Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (WW 2): Illustrated History Books & Guides

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 'Long Nose' : An Illustrated History of the FW 190 D Series

This book covers the complete development history of those variants of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 powered by inline engines. The first Fw 190 equipped with a Daimler Benz liquid-cooled engine took to the air in early 1942, followed six months later by another powered by a Jumo 213.

Production of the Fw 190 C, Fw 190 D and Ta 153 was delayed by the German air ministry. Not until 1944, by which time Germany had lost control of the air, did the Fw 190 D-9, an interim fighter powered by the Jumo 213 A, enter production. The Fw 190 D-9 proved an immediate success, largely due to an excellent prototype test program under Dipl.Ing. Hans Sander. The type quickly entered service with the Luftwaffe and more than 1,700 examples were completed by the end of the war.

The Fw 190 D-9 gave rise to a number of improved variants with the more powerful Jumo 213 F engine and a heavier armament, however only a handful of the D-11 and D-13 versions were completed.
With a maximum speed of 750 km/h, the Fw 190 D-12 powered by the new Jumo 213 EB would have represented the apex of Fw 190 development. The proposed Fw 190 D-14 and D-15, both powered by improved versions of the dive-bombers 603, came too late to see service with the Luftwaffe.

Product details

Author:	Deitmar Hermann
Details:	208 pages, 11.2 x 8.9 x 0.87 in (28.5 x 22.5 x 2.2 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	250 b&w photos, profile illustrations in color
Language:	English
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2004)
ISBN:	9780764318764

Tempest V vs Fw 190 D-9 : 1944-45 (Osprey)

Arguably two of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Tempest V and Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. The long-nosed 'Dora 9', designed by Kurt Tank, first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in the late summer of 1944. Fast, and with an exceptional rate of climb, it quickly bettered almost every fighter that the RAF, USAAF and Soviet Red Air Force could field.

The Hawker Tempest V entered service in early 1944, initially proving itself a stalwart performer when it was deployed to intercept V1 flying bombs over southern England. From the autumn of 1944, the Tempest V also equipped squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, operating in support of the Allied armies advancing across north-west Europe.
It became a potent ground-attack aircraft, armed with underwing rockets, but also a first-class interceptor when pitted against the Luftwaffe's advanced Fw 190D-9 and Me 262.

Featuring full colour artwork, this book describes in fascinating detail combats between the Tempest Vs of No 274 Sqn and the Fw 190D-9s of I. and III./JG 26 between February and April 1945.

Product details

Author:	Robert Forsyth
Details:	80 pages, 9.7 x 7.3 x 0.2 in (24.5 x 18.5 x 0.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	55 b&w and 10 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2019)
Series:	Duel
ISBN:	9781472829252

Focke Wulf 190 : The Birth of the Butcher Bird 1939-1945 (Luftwaffe at War)

Long with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighting force. Capable of performing in theatres as diverse as North Africa, the Russian Front and in Western Europe, its superior killing ability earned it the nickname, the 'Butcher Bird'.
Famed for its speed and manoeuvrability - some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces - from Otto Kittel to Erich Rudorffer - claimed a great many of their kills while flying it.

This addition to the Luftwaffe at War series illustrates the different versions of the plane to see service, the theatres in which the plane served and the pilots who carved a name for themselves with the Butcher Bird.

Product details

Author:	Morten Jessen
Details:	72 pages, 10.25 x 7.5 in (26 x 19 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2016)
Series:	Luftwaffe at War
ISBN:	9781848327948

Focke-Wulf Fw 190A - An Illustrated History of the Luftwaffe's Legendary Fighter Aircraft

Together with the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 formed the standard equipment of the German fighter arm in the Second World War. Initial flight trials in 1939 revealed a number of shortcomings, nevertheless the basic concept of the Fw 190 proved extremely successful. In contrast to the Bf 109, which was powered by a liquid-cooled, inverted-vee engine, in developing the Fw 190 Prof. Kurt Tank selected the BMW 801, an air-cooled radial engine that was less sensitive to battle damage. The broad-track undercarriage also gave the Focke-Wulf fighter much superior takeoff and landing characteristics.
The Fw 190 entered quantity production by Focke-Wulf and license manufacturers Fieseler, AGO and Arado in 1941. It proved an immediate success in combat operations in 1942, proving itself superior to the Spitfire in some respects.

This book deals with the development history and testing of this fighter aircraft and production of the early variants of the Fw 190 A. An interesting comparison between the Bf 109 and the Fw 190 shows the strengths and weaknesses of the two aircraft, and authentic reports by former test pilots of Focke-Wulf and the Rechlin Test Station document the aircraft's performance. Also covered are the later torpedo-carrier and reconnaissance versions of the Fw 190.
Lavishly illustrated with photographs and drawings, many of which have not been published before, this book provides both aircraft enthusiasts and modelers with a wealth of information, and fills a gap in the history of aircraft design in Germany.

Product details

Author:	Dietmar Hermann, Ulrich Leverenz, Eberhard Weber
Details:	224 pages, 11.2 x 8.9 x 0.91 in (28.5 x 22.5 x 2.3 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	over 340 b&w and color photos, profile illustrations
Language:	English
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2004)
ISBN:	9780764319402

FW 190 Sturmböcke vs B-17 Flying Fortress - Europe 1944-45 (Osprey)

The Fw 190 was one of the best air superiority aircraft of World War II, and when it first appeared over the Channel in 1941 it sent shockwaves through the Allied air commands. By 1944, these fighters had been up-gunned to serve as the front line of defence against the Allied bombing campaign.
Although the Fw 190s were responsible for shooting down hundreds of Allied bombers, they met their match against the USAAF B-17 'Flying Fortress'. Capable of carrying 4,000 lbs of bombs and bristling with .50 cal machine guns, the B-17 could sow death in every direction.
Using brand-new artwork and first-hand accounts, this book recreates the deadly drama in the skies above Germany in the closing stages of the war.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design and development - The Strategic Situation - Technical Specifications - The Combatants - Combat - Statistics and Analysis - Conclusion - Further Reading.

Product details

Author:	Robert Forsyth
Details:	80 pages, 9.8 x 7.3 x 0.24 in (25 x 18.5 x 0.6 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	photos and drawings (in b&w and color)
Language:	English
Publisher:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2009)
Series:	Duel (24)
ISBN:	9781846039416