Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (WW 2): books - history (1/2)

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Manual (1939 onwards) - An insight into owning, flying and maintaining (Haynes Aircraft Manual)

When the German Focke Wulf Fw190 fighter burst onto the scene over France in 1941 it took the RAF by surprise, outperforming the Spitfire Mk V. At the time the RAF described the performance gap as 'a quantum leap'. Its superior performance on the Eastern Front had a significant impact in the air war against the Soviet Union.

Graeme Douglas gets under the skin of the Fw190 with the new-build Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8 and D-9 models built by the Flug Werk company in Germany. He also describes flying and maintaining the Fw190 in combat.

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Author:	Graeme Douglas
Specs:	160 pages, 28 x 22 x 1.5 cm / 11 x 8.7 x 0.59 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photographs
Publisher:	Haynes Publishing (GB, 2016)
Series:	Haynes Aircraft Manual
EAN:	9780857337894

Focke Wulf 190 : The Birth of the Butcher Bird 1939-1945 (Luftwaffe at War)

Long with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighting force. Capable of performing in theatres as diverse as North Africa, the Russian Front and in Western Europe, its superior killing ability earned it the nickname, the 'Butcher Bird'.
Famed for its speed and manoeuvrability - some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces - from Otto Kittel to Erich Rudorffer - claimed a great many of their kills while flying it.

This addition to the Luftwaffe at War series illustrates the different versions of the plane to see service, the theatres in which the plane served and the pilots who carved a name for themselves with the Butcher Bird.

Author:	Morten Jessen
Specs:	72 pages, 26 x 19 cm / 10.25 x 7.5 in, paperback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photographs
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2016)
Series:	Luftwaffe at War
EAN:	9781848327948

Focke-Wulf Fw 190A - An Illustrated History of the Luftwaffe's Legendary Fighter Aircraft

Together with the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 formed the standard equipment of the German fighter arm in the Second World War. Initial flight trials in 1939 revealed a number of shortcomings, nevertheless the basic concept of the Fw 190 proved extremely successful. In contrast to the Bf 109, which was powered by a liquid-cooled, inverted-vee engine, in developing the Fw 190 Prof. Kurt Tank selected the BMW 801, an air-cooled radial engine that was less sensitive to battle damage. The broad-track undercarriage also gave the Focke-Wulf fighter much superior takeoff and landing characteristics.
The Fw 190 entered quantity production by Focke-Wulf and license manufacturers Fieseler, AGO and Arado in 1941. It proved an immediate success in combat operations in 1942, proving itself superior to the Spitfire in some respects.

This book deals with the development history and testing of this fighter aircraft and production of the early variants of the Fw 190 A. An interesting comparison between the Bf 109 and the Fw 190 shows the strengths and weaknesses of the two aircraft, and authentic reports by former test pilots of Focke-Wulf and the Rechlin Test Station document the aircraft's performance. Also covered are the later torpedo-carrier and reconnaissance versions of the Fw 190.
Lavishly illustrated with photographs and drawings, many of which have not been published before, this book provides both aircraft enthusiasts and modelers with a wealth of information, and fills a gap in the history of aircraft design in Germany.

Author:	Dietmar Hermann, Ulrich Leverenz, Eberhard Weber
Specs:	224 pages, 28.5 x 22.5 x 2.3 cm / 11.2 x 8.9 x 0.91 in, hardback
Illustrations:	over 340 b&w and colour photographs, profile drawings
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2004)
EAN:	9780764319402

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 'Long Nose' : An Illustrated History of the FW 190 D Series

This book covers the complete development history of those variants of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 powered by inline engines. The first Fw 190 equipped with a Daimler Benz liquid-cooled engine took to the air in early 1942, followed six months later by another powered by a Jumo 213.

Production of the Fw 190 C, Fw 190 D and Ta 153 was delayed by the German air ministry. Not until 1944, by which time Germany had lost control of the air, did the Fw 190 D-9, an interim fighter powered by the Jumo 213 A, enter production. The Fw 190 D-9 proved an immediate success, largely due to an excellent prototype test program under Dipl.Ing. Hans Sander. The type quickly entered service with the Luftwaffe and more than 1,700 examples were completed by the end of the war.

The Fw 190 D-9 gave rise to a number of improved variants with the more powerful Jumo 213 F engine and a heavier armament, however only a handful of the D-11 and D-13 versions were completed.
With a maximum speed of 750 km/h, the Fw 190 D-12 powered by the new Jumo 213 EB would have represented the apex of Fw 190 development. The proposed Fw 190 D-14 and D-15, both powered by improved versions of the dive-bombers 603, came too late to see service with the Luftwaffe.

Author:	Deitmar Hermann
Specs:	208 pages, 28.5 x 22.5 x 2.2 cm / 11.2 x 8.9 x 0.87 in, hardback
Illustrations:	250 b&w photographs, profile drawings in colour
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2004)
EAN:	9780764318764