It is now impossible to determine the exact production numbers of the Fw 190 family, as all documents from Focke-Wulf and the companies that licensed the aircraft have been destroyed, and no one knows how many fuselages there were. They are assembled in some special small workshops. In addition, some aircraft are actually assembled in front-line workshops using recycled battlefield materials, which makes the confirmation work almost impossible. It is likely that at least 17,000 Fw 190s with radial engines were produced. In addition, in addition to the aforementioned A, F and G models, the Fw 190 even had a variant with an in-line water-cooled engine. The FW190A is the most produced and used variant. Starting from September 1941, it was mainly used for air combat and ground tactical support (ground attack) with the Royal Air Force. Among them, there are eleven sub-modifications from A-0 to A-10*** and more than one hundred more detailed modifications. Among the many improvements: In July 1942, the A-3 production line began being replaced by the newer A-4. The main difference between the two is that the A-4's BMW 801D-2 engine is equipped with a set of interfaces that can be connected to the MW50 system - this system increases engine power in a short time by injecting a 1:1 mixture of water-methanol. In this way the power of the BMW 801D-2 can be increased to 2,100 kW within 10 minutes, but after that the engine will most likely fail and cannot be used anymore. Due to production delays on the MW50 (which was not installed), this system was not actually installed on the A-4 engines, despite the A-4 being capable of installing it. The MW50 was not actually installed until the A-8 and later Fw 190s. Another improvement to the A-4 is the replacement of the older FuG7a with the more modern FuG16z radio. A less important change was that the vertical antenna was mounted to the dorsal fin, making the A-4 and A-3 easily distinguishable from the outside. In contrast, A-3 and A-2 are often difficult to distinguish. During production, some Fw 190s also received other modifications. The original bonnet vent slots were replaced by bonnet louvres that can be controlled from the cockpit. This allows the pilot to fine-tune the engine temperature by adjusting the shutters. Due to the large increase in orders, several other factories and companies also began license production of the Fw 190. Most Fw 190A-4s were lightly armed, without the MG FF cannon. After testing different ordnance and equipment, the Fw 190A-4 used various modification kits to form the following derivative models: Fw 190A-4/U1, ??a combat bomber type, with an ETC501 bomb rack installed on the belly and the MG FF cannon canceled. Some of the BMW 801D-2 engines were delivered in the autumn of 1943. Dozens of U1s had to use the old C-2 engine Fw 190A-4/U3, a combat bomber version with the same weapon configuration as the U1 and equipped with BMW 801D-2 engines. A landing light was installed on the left wing root for night operations. Later the number was changed to F-1 and developed into an Fw 190F attack type
Fw 190A-4/U4, combat reconnaissance type, equipped with 2 units Rb12.5/7×9 camera, cancel the MG FF aircraft gun Fw 190A-4/U8, long-range combat bombing type, add two 300-liter auxiliary fuel tanks under both wings (using the VTr-Ju 87 type produced by Weserflug Company with hard Aluminum fairing external pylon), the belly is still equipped with the ETC501 bomb rack, and only 2 MG 151/20E cannons are retained to reduce weight - this model later became the prototype of the Fw 190G combat bomber, and at the same time became its First variant (G-1).
There is also a transitional version (probably only 1 will be produced), with the wing drop tank pylons changed to the V. Mtt-Schlos type, and the weapons are 2 MG 17 machine guns and 2 MG151/20E cannons. In addition to the U conversion kit, the Fw 190A-4 can also be easily installed with the Rustsatz (R) conversion kit. Sometimes the aircraft can be modified in a field shop, but it can also be pre-modified at the factory. The suggestion that R kits are interchangeable with other kits on some aircraft is ridiculous, especially since some of these R kits are actually as complex as U kits. Many times, the U and R classifications were actually just for convenience, and later most U kits were renamed R. The first widely used R kit was a 2-pack air-to-air rocket launcher carrying W.Gr21 210mm rockets, used to disrupt the dense formations commonly used by US Army Air Forces bombers. Aircraft equipped with this kit were designated Fw 190A-4/R6. Some authors mention the existence of an Fw 190A-4/R1 variant with a FuG16ZE radio and a Morane-type antenna mounted under the left wing. Very few of these aircraft were produced, but it is not entirely certain whether it was designated U or R. Total production of the Fw 190A-4 exceeded 900 aircraft.
Starting from A-4, fw190 was designed to support the use of expansion kits to adapt to different application requirements. The kit is easy to assemble, theoretically allowing on-site installation by ground handlers of each formation. In fact, the aircraft frame on the assembly line was partially modified to use the modification kit. In use, the modification kits have strong versatility and are flexible and convenient to use. In the later stages of the war, as standardized modification kits, they were often called modification kits "Rüsts?tze". In order to deal with the increasing number of US bombers entering German airspace, In response, the FW190a-4 was urgently ordered to use modification kits on a large scale. In order to strengthen the American bomber's sturdy fuselage and powerful self-defense firepower, the FW190 was hung with two 210mm caliber WGR21 spin-stabilized air-to-air rockets under the wings. This is a A recoilless rocket mounted in a guide tube under the wing of the aircraft. Uses a simple delayed fuze to detonate in air-to-air situations. Because the trajectory of large-caliber rockets has an obvious trajectory, it is very difficult to judge the speed. However, in many cases, such rockets can directly hit or hit American bombers with shrapnel, causing them to lose their combat effectiveness. Based on data collected using the experimental Fw 190A-3/U1, Blaser's design team was convinced that the planned addition of weapons would move the aircraft's center of gravity forward. The best solution for this is to move the engine forward as well. This requires extending the engine mounting bracket by 15cm. This measure (installation of new engines) was applied to all production lines. Therefore, the length of the aircraft was increased to 9.10m, which also gave life to the Fw 190A-5 that had replaced the A-4 since 1942. In addition, some minor equipment modifications were implemented on the A-5 aircraft (such as new electric horizons, modern oxygen breathing apparatus, and the widespread use of FuG25a identification friend or foe devices, etc.). The tail section of the fuselage has been moved slightly rearward, and the equipment compartment cover has been expanded. Standard armament remains the original 2 MG 17 machine guns, 2 MG 151/20E cannons and 2 MG FF cannons. The unique airframe design means that the Fw 190A-5 can already be equipped with a large number of U modification kits. The total number of Fw 190 A-5s produced was 680. In the fall of 1943, an FW190A5 (No. 157347) was converted into a V45 prototype for testing the GM-1 system. This system is used to inject nitrous oxide (laughing gas) into the engine, causing a short-term increase in oxygen levels that improves engine performance at high altitudes.
After the r4 kit was installed, the system was standardized
Finally, in order to combat the increasingly fierce Allied strategic bombing, the famous Fw 190A-5/R6 joined the German air defense system forces in combat. An interesting feature of the Fw 190A-5 aircraft is its turbocharger external air inlet. This type of air inlet is an alternative, but is not widely used because it creates greater aerodynamic drag. One of the existing historical photos depicts an A-5 II/JG54 deployed on the Eastern Front. The aircraft was temporarily used for bombing missions, so 4 (2×) were installed under the fuselage. 2) ETC50 bomb rack. In the fall of 1943, an A-5 (airframe number 157347) was selected as the V45 prototype for testing the GM-1 system, which increased the engine's high-altitude power by injecting nitric oxide. This equipment later became the standard R4 conversion kit. In order to cooperate with the production of the BMW 801F engine (1,765Kw) intended for the A-9 and A-10 aircraft, in December 1943 Focke-Wulf was ordered to prepare an A-5 fuselage (airframe No. 410230) - the V34 prototype, used for test flights of the BMW 801 V85 test engine. But there is still no evidence that this engine has ever been installed and used. Production of the BMW 801F engine never went ahead, so the A-9 series aircraft have always used TS/TU engines. In November 1943, the A-7 series entered production. The aircraft is actually developed from the A5/U9, with weapons improved to 2 MG 131 machine guns and 4 MG 151/20E aircraft cannons. Since the MG 131 was larger than the original MG 17 machine gun, it had a noticeable cigar-shaped bulge on the engine hood in front of the cockpit. The Revi C/12D sight was replaced by the new Model 16B. Typically an ETC501 pylon is installed under the fuselage to carry the 300 liter drop tank. There are 3 standard modifications of the A-7 series, namely R1, R2, and R3.
One A-7 (airframe number 380394) was used as a testbed for a new drop tank, known as the Doppelreiter. The aim of the project, led by Isemann engineers at the Graf Zeppelin Institute, was to reduce the air resistance of the drop tanks as much as possible while maintaining a high fuel capacity. The new drop tanks have a capacity of 270 liters and are mounted on the upper surface of the wing. At the same time, the test aircraft's armament was reduced to two MG 151/20E cannons. After a series of tests, the results showed that the auxiliary fuel tank could meet the requirements, but surprisingly, the German Aviation Ministry refused to adopt this improved auxiliary fuel tank on the grounds that it could not disrupt the production order! Production of the A-7 series ended in January 1944, after 80 aircraft had been produced. It was replaced by the more advanced A-8. A model that has been tested and planned to be produced by modifying the DB 603 engine and pressurized cockpit from the Fw 190A. The production program was terminated in 1944.
The three prototypes of V13/V15/V16 were switched to DB 603 liquid-cooled engines for flight testing. Although the test results were quite excellent, the German Air Force itself did not pay attention to these results, so it only stayed at the prototype level. status. The Fw 190D series changed the engine to the Junkers Jumo 213-A V-type 12-cylinder liquid-cooled engine. Its birth was due to the change in the priority of Germany's aircraft production plan, which resulted in a large number of Jumo-213 engines originally used for bombers being idle. Therefore, it was misappropriated by the Fokker Factory; in an attempt to improve the original design of the BMW 801, which only had a one-stage supercharger, it could not effectively cope with the escort fighters accompanying the Allied bombers, especially the P-51. Regarding the switch to "leftover" engines, the pilots originally had great backlash and were helpless, but the excellent performance of the actual aircraft dispelled these backlash.
After fighting with the Fw190D, Allied pilots said that it was a "long-nosed" Fw190. The first one to develop actual combat capabilities was the Fw190D-9. The D type uses the standard Fw190A, F and G type wings and tail, but the fuselage is lengthened to 10.36m. The vertical tail has been widened by 140.3mm, which is 0.23m2 larger than the "short nose" standard model. The Fw190D is equipped with a Junkers Jumo231A-1 liquid-cooled opposed engine and comes with a MW-50 power enhancement device. Maximum speed
704km/h (11290m). The later model Fw190D-12 was equipped with a Jumo213E engine, and the maximum speed reached 725km/h (11290m) when using MW-50 afterburner. All D-sub models can be equipped with a 30mm MK108 cannon (similar to the Bf109) on the propeller central axis. The Fw 190D-9, which is equipped with a Jumo 213 liquid-cooled engine, is very different from the A-type in appearance. The design of the D9 originated from the designer's desire to develop an improved d-series based on the A8. To improve power output at low altitudes. The first test vehicles for the D9 were the V53 and V54 in June 1944. At the same time, the fuselage and wings were also modified, and the installation method of the engine was changed to strengthen the fuselage. Production began in August 1944 by the Focke-Wulf design bureau; the Arado and Fischler manufacturing plants on the island of Vaal in Cottbus, Kassel. The fuel tank capacity of d9 has been increased from the previous 232L to 292L, and it is equipped with an ETC 504 pylon.
The final weapon configuration of the D9 was two mg131s and two mg151/20s at the wing roots. However, the first batch of D9s produced did not have the mw-50 system. Subsequently, the new engine jumo213C and the engine central axis gun were used in the serial number 210001 batch. The old version of jumo213a has a built-in central axis gun without a central axis gun. The D9 has two serial numbers: 210001 and 210002. The third batch of D9 received a new serial number 210043 and a new engine fairing in Cottbus. It is a more curved and protruding fairing that is completely different from the a8 series.
Comparison shows that although the high-altitude performance of the 190D-9 equipped with the Jumo 213 A-1 engine has been improved, the performance above 7,000 meters is still not as good as the Bf 109G using the DB 605 AS engine. Its slightly embarrassing high-altitude performance did not meet the planned requirements, proving that what the D-9 needed was to use a Jumo 213 E engine with a supercharger. Soon, the 190D-9 using the Jumo 213E engine with better high-altitude performance entered the production line. At the same time, alternative engine solutions included the DB 603 G and BMW 801 TJ.
The pilots' doubts about the 190D9 soon proved to be unnecessary. The 190D is a more flexible fighter than the 190A series and has a higher climb rate. Another important improvement project at the same time is the ability to use the MW-50 injection system, which has a liquid capacity that can operate for 40 minutes. The F-2 can be said to be the armored close support version of the F w190A5/U3, and it is difficult to tell the difference between the two. The F-2 in the picture carries 4 SC50 bombs on the belly through the ER4 pylon
These two models are actually combat bombing modifications of the A-4 and A-5, namely Fw 190A-4 /U3 and Fw 190A-5/U3 Fw 190A-4/U3 is a lightly armed variant equipped with 2×1MG 17 fuselage machine guns and 2×1MG 151/20E wing cannons, and ETC501 bombs are installed under the fuselage. The rack can carry one 250kg or 500kg bomb or four 50kg bombs using the ER 4 adapter. The Luftwaffe originally ordered 30, but as the A-4s were being replaced by the more modern A-5s, only 18 were built.
The equipment of the Fw 190A-5/U3 is similar to that of the A-4/U3, but the production number is slightly higher, ***63 aircraft. Some were retrofitted with desert equipment and became the Fw 190A-5/U3/TP type. Positive reviews and high demand for fighter-bombers from the RAF forced Focke-Wulf to begin production of an attack variant of the Fw 190, known as the Fw 190F. The adoption of the F designation indicated that it was an entirely new model rather than a previous fighter variant. . The design office decided to include the previously produced Fw 190A-4/U3 in the F series, giving it the designation Fw 190F-1, while the already produced Fw 190A-5/U3 was given the designation Fw 190F-2. During May 1943, Focke-Wulff produced 271 Fw 190F-2 standard and Fw 190F-2TP (desert) models. The F8 is the most produced model of the F series. It was developed on the A-8 airframe. In March 1944, the F-8 began production at the Arado factory in Warnemunde. In April of the same year, the NDW-Wismar factory also began production of the aircraft
The Fw 190F-8 uses the BMW 801D-2 engine and uses 96 hp Alkane number C3 fuel. An injector was added to the left supercharger inlet to increase engine power for a short period of time (10-15 minutes) when the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 1,000 meters - this injector became the F-8 standard equipment. Otherwise, most of the equipment of the F-8 is similar to that of the Fw 190A-8. Starting in April 1944, the FuG 16ZS radio station began to replace the original FuG 16ZY and could communicate directly with field troops. Compared to previous models, the F-8 had only a limited amount of desert equipment (including that air inlet dust cover). In the second half of 1944, the A-8 began to adopt a rear widened canopy, mainly to expand the pilot's front and side vision, which was more advantageous when performing missions as a fighter-bomber. Fixed armament consisted of 2 MG 131 fuselage machine guns and 2 MG 151/20E wing cannons.
Most early production F-8s were armored (as had been on the F-series since the F-3). However, on later-model F-8s, these protective armors were eliminated in order to reduce weight and improve flight performance. Later-model F-8s only used standard Fw 190A-8 armor. Since the ETC501 bomb rack under the fuselage is a standard component of the A-8, all F-8s also inherit this component, but for the F-8, this bomb rack does not have the ability to carry droppable drop tanks.
In early 1944, as the situation on the Eastern Front became increasingly severe, the Luftwaffe was in urgent need of a powerful attack aircraft that could destroy armored vehicles - including heavy tanks. In this situation, it is crucial to equip the Fw 190F with powerful attack weapons. This matter was more difficult because the Luftwaffe had never developed a weapon system suitable for equipping light fighters. The only way is to keep experimenting and find the right weapon in the experiment. The first test of the Fw 190F was the 280mmW.Gr.28/32 rocket, which used a high-explosive warhead. But the results were discouraging. Because it reduces the stability of the aircraft, the highly curved trajectory makes it difficult to aim at the target. The second test used a "Panzerschreck 1" twin or triple rocket launcher mounted under the wing using ETC50 or ETC70 bomb racks. The rocket uses a hollow charge warhead.
Soon, the "Panzerschreck 1" was replaced by the better-performing "Panzerschreck 2" (PD 8.8), a twin 88mm rocket launcher that could fire rockets with a hollow charge warhead individually or in salvos . An Fw 190F-8 (airframe number 580383) equipped with this combination launcher was flown by Major Eggers at Udetfeld Air Base. The test flight results were satisfactory, but the disadvantages were that the rocket's range was too short (137 meters) and its accuracy was not high. Despite this, a small number of aircraft equipped with Panzerschreck 2 launchers were delivered to the Eastern Front in October 1944 as a contingency. In December 1944, the more efficient "Panzerblitz 1" (Pb1) rocket system entered service. The system can carry six or more (usually eight) R4M air-to-air rockets. After being replaced with an 80mm M8 warhead, these missiles can also be used to attack tanks, with an armor penetration depth of 90mm. Using Pb1 components, the Fw 190F can destroy enemy tanks at a distance of 200 meters. The only limitation is that the aircraft speed cannot exceed 490km/h when launching the missile (whether it is a single shot or a salvo of 2). By February 1945, the Luftwaffe had received 115 Fw 190F-8/Pb1s.
The successor of the Pb1 component is "Panzerblitz 2" (Pb2). The main difference between the two is that the Pb2 replaces the M8 warhead with a hollow charge warhead with a penetration depth of 180mm. The newer "Panzerblitz 3" (Pb3) used a 210mm diameter hollow charge warhead, but it was not put into use until the end of the war. The AG140 rocket system also uses two similar 210mm rocket launchers, but it is different from the Pb3. Focke-Wulff conducted trials of the AG140 system using three Fw 190F-8s converted into prototypes (V78 (551103), V79 (583303) and V80 (586600)). In October 1944, the new Fw 190F-9 entered service. The aircraft was actually derived from the A-9 model. The engine is a BMW 801TS, and the propeller is a 3-blade wooden propeller (with a diameter of 3,500mm) produced by Heine or Shwartz. The rear part of the canopy is widened. The vertical tail of some aircraft has been enlarged. Armament was the same as the previous model, consisting of 2 MG 131 machine guns and 2 MG 151/20E cannons. This machine can be installed with all R kits except R3, but in fact only the standard or R1 model is put into production. A small number of aircraft are also equipped with anti-tank missile launchers (What?). In late 1944 and early 1945, due to the shortage of strategic materials and the rapid expansion of fighter production, there was an urgent need to find wooden substitutes for the Fw 190. Parts planned to be made of wood include the tailplane, flaps and ailerons. However, there is currently no data showing which parts are made of wood products, nor is it known how many aircraft use such parts. Next to be put into production is the Fw 190F-10, which is developed from the Fw 190A-10 and is expected to be equipped with a BMW 801F (TF) engine. The enlarged wooden tail will become a standard part. The main wheel size has also been increased to 740×210mm. However, like the A-10, the F-10 was not actually built until the end of the war due to delays in the production of the BMW 801F engine. The next variant after the F-10 is the F-15, powered by the BMW 801TS engine.
The aircraft was developed from the Fw 190 V66 (airframe number 584002) - although other sources believe that the V66 was not a direct prototype of the F-15. The F-16 is another variant, the prototype V67 (airframe number 930516) being a modified F-8. The only difference between the two is the radio station: FuG15 was replaced by FuG16ZE/ZS.
The last variant of the F series is the Fw 190F-17, a torpedo attack version equipped with the TSA 2A targeting system. Like the previous Bf 109, the Fw 190 (usually an A-8/F-8/G-8) was also used to form a composite aircraft with the Ju 88 bomber and to guide the unmanned Ju 88 bomber Attack important targets (the attack type combined with the unmanned Ju 88 is called "Mistral", and the type combined with manned Ju 88 for cooperative training is called "Mistral S"). The Mistel's cockpit was removed and replaced with various types of hollow-charge warheads. The Mistel and Mistel S were also divided into different versions, depending on the type of Ju 88 bomber used and the guided aircraft. Among them, Fw 190 is used in Mistel 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, Mistel S2A, S3A, S3B, S3C. The Fw 190 integrated into the Mystal fuselage had the weapons system removed and an oil tank added under the engine cowling. Electrically controlled connection points were added to the wing spars and rear fuselage. To guide the Ju 88, the Fw 190 was equipped with TSA 1 equipment. Due to the above improvements, this Fw 190 was given a new design designation "M" (e.g. Fw 190A-8/M). There was also a Mistral device, a combination of an Fw 190 and a Ta 154, but it failed to materialize.