Fw 190G w/ double drop tanks
 

As I am approaching finishing stages on my 1/24 Airfix Fw 190 and hesitating between 190F-3 or G-3 machine I wonder if anyone had seen side photos or reliable profiles of 190G-3 series with double underwing drop tanks and centerline bomb rack (just as those used by I./S.K.G. 10 aka III./K.G. 51 aka N.S.Gr. 20)?

kind regards,
Pawel

Re: Fw 190G w/ double drop tanks
 

From memory, there are profiles/photos of SKG 10 machines in one of the Classic Publications "Jagdflieger" series and in the Lorant/Frappe book "Le Focke-Wulf 190" (Docavia).

I think you can probably exclude the carriage of double drop tanks by the time (June 1944) I./SKG 10 became III./KG 51 or when the latter was renamed NSG 20 (November 1944) simply because they weren't operating over any great range by then, unlike the earlier harassment missions to London etc.

Re: Fw 190G w/ double drop tanks
 

I have a number of photos in my collection of NSGr 20 Fw 190A, G and F both with, and less frequently without, bombs and twin drop tanks noted as "Ende 1944", two marked as "sommer 1944" and two marked as "Tours, Sommer 1944"

Hope this helps,
Chris

Re: Fw 190G w/ double drop tanks
 

Chris, any chances of actually seeing low-res scans of some?

regards,
Pawel

Re: Fw 190G w/ double drop tanks
 

I believe that there is a more methodical and reliable means of addressing the question of Fw 190s with underwing drop tanks than guessing at photographs and hearsay conversation. I do not have my references at hand just now, but I'm pretty sure that only the Fw 190A-5/U8 and the Fw 190G-8 were capable of carrying underwing drop tanks. Concrete verification of the Fw 190 subtype(s) piped for underwing tanks, therefore, would be a good start in this
instance. I have little doubt that folks familar with the Fw 190 who read this board can also quickly identify the candidate subtypes.

For Step 2, the aircraft subtypes and numbers assigned to each Luftwaffe combat unit during 1944 may be discovered through monthly inventory reports available from the BA-MA. I also believe that some, or all, of these monthly reports have been published on the worldwide web.

RA

Re: Fw 190G w/ double drop tanks
 

And some in ULTRA, for example:

(HP 4275) … III./KG 51 evening 20th [October 1944] had 36 (33) Fw 190 of which 23 F-8 and 10 G-3.

(BT 4583) Strength return sent to (strong indications Jagdkorps II) on 6th [February 1944]:

Unspecified unit, Fw 190 total 28, serviceable 15, namely:
15(9) F-8
12(6) G-3
1(0) A-8
Crews: 40 and 15 ready.

NSG 20 seems a likely candidate for this "unspecified unit."