Air Power Series>1:48 die-cast display model>FW-190>HA7414

General Background

In 1937 the Me-109 was an excellent aircraft but the Reich Air Ministry wanted a new advanced fighter that could out perform any future foreign designs. Kurt Tank’s Focke-Wulf Fw-190 Würger (Butcher Bird) won the design competition by using an air-cooled radial engine. When the Fw-190 entered combat in the summer of 1941 it already was Germany’s premiere piston-powered WWII fighter. Over 20,000 of all variants of the Fw-190 were built with 13,291 of these being of the 9 different “A” variants.

The Aircraft

On October 19, 1943 a special unit of 18 volunteers was formed and called "Sturmstaffel 1" and Gerhard Vivroux joined the unit that same day. Their task was to stop the heavily armed USAAF Bomber Units. "Sturmstaffel 1" was originally based at Dortmund until February 29, 1944 when they moved to Salzwedel. The unit was originally equipped with FW-190A-6s and Vivroux was assigned "White 2". On March 4, 1944 Vivroux scored his first of 11 victories, a B-17. Ten victories were bombers and his 11th and final was a P-51. On October 6, 1944 Vivroux was hit by fire from a bomber but managed to land his FW-190 but died the next day at age 21.

Specifications :

Dimensions:	Wingspan – 34.5 ft
	Length – 33.4 ft
	Height – 13 ft
Weight:	Empty – 7,566 lbs
	Maximum Takeoff – 8,598 lbs
Performance:	Engine – BMW 801D-2 producing 1,800 hp @ takeoff
	Maximum Speed – 398 mph @ 20,000 ft TAS
	Maximum Speed @ Sea Level – 343 mph TAS
	Stalling Speed
	Clean @ Maximum Weight – 118 mph IAS
	Landing @ Maximum Weight – 98 mph IAS
Armament:	2 x 13 mm machine guns
	4 x 20 mm cannons
	Plus various other ordnance