Introduction
Focke-Wulf Fw 190, The Latter Years - D-Day to the Fall of Germany is a new book by Chris Goss. Published by Frontline Books (an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd) as part of their series Air War Archive, the 7.4" x 9.6" 192-page softcover book presents a pictorial story of the Fw 190 with 190 black and white photographs. Many of the photos are from the collection of the late Dr Alfred Price. It is catalogued with ISBN 9781473899407.
Modelers should find the gallery of images a treasure trove of reference material. Whether you are looking for camouflage patterns, unit and personal markings, interior or exterior details, or diorama ideas, you will probably find useful photos.
Content
Focke-Wulf Fw 190, The Latter Years is brought to us through 11 chapters and sections in 180 pages.
Preface
Glossary and Abbreviations
Fw 190 Operational Variants
Acknowledgement
Chapters
1. Testing
2. Powerplants
3. A Selection of Close-Up Views
4. Weaponry
5. Sturm
6. The Fw 190 in Service in the Latter Years of the War
7. Captured 190's
The author starts out with a tribute to the late Dr Alfred Price, who assembled an enormous collection of Fw 190 photos. The author also identifies this a s a pictorial book and not an in-depth study.
Glossary and Abbreviations is a useful two-page list of translations of German words to their American and British equivalents. Odd, but the Unbau Rüstsätze and Umrüst-Bausätze are not defined. We are also treated to two pages listing:
Fw 190 Operational Variants, A-1 through G-8, by:
- Variant Engine
- Armament
- Other Changes, e.g., canopy changes, predecessor based upon, airframe modifications, etc.
I have not seen the first book of this Fw 190 series so I cannot compare the two; despite the subtitle The Latter Years - D-Day to the Fall of Germany, the first photo is of Fw 190A-1s in 1941. Testing starts with prototype Fw 190V1, Wk Nr 0001, in 1939, and ends with A-1 variants. Accompanying captions provide the text. Many captions provide surprising detail, e.g., Werk Numbers, codes assigned tho the aircraft, operational/combat histories, pilots and fates, etc.
Powerplants provides 10 pages of the BMW801 radial engine up close and personal. A single photo shows a tropical filter, and a Jumo 213E inline engine.
A Selection of Close-Up Views presents a variety of individual components, parts, pieces, fittings and brackets. A sample of close-ups include:
- Faired drop tank pylon from a Ju 87 Stuka employed by Fw 190s
- ETC 502 torpedo rack
- 24-volt power socket
- Radio-altimeter.
Weaponry is 26 pages of bombs, rockets, guns, torpedos, Rüstsätze, and experimental ordnance. These images show a bounty of wiring, plumbing, fittings, and surrounding components. I saw something I have never noticed before - blast bags in the gun ports of the twin 2 cm MG 151/20 U12 pods.
Sturm covers the heavily armed and armored Sturmbock Fw 190s.
Having established qualities and characteristics of the Fw 190, The Fw 190 in Service in the Latter Years of the War takes us through a survey of the aircraft in the war zones. Finally, Captured 190's looks at a few of those.
As mentioned, captions provide information about the Fw 190 as well as the specific subject pictured. Plenty of detail is provided. There are a few minor typos but nothing to detract from the text.
Photographs
One appeal of the Fw 190 for me, aside from its overall excellence as an aircraft, is its rakish, determined, no-nonsense form follows function look. The main picture on the front cover is a classic, showing the clean sturdy lines of the A-series. There is much more than 'glamour shots'. We see production line and maintenance floor scenes, full of remarkable apparati of aircraft servicing, i.e., support jacks for landing gear tests. Modelers frequently focus upon filling and smoothing gaps and seams, fabric sag over control surface structure and other characteristics, and these images can help one decide what to sweat or overlook. Particularly interesting images include:
- Fitting the BMW801 "power egg" to an airframe
- Wingless Fw 190 secured to a railroad flatcar, as seen from the lower right looking up towards the cowlingless engine
- Sloppy painting of alphanumerics and emblems/insignia
- Hooks and attachments for hanging external stores
- Rear-firing rocket launcher
- Damage from the rear-firing rocket launcher(!)
- Special unit insignia on a pilot's jacket
- EK 16 robot gun camera mounted in the wing with access cover raised, showing internal structure
One photo is particularly notable concerning the debate about the release of new aircraft models in the primary ground military scale of 1/35. It shows a Fw 190 under maintenance on a bleak Russian steppe, with Panther tanks moving past, an excellent depiction of the potential for 1/35 aircraft.
While all of the photos are worth looking at, photo quality is mixed. Clear and crisp, fuzzy and washed out. Many are professionally exposed and developed for propaganda or public relations. Many are amateur "grab shots." Others appear to be good images lifted from the printed page or newsreels. Some are probably being disseminated for the first time while others will be familiar to anyone who has looked through a few Focke-Wulf books. Regardless, I did not see a photo that I do not consider worthwhile. Take a look...
Maintenance scene reference
Guns, wires, pipes
Don't see that every day
Power egg
Looks like a big U-line flyer, and a big 3-D printed Fw
Smooth seam between fairing and wing
Dioramas...
...dioramas...dio ideas
1/35 aircraft model potential
Conclusion
Dr. Price left quite a treasure to Mr. Goss, who presents us with this treasure chest of reference material - Focke-Wulf Fw 190, The Latter Years. Modelers of the '190 should find marvelous images to educate and inspire. This book will be dog-eared in no time as I work on Fw 190s. I believe if you are a fan of the radial-engine Fw 190, you will want this book. Recommend.
Thanks to Casemate Publishers for providing this book for review. Please mention to retailers and vendors that you saw this product here - on Aeroscale.
