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Nikademus -> RE: FW-190D-13 (5/30/2009 6:19:34 PM)
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printed for clarity
Place in history: In 1937, Germany's Reich Air Ministry sought designs for a new fighter to replace its first generation of monoplane interceptors, worried that future Allied designs might outperform it. The result was the Fw 190, which immediately proved to be superior to the British Spitfire. The Fw 190 was also more heavily armed, carrying four 20 mm cannons in addition to two 13 mm machine guns. Some later versions featured a 30 mm cannon that fired through the propeller hub. With its high kill rate, the Fw 190 lived up to its name of "Würger" or "Butcher Bird."
This airplane: This is the only long-nosed Fw 190 D-13 to have survived the war. It entered service in March of 1945 and served with the JG (Jagdgeschwader) 26 wing, with Major Franz Götz as the plane's pilot and the wing's commodore. In May, 1945, after the end of the war, Major Götz flew this D-13 to the RAF base in Flensburg, Germany, and surrendered it. This airplane has been restored close to flyable condition, but it will not be flown because it is such a rare example of the Fw 190 line.
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