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The FW appeared in many points superior to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and was one of the best German fighters of World War II. Its development began some years before the war, during the fall of 1937 when the ministry of air proposed to the FW to develop an interceptor in parallel with the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Two models of the same plane were presented, the first equipped with a Daimler Benz DB 601, the second with an eighteen cylinder engine: the radial B.M.W.139. Few people believed in the capacities of the radial engine. The 1st prototype flew June first, 1939. It possessed a big nose cone in order to improve his aerodynamic qualities but this solution provoked overheats in the engine and was therefore abandoned in the third prototype. A new B.M.W engine, the 801 with 14 cylinders equipped the 5th prototype. The same 5th prototype was severely modified: the fuselage and the wings were improved. Fulfilled with the exceptional performances of the Fw 190, the ministry of air ordered a first-set of 40 units. The Fw 190 was a one-seater, low wings fighter, provided with retractable gears and a splendid aerodynamic shape. The cockpit, nearly entirely transparent, offered considerable vision to the pilot. The basic armament consisted of four machine guns. Planes of the first mass-production entered service in July 1941 and appeared very quickly superior to the Spitfire V in service within the RAF in terms of manoeuvrability. Then came the release of the A-2 and A-3.They were different than the first version by their increased power as well as an improved armament. In 1942 the A-4 appeared, then the A-5, A-6, A-7 and the A-8 whose main modification concerned the motor. The F version in which the fighter turned into fighter bomber appeared near the end of 1942, followed-up by the G. version. The final version, the Fw 190D (called Dora), dated from the beginning of 1944 included a Junker Jumo engine of 2240 hp. The Fw 190 had reached its maximum efficiency and could be easily compared to the American Mustang.
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