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83-693: RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force . It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft . It operated throughout the Second World War , winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The command continued until November 1943, when it was disbanded and the RAF fighter force was split into two categories, defence and attack. The defensive force became Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB) and

166-600: A Cold War nuclear reporting role during the 1950s. The Royal Observer Corps consisted of some 10,500 volunteers. In the aftermath of World War II, the role of Fighter Command was still to protect the UK from air attack. Only the threat had changed, from Germany to the Soviet Union . The Cold War saw the possibility of Soviet Air Forces bombers attacking the UK. A Canadian fighter wing, No. 1 Wing , arrived at RAF North Luffenham in late 1951 to bolster NATO 's strength, and

249-615: A B-17. Actually, it was still easier to kill a B-24, which was somewhat weaker in respect of fuselage strength and armament. I think we generally had the better armament and ammunition, whereas they had the better aircraft. The number of heavy bombers destroyed by the Fw ;190 is impossible to estimate. However, below is a list of the top scoring Sturmbock pilots: A total of 13,291 Fw 190 A-model aircraft were produced. A-6, A-7, and A-8 were modified for Sturmböcke bomber-destroyer operations. Tank started looking at ways to address

332-661: A different part of the UK. 11 Group took the brunt of the German attack, as it controlled southeast England and London . It was reinforced by 10 Group , which covered southwest England, 12 Group , which covered the Midlands and East Anglia , and 13 Group , which covered the North of England and Scotland. 14 Group was established on 26 June 1940. 60 Group was established to run the Chain Home radar stations in early 1940. In

415-629: A direct result of its efforts during the Battle of Britain the Observer Corps was granted the title Royal by King George VI and became a uniformed volunteer branch of the RAF from April 1941 for the remainder of its existence as the Royal Observer Corps (ROC). The corps continued as a civilian organisation but wearing a Royal Air Force uniform and administered by Fighter Command. With their headquarters at RAF Bentley Priory ,

498-454: A few as static display models, with airworthy examples usually powered by Chinese-manufactured Shvetsov ASh-82 twin-row, 14-cylinder radial powerplants, which have a displacement of 41.2 litres, close to the BMW 801's 41.8 litres, with the same engine cylinder arrangement and number of cylinders. The nearly intact wreck of an Fw 190 A-5/U3 ( Werknummer 151 227) that had crashed in a marsh in

581-762: A forest near Leningrad , Soviet Union, 1943 was located in 1989. After restoration in the US, the Fw 190 flew again (with the original BMW 801 powerplant) on 1 December 2010. Following the successful test flight, the aircraft was then trucked up to the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in Everett, Washington, where it was reassembled in April 2011 and returned to airworthy condition. At least five surviving Fw 190A radial-engined aircraft are known to have been assigned to

664-399: A further refinement to this basic concept. He suggested placing most of the airflow components on the propeller, in the form of an oversized propeller spinner whose outside diameter was the same as the engine. The cowl around the engine proper was greatly simplified, essentially a basic cylinder. Air entered through a small hole at the centre of the spinner and was directed through ductwork in

747-486: A high-altitude interceptor. From the Fw 190's inception, there had been ongoing efforts to address this with a turbosupercharged BMW 801 in the B model, the much longer-nosed C model with efforts to also turbocharge its chosen Daimler-Benz DB 603 inverted V12 powerplant, and the similarly long-nosed D model with the Junkers Jumo 213 . Problems with the turbocharger installations on the -B and -C subtypes meant only

830-494: A pair of Fw 190s on standby to supplement the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Junkers Ju 88 . The considerable performance advantage of the Fw 190 over the other two types was more than offset by the difficulties of operating at night. Few, if any, aerial successes can be attributed to these operational tests. One of the first purpose built units to use Fw 190s in this role was Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann ,

913-519: A potent "punch" from its stable gun platform, was considered ideal for anti-bomber operations. Focke-Wulf redesigned parts of the wing structure to accommodate larger armament. The Fw 190 A-6 was the first sub-variant to undergo this change. Its standard armament was increased from four MG 151 /20s to two of them with four more in two underwing cannon pods. The aircraft was designated A-6/R1 ( Rüstsatz ; or field conversion model). The first aircraft were delivered on 20 November 1943. Brief trials saw

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996-602: A potent bomber-killer. The A-7 evolved in November 1943. Two synchronized 13 mm (.51 inch) MG 131 machine guns replaced the twin cowl-mount synchronized 7.92 mm (.318 inch) MG 17 machine guns. The A-7/R variants could carry two 30 mm MK 108s as well as BR 21 rockets. This increased its potency as a Pulk-Zerstörer (Bomber Formation Destroyer). The A-8/R2 was the most numerous Sturmbock aircraft, some 900 were built by Fiesler at Kassel with 30 mm MK 108s installed in their outer wing panel mounts. While formidable bomber-killers,

1079-496: A unit specifically set up in April 1943 by Major Hajo Herrmann . Herrmann's unit used standard A-4s and A-5s borrowed from day fighter units to intercept bombers over or near the targeted city, using searchlights and other visual aids to help them find their quarry. The first use of "Window" by the RAF during the Battle of Hamburg in July 1943, rendered the standard nightfighter Himmelbett procedures useless and brought urgency to

1162-571: Is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II . Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 , the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force) of the Luftwaffe . The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled

1245-608: The Luftwaffe from interfering in the ground and sea battle, claiming 106 victories. Postwar analysis showed that the RAF lost 106 aircraft, including 88 fighters and 18 bombers; 29 fighter losses were from flak, one ran out of fuel, two collided and one was a victim of friendly fire. The actual Luftwaffe loss was 48 aircraft, 28 being bombers, half of them Dornier Do 217s from KG 2 . JG 2, lost 14 Fw 190s and eight pilots killed, JG 26 lost six Fw 190s with their pilots. Spitfire losses stood at 70 destroyed and damaged to all causes;

1328-671: The Luftwaffe into a war of attrition and keep as many German fighters in the west, particularly after the Operation Barbarossa , the German attack on the Soviet Union, began in June 1941. Large Spitfire formations were sent out with a few medium bombers to lure the German fighters into combat. The Luftwaffe left Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) and Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) in western Europe, comprising 180 fighters at most. The advantages enjoyed by Fighter Command during

1411-590: The Luftwaffe night fighters would be scrambled against RAF Bomber Command (see Operation Hydra ). In January 1945, Fighter Command included 10, 11, 12 and 13 Groups, plus 38 (Airborne Forces) Group , 60 Group , and 70 (Training) Group . 10 Group was disestablished on 2 May 1945, and 70 Group on 17 July 1945. In 1946, 60 Group was amalgamated with 26 Group to become 90 (Signals) Group and transferred to Transport Command/British Air Force of Occupation. From 1939 to 1945, RAF Fighter Command lost 3,690 killed, 1,215 wounded and 601 POW; 4,790 aircraft were lost. As

1494-607: The 1957 Defence White Paper , the Sandys review declared that manned aircraft were obsolescent and would soon become obsolete. All programmes for manned aircraft that were not too far along were cancelled. In 1961, RAF Fighter Command was assigned to NATO's air defence system. On 1 May, Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Fighter Command, Air Marshal Sir Hector McGregor, assumed the additional title of Commander United Kingdom Air Defence Region. The ADR itself stretched some hundreds of miles to

1577-675: The Air Defence of Great Britain . Fighting Area was raised to command status in 1932 and renamed Fighter Command on 1 May 1936. On 23 February 1940, No. 60 Group RAF was established within Fighter Command to control Chain Home radar detection and tracking units. During the late 1930s Fighter Command expanded greatly and replaced its obsolete biplane squadrons – generally outfitted with Bristol Bulldog , Gloster Gauntlet and Hawker Fury biplane fighters leading up to, and through

1660-636: The United States Armed Forces . Historically, a Major Command is the highest level of command. Within the United States Army , the acronym MACOM is used for Major Command. Within the United States Air Force , the acronym MAJCOM is used. There are several types of Major Commands in the United States Armed Forces : Focke-Wulf Fw 190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 , nicknamed Würger ( Shrike )

1743-511: The 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 for engine supplies. After the war, Tank denied a rumour that he had to "fight a battle" with the Ministry to convince them of the radial engine's merits. At the time, the use of radial engines in land-based fighters was relatively rare in Europe, as it was believed that their large frontal area would cause too much drag on something as small as a fighter. Tank

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1826-447: The 1960s dawned, the RAF continued to shrink. The three functional commands, Fighter Command, Bomber Command , and Coastal Command , had all been formed in 1936 to help reorganise an expanding RAF. It was now becoming clear that the RAF was becoming too small to justify their continued existence as separate entities. Consequently, in 1968, Fighter Command and Bomber Command were amalgamated to form Strike Command , and became groups within

1909-663: The Ar 80. The He 112 and Bf 109 were generally similar in design but the 109's lightweight construction gave it a performance edge the 112 was never able to match. On March 12, 1936, the 109 was declared the winner. Even before the Bf ;109 had entered squadron service, in autumn 1937 the RLM sent out a new tender asking various designers for a new fighter to fight alongside the Bf 109, as Walter Günther had done with Heinkel's follow-on to

1992-553: The BMW 801 14-cylinder radial over the more troublesome BMW 139 also brought with it a BMW-designed cowling "system" which integrated the radiator used to cool the motor oil. An annular, ring-shaped oil cooler core was built into the BMW-provided forward cowl, just behind the fan. The outer portion of the oil cooler's core was in contact with the main cowling's sheet metal. Comprising the BMW-designed forward cowl, in front of

2075-403: The BMW 801 engine to increase performance at high altitude. For protection, 30 millimetres (1.2 in) of armoured glass was added to the canopy. The A-6/R6 was fitted with twin heavy calibre Werfer-Granate 21 (BR 21) unguided, air-to-air rockets, fired from single underwing tubular launchers (one per wing panel). The increased modifications, in particular heavy firepower, made the Fw 190

2158-536: The Battle of Britain were reversed, the short range of the Spitfire becoming a tactical disadvantage and British pilots became prisoners of war if shot down. Fighter Command claimed 711 Luftwaffe fighters shot down but only 236 were lost from all causes, 103 in combat, for a loss of 400 RAF fighters. As 1941 ended, the appearance of the new Focke-Wulf Fw 190 , considerably superior to the Spitfire Mk V , put

2241-401: The Bf 109, the Fw 190 featured a fairly small wing planform with relatively high wing loading . This presents a trade-off in performance. An aircraft with a smaller wing suffers less drag under most flight conditions and therefore flies faster and may have better range. However, it also means the aircraft has a higher stalling speed making it less maneuverable, and also reduces performance in

2324-542: The Bf 109 and Fw 190 were not adequate for bomber-destroyer operations. The B-17's eventual deployment in combat box formations provided formidable massed firepower from a hundred or more Browning AN/M2 .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns. In addition, the Luftwaffe ' s original solution of Zerstörer twin-engine Messerschmitt Bf 110G bomber destroyers , while effective against unescorted Allied bomber formations, lacked maneuverability and were eviscerated by

2407-649: The British fighters at a worse disadvantage. The Blitz of 1940 continued against civilian and industrial targets. Fighter Command night defences improved considerably in the new year; the Bristol Beaufighter supplanted the Bristol Blenheim as the principal night fighter , equipped with improved aircraft interception radar , and became increasingly effective in ground-controlled interception (GCI). The difficult task of slowly grinding down

2490-632: The D model entered service in September 1944. These high-altitude developments eventually led to the Focke-Wulf Ta 152 , which was capable of extreme speeds at medium to high altitudes (755 km/h [408 kn; 469 mph] at 13,500 m [44,300 ft]). While these "long nose" 190 variants and the Ta 152 derivative especially gave the Germans parity with Allied opponents, they arrived too late to affect the outcome of

2573-419: The Fw 190 suffered fewer ground accidents than the Bf 109. (The Bf 109's narrow-track, outwards-retracting landing gear hinged on its wing root structure to help lower weight, but this led to inherent weakness and many failures and ground loops. ) The Fw 190's retractable tail gear used a cable, anchored to the "elbow" at the midpoint of the starboard maingear's transverse retraction arms, which ran aftwards within

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2656-535: The Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter , fighter-bomber , ground-attack aircraft and to a lesser degree, night fighter . The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941 and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Spitfire Mk. V , the main front-line fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF), particularly at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained its superiority over Allied fighters until

2739-403: The Fw 190 used a canopy with a frame that ran around the perimeter, with only a short, centerline seam along the top, running rearward from the radio antenna fitting where the three-panel windscreen and the forward edge of the canopy met, just in front of the pilot. From mid-1943, Fw 190s were also used as night fighters against the growing RAF Bomber Command offensive. In mid-1943, one of

2822-509: The Fw 190, in this version, was the best aircraft used in the formation against the Viermots . Richard Franz commented: When we made our attack, we approached from slightly above, then dived, opening fire with 13mm and 20mm guns to knock out the rear gunner and then, at about 150 metres, we tried to engage with the MK 108 30mm cannon, which was a formidable weapon. It could cut the wing off

2905-616: The Germans continued into 1942 and 1943. Squadrons also found themselves on tiring defensive patrols as small formations of Fw 190s flew 'hit and run' nuisance raids along the south coast and the Hawker Typhoon came into squadron service. On 19 August, during the Dieppe Raid , the RAF had an opportunity to engage large numbers of Luftwaffe aircraft. The Spitfire squadrons (42 with Mark Vs, and four with Mark IXs) flew ground-attack, escort and air-superiority sorties and prevented

2988-651: The Luftwaffe's JG 5 wing in Herdla, Norway. More German fighter aircraft on display in museums in the 21st century have originated from this unit than from any other Axis Powers' military aviation unit of World War II. The Turkish Air Force retired all of its Fw 190A-3 fleet at the end of 1947 mostly because of a lack of spare parts. It is rumored that American-Turkish bilateral agreements required retiring and scrapping of all German-origin aircraft, although that requirement did not exist for any other country. According to

3071-456: The ROC remained administered by Fighter Command until 31 March 1968, when responsibility was handed over to the newly formed RAF Strike Command . The ROC was a defence warning organisation operating in the UK between 1925 and 31 December 1995, when it was stood down. Initially established for an aircraft recognition and reporting role that lasted through both world wars, the organisation switched to

3154-513: The USAAF's fighter escorts in late 1943 and early 1944. Two of the former Wilde Sau single-engined night fighter wings were reconstituted for their use, such as Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing) and JG 301 . These units consisted of Sturmböcke . However, JG 3 also had a special gruppe (group) of Sturmböcke. The Fw 190, designed as a rugged interceptor capable of withstanding considerable combat damage and delivering

3237-690: The Western Front in August 1941, where it proved superior to the Mk V Spitfire. The Spitfire's main advantage over the Fw 190, and the Bf 109 as well, was its superior turn radius. Beyond that, the Fw 190 outperformed the Spitfire Mk. V in most areas, such as roll rate, speed, acceleration, and dive performance. The addition of the Fw 190 to the Jagdwaffe allowed the Germans to fight off RAF attacks and achieve local air superiority over German skies until

3320-481: The air-cooled, 14-cylinder BMW 139 radial engine that the Ministry of Aviation's interest was aroused. As this design used a radial engine, it would not compete with the inline-powered Bf 109 for engines, when there were already too few Daimler-Benz DB 601s to go around. This was not the case for competing designs like the Heinkel He 100 or twin-engined Focke-Wulf Fw 187 , where production would compete with

3403-406: The aircraft's trim at varying speeds, thus reducing the pilot's workload. They were so successful in this regard that they found in-flight-adjustable aileron and rudder trim tabs were not necessary. Small, fixed tabs were fitted to control surfaces and adjusted for proper balance during initial test flights. Only the elevator trim needed to be adjusted in flight (a feature common to all aircraft). This

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3486-405: The altitude performance problem early in the program. In 1941, he proposed a number of versions featuring new powerplants, and he suggested using turbochargers in place of superchargers. Three such installations were outlined The Fw 190 participated on every major combat front where the Luftwaffe operated after 1941, and did so with success in a variety of roles. The Fw 190 first tasted combat on

3569-636: The armour and substantial up-gunning with heavier calibre firepower meant the Fw 190 was now cumbersome to maneuver. Vulnerable to Allied fighters, they had to be escorted by Bf 109s. When the Sturmgruppe was able to work as intended, the effects were devastating. With their engines and cockpits heavily armored, the Fw 190 As attacked from astern and gun camera films show that these attacks were often pressed to within 100 yds (90 m). Willy Unger of 11.( Sturm )/JG 3 (11 Staffel (Squadron) of Sturmgruppe (Storm group) JG 3) made

3652-521: The best fighter planes of World War II. Between 1934 and 1935 the German Ministry of Aviation (RLM) ran a contest to produce a modern fighter for the rearming Luftwaffe. Kurt Tank entered the parasol-winged Fw 159 into the contest, against the Arado Ar 80 , Heinkel He 112 and Messerschmitt Bf 109. The Fw 159 was hopelessly outclassed and was soon eliminated from the competition along with

3735-454: The cavalry and in the infantry. I had seen the harsh conditions under which military equipment had to work in wartime. I felt sure that a quite different breed of fighter would also have a place in any future conflict: one that could operate from ill-prepared front-line airfields; one that could be flown and maintained by men who had received only short training; and one that could absorb a reasonable amount of battle damage and still get back. This

3818-578: The command's Spitfires performed a key role in protecting the increasing numbers of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators operating over Occupied Europe. The Spitfire's chronic lack of operational range – not unlike the Bf 109E's dilemma during the Battle of Britain – meant such protection was limited to the Channel and the European coast. The Spitfire had a range of only 479 miles (771 km). In February 1944, Fighter Command

3901-439: The complex, failure-prone fuselage-mounted main gear legs of the earlier Fw 159, one of the main features of the Fw 190 was its wide-tracked, inwards-retracting landing gear. They were designed to withstand a sink rate of 4.5 metres per second (15 ft/s; 890 ft/min), double the strength factor usually required. Hydraulic wheel brakes were used. The wide-track undercarriage produced better ground handling characteristics, and

3984-441: The development of Herrmann's Wilde Sau ("Wild Boar") technique, pending the development of new nightfighting strategies. Instead of restricting the Fw 190s to ground control interception protocols, the Fw 190s were given a free hand to over-fly bombed areas to see if they could locate bombers using the ground fires below. These tactics became an integral part of the nightfighter operations until May 1944. St/V Herrmann

4067-681: The earliest participants in the single-engine, ground controlled, night-fighting experiments was the Nachtjagdkommando Fw ;190 (Night Fighter Command Fw 190), operated by IV. Gruppe (4 Group), Jagdgeschwader 3 , (Fighter Wing 3, or JG 3). The main Nachtgeschwader (Night Fighter Wings) were keen to adopt a new fighter type as their twin-engine fighters were too slow for combat against increasing numbers of de Havilland Mosquito night fighters and bombers. Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1) and NJG 3 kept

4150-496: The end, the Germans failed to attain air superiority, although the RAF had been eating severely into its reserves during the battle, as had the Luftwaffe. By May 1941, the squadrons based at all the main fighter airfields operated in wings, under the tactical control of the new post of wing leader , a survivor of 1940 with the rank of wing commander . Fighter Command began a campaign to gain air superiority over northwestern France. Short-penetration fighter operations were used to draw

4233-405: The engine. The second was to warm the air before it flowed to the radiator to aid in warming the oil during starting. Finally, by placing the radiator behind the fan, cooling was provided even while the aircraft was parked. The disadvantage to this design was that the radiator was in an extremely vulnerable location, and the metal ring was increasingly armoured as the war progressed. In contrast to

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4316-440: The following comments: Advantages; wide undercarriage, large twin-row radial engine which protected the pilot from the front, electric starter motor and electric trim system. Disadvantages; there was a danger of turning over when braking hard on soft or sandy ground. In combat against enemy fighters, more awkward because of the heavy armour plating. Strong at low altitude, inferior to the Bf 109 at higher altitude. In my opinion

4399-485: The front face of the engine open to the air, causing considerable drag . During the late 1920s, NACA led the development of a dramatic improvement by placing an airfoil -shaped ring around the outside of the cylinder heads (the NACA cowling ). The shaping accelerated the air as it entered the front of the cowl, increasing the total airflow, and allowing the opening in front of the engine to be made smaller. Tank introduced

4482-410: The front of the engine forward across the oil cooler core to provide cooling for the 801's motor oil. The rate of cooling airflow over the core could be controlled by moving the metal ring to open or close the gap. The reasons for this complex system were threefold. One was to reduce any extra aerodynamic drag of the oil radiator, in this case largely eliminating it by placing it within the same cowling as

4565-407: The fuselage to the vertical fin to operate the tailwheel retraction function. The tailwheel's retraction mechanical design possessed a set of pulleys to guide the aforementioned cable to the top of the tailwheel's oleo strut , pulling it upwards along a diagonal track within the fin, into the lower fuselage; this mechanism was accessible through a prominently visible triangular-shaped hinged panel, on

4648-502: The introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk. IX . In November/December 1942, the Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front , finding much success in fighter wings and specialised ground attack units ( Schlachtgeschwader – Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943. The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m [20,000 ft] and above), which reduced its effectiveness as

4731-476: The left side in the fin's side sheetmetal covering. On some versions of the Fw 190 an extended tailwheel oleo strut could be fitted for larger-sized loads (such as bombs or even a torpedo) beneath the fuselage. Most aircraft of the era used cables and pulleys to operate their controls. The cables tended to stretch, resulting in the sensations of "give" and "play" that made the controls less crisp and responsive, and required constant maintenance to correct. For

4814-505: The meagre German air opposition and supported ground forces by strafing German positions and transport. Later that year, the final test of ADGB (renamed Fighter Command in October 1944) in the war occurred against the V-1 flying bomb during Operation Crossbow . RAF fighters also flew long-range night intruder operations against German airfields and aircraft (e.g. at take-off/landing) at the time

4897-574: The new command. Coastal Command was disbanded and subsumed into Strike Command in November 1969. Command (military formation) The relevant definition of "command" according to the United States Department of Defense is as follows: (DOD) 3. A unit or units, an organization, or an area under the command of one individual. Also called CMD. See also area command; combatant command ; combatant command (command authority). Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of

4980-476: The new design, the team replaced the cables with rigid pushrods and bearings to eliminate this problem. Another innovation was making the controls as light as possible. The maximum resistance of the ailerons was limited to 3.5 kg (8 lb), as the average man's wrist could not exert a greater force. The empennage (tail assembly) featured relatively small and well-balanced horizontal and vertical surfaces. The design team also attempted to minimize changes in

5063-629: The north, west and south of the country and almost to the continental coastline in the east. In organisational terms, Nos 11 (14 July 1936 – 31 December 1960, 1 January 1961 - 1 April 1963) and 12 Groups (1 April 1937 – 31 March 1963) continued in almost unbroken service until 1963. No.13 Group (15 March 1939 – 20 May 1946) was reformed on 16 May 1955 and then disbanded 31 December 1961 at RAF Ouston (becoming 11 Group). From 1 April 1963 three sectors, No. 11 Sector RAF ; No. 12 Sector RAF ; and No. 13 Sector RAF were maintained. 13 Sector disbanded by amalgamation with No. 11 Sector on 17 March 1965. As

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5146-699: The number lost to Fw 190s is unknown. The Luftwaffe claimed 61 of the 106 RAF machines lost, which included all types, JG 2 claiming 40 and JG 26 claiming 21. In 1942 Fighter Command claimed 560 victories against a true loss of 272 German fighters from all causes, for 574 RAF day fighters destroyed. By the autumn of 1942, the arrival of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 8th Air Force and its daylight bombers added bomber escort to Fighter Command's tasks. Until American Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter groups were operational in May 1943,

5229-556: The offensive force became the RAF Second Tactical Air Force . ADGB was renamed Fighter Command in October 1944 and continued to provide defensive patrols around Britain. It was disbanded for the second time in 1968, when it was subsumed by the new Strike Command . On 20 May 1926, the forerunner of Fighter Command was established as a group within Inland Area . On 1 June, Fighting Area was transferred to

5312-409: The oil cooler was a ring of metal with a C-shaped cross-section, with the outer lip lying just outside the rim of the cowl, and the inner side on the inside of the oil cooler core. Together, the metal ring and cowling formed an S-shaped duct with the oil cooler's core contained between them. Airflow past the gap between the cowl and outer lip of the metal ring produced a vacuum effect that pulled air from

5395-700: The period of its founding – with the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire . Fighter Command was tested during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 when the German Luftwaffe launched an offensive aimed at attaining air superiority over the Channel and the UK as a prerequisite to the launch of a seaborne invasion force (codenamed Operation Sea Lion ). Fighter Command was divided into several groups, each defending

5478-677: The radial-engined Fw 190s was AGO Flugzeugwerke , which from 1941 through to the end of the war produced enough Fw 190s to earn it major attention from the USAAF , with the AGO plant in Oschersleben being attacked at least five times during the war from 1943 onwards. Some 28 original Fw 190s are in museums or in the hands of private collectors around the world. In 1997 a German company, Flug Werk GmbH, began manufacturing new Fw 190 models as reproductions. By 2012, 20 had been produced, most flyable,

5561-420: The spinner so it was blowing rearward along the cylinder heads. To provide enough airflow, an internal cone was placed in the centre of the hole, over the propeller hub, which was intended to compress the airflow and allow a smaller opening to be used. In theory, the tight-fitting cowling also provided some thrust due to the compression and heating of air as it flowed through the cowling. The eventual choice of

5644-548: The summer of 1942, when the improved Spitfire Mk. IX was introduced. In June 1942, Oberleutnant Armin Faber of JG 2 landed his Fw 190 A-3 at a British airfield, allowing the RAF to test the Mk. IX against the 190 and learn tactics to counter it. A 0.40 km (99-acre) Focke-Wulf plant east of Marienburg was bombed by the Eighth Air Force on 9 October 1944. In addition, one of the most important sub-contractors for

5727-458: The thinner air at higher altitudes. The wings spanned 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) and had an area of 15 m (160 sq ft). The wing was designed using the NACA 23015.3 airfoil at the root and the NACA 23009 airfoil at the tip. Earlier aircraft designs generally featured canopies consisting of small plates of perspex (also known as Plexiglas) in a metal "greenhouse" framework, with

5810-539: The top of the canopy even with the rear fuselage; this was true of the IJNAS Mitsubishi A6M Zero , whose otherwise "all-around view" canopy was still heavily framed. This design considerably limited visibility, especially to the rear. The introduction of vacuum forming , led to the creation of the " bubble canopy " which was largely self-supporting, and could be mounted over the cockpit, offering greatly improved all-round visibility. Tank's design for

5893-602: The twin cannon replaced by the MK 108 30mm autocannon in the outer wing, which then became the A-6/R2. The cannons were blowback-operated, had electric ignition, and were belt fed. The 30mm MK 108 was simple to make and its construction was economical; the majority of its components consisted of just pressed sheet metal stampings. In the A-6/R4, the GM-1 ( nitrous oxide ) Boost was added for

5976-399: The undercarriage was operated by push buttons controlling electric motors in the wings, and was kept in position by electric up and down-locks. The armament was also loaded and fired electrically. Tank believed that service use would prove that electrically powered systems were more reliable and more rugged than hydraulics, electric lines being much less prone to damage from enemy fire. Like

6059-404: The unsuccessful He 100 and He 112. Although the Bf 109 was an extremely competitive fighter, the Ministry was worried that future foreign designs might outclass it, and wanted to have new aircraft under development to meet these possible challenges. Tank responded with a number of designs, most powered by a liquid-cooled inline engine. However, it was not until a design was presented using

6142-407: The war. The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces claimed many of their kills while flying it, including Otto Kittel , Walter Nowotny and Erich Rudorffer . The Fw 190 had greater firepower than the Bf 109 and, at low to medium altitude, superior manoeuvrability, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters. It was regarded as one of

6225-479: The world at the time we began work on the Fw 190, could both be summed up as a very large engine on the front of the smallest possible airframe; in each case armament had been added almost as an afterthought. These designs, both of which admittedly proved successful, could be likened to racehorses: given the right amount of pampering and easy course, they could outrun anything. But the moment the going became tough they were liable to falter. During World War I, I served in

6308-401: Was Nachtjagdgruppe 10 ( NJGr 10 ), which used Fw 190 A-4/R11s through to A-8/R11s; Fw 190s modified to carry FuG ( Funkgerät ) 217 or FuG 218 radar mid-VHF band equipment. The appearance of United States Army Air Forces heavy bombers caused a problem for the German fighter force. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in particular was especially durable, and the armament of

6391-412: Was accomplished by tilting the entire horizontal tailplane with an electric motor, with an angle of incidence ranging from −3° to +5°. Another aspect of the new design was the extensive use of electrically powered equipment instead of the hydraulic systems used by most aircraft manufacturers of the time. On the first two prototypes, the main landing gear was hydraulic. Starting with the third prototype,

6474-688: Was expanded to become Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300, or Fighter Wing 300), JG 301 and JG 302. All three units initially continued borrowing their aircraft from day fighter units. The day fighter units began to protest at the numbers of their aircraft which were being written off because of the hazards of night operations; the numbers soared with the onset of winter, with pilots often being forced to bail-out through being unable to find an airfield at which to land safely. Crash landings were also frequent. Eventually all three Wilde Sau units received their own aircraft, which were often modified with exhaust dampers and blind-flying radio equipment. Another unit

6557-587: Was in a position to assist Fighter Command until it relocated to bases in France and West Germany in 1954–55. After 1949, those Soviet bombers could be carrying nuclear weapons, and so intercepting them was crucial if the UK was to be saved during a war. A long succession of fighter aircraft saw service with Fighter Command during the 1950s and 1960s, including the Gloster Meteor , Hawker Hunter , Gloster Javelin and English Electric Lightning . The Lightning

6640-481: Was not convinced of this, having witnessed the successful use of radial engines by the U.S. Navy , and felt a properly streamlined installation would eliminate this problem. As to the rest of the design philosophy, Tank wanted something more than an aircraft built only for speed. He outlined the reasoning: The Messerschmitt 109 [ sic ] and the British Spitfire, the two fastest fighters in

6723-528: Was split into the Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB), the former name of Fighter Command, to defend Britain, and the Second Tactical Air Force , to support ground forces after the invasion of Europe. On 15 July, No. 14 Group RAF (established 26 June 1940) was disestablished. In 1944 ADGB made the greatest effort in its history during Operation Overlord , the invasion of France which began on 6 June. RAF and Allied fighter units suppressed

6806-464: Was the background thinking behind the Focke-Wulf 190; it was not to be a racehorse but a Dienstpferd , a cavalry horse. The hottest points on any air-cooled engine are the cylinder heads, located around the circumference of a radial engine. In order to provide sufficient air to cool the engine, airflow had to be maximized at this outer edge. This was normally accomplished by leaving the majority of

6889-588: Was the only purely British supersonic aircraft to enter service, owing to a defence review in 1957. During the mid-1950s, the performance of the new surface-to-air missiles was improving quickly. Duncan Sandys , the Minister of Defence at the time, needed to find cuts in the British defence budget since the UK was in serious danger of being bankrupted by its defence spending. The rate of improvement of surface-to-air missiles seemed to indicate that they would soon be able to shoot down any manned aircraft. Consequently, in

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