Difference between revisions of "NC.900"

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{{About
 
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| about = French fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 
−
| other
 
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| usage-1 = the German version
 
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| link-1 = Fw 190 A-8
 
−
| usage-2 = other versions
 
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| link-2 = Fw 190 (Family)
 
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}}
 
 
{{Specs-Card
 
{{Specs-Card
 
|code=fw-190a-8_france
 
|code=fw-190a-8_france
−
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
+
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
−
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} French fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]] in the 2017 "Festive Quest" that took place from 22 December 2017 to 22 January 2018. It was obtained via collecting 13 pilot's Christmas toys.
+
The SNCAC NC.900 had its beginnings quite early in the war. Cravant, a chalk quarry, was abandoned until a French builder saw the quarry as a place for an aircraft factory. However, that plan wouldn't come to fruition due to the German invasion. The quarry was left alone for quite a while until the Germans utilized the quarry as a repair facility for their [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]]s. As the tides turned in the war and Germany was pushed back from France, the repairmen at the quarry had to destroy all the Fw 190s that would be left behind. That plan failed and left many Fw 190s intact, and they were soon discovered by French forces. Due to the large number of aircraft and parts, it was decided to utilize the Fw 190 and redesignate it as the NC.900. Many NC.900s were cobbled together from different Focke-Wulf variants and would prove consequential later. After the first unit was assigned to the NC.900, problems quickly began. Sabotage and reliability issues plagued the NC.900s. Furthermore, the squadron flying them, Normandie-Niemen, hated the Fw 190 due to fighting them earlier in the war. It was quickly removed from service, and many were scrapped.
  
−
The NC.900 is the identical, French version of the [[Fw 190 A-8|Fw 190 A-8]] which features many of the same characteristics as the late Focke-Wulf Anton fighters.
+
Introduced during [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/5224-special-festive-quest-en|2017 "Festive Quest"]] event, the '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a very unique aircraft. Although plagued with issues in real life, in-game it is quite a decent aircraft. It features excellent weaponry and decent performance. It has four wing-mounted 20 mm [[MG 151/20 (20 mm)|MG 151]] cannons and two nose-mounted 13 mm machine guns. They can easily destroy enemy aircraft with a tiny burst with the air target belt. The guns also have plentiful ammunition, so players can be more generous with firing. As for performance, the NC.900 lacks climb rate and acceleration. It also has a poor turn rate, and flaps must be used to stay competitive with enemy fighters. However, it does make up for these deficiencies with an excellent roll rate and a structural speed limit of over 900 km/h (562 mph). Overall, the NC.900 is a decent aircraft, but it does take getting used to its unique playstyle.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
 
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
 
|-
 
|-
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| < 420 || < 300 || < 550 || > 280
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| < 420 || < 300 || < 550 || > 320
 
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The '''SNCAC NC.900''' was a French version of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, constructed from a number of abandoned Fw 190A-5 and A-8 airframes found in the former chalk quarry of Cravant after the Liberation of France.
 
The '''SNCAC NC.900''' was a French version of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, constructed from a number of abandoned Fw 190A-5 and A-8 airframes found in the former chalk quarry of Cravant after the Liberation of France.
  
−
The chalk quarry of Cravant was used for about 800 years for mining chalkstone, used in the construction of local buildings. After the quarry was abandoned in 1935, centuries of extractions of chalk had resulted in large underground caverns. During 1939, the French constructor ''Loire et Olivier'' became interested in the abandoned quarry, seeing the underground caverns as an ideal location to construct an additional aircraft factory. Before any airframe could be built at the Cravant installation, the Germans managed to occupy France, and for a couple of years, the installations at Cravant lay dormant. However, following the intensification of the Allied bombing offensive in 1943, the Germans started looking at alternative repair depots, and the installations at Cravant were reactivated. Following preparations, the repair facilities at Cravant were taken in use on February 6th 1944 as the ''Sonderreparaturbetrieb G.L & Elbag Lager 918 Auxerre'', also known as the ''Frontrepareturbetrieb 918''. Cravant soon became the main repair works for Focke-Wulf Fw 190s on the Western Front.
+
The chalk quarry of Cravant was used for about 800 years for mining chalkstone, used in the construction of local buildings. After the quarry was abandoned in 1935, centuries of extractions of chalk had resulted in large underground caverns. During 1939, the French constructor ''Loire et Olivier'' became interested in the abandoned quarry, seeing the underground caverns as an ideal location to construct an additional aircraft factory. Before any airframe could be built at the Cravant installation, the Germans managed to occupy France, and for a couple of years, the installations at Cravant lay dormant. However, following the intensification of the Allied bombing offensive in 1943, the Germans started looking at alternative repair depots, and the installations at Cravant were reactivated. Following preparations, the repair facilities at Cravant were taken in use on February 6th 1944 as the ''Sonderreparaturbetrieb G.L & Elbag Lager 918 Auxerre'', also known as the ''Frontrepareturbetrieb 918''. Cravant soon became the main repair works for Focke-Wulf Fw 190s on the Western Front.
  
−
Over the next 6 months, about 163 Focke Wulf 190s were repaired at Cravant until the region was liberated by Allied forces on August 18th 1944. The German Forces tried to destroy the facilities before abandoning them by setting them on fire, however, according to local legends, the fire was asphyxiated through a lack of oxygen in the underground caverns. As such, when the factory was discovered by the Allied forces, they discovered 156 sets of wings and 112 fuselages of various marques of Focke Wulf Fw 190, including Fw 190 A-3s, A-4s, A-5s, A-6s, A-7s, A-8s, F-8s and G-3s. A large number of these fuselages were in a damaged state, either through pre-existing damage which had seen the aircraft end up at the facility in the first place or through damage caused by the fire set by the retreating German forces. After an inventory was made, it was found that of 112 fuselages about 70 to 75 were more or less in a useable state. With a large supply of available parts and a need for fighter planes, the decision was taken to rebuild a number of Focke Wulfs for use by French units.
+
Over the next 6 months, about 163 Focke Wulf 190s were repaired at Cravant until the region was liberated by Allied forces on August 18th 1944. The German Forces tried to destroy the facilities before abandoning them by setting them on fire, however, according to local legends, the fire was asphyxiated through a lack of oxygen in the underground caverns. As such, when the factory was discovered by the Allied forces, they discovered 156 sets of wings and 112 fuselages of various marques of Focke Wulf Fw 190, including Fw 190 A-3s, A-4s, A-5s, A-6s, A-7s, A-8s, F-8s and G-3s. A large number of these fuselages were in a damaged state, either through pre-existing damage which had seen the aircraft end up at the facility in the first place or through damage caused by the fire set by the retreating German forces. After an inventory was made, it was found that of 112 fuselages about 70 to 75 were more or less in a usable state. With a large supply of available parts and a need for fighter planes, the decision was taken to rebuild a number of Focke Wulfs for use by French units.
  
−
Assembly of the airframes was started under the supervision of the ''Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Centre'' (SNCAC), and the French-built Fw 190s were given the new designation of NC.900. Despite using a mixture of A-5, A-6 and A-8 fuselages and wings, no separate designations were given to the two variants; the main problem faced by the SNCAC was a lack of BMW 801 engines, necessitating the use of a large stock of engines built by the French Voisin factories. However, at the time it was not fully understood that these engines, built during the German occupation, had been subtly sabotaged by the French labourers, often in such a way that the sabotage could not be determined unless one knew where to look.
+
Assembly of the airframes was started under the supervision of the ''Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Centre'' (SNCAC), and the French-built Fw 190s were given the new designation of NC.900. Despite using a mixture of A-5, A-6 and A-8 fuselages and wings, no separate designations were given to the two variants; the main problem faced by the SNCAC was a lack of BMW 801 engines, necessitating the use of a large stock of engines built by the French Voisin factories. However, at the time it was not fully understood that these engines, built during the German occupation, had been subtly sabotaged by the French labourers, often in such a way that the sabotage could not be determined unless one knew where to look.
  
−
The first NC.900 flew on March 16th 1945, and the first aircraft was officially accepted by the French Air Force on May 11th 1945. The first unit which would be converted to the NC.900 was the Groupe du Chasse III/5 : the legendary ''Normandie-Niemen'' group which had arrived from the Soviet Union to France on June 20th 1945, and which in the first few months after its return had been flying the Yakolev Yak 3 with which the unit had returned from the Soviet Union. As spares for these aircraft were impossible to come by in France, and the unit's aircraft had one by one been cannibalised to keep them flying, the decision was made to assign the NC.900 to them first - and that could not have been a worse choice. After all, ''Normandie-Niemen'' had just spent three years on the Eastern Front, where they had fought intense battles against the Focke-Wulf Fw 190s of JG51 and had lost many of their comrades to the Butcher Bird's guns. As a result, the pilots hated the Fw 190/NC.900 and thoroughly disliked flying it. Despite their protests, the unit was officially converted to NC.900 on February 1st 1946.
+
The first NC.900 flew on March 16th 1945, and the first aircraft was officially accepted by the French Air Force on May 11th 1945. The first unit which would be converted to the NC.900 was the Groupe du Chasse III/5 : the legendary ''Normandie-Niemen'' group which had arrived from the Soviet Union to France on June 20th 1945, and which in the first few months after its return had been flying the Yakovlev Yak 3 with which the unit had returned from the Soviet Union. As spares for these aircraft were impossible to come by in France, and the unit's aircraft had one by one been cannibalised to keep them flying, the decision was made to assign the NC.900 to them first - and that could not have been a worse choice. After all, ''Normandie-Niemen'' had just spent three years on the Eastern Front, where they had fought intense battles against the Focke-Wulf Fw 190s of JG51 and had lost many of their comrades to the Butcher Bird's guns. As a result, the pilots hated the Fw 190/NC.900 and thoroughly disliked flying it. Despite their protests, the unit was officially converted to NC.900 on February 1st 1946.
  
−
Due to the way in which the NC.900s had been assembled at Cravant - using numerous parts of various variants without any real attempt at matching parts - the end result was that the NC.900 proved to be an unbalanced and unstable aircraft, with each separate airframe having distinctly different flying characteristics. Additionally, sabotage to both engines and individual parts meant that numerous incidents soon started happening with the NC.900s; added to that the pilots of ''Normandie-Niemen'' had been used to flying the lighter and more nimble Yak fighters, and conversion to the 'hated' Butcher Bird proved more problematic than expected. A series of incidents, accidents and mechanical breakdowns - often due to failure of sabotaged parts or engines - soon gave the NC.900 a very bad reputation, and already two weeks after its official introduction into service, on February 18th, the decision was taken to end production of the type, with the type being grounded in April pending thorough inspections. This resulted in a partial lifting of the ban, and 9 airframes were greenlit for service in July of 1946, but only one of them appears to have flown until the NC.900 was permanently grounded on November 1st 1946. The circa 70 NC.900s built flew barely 100 hours in service between February 1st and November 1st 1946.
+
Due to the way in which the NC.900s had been assembled at Cravant - using numerous parts of various variants without any real attempt at matching parts - the end result was that the NC.900 proved to be an unbalanced and unstable aircraft, with each separate airframe having distinctly different flying characteristics. Additionally, sabotage to both engines and individual parts meant that numerous incidents soon started happening with the NC.900s; added to that the pilots of ''Normandie-Niemen'' had been used to flying the lighter and more nimble Yak fighters, and conversion to the 'hated' Butcher Bird proved more problematic than expected. A series of incidents, accidents and mechanical breakdowns - often due to failure of sabotaged parts or engines - soon gave the NC.900 a very bad reputation, and already two weeks after its official introduction into service, on February 18th, the decision was taken to end production of the type, with the type being grounded in April pending thorough inspections. This resulted in a partial lifting of the ban, and 9 airframes were greenlit for service in July of 1946, but only one of them appears to have flown until the NC.900 was permanently grounded on November 1st 1946. The circa 70 NC.900s built flew barely 100 hours in service between February 1st and November 1st 1946.
  
−
Following the permanent flight ban of the NC.900s, the remaining airframes were scrapped except for one which now stands as an Fw 190 at the ''Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace'' at Bourget; France's remaining stock of Focke Wulf spare parts was subsequently sold to Turkey to keep its remaining Fw 190A-3a's flying (they, in turn, were withdrawn from service towards the end of 1947).
+
Following the permanent flight ban of the NC.900s, the remaining airframes were scrapped except for one which now stands as an Fw 190 at the ''Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace'' at Bourget; France's remaining stock of Focke-Wulf spare parts was subsequently sold to Turkey to keep its remaining Fw 190A-3as flying (they, in turn, were withdrawn from service towards the end of 1947).
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
  
−
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=#NC900 Camouflages for the NC.900 on War Thunder Live]
+
;Skins
−
<div><ul>
+
 
−
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:NC.900 Alt Camo.png|thumb|300px|''"Non-standard bicolor camouflage pattern''", given to owners when 350,000 lights were on the tree during the event.]] </li>
+
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=fw-190a-8_france Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
−
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:NC.900 Tail.png|thumb|200px|Close-up on unique tail marking.]] </li>
+
 
−
</ul></div>
+
;Images
 +
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
 +
File:NC.900 Alt Camo.png|<small>"Non-standard bicolor camouflage pattern", given during the event</small>
 +
File:NC.900 Tail.png|<small>Close-up on unique tail marking</small>
 +
</gallery>
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
+
<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 +
* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
 +
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''-->
  
−
* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
+
;Related development
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
* [[Fw 190 (Family)]]
 +
** [[Fw 190 A-8]] - Equivalent aircraft
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
 
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
 
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
  
−
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/129411-fw-190-a-8-sncac-nc900/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
+
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/129411-fw-190-a-8-sncac-nc900/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211023162452/https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/129411-fw-190-a-8-sncac-nc900/ Archive])
−
* [https://www.histavia21.net/Cravant/cravant.htm [Histavia21 website<nowiki>]</nowiki> CRAVANT, L' USINE SOUTERRAINE Focke Wulf 190 et NC 900]
+
* [https://www.histavia21.net/Cravant/cravant.htm [Histavia21 website<nowiki>]</nowiki> CRAVANT, L' USINE SOUTERRAINE Focke Wulf 190 et NC 900] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211023162556/https://www.histavia21.net/Cravant/cravant.htm Archive])
−
* [https://www.aviationsmilitaires.net/v2/base/view/Variant/6596.html [Aviationsmilitares website<nowiki>]</nowiki> SNCAC NC.900]
+
* [https://www.aviationsmilitaires.net/v2/base/view/Variant/6596.html [Aviationsmilitares website<nowiki>]</nowiki> SNCAC NC.900] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211023162645/https://aviationsmilitaires.net/v3/kb/aircraft/show/17293/sncac-nc900 Archive])
−
* [https://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/sncac-nc-900/ [Avionslegendaries website<nowiki>]</nowiki> SNCAC NC.900]
+
* [https://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/sncac-nc-900/ [Avionslegendaries website<nowiki>]</nowiki> SNCAC NC.900] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211023162701/https://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/sncac-nc-900/ Archive])
  
−
{{AirManufacturer Focke-Wulf}}
+
{{AirManufacturer SNCAC}}
 
{{France fighters}}
 
{{France fighters}}
 
{{France premium aircraft}}
 
{{France premium aircraft}}
 
{{Winter Event}}
 
{{Winter Event}}

Latest revision as of 20:47, 30 March 2024

Rank 7 USA
F-5C Pack
NC.900
fw-190a-8_france.png
GarageImage NC.900.jpg
ArtImage NC.900.png
NC.900
France flag.png France
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.3 5.0 5.3
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:Bundle or Gift
Show in game

Description

The SNCAC NC.900 had its beginnings quite early in the war. Cravant, a chalk quarry, was abandoned until a French builder saw the quarry as a place for an aircraft factory. However, that plan wouldn't come to fruition due to the German invasion. The quarry was left alone for quite a while until the Germans utilized the quarry as a repair facility for their Fw 190s. As the tides turned in the war and Germany was pushed back from France, the repairmen at the quarry had to destroy all the Fw 190s that would be left behind. That plan failed and left many Fw 190s intact, and they were soon discovered by French forces. Due to the large number of aircraft and parts, it was decided to utilize the Fw 190 and redesignate it as the NC.900. Many NC.900s were cobbled together from different Focke-Wulf variants and would prove consequential later. After the first unit was assigned to the NC.900, problems quickly began. Sabotage and reliability issues plagued the NC.900s. Furthermore, the squadron flying them, Normandie-Niemen, hated the Fw 190 due to fighting them earlier in the war. It was quickly removed from service, and many were scrapped.

Introduced during Update 1.75 "La Résistance" as a reward for the 2017 "Festive Quest" event, the NC.900 is a very unique aircraft. Although plagued with issues in real life, in-game it is quite a decent aircraft. It features excellent weaponry and decent performance. It has four wing-mounted 20 mm MG 151 cannons and two nose-mounted 13 mm machine guns. They can easily destroy enemy aircraft with a tiny burst with the air target belt. The guns also have plentiful ammunition, so players can be more generous with firing. As for performance, the NC.900 lacks climb rate and acceleration. It also has a poor turn rate, and flaps must be used to stay competitive with enemy fighters. However, it does make up for these deficiencies with an excellent roll rate and a structural speed limit of over 900 km/h (562 mph). Overall, the NC.900 is a decent aircraft, but it does take getting used to its unique playstyle.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed
at 5 500 m652 km/h
Turn time22 s
Max altitude10 300 m
EngineBMW 801 TU
TypeRadial
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight6 t
Characteristics Max Speed
(km/h at 5,500 m) 		Max altitude
(metres) 		Turn time
(seconds) 		Rate of climb
(metres/second) 		Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 622 601 10300 24.2 25.3 10.2 10.2 450
Upgraded 687 652 21.4 22.8 19.5 14.1

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear
X ✓ ✓ X X
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
912 310 N/A 700 310 ~12 ~6
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 420 < 300 < 550 > 320
Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power
700 m 1,498 hp 1,874 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power
5,300 m 1,301 hp 1,628 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural912 km/h
Gear310 km/h
  • 57 mm Bulletproof glass in front of the cockpit.
  • 3-5 mm Steel plates in front of oil cooling system.
  • 6 mm Steel plate under the radial engine.
  • 12 mm Steel plate in pilot's headrest, and a 8 + 6 mm steel plates behind the pilot.
  • 8 mm Steel plate under the cockpit.
  • 5 mm Steel plate behind the fuel tank.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB1 695 Sl icon.png
RB4 645 Sl icon.png
SB6 255 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts290 000 Sl icon.png
Aces940 Ge icon.png
Research Aces960 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 90 / 220 / 440 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 166 / 166 / 166 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Mods radiator.png
Radiator
Mods compressor.png
Compressor
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Mods new engine.png
Engine
Mods metanol.png
Engine injection
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Mods ammo.png
mg131_belt_pack
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods weapon.png
mg131_new_gun
Mods ammo.png
mg15120_belt_pack
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods weapon.png
mg15120_new_gun

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 14 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon
Ammunition780 rounds
Fire rate700 shots/min
Weapon 22 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun
Ammunition800 rounds
Fire rate900 shots/min
Main articles: MG 151 (20 mm), MG 131 (13 mm)

The NC.900 is armed with:

  • 4 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, wing-mounted (140 rpg outer + 250 rpg inner = 780 total)
  • 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 800 total)

The four cannons are arranged in bundles of two mounted in each wing. The two outer cannons have 110 less rounds compared to the two inner cannons and will run empty first. The two machine guns are mounted in the nose of the aircraft have the same amount of ammunition and will deplete at the same time if out of ammo.

Usage in battles

Flying the NC.900 tends to be very defensive and relies on neutralising an enemy's energy advantage and capitalising on the plane's advantages. Manoeuvres that work well include the Split-S, Chandelle and anything that requires a high rate of roll. One of these is to dive and roll in a single direction whilst applying rudder. This causes a very tight barrel roll that few aircraft can hope to gain a firing solution on. Another way to clear the NC.900's six is to pitch steeply up and roll over forcing an overshoot and potentially giving a firing solution. It's possible to dismember superior aircraft simply because of the roll rate and firepower this plane possesses. If skilled enough to press for a gun solution when scissoring an enemy, it could be greatly rewarded.

In summary, climb to the side, BnZ steadily, never get in a sustained turn fight, and use the roll rate to outgame the enemy when cornered.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer Pitch Radiator Supercharger Turbocharger
Oil Water Type
Not controllable Controllable
Auto control available 		Not controllable
Not auto controlled 		Controllable
Not auto controlled 		Combined Not controllable
2 gears 		Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great roll rate at all speeds.
  • Good energy retention (though somewhat poor compared to Spitfire LF Mk IX in the BnZ role).
  • Excellent high speed control.
  • Heavy armament, with plenty of ammunition.
  • Well armoured from the front, especially cockpit.
  • Small and rugged air-frame.
  • Has interceptor airspawn.

Cons:

  • Poor acceleration at all altitudes.
  • Poor turn time and energy retention in turns.
  • Poor control at low speed.
  • Rate of climb is mediocre.
  • Bad at altitude performance.
  • Very bricky to fly in general.

History

The SNCAC NC.900 was a French version of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, constructed from a number of abandoned Fw 190A-5 and A-8 airframes found in the former chalk quarry of Cravant after the Liberation of France.

The chalk quarry of Cravant was used for about 800 years for mining chalkstone, used in the construction of local buildings. After the quarry was abandoned in 1935, centuries of extractions of chalk had resulted in large underground caverns. During 1939, the French constructor Loire et Olivier became interested in the abandoned quarry, seeing the underground caverns as an ideal location to construct an additional aircraft factory. Before any airframe could be built at the Cravant installation, the Germans managed to occupy France, and for a couple of years, the installations at Cravant lay dormant. However, following the intensification of the Allied bombing offensive in 1943, the Germans started looking at alternative repair depots, and the installations at Cravant were reactivated. Following preparations, the repair facilities at Cravant were taken in use on February 6th 1944 as the Sonderreparaturbetrieb G.L & Elbag Lager 918 Auxerre, also known as the Frontrepareturbetrieb 918. Cravant soon became the main repair works for Focke-Wulf Fw 190s on the Western Front.

Over the next 6 months, about 163 Focke Wulf 190s were repaired at Cravant until the region was liberated by Allied forces on August 18th 1944. The German Forces tried to destroy the facilities before abandoning them by setting them on fire, however, according to local legends, the fire was asphyxiated through a lack of oxygen in the underground caverns. As such, when the factory was discovered by the Allied forces, they discovered 156 sets of wings and 112 fuselages of various marques of Focke Wulf Fw 190, including Fw 190 A-3s, A-4s, A-5s, A-6s, A-7s, A-8s, F-8s and G-3s. A large number of these fuselages were in a damaged state, either through pre-existing damage which had seen the aircraft end up at the facility in the first place or through damage caused by the fire set by the retreating German forces. After an inventory was made, it was found that of 112 fuselages about 70 to 75 were more or less in a usable state. With a large supply of available parts and a need for fighter planes, the decision was taken to rebuild a number of Focke Wulfs for use by French units.

Assembly of the airframes was started under the supervision of the Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Centre (SNCAC), and the French-built Fw 190s were given the new designation of NC.900. Despite using a mixture of A-5, A-6 and A-8 fuselages and wings, no separate designations were given to the two variants; the main problem faced by the SNCAC was a lack of BMW 801 engines, necessitating the use of a large stock of engines built by the French Voisin factories. However, at the time it was not fully understood that these engines, built during the German occupation, had been subtly sabotaged by the French labourers, often in such a way that the sabotage could not be determined unless one knew where to look.

The first NC.900 flew on March 16th 1945, and the first aircraft was officially accepted by the French Air Force on May 11th 1945. The first unit which would be converted to the NC.900 was the Groupe du Chasse III/5 : the legendary Normandie-Niemen group which had arrived from the Soviet Union to France on June 20th 1945, and which in the first few months after its return had been flying the Yakovlev Yak 3 with which the unit had returned from the Soviet Union. As spares for these aircraft were impossible to come by in France, and the unit's aircraft had one by one been cannibalised to keep them flying, the decision was made to assign the NC.900 to them first - and that could not have been a worse choice. After all, Normandie-Niemen had just spent three years on the Eastern Front, where they had fought intense battles against the Focke-Wulf Fw 190s of JG51 and had lost many of their comrades to the Butcher Bird's guns. As a result, the pilots hated the Fw 190/NC.900 and thoroughly disliked flying it. Despite their protests, the unit was officially converted to NC.900 on February 1st 1946.

Due to the way in which the NC.900s had been assembled at Cravant - using numerous parts of various variants without any real attempt at matching parts - the end result was that the NC.900 proved to be an unbalanced and unstable aircraft, with each separate airframe having distinctly different flying characteristics. Additionally, sabotage to both engines and individual parts meant that numerous incidents soon started happening with the NC.900s; added to that the pilots of Normandie-Niemen had been used to flying the lighter and more nimble Yak fighters, and conversion to the 'hated' Butcher Bird proved more problematic than expected. A series of incidents, accidents and mechanical breakdowns - often due to failure of sabotaged parts or engines - soon gave the NC.900 a very bad reputation, and already two weeks after its official introduction into service, on February 18th, the decision was taken to end production of the type, with the type being grounded in April pending thorough inspections. This resulted in a partial lifting of the ban, and 9 airframes were greenlit for service in July of 1946, but only one of them appears to have flown until the NC.900 was permanently grounded on November 1st 1946. The circa 70 NC.900s built flew barely 100 hours in service between February 1st and November 1st 1946.

Following the permanent flight ban of the NC.900s, the remaining airframes were scrapped except for one which now stands as an Fw 190 at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace at Bourget; France's remaining stock of Focke-Wulf spare parts was subsequently sold to Turkey to keep its remaining Fw 190A-3as flying (they, in turn, were withdrawn from service towards the end of 1947).

Media

Skins
Images

  • "Non-standard bicolor camouflage pattern", given during the event

  • Close-up on unique tail marking

See also

Related development

External links


SNCAC (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre)
Fighters  NC.900*
  *Constructed from abandoned Fw 190 A-5/A-6 airframes at Cravant quarry
See also  Farman Aviation Works

France fighters
Dewoitine  D.371 · D.371 H.S.9 · D.373 · D.500 · D.501 · Pallier's D.510 · D.520
Morane-Saulnier  M.S.405C1 · M.S.406C1 · M.S.410
Arsenal  V.G.33C-1
Bloch  M.B.152C1 · M.B.157
Caudron  C.R.714
Sud-Ouest  S.O.8000 Narval
American  H-75A-1 · H-75A-4 · ▄P-39Q-25 · ▄P-40F-5 Lafayette · ▄P-47D-22-RE · ▄P-63C-5 · F-6C-10-NA
  ▄F6F-5 · ▄F6F-5N · F4U-7 · ▄F8F-1B
Other countries  ▄Seafire LF Mk.III · ▄Yak-3 · Challe's ▄Yak-9T · NC.900
Belgium  ▄Gladiator Mk I · ▄Spitfire FR Mk XIVe
Netherlands  ◘Sea Fury FB 51

France premium aircraft
Fighters  D.371 H.S.9 · Pallier's D.510 · ▄P-39Q-25 · ▄P-40F-5 Lafayette · ▄P-47D-22-RE · F-6C-10-NA
  M.B.152C1 · ▄Yak-3 · Challe's ▄Yak-9T · NC.900 · S.O.8000 Narval
Jet fighters  ◘Sea Hawk Mk.50 · Milan · Mirage F1C-200
Strike aircraft  ▄AD-4NA · F-84F IAF
Bombers  Late 298D · ▄PBY-5A Late
Jet bombers  Vautour IIA IDF/AF · S.O.4050 Vautour IIN

Winter events
2022  Winter Quest
Pilot stars  Late 298D · ◄Tornado IDS MFG
Tanker stars  T-80UM2
Sailor stars  USS Newport News
2021  Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.
Pilot stars  C. 202D · ◊MiG-23MF
Tanker stars  A.C.I · AGS
Sailor stars  IJN Hayanami · MPK Pr.201K
2020  Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.
Pilot stars  Ro.57 Quadriarma · MiG-21PFM
Tanker stars  E.B.R. (1954) · Class 3 (P)
Sailor stars  Type K-8 No.13 · USS Baltimore
2019  Operation F.R.O.S.T.
Pilot stars  TIS MA · J6K1
Tanker stars  QF 3.7 Ram · ▃Merkava Mk.2B
Sailor stars  PT-811 · Jaguar
2018  Festive Quest
Pilot stars  M.B.152C1 · Fw 190 C
Tanker stars  SU-85A · T30
Christmas Lights  P-43A-1 · Comet I "Iron Duke IV"
2017  Festive Quest
Pilot christmas toys  P-40C · NC.900
Tanker christmas toys  AEC Mk II · Ersatz M10
Christmas Lights  Fw 189 A-1 · KV-2 (1940)
2016  Winter Holiday
Pilot stages  Ki-21-I hei · Me 262 A-2a
Tanker stages  ▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) · ▂Type 62
2015  War Thunder Fulfills Your Wishes!
Pilot reward  ▂P-63C-5
Tanker reward  VK 45.01 (P)
2014  Holiday War Thunder Marathon!
Pilot reward  I-301
Tanker reward  M8A1 GMC

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