The Spitfire's most feared opponent

If you mentioned BMW to most people, they think of a car. They don't think of something with an engine of 1,800 horsepower powering one of the deadliest fighters of the Second World War. The Focke-Wulf 190.
Kurt Tank's design of the Focke-Wulf 190 was hunched like a pitbull. Very strong in design. Tapered wing edges. It could roll very fast. It could take a lot of punishment. And the performance was electrifying.
In this video, IWM Duxford's Graham Rodgers explored the history of Germany's 'Butcher Bird'.
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Kurt Tank images:
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[@PaddyPatrone]

The 190`s cockpit layout is a thing of beauty. So clean.

[@werre2]

190's cockpit layout is awesome compared to other planes of the time. Logical and - as you put it - clean.

[@wrathofatlantis2316]

And way more cramped than the Me-109... 22 inches at the shoulders vs 24, and no lateral head movement at all... But the FW-190A turned slightly better at low speeds, especially to the right below 250 mph, and that mattered more than anything else about it: Russian Red Fleet article: "The 190A will inevitably offer turning combat at minimum speed." And if you think that is wrong, you haven't shot down as many of them as Pierre Clostermann (10): "The idea that at low speeds, below 220 knots, the Spitfire out-turned the FW-190A, or the 109, is a good joke." And no, they mostly fought at 3Gs and 200 mph, and almost never above 5G (although the Spitfire more often did, since like the P-51, it liked high speeds)...

[@fraggsta]

It's one of the first aircraft to make an attempt at an ergonomic cockpit layout. By this I mean main flying instruments grouped together, engine instruments grouped etc. Contrast this to earlier British aircraft where the designers and engineers pretty much just put the instruments wherever there was space on the panel with no real thought towards how the pilot needed to use them. I'm not sure which did this first but the P51 was also an early attempt to group the instruments into a logical layout to make things easier for the pilot. Another thing that is worth mentioning about the 190 is how many of its control surfaces were electrically operated and generally very easy to use. Later in the war this was important, with inexperienced pilots.

[@ericbouchard7547]

The cockpit ended up influencing the design of the later F8F Bearcat. To quote an article: "The Bearcat's design was influenced by an evaluation in early 1943 by Grumman test pilots and engineering staff of a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter in England.[1]After flying the Fw 190, Grumman test pilot Bob Hall wrote a report he directed to President Leroy Grumman who personally laid out the specifications for Design 58, the successor to the Hellcat, closely emulating the design philosophy that had spawned the German lightweight fighter." As an aside, Hall wasn't told about the 190s landing characteristics, namely that it lands quite heavily with the throttle completely retracted. Hall, accustomed to landing Grumman designs that--being carrier aircraft--were intended to be landed with the engine at idle, ended up bouncing the 190 down the runway and slamming the throttle forward to gain some altitude. On his next attempt, he kept a bit of throttle on. A few of the British ground crewmen made some money, having bet to see how high Hall would bounce when he landed. This latter anecdote can be found in an audio recording of Hall on the Credo Library at Umass dot edu.

[@wrathofatlantis2316]

@@fraggsta Only the mobile cowl ring and flaps were electric, not the control surfaces. Although the 190 controls were in fact actuated by rods not the usual cables, which rods were less susceptible to slackening over time. It is true the 190 was more newbie friendly, but to get the most out of it, the 109 was actually more "normal" and intuitive. The 190 required combat at low speeds were you pushed on the stick to turn at its best (below 250 mph at 3 Gs), and you had to make the best low speed turns not only by pushing slightly to keep the nose from rising, but also with the stick deflected to catch the wing drop: This was very unsettling for newbies as it was not a normal way of flying, but was where the 190 out-turned most types, especially Spitfires, and P-51s even more so in right turns (again, left turns were more natural to most right handed pilots).

[@alanwayte432]

My Grandfather flew Mk9s in the war, it was his favourite plane, he flew Hurricane Spitfire Mk2 MK5 Mk9 then Tempests, he said when 190 was introduced the only hope was to stick with your wing man in a tight turn, but equally when MK9 was introduced the 190 pilots were stunned. My Grandfather died aged 99 in his bed ❤

[@markfryer9880]

He was a very fortunate man. He got paid to fly some of the best aircraft ever, and he lived to tell the tale. Many of his contemporaries were not as fortunate. He had a family and lived to be 99. Can't ask for much more out of life than all of that!

[@davidelliott5843]

The Spitfire Mk-9 was introduced very quickly. It must been planned a good while before it was needed.

[@brucetucker4847]

@@davidelliott5843 They had planned the Mk 8 but it wasn't going to be ready as soon as it needed so the Mk 9 was kind of a stopgap hybrid between the 5 and the 8 that could be rushed into service very quickly - the first ones were essentially Mk 5 airframes with minimal modifications to take the Merlin 61 engine intended for the Mk 8.

[@maryrose2676]

I saw the title and wondered if it applied to all spitfire marks. Good thing your comment was second from the top. :)

[@dukecraig2402]

The 2 stage 2 speed supercharger in the Mk IX is what put it in another class, previous to that they had single stage 2 speed superchargers that really only made max power up to and including medium altitude, the 2 stage supercharger gave it high altitude performance. What's curious about the different Spitfire Mk's though is they also made low altitude versions of each one that had single stage single speed superchargers on the engine's, when you see Mk IXla that means it's one of the low altitude (la) variant's. I've never understood why they just didn't have a designated low altitude Mk instead of making low altitude variant's of the different Mk's, if anything you'd think it'd have been easier on the mechanics and the people in maintenance that have to order and keep track of all the parts.

[@pogonator1]

You forget to mention the one feature that made the 190 engine unique, the Kommadogerät. An engine control that automatically adjusted engine fuel flow, propeller pitch, supercharger setting, mixture and ignition timing so that the pilot only had to control a single power lever. Not having to think about all the adjustments you have to make while throttling back or giving full power, could give you a real advantage during a fight.

[@ohger1]

Particularly for the new pilots being rushed into the air. There were times when manual adjustments of things like pitch and mixture were handy on long range escort duty.

[@biddyboy1570]

No supercharger

[@TotalGarbo]

The FW190 does have a supercharger. @@biddyboy1570

[@ryanwhitten8545]

@@biddyboy1570 2 stage supercharger

[@23GreyFox]

American test pilots didn't like this feature for some reason.

[@crazymoose9875]

If the Me109 was a race horse in it's Time... the FW190 concept was a WAR HORSE....!!!! Greetings from Lima-Perú!!!

[@luislealsantos]

Concordo inteiramente. Salud.

[@gregorteply9034]

Got coke?

[@Tancred73]

Haha.. excellent analogy!

[@ARGONUAT]

But the original Warthog was the beast from Farmingdale - the P-47 Thunderbolt!

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@josephheselberger4356You know what he’s talking about so why correct him?

[@Surestick88]

The 190's kommandogerät, essentially a mechanical FADEC, should get a mention as it enabled single lever control of the the engine & prop which was a big advantage in combat compared to other airplanes.

[@kingbolt86]

I read that not long after the 8th Air Force B-17s started encountering the FW-190, the 100th Bomb Group had hung a poster outside one of the duty huts depicting an illustration of a grinning pilot asking, "Who's afraid of the new Focke Wulf?" and all the men began signing their names on the poster.

[@archibaldmccutcheon5884]

My father was a B-17 pilot and was shot down by the Butcher Bird. The allied bomber pilots were more concerned by the 190 than the 109. Hellavu plane.

[@MattKearneyFan1]

The 190 could carry more cannons and rocket mortars. Definitely a nightmare to bombers

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

I've heard that many a time too. respectfully, A royal Signaller.

[@user-bx5fi4il6m]

@@MattKearneyFan1 standard was 4x20 mm + some MGs, I play just simulators and its better shredder than messer

[@user-tt6il2up4o]

There is a good video explaining how the German cannon HE worked and how effective it was at bringing down any aircraft.

[@sirscrotum]

Janes wwii fighters, standard fw190 loadout was 4 20mm cannons+2 12.7mm through the propeller. That was some serious firepower. Y i loved the plane.

[@joshuawhittaker1197]

I particularly enjoy the insights from pilots of opposing air forces who've flown other planes

[@Cheka__]

Probably. Definitely Germany's prettiest warbird of WW2. Although, the 109 is pretty, too. Honestly, as WW2 fighter aircraft fanboy, they're all pretty.

[@jskypercussion]

They really were

[@BlackMasakari]

Hello ? Do-335 ?

[@jus7040]

Ju-87 "Stuka" (Sturzkampfbomber - Dive Bomber)

[@TwinTalon01]

As a fellow WW2 aircraft fanboy, totally agree. I always loved the brutish look of the 190, way more than the boxy-canopy 109. The 109 looks mass-produced by comparison, the 190 looks much more special. I’ve always especially liked the stubbier look of the early 190 models, less so the later and more slender D models.

[@wethepeoplearepidoff1776]

@@jus7040 the stuka was a decent plane but definitely not a pretty one

[@BeatPoet67]

It's a beautiful machine. I used to build lots of aeroplane kits as a kid and I always felt a slight pang of guilt when I liked the aesthetics of a German WW2 plane. This was one of them.

[@o.k.2968]

There is no need to be ashamed of these feelings. People should like smart inventions, comfortable and stylish things, that’s normal. In the end, you evaluate not political Nazism, but the results of the work of talented German engineers and designers. I am sure that they would diligently made their planes, tanks, small arms and military uniforms regardless of what Germany's ideology would was.

[@mayamanign]

Why? The Nazis were filth, but their machines are the best looking easily by miles.

[@rileyp1419]

A lot of our modern technology came from N@zi scientists.

[@xxelaxela333]

@@o.k.2968it’s literally a machine made to kill Allies… cognitive dissonance should be expected. I get your sentiment if it was passenger airplanes, or the Volkswagen. Admiring the engineering achievements of the machines that killed our grandfathers? That’s pretty weird.

[@henrywalker8287]

That intro about BMW drivers is spot on!

[@jurgenhofmann6779]

My eldest uncle was a flight-teacher in the 109 from 1938 on - and sent to the eastern front in 1942. He had to switch from the 109 to the 190 and was very unhappy after the first flights due to the fact "that this bird is flying like a Panzer IV" But this changed after the first dogfights with IL2 and LAG3 - and he wrote in his letters that "Marianne (the namen he gave to his 190) saved my life again today" Btw: Kurt Tank wasn`t a real aircraft designer/engineer - he studied electrical engineering - the reason behind why all his aircrafts havent had any hydraulic systems

[@joangratzer2101]

109 = THOUROBRED 190 = WAR HORSE

[@oliverhaake7552]

Thanks for sharing this little story. Appreciate it.

[@craigtank4067]

What is a “real aircraft designer/engineer”? My great uncle Kurt was born in the 1890’s. He was educated at University in the the later 19 teens and early 1920’s. There were not during those Times aeronautical engineering programs at universities as such the folks designing planes had to come from somewhere. This point is probably best made by Kurt Tank’s title at the end of his career. As he held the title of Professor of aeronautical engineering. It’s also worth pointing out that when you look at educational backgrounds and use them as the standard neither Willie Messerschmidt nor the Horton Brothers would be classified as aeronautical engineers either.

[@Lexbomb6464]

@@joangratzer2101 well the 109 was originally a racing plane right?

[@joangratzer2101]

@@Lexbomb6464 THE FW-190 WAS A WAR HORSE AND PERFORMED MAGNIFICENTLY IN A NUMBER OF ROLES; GROUND ATTACK/TROOP COVER, DOG FIGHTING, BOMBER KILLING.

[@patrickcosgrove2623]

Great video on the history of the FW190 and well presented too by the curator. Really enjoyed it, thanks for sharing 😊

[@charleswaynewright2042]

It is amazing how complex these radial aircraft engines were in the 30s and 40s i saw one in a scrap yard apart enough to see the connecting rods the crank timing was so amazing i just stood there gazing at it so long that the owner walked up to asked what i thought i told him thats the finest piece of art ive ever saw including books

[@screechowl75]

My dad drove for the red ball express during the DDay invasion delivering ammunition to the troops once they got off the beach. He always kept a lookout for the 190's as they were more feared than the 109's. The 190's were ideal for strafing troops and columns of trucks like the ammo trucks my dad drove.

[@FordHoard]

That's awesome, my great uncle drove an ammo truck in Vietnam.

[@hb9145]

I saw a restored Fw 190 at the aircraft museum in Bodø, Norway. It was a beautiful and mean-looking aircraft.

[@1Tranan]

I absolutely love the videos IWM is putting out. Hearing about the history and development of technology in and out of war is fascinating, thank you so much. I hope there’s plans to make more with as many aircraft/vehicles/ships as possible! If I get the chance to cross the pond, Duxford is very high on my list of places to visit. Thanks for the great work

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Visit the Shuttleworth Collection too.

[@williambush1975]

like all german engineering,not only the best but a beautiful piece of craftmanship

[@jacktattis]

But restricted in service ceiling and Climb Rate

[@BasementEngineer]

@@jacktattis Germany designed and produced the first propeller/piston aircraft that would fly at 50,000 feet altitude.

[@Simbalion1077]

My favorite allied fighters of the war are the Corsair and the Spitfire (of course). When I first saw the 190 on special about the war years ago, I fell in love with it and it is the only German aircraft that I really like. I find them all fascinating, but the 190 holds a special place in my heart due to being a true warhorse of a fighter and I just love the way it looks.

[@ancliuin2459]

Thank you for an excellent and balanced presentation. Happy to remain subscribed to the IWMs excellent content!

[@Miamcoline]

Fascinating! Not usually my cup of tea but it really goes to show the constant competition and outclassing that occurs in war.

[@andrewpinner3181]

Thanks IWM for another great explanatory video.

[@BH-of7kn]

Yet again Graham Rodgers gives a very interesting and informative talk. Thank you Graham.

[@garyshuttleworth3459]

great to watch, many thanks to all involved in the video

[@ianthomson9363]

I always learn something I didn't know from these Duxford videos. Thank you.

[@ramoneortiz]

Awesome video. Greetings from the son of a WWII combat veteran living in southern Nevada, USA. As a single engine pilot, I love all WWII fighters.

[@neilharrison1420]

such a great video,thank you so much for making and sharing.

[@roygardiner2229]

Thank you! That was so enjoyable, so informative.

[@ronfyffe3169]

Excellent delivery, thank you.

[@alrichardson8759]

A wonderful, insightful presentation. Superb work.

[@waglefar]

Solid! Thanks for sharing with us

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

Love Graham Rodgers presentations. 👍

[@eastwest1362]

Another superb presentation Graham.

[@shinhoshi]

Glorious as always, Graham. Hope we can come to Duxford next year :)

[@peterraab9004]

This is excellent. Thanks for the video.

[@juaniravaioli]

LOVE ALL OF THESE VIDEOS! Great job, guys. Someday, I'll visit the museum and meet the birds in person. Cheers from Argentina.

[@WHJeffB]

Excellent presentation!!! Interesting note on Priller... It appears he was the highest scoring Luftwaffe Ace against Spitfires. A total of 68 confirmed "kills" on Spitfires alone. Pretty impressive when you put that into context in that he shot down more Spitfires than any other single Allied ace shot down a total number of planes. But again, Luftwaffe pilots flew until they died.

[@olafurthorarensen7918]

I agree. Excellent presentation, music to my ears.

[@user-bx5fi4il6m]

... and had freedom just to hunt planes. Alied priority was to protect own bombers or ground troops from enemy. btw who really knows russian ace pokryshkin real kills. Some not counted cause stupid system, some "lost" during retreat in hurry, som gifted to killed mates cause it meaned money for their families.

[@raypurchase801]

@@user-bx5fi4il6m I tend to disbelieve the "kill" claims of the Luftwaffe aces. If those claims had been authentic, Germany would've won the war. Every air force exaggerated its kill-claims, some more than others.

[@paulordeman5169]

Would be interesting to compare the Spitfire tallies of the German aces on the western front. There where several with totals well over the top Spitfire aces.

[@bobsakamanos4469]

Spitfires? Which Spitfire Mk's would be the real question. Late LF Mk.V's, IXs, VII's, XIVs were all quite capable of taking on the 190.

[@theluckyegg3613]

That was an absolute incredible documentation. Positive and not belittling. RIP all fighter Pilots.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Not all, There are quite a few who committed war crimes, German and allied pilots alike.

[@caspercat39]

Great video enjoyed this one 👍

[@robertbruce1887]

Excellent video, great film footage, good straight forward no nonsense narration. Good point made about the very crucial pilot situation for the Luftwaffe towards the end of the war, they actually increased their aircraft production in 1944, but they just didn't have enough quality pilots.

[@ratius1979]

Superbly narrated. So natural 😊

[@g.p.1676]

Fantastic video and very good presentation. Thank you from Germany!

[@rolanddunk5054]

A great video about a brilliant aircraft one of my favourites,cheers Roly🇬🇧.

[@undxfea1ed]

Nice facts that I didn't know of. Great video!

[@jeremyfdavies]

Another great video.

[@whbrown1862]

Great video! Thank you!

[@kennedysingh3916]

Very well presented. Watched from Old Harbour Jamaica.

[@aquamarin6514]

What an excellent Video - all useful information&very well presented - Thanx -10 out of 10 - Keep up that good work !

[@martinjohnson9316]

Top quality presentation and content...thank you!

[@senolhakan9255]

i love to hear english in docus .. Especially the voice of Sir Eric Brown and the way he spoke.. so calm but so professional... A WW2 hero and real gentleman...

[@slamtailsuspension1933]

Fantastic insight to the Butcher Bird

[@richardthornton3775]

Fantastic video, thank you mate🙏 IWM & The Tank museum, really have got a great team of commentators & experts, that do a brilliant job at bringing these stories to life, and, (more often than not) stood or leaning on, one of the actual aircraft or vehicles etc, shown in the footage. 🙏 What is your opinion on the what was the ‘Best’ piston engined fighter of WW2? It’d be Interesting to see if it turns out to be either a fighter that appeared during the war, like the Focke Wulf 190, Mustang et all or, one that was continuously developed throughout the War like the Spitfire or 109.

[@habibnetanukefuel795]

Great narrative , thankyou Gents.

[@54mgtf22]

Hey IWM. Love your work 👍

[@thomasburke7995]

The BMW engine in the fw190 is a development from the Pratt&Whittney hornet design. BMW got a licensed design from P&W . Also the bf109 was a design that was dated by the start of the battle of brittan. So by the time TANK had his airframe approved much had been developed that benefited in making the fw190 so formidable.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Battle* of Britain*

[@jacktattis]

So that is why it could only get to 37400ft While the Spits were getting above 40000 ft

[@bluthammer1442]

excellent presentation!

[@emiliovicentin5813]

Exceptional video and of course, an amazing airplane (if you ask me, the best sounding piston engine ever); cheers from Argentina !

[@disturbingdevelopment4308]

Brilliant summary of an underappreciated fighter. Thank you.

[@RolfWolf707]

thx for the well spoken no nonsens- presentation of this great plane! the british way of making documentary videos about german warplanes is obviously far superior to the american counterparts - there is no unnecessary hatespeech involved, which i really appreciate

[@adamweaver1594]

I agree that the 190 was germanys best all around fighter. Fighter, bomber, interceptor, and night fighter all in one. I think the 109 pilots who stuck with it, only did so for familiarity reasons.

[@limbardo9169]

Pilots didn't get to choose which plane they flew: if your squadron was issued with the 109, that's what you were flying

[@Poliss95]

@@limbardo9169 The aces, such as Galland, got to choose. If Erich Hartmann had asked for a 190 I'm sure they would have given him one.

[@lostinspacestudio]

Excellent briefing!

[@plweis7203]

Excellent analysis- thank you.

[@hansbaarjr.1367]

Speaker was surrounded by very interesting pieces...I need to go to UK & visit their museums ...

[@r.waynefournier4283]

Well presented!

[@kpsig]

Brilliant, thank you.

[@callenclarke371]

Excellent content.

[@pauldonnelly7949]

A great video and thanks for producing it. One feature which you didn't mention was its incredible firepower. Think it was the heaviest of any ww2 single engined fighter with 4x20mm cannon and 2 x 7.7mm, later 2 x13 mm, machine guns..

[@reavy6945]

Actually variants of it could even get up to 6x20mm + machineguns or 2x20mm and 2x30mm + machineguns.

[@lekal6247]

I could listen to this man speak all day

[@hmmjedi]

An excellent short on the FW-190... well done to all involved...

[@jamesrice6096]

Good analysis of equipment vs equipment. As to the men it makes me want to throw up.. The best of us wasted as trash.

[@goranilincic2644]

Greatest ace of all the time ALL THE TIME flew the Bf109. That is enough for me,thank you. Bf109 forever. 💪

[@fundermentalist9473]

Brilliant effort for the narrator 👌

[@erhanozaydin853]

Also very mass producable. Got produced in respectable numbers till the very end of the war, its production was distributed across Germany. Kurt Tank took his time designing and fine tuning this one.

[@MarkHall-ur4fu]

Excellent documentary, great presenter

[@martentrudeau6948]

Great video and a great airplane. Thank you.

[@Chyrosran22]

Not to mention it was armed to the flipping teeth. The standard version iirc came with FOUR 20 mm cannons, not to mention two 50 cals.

[@K4rt80y]

The engine fan was a carryover from the prototype's aerodynamic cowling and spinner. The fan was necessary for adequate cooling through a very small inlet area. It didn't work. A traditional NACA type cowl was eventually adopted. But they never got rid of the BMW's fan.

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

The last versions FW had an inline engine, but still with the round radiator! And Kurt Tank went to Argentine to make planes for Juan Peron. So his last project was a jet.

[@OldTimeyGraeme]

Very good Thanks Mate

[@Poliss95]

The pilot of the captured 190, Faber, was not an inexperienced pilot. He was an instructor who had flown 1,000 hours. Shortly before landing he had shot down a Spitfire in a complicated manoeuvre.

[@alexfromboston8303]

Great vid very interesting.

[@alessiodecarolis]

If the Bf109 was a Greyhound, the FW190 was a real mastiff, well armed and fast, luckily it entered in service more than a year after BoB, it could've been devastating against early Spits, only thanks to the great flexibility of R. Mitchell 's masterpiece was possible adapt a new engine to the Spitfire for fighting this new foe.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... it entered *service ...

[@mignav464]

Very nicely done this video, many thanks! But please note the E at the End of "Focke" is not silent. Greetings from Bremen 😉

[@fritztheblitz1061]

Great video, thank you for the work. If im right BMW didnt was allowed to bild more engine's for planes. They bild some realy good Engine's. I enjoy youre work a lot. Greetings from Germany

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... was allowed to build* (switch off German auto-correct when typing in English) more engines* for planes. They built* some really* good engines* (plural, no apostrophe). I enjoy your* work.

[@ktcarl]

That Focke Wulf Ta. 152 was the best. It had a pressurized cabin and had a maximum ceiling of 48,550ft. One of the 152s test pilots encountered a couple of P-51s on a test flight and only had to open the throttle and pull away from them.

[@ME262MKI]

It always appeared suspicious why the Sea Fury was so similar to the FW190, this video explains that

[@pimpompoom93726]

The Mark V Spitfire was a beautiful bird, but the crude carburator it used really limited it's agility with negative G maneuvers. This was corrected in later models, but initially it was a serious issue.

[@jacktattis]

That was fixed in 1940 before the MkV appeared

[@liamfarnell6638]

​@@jacktattis yes with the RAE restrictor I think - but this only lessened the problem to a certain extent and it certainly was still there. The problem was not solved until the bendix stromberg Pressure carburettor which came in the mark 9s

[@bobsakamanos4469]

That depended on the version of Mk.V. There's an excellent video of Alex Henshaw flying a Mk.V around Castle Bromwich airfield while inverted.

[@pimpompoom93726]

@@liamfarnell6638 What you said.

[@jtmachete]

Awesome video. 👌

[@fasthracing]

Apparently 190 was an easier plane to fly for most pilots than the 109 in most situations. However easier is not always better.

[@albertodonda5994]

Exact, the FW190 was slower at altitude, due to radial engine. Most german pilots preferred the Me109 when go for pure fighting.

[@Anakin_Sandy_High_Ground]

@@albertodonda5994- survives dogfight of his life - Dies while landing

[@michaelpielorz9283]

So you must have flown both types alot to be able to judge it (:-)

[@fasthracing]

Key word I used was "apparently" @@michaelpielorz9283

[@albertodonda5994]

@@michaelpielorz9283 There are books about ww2 pilot memories. The comparison of plane's performances were well studied at time, by both opponents.

[@richtaylor2129]

Love the videos IWM put out!! You all do a great job!! Seen the FW190 on display at RAF Museum Midlands. Only one original FW190 is airworthy which is part of the Flying Heritage Combat Museum founded by the late Co founder of Microsoft Paul Allen but, that is soon to change as the Collings Foundation have one & is being restored by GossHawk in the USA. it has done engine runs.

[@philodonoghue3062]

agreed. The imperial war museums are comprehensive, authoritative, in fact the final word - with knowledgeable presenters

[@oliverbourne9599]

Hasn't Hanger 10 got a 190 ?

[@andrewwaller5913]

​@@oliverbourne9599It has but its a reproduction not an original.

[@chrisedwards196]

Just to add, the 190 was almost a failure, the engine overheating problems were so bad that the type was on the verge of being cancelled altogether, both Focke-Wulf & BMW blamed each other while the problem continued. Engines frequently suffered severe heat damage after just a few hours of operation, necessitating a complete rebuild or replacement. It wasn't until October 1941 that a technical officer of III/JG 26, Oblt Rolf Shrodter decided to gather all failed engines at his workshop & examined them & found that the bottom cylinder of the rear row was heat seized on most engines, his quick fix was to reroute the exhaust system so as to allow more cool air to flow through. This reduced the problem to at least acceptable levels, though problems persisted this modification was quickly adopted on the production lines with BMW (who were in the frame for severe punishment from the high command) letting out a sigh of relief. As the war progressed & production was rapidly increased, the manufacturing quality of the aircraft dropped off dramatically to the point that in May 1942 the RLM called meetings with BMW & FW to try & resolve these problems. A list of 24 complaints from front line units were compiled & presented by JG 26 technical officer Ernst Battmer. Among the problems he listed were irregularly sized wings made by contractors, poor wheel brakes, fuel pump failures, over large control sticks, weak undercarriage bolts, leaky valves, poorly fitting cockpit canopies, too short starter handles, woeful external paint finishes & the ever present frequent engine failures. Quite a lot of problems for an aircraft that was around 2 & a half times more expensive than the Me109 & shows that history seems to leave out a lot of detail. Still I do like the FW190 & it didn't kill as many novice pilots as the Me109 in training, especially in take off or landing accidents.

[@rickylarsen8320]

love your stories about WW2 planes. Hope you can do a story about supermarine Firefly, my favorite aircraft from WW2.

[@reinbeers5322]

Small correction on the drag part: the 190 was very sleek within its limitations. Yes the frontal area of a radial engine is bigger, but it's compensated by the lack of any exposed radiators (which are concealed behind the armored ring around the intake) unlike the Bf109 or Spitfire, a streamlined fuselage and engine cowling, a sloped front windscreen, and shorter wings. Finding data for this is cumbersome (especially because the british love using psi instead of engine power), but if we compare the top speeds at sea level of a Fw 190 A-5 with a 1655hp BMW 801 D2 against a Spitfire Mk9 with a 1664hp Merlin 66 @18psi boost, these two aircraft are doing 352mph/567kph and 330mph/531kph respectively. Not a large difference, no - but one that ensures the Fw190 will be uncatchable in the right situation. There was also an experimental model where they ran a 190 A-4 all the way up to 1.7ata, resulting in an estimated 450-500hp increase. That one reached 607kph at sea level, a speed higher than many of the later Griffon Spitfires could reach at the same altitude even when equalized for power - of course, that manifold pressure wasn't sustainable for a combat aircraft, and that is part of the reason why the BMW 801 got replaced by the much more powerful Jumo 213.

[@edwardmylnychuk5774]

so good to see a different perspective on war planes and how they evolved, i heard that the jet planes of the germans were quite the bird also

[@Sacto1654]

The Fw 190 was a very good plane but from 1943 on, the lack of high altitude performance and a top speed of only 404 mph really hurt the plane. Focke-Wulf should have pressured Daimler-Benz to offer the DB 603 engine in quantity by late 1943, which would have resulted in the potentially outstanding Fw 190C with a top speed of just over 430 mph and good performance at altitude, which would have made it a difficult foe for the P-51B/C and P-47D by early 1944.

[@freddieclark]

They should have introduced the Focke-Wulf Ta 152H much earlier.

[@goranilincic2644]

That is why Bf109 was the unique killer bee

[@Sacto1654]

@@goranilincic2644 But the Bf-109 until the later G models had a big problem: the top speed of the Bf 109G-6 was only 386 mph, well below the top speed of the P-51B/C and P-47D models. As such, the American fighters could out-zoom the Bf 109 until the Bf-109G-10 and later models with improved DB 605 engines became available starting summer 1944.

[@goranilincic2644]

@@Sacto1654 you are absolutely right about that.I have just tried to say that Bf's tactics "boom&zoom" worked quite well. In the other words,attacking from the higher altitudes,quick burst and repeat.

[@tsegulin]

The Fw-190C called the "Känguruh" was an experimental variant that aimed to improve high altitude performance with a turbocharged Daimler-Benz DB-603 inverted V12 engine. In the end the FW-190D fitted with the Jumo-213 was able to achieve similar enough performance without the turbocharger so the FW-190C was dropped. With the FW-190D the Butcher Bird won back its edge again, but its effect was limited by the lack of fuel, poor quality and experience of pilots and the huge numerical superiority of Allied fighters.

[@clausqp]

thanks for sharing, realy good :)

[@ralphgreenjr.2466]

I take great delight driving my 2021 Mini Cooper S all4 Countryman. A famous British auto powered by a famous German BMW! I have the best of both country's engineering! The FW-190, P-38, and Spitfire are former adversaries, but all represent state of the art 1940s piston aircraft.

[@vasileseaman5872]

Bmw didn't bother with indicators on this one😂

[@zeno6111753]

"... a driver that forget his indicators" so very true! ;)

[@alexhatfield2987]

I thought I’d reached saturation point after soaking up endless hours of documentaries on aviation engineering and performance advances during the Second World War. These IWM videos in this format with this presenter (no disrespect to the others) revitalises my curiosity. IWM Lambeth is a bus ride away…..

[@spinnetti]

My favorite plane..... Didn't cover 2 major advantages 1. Single power lever for engine, mixture and prop (FADEC) and the pilot sat with their legs basically straight out enabling them to handle more G than other planes, well that and up to 4 20mm cannon.

[@gordonwallin2368]

Very thoughtful advantages, as you'd expect from an engineer and combat pilot.

[@nickmitsialis]

@@gordonwallin2368 And ESPECIALLY the fact that Kurt Tank was a Cavalryman during WW1; he felt a combat aircraft should also be rugged and easy to operate and maintain in the field--a 'rugged plow horse, not a pampered thoroughbred (which is what the thought of the Me109)'.