Kurt Tank's Focke-Wulf fighters were excellent machines. Heavily armed with four 20mm cannon and two machine guns, they out-gunned all Allied fighters produced through 1943. The "A" models, when they first appeared in 1942, could out-run and out-climb anything the Allies had in theater. They were nimble airplanes as well, having a rate of roll unmatched by any Allied aircraft. If they had a fault it was their small wings which gave them a high wing loading and limited turning ability. Most good German pilots, however, relied on slashing and diving attacks, where turning ability did not matter as much. To escape trouble, they often faked a turn in one direction and then rapidly rolled the other way, gaining distance before the pursuer could match turns. Later in the war, as German pilot quality declined, the full potential of the Focke Wulf was seldom realized. Young pilots made the mistake of trying to dogfight and, getting slow, became easy meat for the tighter-turning Spitfires. Regardless, Fw 190s were, throughout the war, the most feared German fighters that Allied aircrews faced. The Spitfire Mk.V found itself outmatched by them and not until newer versions of the Spitfire appeared did the RAF regain a measure of performance superiority over the Focke Wulf.
TACTICS: Avoid tight-turning dogfights. Use high-speed "slashing" attacks, extending away at high speed before perhaps reversing for another attack. Stay moving fast and attempt to minimize the importance of maneuver. Your guns are powerful enough that you can often bring down an enemy fighter with a single close-range burst, so be content to limit your battles to those where you start in an advantageous position and can gain a few kills in one or two moves. Then, as surviving enemies inevitably begin to outmaneuver you, break off combat at high speed. This isn't cowardice, it's a wise tactical retreat. You can't turn with a Spitfire so don't try. Get in, get quick kills if you can, and then get out. Fast. Most importantly, remember that your combat performance is far greater at low altitudes so attempt to fight there. Fighting at lower altitudes will often mean the difference between victory and defeat.
STRENGTHS: Heavy firepower. Structurally sound. Good top speed (especially A-4 model). Excellent rate of roll.
WEAKNESSES: Poor maneuverability, especially at higher altitudes.
MODELS:
A-1: Inital July 1941 production model with provisional light armament. Only 100 built.
A-2: September 1941 model replaces the wing machineguns with high-performance MG-151 20mm cannon.
A-3: February 1942 model adds fuel armor and a stronger engine.
