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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0922.PDF
424 FLIGHT APRIL 30TH, 1942 Thirty-sixth of the Second Series FRIEND or FOE? Rival Radiai-engined Fighters Vanguard and Fw 190 ALTHOUGH its operating speed A\ is only in the region of 300 •^ •*> m.p.h.—not too fast by present- day standards—the ten machine guns with which the Vultee Vanguard is fitted makes it one of the most heavily armed of the American single-seater fighters. The first of the type was handed over to the R.A.F. early last year in Canada, although an order for 100 Vanguards originally placed by Sweden was transferred to Great Britain nearly 12 months previously, when the invasion of Norway made their delivery "next door" hardly possible. Those ultimately acquired by the R.A.F. differed in having a fin and rudder of somewhat lower aspect- ratio from the prototype. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, which has frequently figured in the news lately, is Germany's latest design in single- seat fighters,-and the use of an air- cooled radial engine instead of their famous Mercedes-Benz liquid-cooled in-line engine has come as a surprise. R.A.F. fighter pilots who have en countered it over Northern France report that its performance certainly does not appear to be an improvement on earlier German fighters. In general dimensions and appear ance these two aircraft are very similar, and once again it is by their tail groups that they can most readily be identified, as the accompanying illustrations clearly show. The fin and rudder of the Vanguard present a symmetrical outline, taper ing equally on both edges and having a broad, rounded apex. Also, the trailing-edge of the rudder, which has VANGUARD VULTEE VANGUARD. Large, symmetrically tapered fin and rudder with broad apex. Tail- plane similar but has small round tips. Fw 190 a common base-line with the fin, blends into the pointed tail of the fuse lage. The tailplane, which also tapers symmetrically on both edges, but has small found tips, similarly blends into the pointed stern and has in set elevators. The Fw 190's tail assembly is not unlike that of the Me 109F except that both sur faces are of slightly higher aspect-ratio and the tailplane, which is level with the fin base, has squarer tips. Next Week : Douglas D.C.3 and Curtiss Wright C.W.20. FOCKE-WULF Fw 190. High aspect-ratio tapered tailplane with rather square tips. Fin and rud der resembles Me 109F.
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