Focke Wulf Fw 190A-3 by Design Team Daedalus
Unit: 4./JG1, Woensdrecht, the Netherlands March 1942
Pilot: Oblt. Robert Olejnik
This aircraft had all 4 wing cannons.
The Fw 190 series entered combat with the A-1 model in September 1941 proving a huge shock to the RAF as it was clearly superior to the Spitfire V (which was the primary RAF fighter at the time) in everything except turning radius. However these early versions suffered from severe engine overheating problems and fires which kept serviceability rates low throughout 1941. This was somewhat solved in the field by JG26 technical officers by rerouting the exhaust pipes and opening cooling slots in the fuselage aft of the engine. These changes were introduced into the production line for the following A-2 models which began arriving in December 1941.
The Fw 190 A-3 began deliveries in the spring of 1942 with the change to the more powerful BMW 801D-2 1700hp engine using 96 octane fuel, replacing the unreliable BMW 801C-1 in the Fw190 A-2. Fw 190A-3 was externally identical to the A-2, which makes the two variants extremely difficult to tell apart. The only positive visual clues could only be seen up-close: the C3 fuel triangles and the Werknummer. Like the A-2, it had two cowl mounted MG 17 machine guns, two inboard wing mounted MG 151 20mm cannons with protruding barrels and wing root blisters, plus two MG FF 20mm cannons in outboard positions, with underwing bulges. The slower firing MG FF cannons with its limited 90 rpg were often removed in the field and panel bulges replaced with flat panels.
Besides the difference in the number of wing cannons, the only other major variant was the FW 190A-3/U3 fighter bomber which had an under-fuselage mounted bomb rack ETC 501 for carriage of 500 kg of bombs (1 500 kg, 1 250 kg or 4 50 kg on the ER4 adapter) or an external drop tank of 300 liter capacity for long range fighters. These usually had the retractable small gear cover doors removed which would interfere with the ordinance loads.
By early 1943, 509 A-3s had been built. By mid 1943 it was being relegated to operational training organizations.
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Captain Kurt developed the model using some parts of the Design Team Daedalus Fw 190D-9 model, which in turn was developed from the old Pstrany Dora model by Captain Kurt - with permission. The new model added multiple details, new parts, new VC, and animations. The air files are a further development of the Design Team Daedalus FW 190 series.
Captain Kurt also created the camouflage paints, and the 2D instrument panel.
Keticheart: prop blur .bmp
AliCat: o2 Wachter and Sauerstoff gauges
FSD: most of the gauges
other gauge authors are unknown
Lawdog2360 has good BMW801 sound package at SOH.
We have all benefited from the assistance and guidance of others in the community. Special thanks to Wolfi and Huub Vink for their kind assistance, and especially to Paul Straney for his guidance and contribution, and to all who have contributed their knowledge directly and indirectly.
Unit: 4./JG1, Woensdrecht, the Netherlands March 1942
Pilot: Oblt. Robert Olejnik
This aircraft had all 4 wing cannons.
The Fw 190 series entered combat with the A-1 model in September 1941 proving a huge shock to the RAF as it was clearly superior to the Spitfire V (which was the primary RAF fighter at the time) in everything except turning radius. However these early versions suffered from severe engine overheating problems and fires which kept serviceability rates low throughout 1941. This was somewhat solved in the field by JG26 technical officers by rerouting the exhaust pipes and opening cooling slots in the fuselage aft of the engine. These changes were introduced into the production line for the following A-2 models which began arriving in December 1941.
The Fw 190 A-3 began deliveries in the spring of 1942 with the change to the more powerful BMW 801D-2 1700hp engine using 96 octane fuel, replacing the unreliable BMW 801C-1 in the Fw190 A-2. Fw 190A-3 was externally identical to the A-2, which makes the two variants extremely difficult to tell apart. The only positive visual clues could only be seen up-close: the C3 fuel triangles and the Werknummer. Like the A-2, it had two cowl mounted MG 17 machine guns, two inboard wing mounted MG 151 20mm cannons with protruding barrels and wing root blisters, plus two MG FF 20mm cannons in outboard positions, with underwing bulges. The slower firing MG FF cannons with its limited 90 rpg were often removed in the field and panel bulges replaced with flat panels.
Besides the difference in the number of wing cannons, the only other major variant was the FW 190A-3/U3 fighter bomber which had an under-fuselage mounted bomb rack ETC 501 for carriage of 500 kg of bombs (1 500 kg, 1 250 kg or 4 50 kg on the ER4 adapter) or an external drop tank of 300 liter capacity for long range fighters. These usually had the retractable small gear cover doors removed which would interfere with the ordinance loads.
By early 1943, 509 A-3s had been built. By mid 1943 it was being relegated to operational training organizations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain Kurt developed the model using some parts of the Design Team Daedalus Fw 190D-9 model, which in turn was developed from the old Pstrany Dora model by Captain Kurt - with permission. The new model added multiple details, new parts, new VC, and animations. The air files are a further development of the Design Team Daedalus FW 190 series.
Captain Kurt also created the camouflage paints, and the 2D instrument panel.
Keticheart: prop blur .bmp
AliCat: o2 Wachter and Sauerstoff gauges
FSD: most of the gauges
other gauge authors are unknown
Lawdog2360 has good BMW801 sound package at SOH.
We have all benefited from the assistance and guidance of others in the community. Special thanks to Wolfi and Huub Vink for their kind assistance, and especially to Paul Straney for his guidance and contribution, and to all who have contributed their knowledge directly and indirectly.
