Air Power Series>1:48 die-cast display model>FW-190>HA7422

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

Flying a Bf-109 during the Spanish Civil War Hannes Trautlouft scored his first five victories. When WW II began Trautloft was with 2./JG 77 and participating in the Polish Campaign and scoring his first WW II victory. In 1939 he was promoted to Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of 1./JG 20. In 1940 JG 54 was newly formed and Trautloft was appointed Kommodore. JG 54 took part in Operation Barbarossa where he scored his 50th victory on February 15, 1943 flying an Fw-190A-4. His total victories were 58.

Specifications :

Dimensions:	Wingspan – 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
	Wing Area – 18.3 m (197 sq ft)
	Length – 8.96 m (29 ft 5 in)
	Height – 3.96 m (13 ft)
Weight:	Empty – 3,470 kg (7,650 lb)
	Maximum – 4,900 kg (10,800 lb)
Performance:	Engine – BMW 801D 1,700 hp 14-cylinder radial engine
	Maximum Speed – 657 kph (408 mph) (335 kts)
	Service Ceiling – 10,300 m (33,800 ft)
	Range – 800 km (500 mi) (435 nmi)
Armament:	(2) 13 mm Machine Guns plus
	(4) 20 mm cannon or
	(2) 20 mm cannons plus
	(2) 30 mm cannons