "Hurribombers"), and ground support aircraft. Further versions known as the Sea Hurricane had modifications which enabled operation from ships. Some were converted as catapult-launched convoy escorts, known as "Hurricats". More than 14,000 Hurricanes were built by the end of 1944 (including about 1,200 converted to Sea Hurricanes and some 1,400 built in Canada by the Canada Car and Foundry).

The maiden flight of the first production aircraft, powered by a Merlin II engine, took place on 12 October 1937. The first four aircraft to enter service with the RAF joined No. 111 Squadron RAF at RAF Northolt the following December. By the outbreak of the Second World War, nearly 500 Hurricanes had been produced, and had equipped 18 squadrons




During the eleven days of fighting in France and over Dunkirk on 10—21 May 1940, Hurricane pilots claimed 499 kills and 123 probables. Contemporary German records, examined post-war, attribute 299 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed and 65 seriously damaged by RAF fighters.

The Battle of Britain officially lasted from 10 July until 31 October 1940, but the heaviest fighting took place between 8 August and 21 September. Both the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hurricane are renowned for their part in defending Britain against the Luftwaffe — generally the Spitfire would intercept the German fighters, leaving Hurricanes to concentrate on the bombers, but despite the undoubted abilities of the "thoroughbred" Spitfire, it was the "workhorse" Hurricane that scored the highest number of RAF victories during this period, accounting for 1,593 of the 2,739 claimed.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.84 m)
• Wingspan: 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
• Height: 13 ft 1½ in (4.0 m)
• Wing area: 257.5 ft² (23.92 m²)
• Empty weight: 5,745 lb (2,605 kg)
• Loaded weight: 7,670 lb (3,480 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 8,710 lb (3,950 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Merlin XX liquid-cooled V-12, 1,185 hp (883 kW) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 340 mph (547 km/h) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
• Range: 600 mi (965 km)
• Service ceiling: 36,000 ft (10,970 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,780 ft/min (14.1 m/s)
• Wing loading: 29.8 lb/ft² (121.9 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg)

Armament

• 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk II cannons
• 2 × 250 or 500 lb (110 or 230 kg) bombs

** Hawker Hurricane - Warbird Fare

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Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles. It was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft and was the only Allied fighter in production throughout the war.

The Spitfire was designed as a short-range high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works (since 1928 a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrongs). Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death from cancer in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith became chief designer. The Spitfire's elliptical wing had a thin cross-section, allowing a higher top speed than the Hawker Hurricane and several contemporary fighters. Speed was seen as essential to carry out the mission of home defence against enemy bombers.

During the Battle of Britain there was a public perception that the Spitfire was the RAF fighter of the battle, in fact the more numerous Hurricane actually shouldered a greater proportion of the burden against the Luftwaffe.




After the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire became the backbone of RAF Fighter Command and saw action in the European, Mediterranean, Pacific and the South-East Asian theatres. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire served in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber, carrier-based fighter, and trainer. It was built in many different variants, using several wing configurations. Although the original airframe was designed to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine producing 1,030hp (768 kW), it was adaptable enough to use increasingly more powerful Merlin and the later Rolls-Royce Griffon engines; the latter was eventually able to produce 2,035 hp (1,520 kW).

Spitfire Mk Is K9789 entered service with 19 Squadron at RAF Duxford on 4 August 1938. The Spitfire achieved legendary status during the Battle of Britain, a reputation aided by the famous "Spitfire Fund" organised and run by Lord Beaverbrook the Minister of Aircraft Production. Although the key aim of Fighter Command was to stop the Luftwaffe's bombers, in practice the tactic was to use Spitfires to counter German escort fighters, particularly the Bf 109s, while the Hurricane squadrons attacked the bombers.


General characteristics

• Crew: one pilot
• Length: 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m)
• Wingspan: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
• Height: 11 ft 5 in (3.86 m)
• Wing area: 242.1 ft² (22.48 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 2209.4(tip)
• Empty weight: 5,090 lb (2,309 kg)
• Loaded weight: 6,622 lb (3,000 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 6,770 lb (3,071 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 supercharged V12 engine, 1,470 hp (1,096 kW) at 9,250 ft (2,820 m)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 378 mph, (330 kn, 605 km/h)
• Combat radius: 410 nmi (470 mi, 760 km)
• Ferry range: 991 nmi (1,140 mi, 1,840 km)
• Service ceiling: 35,000 ft (11,300 m)
• Rate of climb: 3,240 ft/min (13.5 m/s)
• Wing loading: 27.35 lb/ft² (133.5 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.22 hp/lb (0.36 kW/kg)

Armament

• 2 × 20 mm (0.787-in) Hispano Mk II cannon, 60 rpg
• 4 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns, 350 rpg
• 2 × 250 lb (113 kg) bombs

** Supermarine Spitfire - Warbird Fare

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Focke-Wulf FW-190

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German single-seat, single-radial engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. It was used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War in a variety of roles. Like the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 was employed as a "workhorse", and proved suitable for a wide variety of roles, including air superiority fighter, strike fighter, ground-attack aircraft, escort fighter, and operated with less success as a night fighter.

When it was first introduced in 1941 it was quickly proven to be superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V variant. The 190 wrested air superiority away from the RAF until the introduction of the vastly improved Spitfire Mk. IX in July 1942 restored qualitative parity. The Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front much later, in November/December 1942.

Soviet pilots regarded the Bf 109 as the greatest threat in combat on the Eastern Front. Nevertheless, the Fw 190 made a significant impact. The fighter and its pilots proved just as capable as the Bf 109 in aerial combat, and in the opinion of German pilots that flew both German fighters, the Fw 190 presented increased firepower and manoeuvrability as low to medium altitude. The Fw 190 became the backbone of Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force) along with the Bf 109. On the Eastern Front, owing to its versatility, the Fw 190 was used in Schlachtgeschwader (Destroyer Wings) which were specialised ground attack units. The units achieved much success against Soviet ground forces. As an interceptor, the Fw 190 underwent improvements to make it effective at high altitude allowing the 190 to maintain relative parity with its Allied counterparts. The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above) which complicated its use as a high-altitude interceptor, but these complications were mostly rectified in later models, notably the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D variant which was introduced in September 1944. In spite of its successes, it never entirely replaced the Bf 109.

In autumn 1937, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) ("Reich Air Ministry") asked various designers for a new fighter to fight alongside the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Germany's front-line fighter. Although the Bf 109 was at that point an extremely competitive fighter, the RLM was worried that future foreign designs might outclass it and wanted to have new aircraft under development to meet these possible challenges.

Kurt Tank responded with a number of designs, most incorporating liquid-cooled inline engines. However, it was not until a design was presented using the air-cooled, 14-cylinder BMW 139 radial engine that the RLM's interest was aroused. It was believed that because the Fw 190 used a radial engine it would not affect production of the Bf 109, furthering the RLM's interest in the Fw 190. At the time, the use of radial engines on land-based fighters was relatively rare in Europe, as it was believed that their large frontal area would cause too much drag on a design as small as a fighter. Tank was not convinced of this, having witnessed the success of radial engines as used by the US Navy, and felt a properly streamlined installation would eliminate this problem.

Tank's solution was to tightly cowl the engine in its entirety. Normally, radial engines would be left open at the front, in order to allow in sufficient air to cool the engine. Instead, Tank's cowl completely enclosed the engine. Cooling air was instead admitted through a hole in the front of an oversized propeller spinner. A cone in the middle of the hole was intended to compress the air, allowing the small opening to create sufficient airflow. In theory, the use of the tight-fitting cowling also provided some thrust due to the compression and heating of air at speed through the cowling.

Another revolutionary aspect of the new design was the extensive use of electrically-powered equipment replacing the hydraulic systems used by most aircraft manufacturers of the time. On the first two prototypes (described below) the main undercarriage was hydraulic. Starting with the third prototype, the undercarriage was operated by push-buttons in the cockpit controlling electric motors in the wings, and was kept in position by electric up- and down-locks. Similarly, the electrically operated landing flaps were controlled by buttons in the cockpit as was the variable incidence tailplane, which could be used to flight-trim the aircraft. The fixed armament was also charged and fired electrically. Tank believed that service use would prove the electrically-powered systems would be more reliable and more rugged than hydraulics, as well as being much easier to service when needed and the absence of flammable hydraulic fluids and vulnerable piping, which was usually prone to leakage, would reduce the risk of fire.

Tank also designed an extremely clean cockpit layout, aided by the use of the electrical equipment. The cockpit had most of the main controls laid out in a logical pattern and incorporated into consoles on either side of the pilot, rather than being placed on the fuselage skinning.

Although nearly all variants of the Fw 190 could carry bombs and other air-to-ground ordnance, there were two dedicated attack versions of the Fw 190. The Luftwaffe was looking for aircraft to replace the Henschel Hs 123 biplane, which was seriously outmatched in 1942, as well as the slow and heavy Junkers Ju 87. The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces flew the Fw 190, including Otto Kittel with 267 victories, Walter Nowotny with 258 victories and Erich Rudorffer with 222 claimed kills. A great many of their kills were claimed while flying the Fw 190.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 9.00 m (29 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan: 10.51 m (34 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.95 m (12 ft 12 in)
• Wing area: 18,30 m² (196.99 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,200 kg (7,060 lb)
• Loaded weight: 4,417 kg (9,735 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 4,900 kg (10,800 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× BMW 801 D-2 radial engine, 1,250 kW (1,700 PS) , 1,471 kW (2,000 PS) with boost

Performance

• Maximum speed: 656 km/h (408 mph) at 19,420 ft (5,920 m), 408 mph (657 km/h) with boost
• Range: 800 km (500 mi)
• Service ceiling: 11,410 m (37,430 ft)
• Rate of climb: 13 m/s (2,560 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 241 kg/m² (49.4 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.29-0.33 kW/kg (0.18-0.21 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2 × 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns with 475 rpg
• 4 × 20 mm MG 151/20 E cannons with 250 rpg in the wing root and 140 rpg

** Focke-Wulf FW-190 - Warbird Fare

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