Nice photo (ebay) late war FW 190

[S Sheflin]

Hello Rémi,

Unless I am mistaken, your Fw 190 is:

Fw 190 A-3, WNr. 130513, St.Kz. DF+GM found abandoned and damaged at Gosselies, Belgium in 1944.

Steve Sheflin

[John Beaman]

Originally Posted by S Sheflin

Hello Rémi,

Unless I am mistaken, your Fw 190 is:

Fw 190 A-3, WNr. 130513, St.Kz. DF+GM found abandoned and damaged at Gosselies, Belgium in 1944.

Steve Sheflin

Steve is correct to a point. IIRC, the A-2 had open slots. The A-4 was the first to have those moveable, cooling, slots, but many A-3s were refitted with them.

[Tomas Prusa]

To John Beaman - a/c on the ebay photo have open cooling slots. Movable slots was introduced on A-5s.
Thank you Steve Sheflin for additional info.

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

I have to agree with John Beaman in that the cooling gills were introduced on the Fw 190 A-4 as that is what all the sources that I have read state. I should also mention that I have seen reference to this particular aircraft being Fw 190 A-3 (W.Nr. 0135 513).

Horrido!

Leo

[Jerry Crandall]

Hi Guys, this aircraft has been retrofitted with updated parts including short neck style pilot's armored headrest and solid wheels that were not standard until the A-7.
Cheers, Jerry

[Tomas Prusa]

Originally Posted by Leo Etgen

Hi guys

I have to agree with John Beaman in that the cooling gills were introduced on the Fw 190 A-4 as that is what all the sources that I have read state.

Horrido!

Leo

Can I ask which sources. Because all sources stated that movable cooling gills were introduced in A-5 series.
For me, most reliable source for Fw190 is P.Rodeike Fw190 book. source: Focke Wulf Jagdflugzeug Fw 190 A Fw 190 "Dora" Ta 152 H, Peter Rodeike, Rogge GmbH, p.144

[Stig Jarlevik]

Is it possible to be more certain which aircraft this was, 0130513 or 0135513?
With regard to 0130513 Smith/Creek give a STKZ GF+DM and not DF+GM!
Which is correct?

Cheers
Stig

[Rabe Anton]

Gentlemen:

Please allow me to offer some conclusions to the thread concerning a derelict Fw 190A bearing unit marking 17 + .

The airplane's [i]Werknummer[i] was definitely 190.01x.0513 and its SKZ was D F + G M. It may have been either an A-2 or an A-3 as I believe both of these subtypes were externally identical. The distinction in designation was due to the model of BMW 801 engine fitted. Apparently on some assembly lines, A-2 and A-3 were produced alternately or were interspersed. Both A-2s and A-3s featured open cooling slots without flaps or "doors" for closure.

The possibility that the [i]Werknummer[i] was 190.01x.5513 (D H + B Q) is understandable but may be ruled out in this case. The Fw 190A-3 190.013.5513 was assigned to 4./JG 2 in North Africa, was lost or damaged, and eventually recovered and broken up at the Zerlegbetrieb Bizerta, Tunisia, in March 1943.

The question of whether open cooling slots or "gills" with flaps is apparently a little more uncertain. The Fw 190A-2 and A-3 were manufactured with cooling slots; it's possible that some were retrofitted with flapped "gills" later. It is clear that cooling "gills" with flaps became standard on the A-4, but perhaps not completely and immediately with commencement of A-4 production. A-4s were manufactured by Focke Wulf as well as several licensees, and it seems possible that one or more assembly lines introduced "gills" only after a few A-4airplanes were made. In any event, it may be said that the cooling flaps were generally characteristic of the A-4 subtype and had been long-established when the A-5 appeared.

If anyone can or will correct me with citation of evidence, I would welcome their comments.

RA