Focke-Wulf Fw190 A-3 Tamiya-61037

Description

Development of the Focke-Wulf 190 (FW190) began in the fall of 1937, at the express request of the German Air Ministry who wanted to have a possible replacement for the Bf-109, which was the Luftwaffe’s standard fighter at the time.

Proposals for a new aircraft were developed by Kurt Tank, chief engineer of the Focke-Wulf company, and the one finally approved was equipped with a BMW 801 radial engine. This incredible engine was accompanied by a robust, highly maneuverable structure and a very well balanced control system.

The “Shrike” (Würger), as it was nicknamed by the Germans themselves, had its first operational flight in August 1941 and soon the British proved the superiority of the German fighter over their Spitfire V. The FW-190 maintained this advantage until the arrival of the Spitfire IX in July 1942.

The FW-190 was in continuous evolution throughout the war, the variant represented in this 1/48 Tamiya kit is the A-3 version that used a 1,700 hp BMW 801Dg engine, was impressively well armed with two MG 151 rapid-fire MGs in the wings, two MG FFs on the undercarriage edge and two MG17s in the fuselage.