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Re: Fw 190 A-2 WNr.497
Fellows,
I don't wish to add controversy or additional confusion about the Fw 190A WNr. 497. I am, however, wondering about two dimensions of this airplane's appearance.
First, it seems that the Werknummer of the kite in the photo could also be 5497. This aircraft would have been an A-2 or an A-3 and thus similar to 497. We also know that it was common (factory standard?) Arado practice not to apply the "5" before the last three digits of the number on its license-built Fw 190s. Very considerable identification confusion can come out of this.
Second, the high individual aircraft numbers don't match the normal practice in first-line combat units. May I suggest that these two-digit numbers are most probably those of one of the second-line Jagdgruppen, or even a training school, which one I cannot guess. Thus, while the site may be Le Bourget, the pictured aircraft would not have been involved in JG 2 or JG 26 conversion training.
RA
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