Fw 190 A-5/U12
| This page is about the German fighter Fw 190 A-5/U12. For other versions, see Fw 190 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The Fw 190 A-5 was a variant of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft that was widely used during World War II. The Fw 190 A-5 was developed in 1942 to shift the plane's center of gravity and increase the payload capacity of the Fw 190 by moving the engine forward and allowing more weight to be carried aft. In the course of the war, the Fw 190 A-5 was used by the Luftwaffe as a ground-attack aircraft, night fighter, fighter-bomber, and fighter in several locations, such as France, the Soviet Union, North Africa, and Britain. The Fw 190 A-5 proved to be superior to the Spitfire Mk. V at low and medium altitudes but suffered from decreased performance at high altitudes. The Fw 190 A-5 was also loaned to Japan for evaluation but was not adopted by the Japanese Army. Nonetheless, the aircraft was notable for its versatility and effectiveness, as well as its use by some of the most accomplished Luftwaffe aces during WWII. The "U-12" stands for "Umrüst-Bausatz 12", which means "conversion kit 12" in German. This was a designation for a series of field modifications that were applied to some Fw 190 A-5s to enhance their capabilities for specific missions. Specifically, the Fw 190 A-5/U12 was equipped with two underwing 20 mm MG 151/20 gunpods for air-to-air combat.
The Fw 190 A-5 was introduced in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai", splitting the Fw 190 A-5 into a folder with /U12 and the /U2. The A-5/U12, similar to other Fw 190s, is an excellent climber and diver while being a poor turner. The plane can manoeuvre vertically quite well and can out-dive opponents. However, after about 600 km/h the controls tend to stiffen up, so care should be taken while in dives. Rocking two 20 mm MG 151 cannons, an armoured radial engine, armoured fuel tanks, and sometimes external gunpods, this aircraft is far from shy in the role of giving and taking. Anything at 12 o'clock is soon to be dead. The wing root mounted cannons should be additionally placed on a separate key for head-on attacks. You have a lot of ammunition at your expense, 1800 rounds of 7.92 mm MG 17, and 500 rounds of 20 mm MG 151, meaning that aces are achievable in one sortie with excellent aim.
General info
Flight performance
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 642 | 621 | 10200 | 21.7 | 22.5 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 391 |
| Upgraded | 693 | 666 | 19.5 | 20.6 | 18.4 | 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 | - | 700 | 310 | ~13 | ~6 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 420 | < 300 | < 550 | > 320 |
Survivability and armour
- 3 mm Steel - Engine cowling
- 5 mm Steel - Engine cowling
- 6 mm Steel - Under engine plate
- 8 mm Steel - Under fuel tanks
- 5 mm Steel - Behind rear fuel tank
- 8 mm Steel - Seat plate
- 6 mm Steel - Seat plate
- 12 mm Steel - Headrest plate
- 57 mm Bulletproof glass
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Offensive armament
The Fw 190 A-5/U12 is armed with:
- 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, wing-mounted (250 rpg = 500 total)
- 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, nose-mounted (900 rpg = 1,800 total)
The two cannons are arranged with one mounted in each of the wings near the wing roots and the two machine guns mounted in the upper fuselage just in front of the pilot. The wing mounted cannons are armed with 250 rounds of ammunition each while the upper fuselage machine guns are armed with 900 rounds each.
Suspended armament
The Fw 190 A-5/U12 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
- Without load
- 4 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, wing-mounted (gunpods) (125 rpg = 500 total)
The four cannons are arranged into two bundles of two mounted under each wing. If fired continuously with the aircraft-mounted cannons, the gun pods will run out of ammo first.
Usage in battles
At the beginning of a battle, it is preferable to climb slightly to the sides to ensure that you have the altitude advantage over the enemy without having to encounter them head-on in a low energy climb state, while staying close enough to the engagement to intervene once they appear. Like all Fw 190s, the turn rate of the A-5/U12 is abysmal compared to most other aircraft you will meet, so out-turning opponents should not be attempted. However, the short wings on the plane are do give it an advantage over similar craft at its BR in terms of strength, and can easily survive several magnitudes of G-force - which is one of the few options available to the A-5/U12 for defence. Vertical engagements and energy retention are a must.
Once researched, the plane gains the option to mount two dual 20 mm MG 151 gun pods; however, as expected, this add-on hampers climb rate and aerodynamics and should be reserved for bomber hunting missions.
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:
- Powerful engine - steady climber, does not overheat frequently
- Access to dual 20 mm MG 151 cannon pods - one on each wing
- Resilient wings - great diver
- Good accuracy
- Amazing roll rate
- Great resiliency - shrugging off hits
- Up to six 20 mm MG 151 will shred bombers with ease
- One of the highest amount of unlockable camouflages in-game
- Long and sturdy landing gears allows some tough landings
Cons:
- External cannon pods negatively affect aerodynamics and weight
- Poor turning as a monoplane fighter
- Mediocre climb rate
- Has thick canopy frames and tall instrument panel that block the pilot's forward views in simulator
- Sensitive in roll axis, can be hard for new simulator pilots to pull off accurate shots without over-rolling the plane
- No combat flaps
- Poor stall control
History
| Archive of the in-game description | |
|---|---|
|
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Wuerger (Shrike) was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane fighter used by the Luftwaffe in WWII. One of the best fighters of the time, it was widely used during the Second World War. A total of over 20,000 were produced, including some 6,000 fighter-bomber variants. The 190 remained in production from 1941 until the end of the war, going through multiple redesigns. The Fw 190 made a name for itself as a true Luftwaffe workhorse and was used in a wide variety of roles, including a high-altitude interceptor (especially the Fw 190 D), escort fighter, fighter-bomber and night fighter. 1942 flight tests of the Fw 190 A-3 proved that the installation of additional equipment could shift the plane's center of gravity. To address the issue, the aircraft had to be lengthened. First examples, designated Fw 190 A-5, saw combat in November 1942. Other modifications were minor and included improved oxygen equipment and a new artificial horizon. All production aircraft were also equipped with the FuG 25a IFF set. The armament remained unchanged. | |
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Related development
External links
- [Wikipedia] Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger
- Official data sheet - more details about the performance (Russian Forum)
| Focke-Wulf Aircraft Corporation (Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau Aktiengesellschaft) | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | Fw 190 A-1 · Fw 190 A-4 · Fw 190 A-5 · Fw 190 A-5/U2 · Fw 190 A-5/U12 · Fw 190 A-5/U14 · Fw 190 A-8 |
| Fw 190 C | |
| Fw 190 D-9 · Fw 190 D-12 · Fw 190 D-13 | |
| Fw 190 F-8 | |
| Ta 152 C-3* · Ta 152 H-1* · Ta 154 A-1* | |
| Bombers | Fw 189 A-1 · Fw 200 C-1 |
| Export | ▅Fw 190 A-5 |
| Captured | ▃Fw 190 A-8 · ▂Fw 190 D-9 |
| * In 1944, the Germany Air Ministry changed new fighter aircraft designation to that of the chief designer. Kurt Tank was the chief designer at Focke-Wulf and later aircraft he designed were given the prefix of Ta. | |
| Germany fighters | |
|---|---|
| Heinkel | |
| He 51 | He 51 A-1 · He 51 B-1 · He 51 B-2/H · He 51 C-1 · He 51 C-1/L |
| He 100 | He 100 D-1 |
| He 112 | He 112 A-0 · He 112 B-0 · He 112 B-1/U2 · He 112 B-2/U2 · He 112 V-5 |
| Messerschmitt | |
| Bf 109 (Jumo) | Flegel's Bf 109 A · Bf 109 B-1 · Bf 109 C-1 |
| Bf 109 (DB-601) | Bf 109 E-1 · Bf 109 E-3 · Bf 109 E-4 · Bf 109 E-7/U2 · Bf 109 F-1 · Bf 109 F-2 · Bf 109 F-4 · Bf 109 F-4/trop |
| Bf 109 (DB-605) | Bf 109 G-2/trop · Bf 109 G-2 · Bf 109 G-6 · Bf 109 G-10 · Bf 109 G-14 · Bf 109 K-4 |
| Focke-Wulf | |
| Fw 190 (early) | Fw 190 A-1 · Fw 190 A-4 · Fw 190 A-5 · Fw 190 A-5 · Fw 190 A-5/U2 · Fw 190 A-5/U14 · Fw 190 A-8 · Fw 190 C |
| Fw 190 (late) | Fw 190 D-9 · Fw 190 D-12 · Fw 190 D-13 |
| Ta 152 | Ta 152 C-3 · Ta 152 H-1 |
| Blohm & Voss | |
| BV 155 | BV 155 B-1 |
| Captured: | |
| USA | ▀P-47D-16-RE · ▀P-47D |
| USSR | ▀La-5FN · ▀Yak-1B |
| Britain | ▀Tempest Mk V |
| Italy | |
| CR.42 | ▀CR.42 · ▀Marcolin's C.R.42 CN |
| G.50 | ▀G.50 serie 2 · ▀G.50 AS serie 7 |
| C.200 | ▀C. 200 serie 3 · ▀C. 200 serie 7 |
| C.202 | ▀C. 202 |
| Finland | ▀Hawk H-75A-2 |
