Focke-Wulf Fw 190

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed Wurger, was a German single-seat, single-engined fighter designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during the Second World War. With the Messerschmitt Bf 109 it became the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter force. Most operational versions were powered by the twin-row BMW 801 radial engine, which let the aircraft carry larger loads than the Bf 109 and serve as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and, to a lesser degree, night fighter. The A series entered operations over France in August 1941 and was regarded by its pilots as one of the best fighters of the war. Its performance fell away at high altitude, which led to the long-nosed D model and the derived Ta 152.