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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0248.PDF
IOO FLIGHT JANUARY 28TH, 1943 FOCKE-WU LF 190 A-3 modified from the standard type so as to fire electrically detonated cartridges. These two cannoii are mounted in the wing, just- outside the fuselage, and are synchronised electrically to fire through the airscrew disc. The remain- ing two cannon (FF. Oerlikon-20 mm.) are carried in the wings, outboard of the under- carriage attachments. Provision is made for carrying a 500 lb. bomb under the fuselage, or a long-range fuel tank (normally the machine carries but 115 gallons) can be fitted on the bomb carrier and jettisoned when desired. With a wing span of only 34ft. 6in. and a mean chord of 5.9ft., the gross wing area is 203 sq. ft. As the loaded weight is 8,580 lb., the wing loading is 42.3 lb./sq. ft. The power loading (based on 1,600 b.h.p.) is 5.36 lb./h.p. The speed is not remarkably high, being approximately 326 m.p.h. with the super- charger in low gear at 4,500ft., and about 375 m.p.h. at 18,oooft. with the supercharger in high gear. The Fw 190' has a very good rate of climb—3,050 ft./min. at 4,000ft. and 3,280 ft./min. at 17,500ft. It is this high rate of climb, coupled with the excellent manoeuvrability due to small size and low moments of inertia, which is its chief merit. Weight Analysis Merition has been made of the fact that the normal loaded weight of the Fw 190 is 8,580 lb. The following summary shows how this weight is made up: — 1b. Weight with all fixed equipment except guns 6,544Pilot and parachute . . .. . . .. 200 Fuel (115 gallons) .. .. .. .. 860Oil (10 gallons) .. . .. .. 96 Two M.G.151 cannon .. .. .. .. 196 Ammunition (2x200 rounds) .. .. .. 200 Two M.G. FF. cannon .. .. .. .. 126 Ammunition (2x55 rounds, and magazines) .. 90Two M.G.17 machine-guns .' .. .. 56 Ammunition (2x1,000 rounds) .. .. 142 Radio equipment .. .. .. .. 70 All-up weight lb. 8,580 The following wing details may be of interest: The span, as already mentioned, is 34ft. 6in. and the mean chord 5.9ft., giving a gross wing area of 203 sq. ft. The . net wing area is 177 sq. it. Aspect ratio (span=: area) = 5.87. The wing chord at the root is 7.5ft. and at the tip 4.05ft. Wing flaps of the split type are fitted. Their area is 9.2 per cent, of the wing area. At the inner end the flap chord is 16 per cent, of the local wing chord and at the outer end 21 per cent. The maxi- mum flap angle is 60 deg. The ailerons of the Fw 190 are of the Bristol-Frise type and their total area is 20.1 sq. ft., or 9.9 per cent, of the total wing area, and the aileron span V The split flaps are made from three pressings riveted together with up-turned edges so that the leading edge forms a box. They are operated by screw jacks, and a notice in the cockpit states that they are not to belowered at speeds above 295 km.-/hr. (185 m.p.h.). 43 per cent, of the wing span. The aileron angles are 17 deg. each way. Horizontal tail surfaces of the Fw 190 total 31.6 sq. ft., of which 38 per cent, is elevator area. The elevator has shielded horn type of balances, and the angular movement is 26 deg. down and 31 deg. up. The tail volume coefficient is 0.45. The gross fin and rudder area is 24.3 sq. ft., of which 31.5 per cent, is rudder area. The maximum rudder angle is 16 deg. each way, and the rudder balance is of the shielded horn type. The fin and rudder coefficient is 0.134. Good, But Not Quite Good Enough It would be idle to pretend that the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 is not a worthy opponent, but recent events have confirmed the view previously held that it is not a match for our latest types of fighter. For a time it scored in certain respects at its own particular operational height, but at low levels we have several types which are faster, and at medium and high levels it has been tackled successfully by such fighters as the Spitfire IX and the Typhoon. The former, it will be recalled, is an improved version with Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 liquid-cooled engine, having a two- speed, two-stage supercharger. The Typhoon can be regarded as the successor to the Hurricane and is driven by the Napier Sabre 24-cyl., sleeve-valve, H-type engine, which is in the 2,000 h.p. class. Nevertheless, there; are features of the Fw 190 which merit close study, particularly in the matter of engine installation. The close cowling and the fan-assisted air flow directed by cylinder and head baffles show con- siderable ingenuity. When seen from in front the Fw 190 gives agood impression of its small size. A notable feature in this view is the very wide wheel, track. The oleo legs have a maximum stroke of nearly 1 ^ ''nches
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