Focke-Wulf Fw190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger, was a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. It was used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. The design was the last mass produced piston-engine German fighter to see action in the war. It partially replaced the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in 1941. By 1945, the Fw 190 operated effectively on all fronts. Production ran from 1941 to the end of hostilities, during which time the aircraft was continually updated with over 20,000 built. Its later versions retained qualitative parity with Allied fighter aircraft. The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots, and was quickly proven to be superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V variant, on its combat debut in 1941[1][2] until the introduction of the vastly improved Spitfire Mk. 9 in the autumn, 1942 restored qualitative parity.[3] The early Fw 190As performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 20,000ft and above) which complicated its use as a high altitude interceptor. These complications were mostly rectified in later models, notably the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D variant in the autumn, 1944. Like the Bf 109, the Fw 190 was employed as a "workhorse", and proved suitable for a wide variety of roles, including air superiority fighter, strike fighter, ground-attack aircraft, escort fighter, and operated with less success as a night fighter. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces flew the Fw 190. Erich Rudorffer claimed 222 kills, Otto Kittel 267 victories, and Walter Nowotny 258 victories. A great many of their kills were claimed while flying the Fw 190.
