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Fw 190 D-9 Dora: Difference between revisions

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{{RightImg|https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/upload/iblock/15d/FW-190-DVD-cover.jpg}}
{{RightImg|File:FW-190-DVD-cover.jpg}}


[[File:Fw190 icon.png|frameless|left]]
[[File:Fw190 icon.png|frameless|left]]
While not entirely obscure, the Fw 190 certainly exists in the shadow of the [[Bf_109_K-4_Kurfürst|Bf 109]], simply by not being connected to as many famous battles and campaigns. Nevertheless, the Fw 190 — and certainly the upgraded D-9 “longnose” Dora represented in [[Digital_Combat_Simulator|DCS World]] — was intended as a replacement of the ageing 109, and came as a nasty surprise when it did even if the timing of the introduction and the ever-increasing pressure from the allied air incursions deeper and deeper into occupied Europe meant that the older fighters had to be used until the end.
Much like the (historically) earlier [[Fw_190_A-8|Fw 190 A-8 “Anton”]] model, the Dora exists in the shadow of the [[Bf_109_K-4_Kurfürst|Bf 109]], simply by not being connected to as many famous battles and campaigns. Nevertheless, it represents a significant upgrade over not just the iconic “Messerschmitt” but also over the Anton design, and came as a nasty end-of-war surprise to the allies. The timing of the introduction and the ever-increasing pressure from the allied air incursions deeper and deeper into occupied Europe meant that the older fighters had to be used until the end alongside it, and by this time, the the introduction of this high-altitude version of the 190 was not nearly enough to stem the tide.


{{tocright}}
{{tocright}}


The fact that the Fw 190 D-9 is an upgrade, through and through, is evident even at first glance. It removes a number of kinks in the 109's flight dynamics and significantly cleans up the cockpit environment, presenting a very neat interface to the pilot to a degree that even many later aircraft would not match — just compare the Dora's cockpit to the cluttered [[F-86F_Sabre|F-86F]] dashboard or the dial-shotgun design of the [[MiG-15bis]]. In many ways, this mirrors the quick evolution seen between the older design sensibilities that went into the [[Spitfire_L.F._Mk._IX|Spitfire]] and the more modern ones found in the [[P-51D_Mustang|Mustang]]: two different generations of aircraft, both rolling out new variants at a rapid clip and but also turning the lessons of the old into core design principles for the new.
As with the A-8 model that preceded it, the fact that the Fw 190 D-9 is an upgrade, through and through, is evident even at first glance. Not only are earlier flight (and ground) dynamic kinds gone, but the cockpit interface is modern and user-friendly in a way that even Korean-era fighters fail to achieve.


== Features ==
== Features ==
The Fw 190 D-9 improves on the pilot's life by having:
The Fw 190 D-9 improves on the pilot's life by having:


* A very user-friendly cockpit layout, including colour-coding of dials to quickly find the right read-out in a hurry.
* A very user-friendly cockpit layout, including colour-coding of dials to quickly find the right read-out in a hurry, even further improved over the A-8 Anton.
* An equally user-friendly wide stance on the ground, for good stability and steering at all speeds.
* An equally user-friendly wide stance on the ground, for good stability and steering at all speeds.
* The MW-50 water-methanol booster system to get more emergency power out of the engine.
* The MW-50 water-methanol booster system to get more emergency power out of the engine.
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== Flying the Fw 190 D-9 ==
== Flying the Fw 190 D-9 ==
While there are clear parallels between both axis and allied aircraft in how they developed over the course of the war, that parallel goes all non-euclidian when looking at the actual flight dynamics. The leap forward from the agile, clean-flying, fussy and temperamental Spitfire with its clumsy ground handling was the P-51 — an aircraft that was easy to handle on the ground and more reliable in the air, but whose added speed and power in made it more difficult to actually fly. On the German side, the upgrade path was far more straightforward: the 109 was a handful on the ground, much like the Spitfire, and could ''also'' be a handful in the air due to the speeds it could attain. The Dora was an improvement on both fronts.
The Fw 190 D-9 is very similar to the [[Fw_190_A-8|A-8]] in how it handles, with the main difference being one of performance at higher altitudes. It has none of the snap-roll, back-flip tendencies of the 109 on take-off, and also offers easy ground handling in how the tail wheel is locked and in how the landing gear in general is set up. The wider gear arrangement makes both take-offs and landings less wobbly over all. In the air, the design focus is still one of on reliability, visibility, and manoeuvrability, like the earlier A-8 variant. It is still not exactly ''slow'', especially since it sports the MW-50 engine boost system, but it is rather a more balanced approach than one that pushes itself into high-speed stalls and compressibility issues. In particular — since that was the one of the main design goals — it drastically improves high-altitude performance to tangle with bombers and escort fighters.
 
The Fw 190 D-9 gets rid of the snap-roll, back-flip tendencies of the 109 on take-off, and also improves ground handling in how the tail wheel is locked and in how the landing gear in general is set up. The wider gear arrangement makes both take-offs and landings less wobbly over all. In the air, the design focus had not been so much on achieving excessive speed as on reliability, visibility, and manoeuvrability. It is still not exactly ''slow'', especially since it retains the MW-50 system, but it is rather a more balanced approach than one that pushes itself into high-speed stalls and compressibility issues.


=== Cockpit overview ===
=== Cockpit overview ===
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* Flip open the final cover on the right to reveal the starter switch, and push and hold it up for ~25s to crank up the starter flywheel.
* Flip open the final cover on the right to reveal the starter switch, and push and hold it up for ~25s to crank up the starter flywheel.
* Now push and hold the starter switch in the other direction to start the engine.  
* Now push and hold the starter switch in the other direction to start the engine.  
* Run the engine at 2000 RPM to warm it up, while adjusting up the cowling flaps (the knob is hidden above the bank of fluid dials and will require some digging around).
* Run the engine at 2000 RPM to warm it up, while adjusting up the cowling flaps.<br><small>(The knob is hidden behind a console lip, just above the bank of fluid dials and will require some digging around.)</small>
* Close the canopy and make your way to the runway &mdash; use the toe brakes to turn and pull back on the stick to lock the tail wheel to stay straight.
* Close the canopy and make your way to the runway &mdash; use the toe brakes to turn and pull back on the stick to lock the tail wheel to stay straight.
* Set flaps to START position.
* Set flaps to START position.
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* Dial in the wingspan of your target, per the table on the sight.
* Dial in the wingspan of your target, per the table on the sight.
* Use the throttle rotary to dial in the range &mdash; 600m allows for optimal convergence of the guns.
* Use the throttle rotary to dial in the range &mdash; 600m allows for optimal convergence of the guns.
* Flip up the Master Arm switch.
* When the wings of the targets fit within the sight, you are at the correct range &mdash; fire.
* When the wings of the targets fit within the sight, you are at the correct range &mdash; fire.


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== More information ==
== More information ==
 
[[File:Fw_190D_Side_Cropped.jpg|800px|thumb|left|Fw 190 D at the [https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/ National Museum of the USAF]]]
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AGdihDBCco</youtube>
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTUha-wVsq0</youtube>
<!-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PviNlOwihIw -->
<!-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PviNlOwihIw -->
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_190 Focke-Wulf Fw 190] on wikpedia.
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_190 Focke-Wulf Fw 190] on wikpedia.

Latest revision as of 03:55, 29 October 2020

FW-190-DVD-cover.jpg
Fw190 icon.png

Much like the (historically) earlier Fw 190 A-8 “Anton” model, the Dora exists in the shadow of the Bf 109, simply by not being connected to as many famous battles and campaigns. Nevertheless, it represents a significant upgrade over not just the iconic “Messerschmitt” but also over the Anton design, and came as a nasty end-of-war surprise to the allies. The timing of the introduction and the ever-increasing pressure from the allied air incursions deeper and deeper into occupied Europe meant that the older fighters had to be used until the end alongside it, and by this time, the the introduction of this high-altitude version of the 190 was not nearly enough to stem the tide.

As with the A-8 model that preceded it, the fact that the Fw 190 D-9 is an upgrade, through and through, is evident even at first glance. Not only are earlier flight (and ground) dynamic kinds gone, but the cockpit interface is modern and user-friendly in a way that even Korean-era fighters fail to achieve.

Features

The Fw 190 D-9 improves on the pilot's life by having:

  • A very user-friendly cockpit layout, including colour-coding of dials to quickly find the right read-out in a hurry, even further improved over the A-8 Anton.
  • An equally user-friendly wide stance on the ground, for good stability and steering at all speeds.
  • The MW-50 water-methanol booster system to get more emergency power out of the engine.
  • 2× 13mm machine guns and 2× 20mm cannons for making holes in things.
  • Multiple bombs and rockets to make bigger holes in bigger things (the rockets being mainly intended for bombers).
  • Only elevator trims, still.

Comes with the built-in Fw 190D-9 Challenge campaign.

Flying the Fw 190 D-9

The Fw 190 D-9 is very similar to the A-8 in how it handles, with the main difference being one of performance at higher altitudes. It has none of the snap-roll, back-flip tendencies of the 109 on take-off, and also offers easy ground handling in how the tail wheel is locked and in how the landing gear in general is set up. The wider gear arrangement makes both take-offs and landings less wobbly over all. In the air, the design focus is still one of on reliability, visibility, and manoeuvrability, like the earlier A-8 variant. It is still not exactly slow, especially since it sports the MW-50 engine boost system, but it is rather a more balanced approach than one that pushes itself into high-speed stalls and compressibility issues. In particular — since that was the one of the main design goals — it drastically improves high-altitude performance to tangle with bombers and escort fighters.

Cockpit overview

Fw 190 D-9 dashboard. Fw 190 D-9 cockpit.

Getting into the air

The user-friednliness of the Fw 190 D-9 starts… well, at the very start. To get it into the air you have to:

  • Flip open the circuit breaker panel on the right and turn everything on there.
  • Turn on oxygen, and check the fuel tanks so you haven't forgotten to fuel up.
  • Move the fuel tank selector to “AUF”.
  • Turn on the fuel pumps using the remaining CB:s on the right.
  • Flip the magneto selector to M1+M2.
  • Move throttle to “ANLASSEN” (Start/Idle).
  • Flip open the final cover on the right to reveal the starter switch, and push and hold it up for ~25s to crank up the starter flywheel.
  • Now push and hold the starter switch in the other direction to start the engine.
  • Run the engine at 2000 RPM to warm it up, while adjusting up the cowling flaps.
    (The knob is hidden behind a console lip, just above the bank of fluid dials and will require some digging around.)
  • Close the canopy and make your way to the runway — use the toe brakes to turn and pull back on the stick to lock the tail wheel to stay straight.
  • Set flaps to START position.
  • Push the throttle forward slowly to accelerate down the runway, and use rudder rather than brakes to go straight.
  • As you pick up speed, the tail will start to rise — keep it under control and the aircraft will lift itself off the ground. Do not let it do its own thing or you might tip over too far and have the propeller cosplay as a high-speed plough.
  • Gear up, flaps up, onwards and upwards!

Shooting something

Getting the Fw 190 D-9 ready for combat is a quick procedure:

  • Power up your gyro sight (a knob on the right side of the sight).
  • Dial in the wingspan of your target, per the table on the sight.
  • Use the throttle rotary to dial in the range — 600m allows for optimal convergence of the guns.
  • Flip up the Master Arm switch.
  • When the wings of the targets fit within the sight, you are at the correct range — fire.

If you brought along anti-air rockets:

  • Arm the rockets by moving the left “SICHERHEITSSCHA. GERÄT 21” switch on the weapons panel to “EIN”.
  • Aim as normal.
  • Press the weapon-release button to fire.

Links and files

More information

DCS World
Aircraft modules (full sim)

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