FW 190

abbreviation of Focke-wulf 190 fighter aircraft of Nazi Germany, second in importance only to the Bf 109 (or Me 109) in that nation's air force during World War II. The Fw 190 was a single-seat fighter that first flew in 1938. After some early technical problems, it went into service in 1941 and was superior to all its opponents until 194243; it remained a successful fighter and fighter-bomber until the end of World War II. About 20,000 Fw 190s were manufactured between 1939 and 1945. The Fw 190 was a low-wing monoplane whose early versions were armed with four 7.9-millimetre machine guns. Two 20-millimetre cannons replaced two of the machine guns in the Fw 190A-2 version, which had a maximum speed of about 660 km (410 miles) per hour and a ceiling of 10,600 m (35,000 feet). The Fw 190F version was specialized for ground attack and had extra armour to protect its pilot, while the Fw 190G was intended as a fighter-bomber and could carry a 1,800-kilogram (3,960-pound) bomb. The Fw 190 was continually improved, and by 1944 the Fw 190A-8 version carried an armament of four 20-millimetre cannons and two 13-millimetre machine guns. The last operational model was the Fw 190D-9, which entered service in late 1944 and had a top speed of about 690 km (430 miles) per hour.