Focke-Wulf 190 (oz7839)

About this Plan

Focke-Wulf 190. Radio control scale model for .60 power.

Quote: "The Focke-Wulf 190 series, designed by Professor Kurt Tank, was the best Jaeger the German Luftwaffe had to offer during World War II. This trim little fighter saw action on all fronts and may well have been the best of the entire war, with the possible exception of the P5 ID 'Mustang'.

Though not as well known as the infamous Messerschmitt Me 109, it was far superior to the 109 in all respects. Various configurations of wing cannon and machine guns gave it tremendous fire power. 'The bloody Fockes,' the British pilots said, 'come at you blinking like bloody neon signs.' A 14 cylinder aircooled radial engine with a supercharger produced a top speed of 408 mph at 20,600 feet, enabling the 190 to hit and run without fear of pursuit. It had an effective range of 500 miles, a wing span of 34 ft 6 in, and weighed 9,750 lbs.

Professor Tank continually modified the FW 190 series throughout the war, evolving the FW 190D, or long-nosed 190, and eventually the Focke-Wulf TA 152 which saw only limited production toward the end of the war. The prefix TA, incidentally, was for the designer's name, a signal honor awarded Tank by the German High Command.

The R/C version of this great war-bird is definitely not a beginner's project - but it can win that scale contest for you, as it did for me in the 1968 Atlanta Nats - and thereby hangs an interesting tale, fraught with pathos and desire. This was my first big contest, even though at 39 I am the oldest boy on my block who builds model planes. I finished the FW just in time for the qualifying trials on Saturday, the finals being on Sunday. To qualify for scale judging, your entry must prove that it can take off, fly around and land all in one piece.

I arrived at the Atlanta Model Airport at 8:00 am, just like the Contest Director suggested, and fidgeted through seven interminable hours of pattern flying until they finally got around to scale. 0 didn't they fill the air with Kwik-Fli, Son of Kwik-Fli and I was a Teen-age Kwik-Fli? But at last the big moment had come, and the Focke-Wulf taxied out onto the Tarmac with the Kraft transmitter in the skillful hands of one Bob Roberts, fearless test pilot. After taxing it around for the crowd to admire, Bob turned the little fighter into the wind, urged the Enya .60 to full bore, and blasted off down the runway. Beautiful!

I was just beginning to have a deep goody shiver, when suddenly the flying fickle finger of fate pointed our way. With the end of the runway disappearing beneath his wings, 'Ace' Roberts lifted off without sufficient airspeed. The little bird staggered drunkenly for a brief moment, then - STALL! SNAP! THUD! and Gott in Himmel - what a mess. Tail assembly broken off, wheels ripped away, servos scrambled - ugh! Test pilot Roberts was in shock, babbling profuse apologies. Being a Great Sport, I absolved him of all blame, cutting off only the very tip of his little finger with my trusty X-Acto as a stern reminder of the day. Tears welling in my eyes, I placed the gaily colored bits of balsa in a sack and departed the field a beaten man, leaving first prize to my arch scale enemy, Bob Lamb, and his beautiful Ford Tri-Motor. 0 bitter gall!

Back home again, I mixed a tall, cool one and sat staring vacantly at the wreckage. Then I mixed another and another. And gradually the lion-hearted courage (for which I am renowned from Opp, Alabama to Ludowici, Georgia) returned. Had anyone observed, they would have seen a look of great inner strength and determination steal slowly over my boyish features..."

by Walt Mitchell, plan #411, November 1969.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics, thanks to hlsat.

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