Book Review of
Focke-Wulf Fw-190-A, Vol. 1
Series Editor: Damian Majsak
Kagero Camouflage & Decals no. 5
ISBN:978-83-66673-40-3
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $27.95
ISBN:978-83-66673-40-3
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $27.95
HISTORY:
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (nicknamed Würger;( Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force) of the Luftwaffe.
The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and to a lesser degree, night fighter.
The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941 and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Spitfire Mk. V, the main front-line fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF), particularly at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk. IX In November/December 1942.
The Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front, finding much success in fighter wings and specialized ground attack units (Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943.
The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above), which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor. From the Fw 190's inception, there had been ongoing efforts to address this with a turbo-supercharged BMW 801 in the B model, the much longer-nosed C model with efforts to also turbocharge its chosen Daimler-Benz DB 603 inverted V12 power plant, and the similarly long-nosed D model with the Junkers Jumo 213.
Problems with the turbocharger installations on the -B and -C subtypes meant only the D model entered service in September 1944. These high-altitude developments eventually led to the Focke-Wulf Ta 152, which was capable of extreme speeds at medium to high altitudes (755 km/h (408 kn; 469 mph) at 13,500 m (44,300 ft)).[6] While these "long nose" 190 variants and the Ta 152 derivative especially gave the Germans parity with Allied opponents, they arrived too late to affect the outcome of the war.
The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces claimed many of their kills while flying it, including Otto Kittel, Walter Nowotny and Erich Rudorffer. The Fw 190 had greater firepower than the Bf 109 and, at low to medium altitude, superior maneuverability, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters. It was regarded as one of the best fighter planes of World War II.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
National origin: Germany
Manufacturer: Focke-Wulf
Designer: Kurt Tank
First flight: 1 June 1939
Introduction to service: August 1941
Retired: May 1945 (Luftwaffe), 1949 (France)
Primary users: Luftwaffe, Hungarian Air Force, French Air Force, Turkish Air Force
Produced: 1941–1945 (65 produced post-War for French Air Force)
Number built: Over 20,000
Developed into: Focke-Wulf Ta 152
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (nicknamed Würger;( Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force) of the Luftwaffe.
The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and to a lesser degree, night fighter.
The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941 and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Spitfire Mk. V, the main front-line fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF), particularly at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk. IX In November/December 1942.
The Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front, finding much success in fighter wings and specialized ground attack units (Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943.
The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above), which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor. From the Fw 190's inception, there had been ongoing efforts to address this with a turbo-supercharged BMW 801 in the B model, the much longer-nosed C model with efforts to also turbocharge its chosen Daimler-Benz DB 603 inverted V12 power plant, and the similarly long-nosed D model with the Junkers Jumo 213.
Problems with the turbocharger installations on the -B and -C subtypes meant only the D model entered service in September 1944. These high-altitude developments eventually led to the Focke-Wulf Ta 152, which was capable of extreme speeds at medium to high altitudes (755 km/h (408 kn; 469 mph) at 13,500 m (44,300 ft)).[6] While these "long nose" 190 variants and the Ta 152 derivative especially gave the Germans parity with Allied opponents, they arrived too late to affect the outcome of the war.
The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces claimed many of their kills while flying it, including Otto Kittel, Walter Nowotny and Erich Rudorffer. The Fw 190 had greater firepower than the Bf 109 and, at low to medium altitude, superior maneuverability, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters. It was regarded as one of the best fighter planes of World War II.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
National origin: Germany
Manufacturer: Focke-Wulf
Designer: Kurt Tank
First flight: 1 June 1939
Introduction to service: August 1941
Retired: May 1945 (Luftwaffe), 1949 (France)
Primary users: Luftwaffe, Hungarian Air Force, French Air Force, Turkish Air Force
Produced: 1941–1945 (65 produced post-War for French Air Force)
Number built: Over 20,000
Developed into: Focke-Wulf Ta 152
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft cover of 40 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format. It comes in a self-sealing clear cello envelope. Inserted into the book is a decal sheet that has solid and skeletal type Luftwaffe crosses and swastikas that are cut in two and have to be assembled. I have seen this before in kits that are sold in countries where the swastika is prohibited. Cutting the swastika in half makes it politically presentable. The sheet is in 1/72nd and 1/48th scales.
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft cover of 40 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format. It comes in a self-sealing clear cello envelope. Inserted into the book is a decal sheet that has solid and skeletal type Luftwaffe crosses and swastikas that are cut in two and have to be assembled. I have seen this before in kits that are sold in countries where the swastika is prohibited. Cutting the swastika in half makes it politically presentable. The sheet is in 1/72nd and 1/48th scales.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Fw-190-A, that is flying above the clouds. It is in a base of medium-grey, with white squiggle pattern camouflage and a black and white spiral on its propeller spinner. It has a red fuselage no. 30 and is carrying a bare metal drop tank.
It was flown by Ofw. Karl Rusack of S./JG 300, LoBnitz, Germany, January 1945.
The book contains color profiles of:
Two top views.
Six 2-views.
Fourteen 4-views.
Images of:
A white circle with a black top hat that has a black thumb pressing it down,
The name “Anni”.
A brown wolf chewing on a blue ship.
Mickey Mouse riding a tan bomb and holding an axe over his head.
An indian-chief’s head.
The name “Elli”.
The last page of the book has color illustrations of a decal sheet that Kagero makes for the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 model 21 and cover arts for other Kagero books: “F-14 Tomcat”, “Japanese Fighters”, “Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet”, “Vought F4U Corsair” and “Messerschmitt BF-109A-F”.
This is a neat book on the Fw-190A. It will be of great interest to modelers who plan on building this aircraft and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor for Kagero books for this review sample. All Kagero titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
It was flown by Ofw. Karl Rusack of S./JG 300, LoBnitz, Germany, January 1945.
The book contains color profiles of:
Two top views.
Six 2-views.
Fourteen 4-views.
Images of:
A white circle with a black top hat that has a black thumb pressing it down,
The name “Anni”.
A brown wolf chewing on a blue ship.
Mickey Mouse riding a tan bomb and holding an axe over his head.
An indian-chief’s head.
The name “Elli”.
The last page of the book has color illustrations of a decal sheet that Kagero makes for the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 model 21 and cover arts for other Kagero books: “F-14 Tomcat”, “Japanese Fighters”, “Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet”, “Vought F4U Corsair” and “Messerschmitt BF-109A-F”.
This is a neat book on the Fw-190A. It will be of great interest to modelers who plan on building this aircraft and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor for Kagero books for this review sample. All Kagero titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.