Flight Craft Special 2: The Focke-Wulf Fw 190

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was arguably the Luftwaffe's most outstanding piston-engine fighter of the Second World War, virtually dominating the skies over Europe for more than a year after its initial introduction into service in the summer of 1941\. Continual development and improvements then kept it at the forefront of operations in the theatres of Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Eastern Front for the remainder of the war, while maintaining a competitive edge over many other types as well as gaining and retaining the grudging respect of those Allied pilots who faced it in combat. Despite being designed as a fighter, the BMW 801-powered Fw 190 sub-types performed practically every role possible for a single-engine, single-seat aircraft - including offensive and defensive day fighter, day and night fighter-bomber, ground attack, reconnaissance platform, night-fighter and trainer. The Fw 190A also served in the Hungarian Air Force during the later stages of the Second World War, the Turkish Air Force from mid-1942 to 1948, and post-war with the French, where the SNCAC aircraft company re-built over fifty Fw 190A-5/A-6s under the designation NC 900 for service with the new Arm e de l'Air. Despite having standard factory-applied camouflage and markings schemes, many Fw 190s were also finished in a variety of on unit' and seasonal' and/or operational theatre' schemes which add to the aircraft's story.