Editorsnote:

The Design Analysis article was originally

published in the October, 1944 issue, Volume 43,
number 10, and the Gear Retracting Unit was in the
March,1945issue,Volume44,Number3,of Aviation
magazine, published by McGrawHill Publishing
Company of New York, NY, USA. Supplemental
illustrationsarefromthe1942volume.
Thisreconstructionisderivedfrommicrofilm.The
source is University Microfilms International,
Publication No. 364 (Aviation Week and Space
Technology),ReelNo.18(January1942 December
1942),ReelNo.20(January1944December1944)
andReelNo.21(January1945December1945).The
sourcewasfromtightlyboundvolumes,sothatthereis
some distortion of the images, especially near the
binding. It has not been practical to remove or
compensate for all the distortions, so none of the
illustrationsinthisreconstructionshouldbeconsidered
reliablesourcesastofinedetailsofshape,proportionor
spatial relationship. The distortions are, in general,
small, and should not detract from a general
appreciationofarrangementandrelationship.
The editor has attempted to represent the original
layout of the article, but there are some exceptions.
Limitationsinthecompositingtoolscauseadifference
inthetextflowrelativetotheillustrations,comparedto
theoriginal,sothatsomechangeshavebeenmade,to
compensatepartiallyforthateffect.Tabularinformation
hasbeenconsolidatedattheendofthearticle,andan

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

enlargedcopyofthecockpitinstrumentpanellayouthas
beenaddedattheendofthearticle.
TheDesignAnalysisarticlewasoneina series of
design analyses published in Aviation during the war
years, between May 1943 and November 1945. The
subjects were the Bell P39 Airacobra, Curtis C46
Commando, Fleetwing BT12, Douglas A20 Havoc,
Bristol Beaufighter (British), deHavilland Mosquito
(British),NorthAmericanP51 Mustang,LockheedP
38 Lightning, FockeWulf FW190(capturedGerman),
Boeing B17 Flying Fortress, North American B25
Mitchell (specifically, the B25H and B25J models),
Mitsubishi Zeke 32 Hamp (captured Japanese),
Consolidated Vultee B24 Liberator, Fairchild C82
Packet,andMesserschmittMe262(capturedGerman),
withonearticledealingspecificallywiththeMe262's
Jumo 004 jet engine. Some of the analyses were
authoredbyseniormembersofthedesignteamsatthe
original manufacturers, while others were written by
staffeditorsofAviationmagazine.
The original articles were copyright to their
respective sources: the employers of the authors,
followinggeneralpracticeofthetime.
This reconstruction is compilation copyright JL
McClellan,2005.

Copyright 2005

p 1 of 36

DESIGN ANALYSIS NO. 9

THE FOCKE-WULF 190

By JOHN FOSTER, Jr., Managing Editor, Aviation, and
CHESTER S. RICKER,

Detroit Editor, Aviation, who also drew the field sketches.

Here is the most comprehensive engineering report ever published

on the Luftwaffe's top-ranking fighter, revealing for the first time
many structural features and Nazi design theories. Presented with
AVIATION'S inimitable wealth of detail and on-the-spot sketches.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 2 of 36

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The editors of Aviation are deeply grateful to Brig. Gen. K. B. Wolfe, Commanding
General of the Army Air Forces Materiel Command and members of his staff for
assistance in preparation of this article.
For unstinting cooperation and help, special thanks to: Major D. L. Hancock, Lt. J. E.
Arnoult and Mr. M Llacera of the Technical Data Laboratory; Capt. Howard M. Spickler,
chief, and Lts. Joseph Becker, W.H. Wilson and A. J. Shank of the Captured Equipment
Unit, AC/AS, Int. W.D.C. And Lt.Col. G. R. Johnston, Chief, Public Relations Section and
Mr. D. P. Kelly.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

ERMANY'S FOCKEWULF 190

presents an apparently
strange combination of
simple, yet sturdy, construction,
paralleled by highly complex
components. Analysis of the craft
reveals, however, that is has been
designed forthepilotandthefield
maintenance man. What often
appears initially to be an
unnecessarily complex small unit
turnsouttobeawelldesigned,self
contained, and quickly removable
component.
Underlying theory of the entire
designappearstobetoreducefield
maintenancetimetoaminimum,as
though the plane had been created
withtheideathatit'squickertoget
partsofftheplanereplacedthanto
repairthepartsthemselves.
Then,too,thedesignissuchthat
the craft can be built through
widespreaduseofsubcontractingor
dispersal plants. The fuselage, for
example,iscomprisedoftwomajor
components, the fore section
extendingfromthefirewall,orwhat
theGermanscallbulkheadNo,1,to
bulkheadNo.8aftofthepilot'sseat,
and the aft section extending from
bulkhead8totheempennage.
The fore fuselage section is the
heartoftheplaneandis,ineffect,a
doubledeckboxtypestructure,with
thetopsectionmakingupthepilot's
cockpit and the lower section
servingasthefueltankbays.
Thefirewall,orNo,1bulkhead,is
builtup oflight sheet steel backed
by sheet aluminum alloy rivetedto
builtupflangesextendingfromthe
twotopforgedenginemountfittings
downtoforgedfittingswhich serve
as attaching points for both lower
side engine mounts and the front
wingspar.
Longeronsrunaftfromthesefour
pointstoNo.8bulkhead,wherethey
aresplicedtolighteronesintheaft
section.Toplongeronsare13/4in.
wideUsectionsmadeupof3/16in.
thick aluminum alloy and serve as
tracksin which thecockpit canopy
travels. Onehatshapedstringeron
eachside,101/2 in.below thetop
longerons, make up the only
horizontal stiffeners in the top part
of the fuselage. Aluminum alloy
sheet,rivetedtothelowerlongerons,
formsthecockpitfloor,separatingit
fromthefueltankbays.
Bulkheads in the upper fore
fuselage section are not uniformly

p 3 of 36

spaced,noraretheyallofthesame
construction.No,2,ofconventional
stampedflangedconstruction,is12
1/2in.aftofNo.1;No.3some6
5/8in.fartheraftisdirectlybeneath
the front windshield base. No. 4,
alsoofconventionalconstruction,is
105/8in.fartheraft.No,5,directly
under the rear end of the fixed
windshieldandabove the rear spar
fitting, is angle shaped against the
skin, and extends above the floor
onlytothestringer.Itisbracedbya
3/4in. tubular section flattened at
eachendforrivetingtothebulkhead
and cockpit floor. No. 6 is an A
framestructure,thebase of thefore
partbeing12in.aftofthe No.1 5
bulkhead, thetop181/2in.farther
aft. The sloping fore part is a
channelsectioninwhichthepilot's
adjustable seat is supported. The
verticalmember,set5in.aftofthe
top,isconventionalstamped,flanged
construction,rivetedtotheforepart
at the top by a web plate of
aluminum alloy. No. 7 is
conventionalconstruction,set12in.
aftoftherearpartofNo.6,andNo.
8 is a builtup stamped flanged
memberextendingthefulldepthof
thefuselage,and forms the joining
point of fore and aft fuselage
sections.
The lower fore fuselage, or fuel

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Fore and aft sections of fuselage. Fore section, which is heart of plane,
extends from firewall aft to bulkhead No. 8, which is shown in detail A.
This section is divided into upper and lower sections, separated by
cockpit floor, which is indicated by dotted lines 1. Lower section
contains fuel tank bays which are covered by single skin panel 2. This
is quickly detachable by loosening nine screws along each side and five
in each end. Rear spar fuselage attachment fitting is shown at 3.

Details of fore fuselage section between firewall-bulkhead No. 1 and bulkhead No.8,
with top longerons cut away. This detail shows how bulkheads are unevenly spaced
and vary in construction. Forged rear spar attachment fitting, shown in detail drawing,
is attached to build-up web tie-through member, which also serves to separate two fuel
tanks

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p 4 of 36

Cut-away view of aft fuselage section, from point where it is attached to

fore section by double row rivets, aft to bulkhead No. 14, where empennage
is bolted to it. Bulkheads 9 and 10 are built up in three sections, riveted
together. Tops of bottom sections are flat to accommodate camera
installations. Fabric panel in set in No. 12 to prevent dust from seeping
forward into fuselage. Tube mounted in No. 13 provides for lifting bar.

FW-190 fuselage with cockpit canopy,

fairings and doors in place. Waffle type
construction, in which two skins are riveted
together by one rivet in each dimple, brings
cowling weight to about 1.75 lb. per sq. ft.
(compared with 1.25 for American and
British cowling's), but reflect German design
philosophy of keeping fairings attached and
in place for hurried locking. Fairings hinged
at bottom of engine mount, giving access to
accessory compartment, serve as work
stands. Top fairing, seen folded back over
windshield, covers two 7.9-mm. Machine
guns firing through propeller arc; those just
aft of engine-mount cowlings give access to
inboard gun ammunition boxes. Door in aft
fuselage gives access to radio, camera, and
compass.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

baysection,hasbutsixbulkheads. No. 1 forms the front end, being

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p 5 of 36

Field sketch showing details of heavy toggle latches which hold cowling
and fairing in place. They are strong enough to spring fairing into place
even if it is distorted. Tension adjustment, with small flat bar lock, is
shown at left. Center sketch shows toggle in closed position, and slot in
mating piece is at right. Sketches at upper right reveal details of lock.
Locking plate has two depth slots, so center indicator pin sticks up when
latch is unlocked; it is flush when locked.

rightaftofthefrontwingspar.No.
2,whichisinrealityacontourrib,is
10 in. aft and is a continuation of
No. 3 from the upper section.
LowerNo.3,set578in.fartheraft,
is also a contour rib and joins the
longeron between Nos. 3 and 4 of
theuppersection.No,4,ofbuiltup
webconstruction,isthetiethrough
member between rear spar fittings,
andseparatesthetwofueltankbays.
No.5issetbelowtheforepartofthe
AframeNo.6oftheuppersection
and,likelowerNo.6,whichisset
11in.aft,iscontourribtype.
Onebellyskinpanel,attachedto
longitudinal and transverse angle
shapedstiffeners,isattachedtothe
lower fuselage section by nine
screwsalongeachsideandfiveon
eachend,thusgivingquickaccessto
the two self sealing fuel tanks,
which are suspended from the
contourribbulkheadsbyheavyweb
straps.
On the upper fore fuselage
section, immediately aft of the top
engine mount fittings, the fuselage
structure is flat, forming a shelf to
whichareboltedmountsforthetwin
7.9 mm. machine guns that fire
throughthepropeller. Backofthis
gun mount shelf the fuselage sides
extend uptoformthe base for the
windshield,thefrontpanelofwhich
is13/4in.bulletproofglass.
Atthebaseofthisfrontpanelis
hingedthefairingtocovertheguns

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Heavy toggles are also used on engine cowling, this sketch showing
them at top. Piano-type hinges, with eye for easy removal and
inspection, are used at bottom.

Three adjustable air outlet flaps, mounted in doors hinged at bottom, are set on each
side of engine cowling. To operate them, a screw-and-nut mechanism is attached to
forward side of firewall and is connected to each side door by tubes. Latter are
connected to linkage on doors by levers and bell cranks so arranged that they do not
have to be removed or adjusted when doors are opened..

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p 6 of 36

DIAGRAMMATIC COCKPIT LAYOUT

justmentioned. Thisfairing,which
hingesupandbackforaccesstothe
guns, is of waffle type
construction, with the two skins
beingfastenedtogetherbyonerivet

ineach inner skin dimple. Three

heavy locking toggle switches
typical of those installed
throughouttheplaneareusedon
each side to hold the fairing in

Cockpit canopy details, showing method of fastening plastic glass

to tubular frame. Entire canopy slides on ball bearing rollers in
tracks formed by upper fore fuselage longerons and in track
formed by upper aft fuselage longerons. Canopy can be operated

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

place.
Suchheavycowlingandeasily
removablehingestokeepitinplace
naturally adds what seems
unnecessaryweight. Itis,however,
inkeepingwiththeapparentdesign
theory;thecowlingisalwaysonthe
craftreadyforlockingandaquick
takeoff.Itisheavyenoughtostand
hard wear, in fact, the side panels
swinging downward around the
engine mount are used as work
platforms.Too,incasethecowling
isbentabit,thetogglesaresturdy
enoughtopullitintoplaceforquick
locking.
CowlingontheFW190averages
about1.75lb.persq.ft.,compared
with1.25forBritishandAmerican
craft,buttheGerman'spersistentuse
ofthetypeindicatestheirbeliefthe
beatings it can take and the speed
withwhichitcanbelockedinplace
makeitworththeaddedweight.
The cockpitcoveranditsfairing
arebuiltasanintegralunit.Baseof
the structure is a 5/8in. tubular
member bentinto an inverted U at
the fronttofit into thewindshield.
The plastic glass of the cover is
mountedbetweentwostripsofbuna
and a flat aluminum strip, held by
screwsdrivenintoselflockingnuts
inthetube.Attherearoftheplastic
glass a stamped, flanged aluminum
Aframesetsbetweenthetubeframe
ends, and is riveted to aluminum
alloy fairing mounted on a 3/4in.
tube extending aft. The whole
structureridesonthreeballbearing
rollers;oneoneachsideatthefront
oftheplasticglasssectioninthetop
fuselagelongerons,andoneattached
to the tube, running in a channel
section (which serves as top

only from inside cockpit, by crank on right side attached to

sprocket engaging pin ratchet (seen at left above) attached to front
end of tubular frame. Note silhouette armor plate mounted in
canopy frame; it slides forward to just behind pilot's head.

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p 7 of 36

longeron) set in the fuselage turtle

deck.
Thecockpitcovercanbeoperated
onlyfrominsidebyacrankattached
to a sprocket which engages a pin
ratchetattachedtothefrontendof
thetubularframe. Emergency exit
canbeeffectedbypushingdownon
a small handle located near the
crank.Thisdisengagesthesprocket
and then, through a series of rods
andshafts, releasesa latch holding
thefiringpin.Acartridgeexplodes
andblowstherearendofthecanopy
backwardfarenoughtolettheslip
stream get under and pull it away.
The explosive charge about the
sizeofa12gageshotgunshellis
locatedaftofasilhouetteof1/4in.
armorplatebackofthepilot'shead.
Thisarmorisattachedtothecockpit
cover tubular member by links
attached to studs welded to the
armorplate.
Aninterestingangleofthecockpit
coverisitsconnectionwiththeradio
antenna, which leads in from the
verticalfintoandoverapulleyset
in the plastic glass just behind the
armorplate,thenoveranotherpulley
setintheaftendofthecoverfairing,
then forward again to an insulated
leadin to the radio mounted just
behind No. 8 bulkhead. Thus,
regardless of whether the cockpit
cover is open or closed, the radio
antennahasthesametension.
Whilethe cockpititselfdoes not
give the appearance of being
overcrowded there is, nevertheless,
nowaste space. Flightand engine
instruments are arranged on two
panels beneath the windshield and
onhorizontalpanelsoneachside,as
shown in the accompanying
diagrammatic layout. The pilot's
seat,thebackofwhichismadeof
armor plate, is only adjustable up
anddown 4in.andisdesignedfor
seatpackparachutes.
Theaftfuselagefrombulkhead
8 through 14 issemimonocoque
construction, andisattached to the
fore section by a double row of
rivets through both skins and the
flangedsectionofbulkhead8. An
examination of several different
craft, including more than one
model,indicatesthesetwosections
are not jigdrilled prior to mating.
Apparently the two sections are
broughttogetherinamatingjigand
bothdrillingandrivetingdonethere,
forvariationsinrivet locationsare

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Here are details of mechanism which blows canopy away for emergency release.
Mounted in aft tube (behind armor plate) which rolls in aft fuselage section top longeron,
it is operated by lever at pilot's right hand. A safety (1) is provided in firing block.
Explosive charge(2) looks like ordinary shotgun shell. Firing pin is shown at (3) and
release at (4).

readilyapparent.Thissametypeof
assemblyisratherwidelyused,as
will be noted inthe discussion of
othercomponents.
Bulkheads No, 9 and 10 of the
aftfuselagesectionarebuiltupin
three sections, the bottom ones
beingheavy channelsections with
flat tops to support camera
installations. Upper portions of
both are conventional stamped
flanged construction, riveted
togetherandtothebottomsections.
Numbers 11,12, and 13 are of
lighter construction and follow
conventional practice, being built
inhalvesandrivetedtogetherattop
bottom. No. 13 contains a cross
tubeforliftingthefuselage.InNo.
12 there is set a fabric panel to
keepdustfromseepingforwardto
the radio, camera and master
magneticcompasswithitscontact

for control of the repeater on the

instrumentpanel.
BulkheadNo.14isheavyflanged
construction for bolting the
empennagetotheaftsection.
Therearetwouppersidechannel
shaped longerons, riveted to those
from the fore fuselage by 6in.
splices and they extend to aft of
bulkheadNo.11.Achannelshaped
toplongeronextendsthefulllength
oftheaftsection,betweenbulkheads
8 and 11 serving to support the
cockpit cover fairing track. There
are six Zshaped stringers with
rolled edges on each side of this
section of the fuselage and five in
thebottominadditiontotwoheavy
Ushaped stringers where side and
bottomsectionsarejoined.
Theaftfuselageskinlikethatin
theforesectionisslightlylighter
than our24ST, but no evidence of

Accessories in Focke-Wulf 190 fuselage section. (1) Is hot air supply to cockpit; (2) is
cover over fuel pumps and electric junction boxes; (3) is handle moving canopy; (4) is
armor and bulletproof glass; (5) is battery; (6) is explosive canopy release; (7) is camera
mount; (8) step which telescopes up into fuselage; and (9) fabric panel in bulkhead No.
12 to protect instruments located in aft fuselage section.

Copyright 2005

p 8 of 36

Cut-away view (left) of empennage and integral vertical fin.

This section bolts to aft fuselage section at bulkhead 14.
Diagonal structural member is heart of this section, for it
supports tail wheel loads when craft is on ground and
supports fin, rudder, stabilizer, and elevator loads when ship
is airborne. Two skins, extending from the bottom of fuselage
to top horizontal rib at base of fin tip, are riveted together at
top along a vertical flange. Aft of diagonal member and above
middle horizontal rib, skins are of waffle construction.

wrinkling was found in the several

craftstudied.Flushrivetingisused
oneverysurfaceofthecraft.
Oneoftheoutstandingexamples
of simple, yet sturdy construction
foundinthe FockeWulf 190isthe
empennage.Itisattachedtotheaft
fuselage section at bulkhead 14 by
mating,flangedbulkheadsthrougha
seriesofcloselyspacedbolts.

Hinged inspection door 30 in. high by 15 in. across base

is locked in place by special screwdriver-operated fasteners.
Piano hinge and springs are protected by fabric covering.
Field sketch (above) gives detail of fin leading edge, showing
how two skins are riveted together along vertical flange.
Single formed aluminum alloy fairing is fastened over flange
by flush screws driven int diamond-shaped safety nuts riveted
between flange. Same method is used for leading edge of
stabilizer.

Leadingaft fromthisbulkhead,
some5in.formthetopskin,isa
stampedflangedribwithlightening
holes,extendingfromsideto side
andsevenandthreeeighthsinches
lowerisanotherfullwidthrib.The
stabilizergoesthroughthefuselage
betweentheseribs.
Both ribs intersect a diagonal
member which is the heart ofthe

Detail field sketch showing construction of door latches. Forged bracket A, is riveted to
door. Operating bell crank is made in two parts. Stop B, which limits throw; and latch
piece C, which drops into slot in bracket when locked. Latch is turned with screw driver at
E. Spring keeps screw head flush when in locked position. It must be pressed inward to
release. Guide bracket D is soft enough so that it can be beat with pliers to tighten lock.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

empennage,foritcarriestailwheel
loads on the ground and, once the
craft is airborne, carries both fin
andrudder and stabilizerand
elevatorloads.
Startingatthebottomskin183/4
in.aftoftheattachingbulkhead,this
member extends up and aft 631/2
in.tothetopverticalfinrib(which
extendsafttosupportthetoprudder
hinge)atthebaseofthedetachable
vertical fin tip. Nine inches form
thismember's lower end,ontheaft
side,isrivetedafittingtowhichis
attached the front end of the tail
wheeldragyoke.Onthefrontface,
between the two horizontal ribs
previouslynoted,isrivetedaforged
hexagonal fitting to which the
stabilizerrearsparattaches.
Above the top horizontal rib, on
theaftfaceisriveteda20in.double
channel member which forms the
guide rails for the tail wheel
retracting unit, which will be
detailedlater.Thechannelmember
issurmounted byaplate bearing a
pulleywhichispartoftheretracting

p 9 of 36

unit,andthetopfinrib.
Thetopmostofthetwohorizontal
ribs extends aft of the diagonal
member 161/4 in., the middle
rudder hinge being mounted at its
end.Theotherhorizontalrib,aftof
the diagonal, extends downward at
approximately28deg.fromthebase
ofthestabilizerfittingtothebottom
ofthetailconetosupportthelower
rudderhinge. Averticalwebplate
of stamped flanged alloy connects
thetworibsattheiraftends.
Below the two horizontal ribs,
three Zshaped stringers on each
side run from bulkhead 14 to the
diagonal member, and a similar
numberareemployedabove.
Attheleadingedgeofthefin,the
skiniscrimpedandrivetedtogether,
withaseriesof5 diamondshaped,
selflockingnutsinsertedandriveted
betweenthecrimping. Theleading
edgeskin,asinglesheetofformed
aluminum alloy, can then be
fastenedinplacewithflushflathead
screwsdrivenintothediamondnuts.
Drillingofthetwofinskinsurfaces
apparentlyisnotajigoperation,for
study of several craft showed
uneven spacing and lack of rivet
alignment.Inoneplane,asamatter
of fact, even a difference in rivet
sizeswasevident.
Skinaftofthediagonalmember
betweenitandrudderhingepoints
is of the familiar double skin
waffle construction, eliminating
theneedforstringers. Atriangular
inspectiondoor30in.highby15
in.acrossthebasesetintheleftside
ofthefingivesquickaccesstothe
tailwheelretractingunitandtopof
the oleo shock strut. Two screw
driven locks are used. The piano
hinge springs to keep the door
closed. These and the hinge are
sealedinfabric.
Apparently deterioration of pilot
quality, wellprepared airports, or
some other causes have resulted in
failures in the empennage, for
examination of later models of the
190 reveals that additional web
plates have been installed between
thehorizontalribsbehindandbelow
the stabilizer fitting to better
distributethestabilizerelevatorand
tailwheelloads.
The dynamic and mass balanced
rudderisbuiltaroundasinglespar
of stamped flanged aluminum to
which are riveted the three hinge
fittings. Leading edge is flush

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Fabric-covered rudder is built around single spar (shown in detail at right). Top, center,
and bottom bearings are shown in details at left. Rudder operating cables are attached
to outer holes shown in middle bearing detail. Note how hinge pins are tapered to
facilitate assembly. Rudder is secured by bolt on lower hinge pin. Trim tab is adjustable
only on ground. It consists simply of 15 x 1-in. Metal strip riveted into trailing edge, with
row of perforations to facilitate bending to desired angle.

riveted to the spar, and ribs have

rounded gusset plates. Trailing
edge is also of metal, with the
entire unit being fabric covered.
Unlike most modern fighters, the
190'sruddertrimtabisadjustable
only on the ground. It consists
simplyofa15x1in.metalstrip
rivetedintothetrailingedge,witha
series of perforations to facilitate
bending to the desired degree.
Twotypesoftabsareused;some
with slotted perforations, some

Copyright 2005

withroundholes.
The stabilizer is full cantilever
single spar allmetal construction,
built as one unit except for
detachable tips. There are seven
floatingribsoneachside.Stabilizer
attaches at the aft edge to the
diagonalmemberofthefinthrough
forgedfittingpreviouslynoted,and
hinges on pins that go into self
aligning trunnions, for verticaltrim
ofcraftiseffectedthroughadjusting
thestabilizer.

p 10 of 36

Focke-Wulf 190 stabilizer is single-spar full cantilever structure built in two halves and
bolted together at center line. Top and bottom skins are flanged and riveted together to
form front spar. Leading edge is attached like fairing on vertical fin. Three ball bearing
supports for elevators are provided on each side (shown in detail in sketches at top).
Formed tips are screwed into place with flat-head screws in countersunk washers.
Captured nuts in flange of outer rib hold them in place.

Stabilizer angle of attack is adjusted by electric motor-driven screw jack mounted in

leading edge of vertical fin, with hinge point along spar at trailing edge. Electric indicator
is attached to stabilizer so that its position is shown on instrument panel. This field
sketch shows adjustment marks on fuselage and fairing.

Stabilizer adjusting unit, with ball-and-socket

at top for attaching to inside of fin leading
edge and fitting at bottom for attaching to
stabilizer. Electric motor runs at 14,000 rpm.
And, through six gear trains with 533-to-1
reduction gear, moves stabilizer over full
adjustment arc in about 20 sec. Magnetic
brake keeps it from over-running when
current is turned off. Bellows type rubber
sleeve at bottom of screw jack keeps it
clean.

Elevators are built around single spar

(shown in center) with metal leading edge,
ribs, and trailing edge. Whole unit is fabric
covered, fabric being stitched in place with
wire loops. Even though stabilizer is
adjustable in flight, right elevator (shown
here) has perforated trailing edge trim tab
adjustable only on ground similar to that
found on rudder.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

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p 11 of 36

Full cantilever wing on Focke-Wulf 190 is built around front

spar, which extends through plane from tip to tip just below
firewall. It carries bottom engine mount support, shown here
in detail sketch. Inner section of leading edge is built as
separate unit having its own ribs. Outer section, with
conventional D-type ribs, is attached to lips extending out
from front spar by flush screws

Front spar at center line is 16 in. deep, with triple web construction extending
out beyond inboard gun ports and double web to point beyond outboard bun
ports, from which point it is conventional single web I-beam. Lower skin, with
ribs, stringers, and inspection panels, is made up as separate subassembly and
attached as unit to spar. Joggle in spar is deep enough so that landing gear
wheel is in front of it when retracted.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

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p 12 of 36

Wing ribs of FW-190 vary in construction and only six are attached to both top and
bottom skins. Top detail sketch A shows rib adjacent to fuselage, with reinforcement
forgings; B is outboard-most solid rib; C and D are typical floating ribs; E is outboard rib
to which formed tips are attached with flush screws. F illustrates construction of spar
from outboard cannon port to wingtip, showing forward-extending lips, to which leading
edge is screwed.

On the center of the stabilizer's

leadingedgeisafittingattachedtoa
yoke which, in turn, fastens to a
screw jack and electric motor
suspendedbyaballandsocketjoint
fromtheleadingedgeofthevertical
fin. Thismotor,whichturnsupto
14,000rpm.,hassixtrainsofgears
with533to1reduction. Itmoves
thestabilizerleadingedge4.1in.per
min., or over the full arc of
adjustment in about 20 sec. A
magnetic brake is provided to
prevent motor overrunning when
currentiscutoff.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Inthestabilizer,asintheleading
edgeoftheverticalfin,theupper
and lower skins are crimped and
riveted together and the leading
edgescrewedinplaceviasixofthe
diamondshapednuts. Inthisunit,
too,rivetalignmentandspacingare
both irregular along the crimped
skin.
Elevators, like the rudder,
generally follow conventional
practice with a single spar, metal
leading edge, metal ribs with the
familiar rounded gusset plates,
metal trailing edge and fabric

Copyright 2005

covering. Despite thefactthat the

stabilizer is adjustable, the right
elevator has a perforated trailing
edgetrimtablikethatontherudder.
The elevator hinges to the
stabilizer at three points and,
although all three fittings are
different, each hinge has an self
aligningballbearingunit.
A departure from conventional
construction shows up in the 190
wing,foritisbuiltasasingleunit
from tip to tip. Thus, if it is
damaged structurally any place
between the detachable tips, the
entire unit, rather than say, one
panel,mustbereplaced.
Theintegralcentersectionofthe
tapering front spar is a very heavy
member, for it takes the weight of
the two lower side and bottom
engine mounts, fuselage fitting
attachments, four 20mm. cannon,
andmainlandinggear.Atthecenter
lineitisabuiltuptriplewebIbeam
163/4 in. deep, reinforced by a
heavy vertical channelshaped
memberembracing,atitslowerend,
aforgedfittingforthelowerengine
mountstructure,acombinedtubular
andchanneltrussunit.Betweenthe
center line andsideenginemounts,
set 24in. out, are two vertical hat
shaped stiffeners. Engine mount
members themselves are of similar
shape, but are heavier and are
rivetedratherthanboltedtothespar.
At these side engine mounts the
spar is bent forward 14 deg., with
this angle being maintained 641/2
in.tothemainlandinggearfittings,
from which point it parallels the
centersection.Thebendpermitsthe
landing gear to retract in and up
ahead of thespar. This sectionof
the spar has, in addition to the
cannon ports, three lightning holes
andthreeverticalanglestiffeners.
The tripleweb construction
continues beyond the bend to just
outboardoftheportforthebarrelof
the inboard cannon. Immediately
outboardofthelandinggearfittings,
where the spar again bends, it is

p 13 of 36

At top is shown inverted view of central

wing leading edge subassembly, with
details of its major ribs given below.

reinforcedbyaheavyrivetedgusset
extending some 12 in. beyond the
outboard cannon port, from which
point to the tips the spar is single
webIbeamwith11/2in.lightening
holes. For the full length of this
outer portion the spar has lips top
andbottomtowhichthleadingedge
isscrewed.
The leading edge, form engine
cowloutboardtothelandinggear,is
builtasoneunitandisattachedby
screws to the spar. The main
member, just outboard of the gun
port, is a double, stamped flanged
ribwithcutoutforthelandinggear
strut.Twofeetfartheroutisanother
contour rib of Ibeam construction
andbetweenthemastampedflanged
contourrib. Tipendofthissection
alsohasastampedflangedribwith
cutout for the landing gear strut.
Remainder of the leading edge is
built as one unit, consisting of
formed aluminum sheet reinforced
byconventionalstampedflangedD
typenoseribs.
Only five 'tween spars ribs on
each side, besides those at the
wingtips, are attached to both top
andbottomskins. Ofconventional
stamped, flanged construction, they
are located just outboard of the
inboardcannon;oneithersideofthe
landinggearfittingstoformatorque
box;oneithersideoftheoutboard
cannonports;andattheouterendof
the reinforcing gusset around these
ports.
The rear spar, a conventional
tapering Ibeam, extends from top
and bottom forged fuselage
attachment fittings to the tips, and
carriesbothflapsandailerons.Itis
double web for 32 in. from the
fuselagefittings,singlefromthereto
thetips.
Itwouldappearthattherearspar
and the top skin panel (forward to
thefrontspar)arebuiltasanintegral
Top skin, with its floating ribs and stringers,
is made up as complete subassembly and
riveted to rear spar and, finally, skin above
split-type flap with its ribs is attached to
rear of spar. Aileron brackets (shown in the
detail sketches) are also riveted to aft face
of rear spar. Note that space is left for the
few ribs fastening to both top and bottom
skins; they are attached to this top skin by
blind riveting.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 14 of 36

Flaps are built around metal monospar and

are constructed in two halves riveted
together at the middle hinge, with inclusion
of actuating arm. This hinge unlike
inboard and outboard hinges is welded to
spar and carries a dial with readings from 060 deg. Numbers show through a hole in
top skin (as illustrated in top detail sketch)
so that pilot has exact reading of each
flap's position at all times. Flaps are
electrically operated with their individual
motors connected through relay control box
so that neither will get more than 3 deg. Out
of line with other.

This field sketch shows detail of flap from

above, with top fabric covering removed to
reveal how ribs are formed from cutout
sections of top face. Shown on trailing
edge are two of ten rubber bumpers which
absorb vibration when flap is closed up
against top skin.

Complete details of aileron are shown

below. From top to bottom: Unit without
fabric covering; lower leading edge skin;
unit with fittings and fabric covering in
place. At left is exploded view of inboard
ball-bearing mounting and at extreme right
is exploded view of outboard hinge slot
ribs.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 15 of 36

Field sketch (right) of inboard end of aileron

with bottom fabric removed. Intercostals (but .
012-in. Thick) only serve to hold fabric which
is stitched in place with continuous wire
fastening poked through the slots punched in
frame. These slots are in a groove so that
wire will be buried beneath fabric surface.
Also clearly shown is perforated trim tab,
similar to those used on rudder and elevator.

Main landing gear (below), showing how

wheels are hinged from front spar. Retracting
gear arms (1) and (2) are attached to electric
motor-driven drum (3) to which are attached
mechanical position indicator (4) and dash pot
(5). Fairing (6) is pulled up into place when
landing gear strikes arm (7). A steel cable (8)
running from retracting gear arm in over pulley
at center line straightens arm (7) to hold
fairing in open position when wheels are
down. Switch (9) between retracting gear
arms cuts power off when wheel s are down.
When retracted, gear is secured by latch
shown at bottom of detail sketch (10). This
unit also carries switch to cut off power when
wheel is latched up. A cable attaches to lever
(11) to release latch in case of power failure,
when wheels go down by gravity as motor is
disconnected when power is off.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 16 of 36

Phantom view from pilot's cockpit looking

toward leading edge of wing, showing
landing gear position indicator. It is entirely
mechanical, like a bayonet oil gage. It
slides through slotted ball in top wing skin
and disappears when landing gear is fully
retracted.

Detail field sketch showing pressure indicating marks on main landing gear fairing.
Lower part of vane moves with wheel; upper part is attached to oleo cylinder. Scale is
graduated in atmospheres, 25-30 being range.

unit, with blind riveting being

necessary only for attaching the
fivetopandbottomorsolidribs
previously mentioned, Three
stamped, flanged contour ribs are

Main landing gear retracting motor and reduction gear, a unit but 14 in. long and 7 in. in
dia. at ring, with bolt holes where it is attached to front t spar. Motor runs at 14,000
rpm., has 3.3:1 reduction from armature shaft then safety centrifugal clutch, then 53:1
and 60:1 gearless reductions for over-all reduction of 10,494:1. One such unit is
provided for each wheel.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

locatedbetweenthesolidribsand
six are utilized between the outer
flaphingeandthetiprib.Allthese
ribs have cutouts for Zshaped
spanwise stringers, of which there
are nine outboard of the flap, and
elevenbetweenthesolidribs.Skin
aftoftherearspar,abovetheflap,is
aseparatesubassembly attachedby
ten contour ribs riveted to thespar
web, with one continuous stringer
betweenthesparandtrailingedge.
Alsobuiltasaunitisthebottom
skin panel, which screws to front
andrearspars. One contourribis
located at the fuselage attachment
fittings,onebetweenthecannonand
landinggearports,andfivebetween
theoutersolidribandthetips.All
theseribshavediagonalcutoutsfor
Zshapedstringerssimilartothosein
theupperpanel.
Aninterestingdevelopmentfound
onlater190 modelsistheaddition
ofaluminumstrips,.032inthickand
3/4in.wide,rivetedtotheribsand
skin, much like diagonal braces
betweenjoistsinahousetoprevent
sidesway. Thisaddition hasbeen
made to both top and bottom skin

p 17 of 36

Phantom view showing how tail wheel is automatically

retracted with main gear. As right wheel moves up, it tightens
cable A, which goes up over pulley, inboard to right side of
fuselage, then aft through conduit to vertical fin diagonal
member, up over it to pull up on yoke attached to top of oleo.
As left wheel moves up it tightens cable B to open sliding
door C under cameras.

Here is phantom view of vertical fin, showing tail wheel

assembly. Wheel fork is set in front end of figure-eight casting
to give castering action, but oleo strut is in direct line with
wheel hub. Loads of both front end of drag yoke and top of
oleo strut are taken by diagonal member. Stabilizer goes
between horizontal ribs extending aft from front bulkhead to
diagonal member.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 18 of 36

These field sketches show details of tail wheel

retracting gear and roller locking device. At
left is track (with oleo and lock removed)
which is riveted to aft face of diagonal
member of assembly. Oleo would extend up
through the dust-catching fabric with bellow
attached to the top. Also shown is metal tube
to prevent coil spring from injuring enclosing
material. Sketch at right shows gear in place
and locked in down position, and in upper
right
method
of
locking
is
shown
diagrammatically. A is direction of load thrust,
B is direction of pull by coil spring. This pulls
trigger roller C down into locking position,
forcing large roller D which takes landing
load thrust from top of oleo int its down
position.

Aileron control is via tube from control stick, leading forward to bell crank attached
to front face of front spar, then outboard through idler to compensate for 5-deg.
dihedral, to point directly ahead of flap operating motors. Here bell crank changes
direction back to front face of rear spar, where direction is again outboard to bell
crank attached to aileron itself.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 19 of 36

panels, and appears to be a

modification made in production
ratherthaninthefield.
Split type flaps follow
conventional practice, with the
monosparbeingmadeupofarolled
sectionwithbeadedstiffeners. Top
skinsectioniscutoutinthefamiliar
rounded gusset pattern; ribs are
normal stamped flanged
construction. Top and bottom
sections are riveted together at the
leading edge, and the whole fabric
covered. Withatotalspanof7ft.
10in.each,theflapsarebuiltupin
halves, the two sections being
riveted together adjacent to the
middleofthreeballbearinghinges.
Atopthetrailingedgeareten1/2in.
dia. rubber bumpers to absorb
vibration between the flap and
trailingedge.
Inboard and outboard hinge
fittings are castings riveted to the
flap spar. The midfitting, which
alsoformstheflapactuatingarm,is
of built up welded construction.
Attached to this fitting is a dial
reading060deg.,visiblethrougha
holeinthetopskinpanel,sothatthe
pilot can get an exact reading of
eachflapposition.
Electrically driven by gear trains
through a nut to a screw jack
attached to the motor mounted on
the front face of the rear spar, the
flapsmovedown60deg. Thetwo
motors are connected through a
relaycontrolboxsothatneitherflap
can go more than 3 deg. without
stopping to wait for the other to
catchup.
FabriccoveredFrisetypeailerons
are as light in weigh as they are
reportedtobeoncontrols.Theyare
built around a channel monospar
with beaded vertical stiffeners to
which are riveted upper and lower
twolayermetalleadingedgeskins,
the inner ones having beaded
stiffeners. Aftofthesparthereare
10 conventional ribs, with the
familiar rounded gussets, and 10
intercostalsofstampedflangedlight
aluminumalloy.Theselightweight
intercostalsareprovidedtocontour
thefabricandallowittobestitched
downwithwire.
Aileronsaremountedonthreeself
aligning ball bearing hinges at ribs
No.1,5,and9. Theinboardhinge
at rib No. 1 is a cast aluminum
fitting into the bottom of which
screwsalugandballbearingcollar,

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Phantom views showing rudder and elevator controls. Push-pull rods go direct from
rudder pedals to differential linkage located just ahead of bulkhead No. 14 in aft
fuselage. From this linkage cables go inside vertical fin to ruder connecting points.
Elevator controls go from stick via tube to right side of fuselage, then via push-pull rod
to bulkhead No. 8, from which point two double cables lead back to differential unit
located below stabilizer adjusting motor. Bell crank and push-pull rods lead from
differential to elevator horn. Both rudder and elevator differential units are shown in the
detail sketches.

runningona tapered pinassembly

throughthebracketattachedtothe
rearspar.Thescrewbearingcollar
issplitandthetaperjambsittight
when the lock nut is tightened.
This makes it possible to get
perfect alignment between the
hinge, bracket and wing fairing
without the necessity of mating
parts in jigs. Mid and outboard

Copyright 2005

fittingsarecastanglebrackets,with
roller bearing collar screwing in
from the bottom and running on a
pin through a bracket in the same
mannerastheotherhinge. Ineach
case, curved shims between the
bearing collar and bracket are
utilizedtoeliminatesideplaywhile
retainingalignment.Balanceweight
washersarefastenedintothehinge

p 20 of 36

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 21 of 36

Indicative of lavish attention to design, and

wide use of ball bearings, are details shown
in these field sketches. At top is seen open
and closed position of wind-up device on
straps which hold hydraulic lines on landing
gear. Note ratchet locking device. Center
sketches show how ball bearings used on
brackets are peined in place, then protected
by felt washers and held by simple metal
clamps. All elevator hinges, for example,
use this type. In many places, as shown in
lower sketches, ball joints are provided. A
notched ball bearing race is pressed into
place, then ball shaped ring is slipped in.
When rotated into operating position it
cannot fall out; it provides a self-aligning
connection. This type unit is used on rear
spar attachments, lower engine mount
attachment to front spar, on all jacks, shock
absorber connections and other points
where stresses might be raised by fixed
fittings.

slots with a bolt and captured nut

rivetedtoeachsideriboftheslots.
On the inboard end of the right
aileronisa1914inlongtrimtab
adjustable only on the ground
similartothoseonthestabilizerand
rudder.
Mainlandinggearisasinglestrut
oleo shock unit, with conventional
torquescissors,attachedtoaforged
steel tapered roller bearing spindle
assembly. The front face of the
mounting is flanged to bolt to the
front spar. Fairing is in three
sections; one attached to brackets
extendingupfromthehub,another
boltedtotheoleostrutandthethird
hingedatthecenterofthefuselage.
Ascalepaintedonthetwofairings
attachestothelandinggeartellsata
glance if proper pressure about
1,300psi.isbeingmaintainedin
theshockstrut.
Retraction is electric, with a
separate unit for each wheel. The

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Engine mount ring is attached to engine mount at four points, loads being distributed to
four corners of fuselage and to bottom of front spar at center line. Also shown are throttle
control linkage leading from left to right side of craft before going forward through
engine mount ring. Detail at lower right depicts throttle itself. Pulling lever back into rear
slot kills engine; pushing forward and across quadrant gives double boost for short
periods. Thumb switch on end of throttle handle controls propellor pitch electrically.

Here is Kommandgerat or brain box. Located just ahead of engine mount ring, it is
connected to throttle linkage. When pilot moves throttle lever this hydraulic-electric unit
automatically adjusts fuel flow, fuel mixture, propellor pitch setting, ignition and , at
proper altitude, cuts in second stage of supercharger. It is 16-in. High, 16-in. long, and
12-in. wide.

Copyright 2005

p 22 of 36

Group assembly showing all oil lines for power plant. All lines going through to fuselage
are attached to permanent fittings installed in firewall. A tape at edge of fuselage carries
number of each connection; corresponding number is on line itself on encircling tape just
behind union nut.

motorwhichturnsup14,000 rpm.,
is mounted back of the front spar
web,witha3.3:1reductionfromthe
armature shaft, then a safety
centrifugal clutch, followed by two
gearless reductions, one 53:1 the
other 60:1, giving atotalreduction
of10,494:1inthreestepsinaunit
14in.longand,atthefrontend,7
in.indiameter. Thelastreduction
stageatthefrontfaceofthespar
webdrivesa13/8in.thickforged
steel ring to which is yoked a
tapered aluminum alloy Ibeam of

133/4 in. length. This in turn is

jointed to another tapering beam
into the lower end of which is
screwedaballandsocketjointthat
attaches to the oleo strut. The
forgedringturnsoutwardtolower
the wheels and the arms, due to
theirtoggleaction,lockthelanding
gear down. When turned toward
the airplane center line, the joint
betweentheIbeamsortogglearms
breaks topull theoleo and wheel
upandinward.
It is interesting to not that in

Oil cooler of FW-190 is set behind armor plate in nose of engine cowling. (Also see
AVIATION for Nov. and Dec., 1942 Design Details of the BMW 801 Engine.)
Exploded view at left shows (left to right) armor plate, oil cooler, armor plate, and
cowling.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

down position the oleo struts have

not yet reached the perpendicular,
but there is no down lock on the
gear. The two Ibeams form a
straightlinewhenthegearisdown
andthisstraightthrust,coupledwith
the high reduction from the motor,
appear to suffice for gear down
locking.
Smallmetalcontactsthroughfiber
insulationonthefacesoftheIbeam
joints automatically shut off the
motorwhenthelandinggearisfull
down. On the rotating member of
thelandinggearmechanismthereis
asmallscaledrodwhichprojectsup
throughaballjointinthetopofthe
wingsasthegeargoesdownsothat
thepilotcantelltheexactpositionof
eachwheel.
Asgearretracts,theoleostrutjust
abovethewheelcontactsacoupling
(set in a boxstructure mounted on
the front face of the front spar)
which snaps into place, locks the
gearinuppositionandautomatically
shuts off the retracting gear motor.
The lock is held closed by an
electrical latch and releases
electricallywhenthepoweristurned
ontolowerthewheels. Unlocking
canbedonemanually,however:the
pilotpullsaknob(ontheleftsideof
the instrument panel) attached to a
flexiblecablewhich,atopthecenter
ofthefrontspar,isyokedtosimilar
cables leading out to each landing
gearuplockbox.
The tail wheel is retracted
automatically with the main gear.
Atthejointofthetwo Ibeamson
the right main wheel is attached a
cablethatrunsoverapulleysetjust
above the gear spindle, thence
inboard to the right side of the
fuselageinaconduitthroughthe
cockpit back to a pulley on the
frontofthediagonalheartmember
inthefin,thenupoverapulleyatop
itanddowntoayokesetatthetop
ofthetailwheeloleo.Thus,andit's
not as Rube Goldbergian as it

p 23 of 36

sounds,asthemaingearjointstars
tomoveup,tensiononthecableis
transmitted back to the tail wheel
retractingmechanismandthewheel
is pulled up. A similar cable
arrangement is used to pull the
camera protecting door open when
the landing gear is retracted. The
centerwheelfairingsareheldtightly
open by a cable system when the
landing gear is down. They are
closed by the wheel when it is
retracted.
The tailwheelitselfismounted
in a steel fork which fits into the
front end of a heavy steel figure
eightcastingwhichplacesthecenter
oftheyoke6in.aheadofthewheel
centertopermit castering. Thetail
wheel drag yoke attaches to the
diagonalempennagememberandto
thisfigureeightcastingjustaheadof
thebottomof theoleostrut,which
fitsintotheaftportiondirectlyover
thewheelcenter.
At the top of the oleo strut is a
yoke containing four rollers; two
loadcarryinglargeronessetoneach
side of the center, two smaller
lockingonesjustaft. Theserollers
run in the channel member
(previously mentionedindiscussion
oftheempennage)ontheaftfaceof
thediagonalmember,andarepartof
the yoke to which the retracting
cableattaches andtowhichisalso
attached a coil spring going down
andafttotheribholdingthelower
rudder hinge. This spring and
gravitypulltheunitdown.Atthe

Complete fuel tank and line arrangement. Electric pumps are used in each tank and
electric measuring gages are also employed. Filler openings are on right side of fuselage
inside quickly detachable cover plates. Forward self-sealing tank holds 61.2 U.S. gal.;
aft tank holds 76.8. Tanks are separated by rear spar tie-through member.

bottom of the channel the track

leadsforward,justenoughforthe
largerrollerstofitintotheresulting
pocketsothatloadsfromthetail
wheel are transmitted up through
the oleo directly against and
towardthefrontofthediagonal
rib,thuslockingthewheelindown
position. When tension is put on
the cable from the main gear it

starts the smaller rollers up the

channel and they in turn pull the
larger ones out of the pocket, to
unlock the gear, and then up the
track
The tail wheel moves up 20 in.,
and rubber pads on the axle just
outsidetheforkfitsnugagainstthe
bottomtheforkfitsnugagainstthe
bottom fuselage skin when it is

This wiring diagram shows: (1) Electric fuel

pumps in tanks; (2) battery; (3) radio
antennae; (4) radio motor-generator; and
(5) master compass which operates electric
repeater head on instrument panel.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 24 of 36

These two detail sketches show armament arrangement on FockeWulf 190. At top are two 7.9-mm. machine guns with electric
synchronizing unit just below muzzles; two lines leading down go to
inboard 20-mm. cannon (also shown in lower sketch) are located
just outside propellor arc.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Copyright 2005

p 25 of 36

retracted.AspringloadedVcam
centersthewheelassoonastheload
isreleased.
An interesting detail of the tail
wheelcasteringunitisthis:thepivot
isahollowsteelforging,weldedto
the fork and the hollow space is
utilized as a grease reservoir for
lubricating the swivel surface, the
grease coming out through a 3in.
long slot which also serves as the
tailwheellock.
Mainlandinggeartiresare700x
175 mm. smooth contour and tail
wheel tire is 350 x 135 mm., also
smoothcontour.
Stickandrudder controls are
generallytheconventionalpushpull
rodand cable type, exceptthat the
elevatorandruddercontrolsembody
differentialbellcrankswhichgivea
higher control surfacetostick or
rudder ratio near neutral position,
thus tending to smooth out control
actionathighspeeds.
Rudder pedals are stirrup type
withheelplates,withthehydraulic
brake cylinder an integral part so
thatexerting toepressure energizes
the system. Distance of rudder
pedals from the pilot's seat can be
individually adjusted by turning a
knurledknobsetinthepushpullrod
oneachsideofthecockpitaftofthe
pedals themselves. There are also

Use of FW-190 as fighter-bomber brought installation of this electrically-operated rack

beneath fuselage center for carrying one 500-lb. bomb. Note long light aluminum fairing
extending aft from bomb rack itself.

fourpositionsforthepedalfulcrum
point. Rudder pedal units are
suspended from brackets attached
tofuselagebulkheadNo.2. Push
pullrods lead directlyaftthrough
the fuselage up to the differential
bellcrankwhichissuspendedfrom
the top longeron at bulkhead 13.
From there cables lead aft inside
the empennage skin and attach to
therudderspar,whichis4in.wide
atthemiddlehinge.
The211/4in.longcontrolstick
is mounted in a cast base in the
fuselage floor center between
bulkheads 3 and 4. Elevator
controlisviaatubeleadingtothe

Bottom view of control switch junction box located at left of pilot's

seat. Note how all lines leading out at right have been grouped

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

right side of the cockpit, then via

singlepushpullrodtojustaftofthe
pilot's seat to a bell crank from
whichtwodouble1/4in.cableslead
back to a differential bell crank
mounted in bulkhead 14, where
another short single pushpull rod
leads back to a bell crank directly
underthestabilizerleadingedgeand
a vertical puspull rod attached to
theelevatorhornonthecenterofthe
elevatorspar.
Aileroncontrol consists ofatube
running forward from the control
stickbaseandactuatinga pushpull
rod andbell crank set onthefront
faceofthefrontsparcenter. From

into seven quick-disconnect plugs, each one of which is of

different shape so that wrong connections cannot be made.

Copyright 2005

p 26 of 36

Quickly detachable flight instrument panel with, left to right, altimeter, bank and turn and
airspeed indicators, tachometer, compass and manifold pressure gage. Note use of
quick-disconnect plugs.

herepushpullrodsextendoutboard
through an idler hinge to change
directioncorrespondingtothe5deg.
dihedraltoapointdirectlyinfront
ofthe flapoperating motorwherea
bellcrankchangesdirectionafttothe
front face of the rear spar. Here
another bellcrank changes direction
along the rear spar to the inboard
endoftheaileronwherestillanother
bellcrankandpushpullrodattaches
totheaileronhorn. Allhingesand
connections are mounted on self
aligning ball bearings. The bell
cranks are all mounted on widely
spacedballbearingssothatthereis
little lost motion even when the
bearingsgetloose.
The German's extensive use of
ball bearingsis particularly evident
intheFockeWulf190controls,for
finely built ball bearing units are
used not only throughout the
complicateddifferentialbellcranks,
but wherever moving parts are
joined and in all the electric
reductiongearsandmotors.
Aileronstickgearingis3.2deg.to
theinch;elevatorstickgearingis4.1
deg. to the inch; and rudder pedal
gearingis6deg.totheinch.
Outstandingcontrolonthecraftis
the throttle quadrant and its
Kommandgerat, or brain box.
Onlyonelever,mountedontheleft
sideofthecockpitisused.Fromita
pushpull rod leads forward and
down to a bell crank attached to a
rod which runs across to the right
sideofthefuselagetoasecondbell
crank and pushpull rod going up
andforwardthroughthefirewallto
anotherpushpullrodbellcrankand
the tube unit which takes the
movement to the left again a few
inches(toapointinsidetheengine
mountring)andanother bell crank

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

and pushpull rod which connects

withthebrainbox,afinelybuilt
complicatedunitmeasuring16x16
x12in.
As the pilot moves the throttle,
and the movement is transmitted
through the bell cranks and push
pull rods, the brain box
automaticallymakescompensating
adjustments for fuel flow, fuel
mixture, propeller pitch setting,
ignition, and cuts in second stage
superchargeratproperaltitude.If,
however,thepilotdesirestomake
a propeller pitch change without
changingothersettings,hemaydo
so manually by pushing a
rocking lever switch set in the
throttle. Further details of the
brainbox cannot be revealed at
thistime.
Anotherinterestingdetailofthe
FockeWulf's design is the engine
mount ring, a hollow tubular
structure which also serves as the
reservoir for the hydraulic fluid
used in the brain box. The
BMW801 engine itself was
discussed in detail in AVIATION
forNov.andDec.,1942,andthus
isnotincludedinthisdiscussionof
thecraft.
All the 190's fuel supply is
carried in two selfsealing tanks
suspended by fabric straps in the
lowerforefuselagesectionwiththe
fore tank, between spars, holding
61.2 U. S. gal. and the aft tank
havingacapacityof76.8U.S.gal.
Both tanks are filled from the
rightsideofthefuselage,thefiller
pipe cover plates being quickly
detachableflushunits. Eachtank
contains a sealed electric pump.
Gages are all electric; the fuel
warning light and pump indicator
lights being arranged vertically in

Copyright 2005

the center of the lower instrument

panel;thefuelsupplygagesforeach
tankjusttotheirright;andselector
gage to their right. Manually
operated fuel selector valve,
however, is on the left of the top
instrumentpanel. Linesfromtanks
toenginegothroughthefirewall.
Majority of the highly complex
electric system components are
located to the right of the plane's
centerline. On this side, for
example, are the distributor, two
generators, battery and main
junctionboxwithitsgroundsupply
connecting plug, this latter unit
being located in the aft fuselage
betweenbulkheads8and9.
Wiresleadingfromtheremovable
topinstrumentpanelcontainingsix
flightinstrumentsgooutthrough
three quick disconnectplugs to the
rightforpoweror,asinthecaseof
the dash repeater compass, to the
mastercompassintheaftsection.
Two control switch junction
boxesarerequired,oneoneachside
of the cockpit. That on the left
contains the throttle quadrant,
propeller pitch control, ignition
switch, flap and landing gear
indicator lights, starter mixture
control, stabilizer trim switch and
indicator, flap and landing gear
switches, primer pump switch and
radio.Itisbuiltasaremovableunit,
and wires going out from its front
end are led through three quick
disconnectplugs,thoseouttheback
endtothemainjunctionboxthrough
fivelinesintwosimilarplugs.
The righthand panel contains
forward and rear circuit breakers,
external battery indicator, fuel
booster pump switches and engine
starter.Fourquickdisconnectplugs
areinstalledinthefrontend;evenin
therearleadingtothemainjunction
box.

p 27 of 36

The electric system is further

complicatedbythefactthatfourof
the six guns the two 7.9 mm.
machine guns and the two inboard
20mm. cannon must be
synchronized to fire through the
propeller. The synchronizing units
are mounted behind the engine.
Electricleadsfromthemgotoeach

gun.
Wherever possible, wires are
grouped when leading from one
part of the airplane to another
through generous use of quick
disconnect plugs. Ingeneral,too,
the FockeWulf 190 follows the
German practice of having wires
leadingfromonepartoftheplane

to another in the samelocation, so

that mechanics working on one
aircraft will not have to become
completely indoctrinated before
being assigned to another make or
type.

Phantom view illustrates general arrangement of wiring in fuselage, extending from propellor
pitch control and distributor at extreme left to stabilizer adjusting motor in vertical fin. Note
how all wires are led to right side of fuselage, those from junction box at pilot's left reaching
that side through conduit in back of pilot's seat before entering main junction box on right side
of aft fuselage section. Outside battery connection is in this box with connecting plug flush
with fuselage skin.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

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p 28 of 36

Design and Operation

Of FW-190 Gear Retracting Unit
By CHESTER S. RICKER, Detroit Editor, "Aviation"
Unusually compactmeasuring only 8-5/8 x 13-1/2 in.
it has over-all reduction of 10,500 to 1. And special
design eliminates gear cutting so that production can
be accomplished with grinder, lathe, and drill press.

HE FOCKEWULF 190 has

independently operated main
landingwheels,eachofwhich
iscarriedbyanarmpivotedatright
anglesto,andmountedon,thefront
main spar. It is held in landing
position by a hinged link securing
thewheel by a toggle action when
down.

Upperhalfofthehingedlinkis
securedtoarotatablememberbya
forkandpinjoint,andtheaxisof
this member is approximately
paralleltothewheelarmpivot.
Rotatable member is the front
endoftheelectricretracting gear.
Each wheel retracting unit is a
completeassemblyheldtothefront

face of the main spar by ten bolts

with castellated nuts. Removal of
theconnectingpinandthetennuts
and breaking of two electrical
connection plugs is all that is
necessary to remove thisunit from
thefuselage.
Outstanding features of the
retractor are its compactness, light
weight, and unusual method of
gettingaveryhighgearreductionin
asmallspace. Theunit,including
the motor, measures 131/2 in. in
length and 85/8 in. over the
mounting flange. There are only
three reductions needed to give an
overall of 10,500 to 1 from
armatureshafttotherotatinghead.

Cross-sectional assembly drawing of Focke-Wulf 190 landing

wheel retracting gear. Note that ball bearings are used on
intermediate reduction eccentric and roller bearings for final
reduction. Details of centrifugal clutch between electric
motor and reduction gearing are also shown.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

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p 29 of 36

Witha10,000rpm.27v.motorthis
meansafullrotationoftheoperating
head in one minute. Since only a
quarterrevolutionisenoughtoraise
thelandingwheel,retraction timeis
about15to20sec.
There is a 3.3to1 reduction in
the motor head so the shaft
extendingfromthemotorrunsabout
3.200rpm.Onthisaremountedtwo
castironshoes,drivenbyacrosspin
and held in place by a continuous
coiledspringband.Thelatterisstiff
enoughtohodtheshoesinplaceand
to resist centrifugal force so as to
allow the motor to attain
considerablespeedbeforetheshoes
engageasurroundingdrumofsteel.
This gives an automatic clutch
effect.
The drum is attached to the
intermediate reduction mechanism.
Givingafinaloverallreductionof
3,180to1,thelasttwomechanisms
arecompactedintoaspaceof4in.
axially and of 71/2 in. dia. Both
reductionsarealsocoaxialwiththe
unit,andthecasingheadrotatesin
the final reduction. Apparently no
standard spur gear train of equal
ratio could be crowded into this
smallspace.
Thelasttworeductions,whileof
thesame type,areattainedwithout
gearsofthetoothtype,insteadbeing
enabled through shallow scallops
groundintheedgeofhardenedsteel
disks and engaging hardened steel
sleevesthatfloatonpinsfixedinthe
surroundinghousing.
Principle employed is similar to
that sometimes used with toothed
gearswhereaninternalgearmeshes
withaspurgearhavingoneormore
teethlessthantheinternalgear,the
spur gear being oscillated by an
eccentricatitscenter,butprevented
fromrotationbyapin.Theaxisof
the eccentric shaft must be coaxial
withtheinternalgear.Thenfroeach
rotation of the eccentric shaft the
internal gear will be advanced one
toothbythespurgear. Thisdesign
wasusedatonetimeforoperating
variablepitchpropellers.
Only difference between the
abovegearreductionandthatofthe
FW190 design is that in the latter
the gear teeth are eliminated from
bothmembers.Theaforementioned
semicircularscallopsgroundinthe
edge of the disks replace the spur
gears,andtheinternalgearteethare
replaced by the pins on which the

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

hardenedsteelsleevesaremounted.
Ineach reduction two disks are
used so as to give a continuous
drive atalltimes. The eccentrics
are also arranged diametrically
oppositeoneanothersoastokeep
the two disks balanced when
running.
Another unusual feature of the
design is the operation giving the
two reductions. For the
intermediateone,theoutermember
is secured so that the oscillating
disks rotate slowly, making one

complete rotation every 53

oscillations.
Eightpinsengagetheseoscillating
disks and thus rotate with them.
Thesepinsaremountedinaflange
ontheendoftheeccentricshaftto
givethefinalreduction. Thelatter
reductionmechanismismountedon
the flanged forging which supports
the entire reduction gear and is
bolted to the front main spar. On
thismemberareeightheavysleeved
pins that pass through the final
reductionoscillating disks and

Parts of Focke-Wulf 190 retracting gear. At left is electric motor with half of centrifugal
clutch and its retaining spring removed. Next is housing containing intermediate
reduction mechanism. Clutch drum is clearly shown on this unit. In foreground is
mounting plate with its stationary pins, which carry hardened steel sleeves, two of which
have been removed. At right is final reduction head with operating fork. Retainer plate
hides oscillating members. This plate, mounted on stationary pins, carries a ball bearing
to support outer end of eccentric shaft. (AAF photo)

Reduction mechanism of retracting gear. At left are oscillating disks of intermediate

reduction; center, final reduction oscillating disks, with flanged eccentric shaft carrying
pins which engage intermediate reduction disks; right, pin and sleeve internal gear
mechanism that is attached to wheel lifting arm. (AAF photo)

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p 30 of 36

prevent them from rotating.

Therefore they force the internal
gear or retracting gear head which
enclosesthemtorotateoneturnfor
every60oscillationsofthedisks.
Theheadisthememberwhichis
pinnedtothearmthatliftsorlowers
thelandinggear.Totakethelifting
load,theoutsidememberiscarried
on two roller bearings located on
each side oftheinternal gear pins.
Thesebearingshave64rollers,1/4

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

x1/4in.
Outer member is held in place
endwisebyaplatesecuredbyeight
capscrewsengagingthepinsused
inattainingthefinalgearreduction.
Acoverplateattachedtothefront
of the rotating outer member
enclosestheentiremechanism.
Design of the mechanism
eliminatesgearcuttingbyenabling
processing of the parts with a
grinder,lathe,anddrillpress.

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p 31 of 36

DIAGRAMMATIC COCKPIT LAYOUT

ENLARGED
JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

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p 32 of 36

The right side of the inward retracting

landing gear of the Focke-Wulf 190 is
shown at left. The locking mechanism at A
is electrically operated, as is the retracting
gear itself, which pivots the rod B in and
up to pull the gear into the well. Travel of
the rod tightens the cable C which retracts
the tail wheel, thus eliminating the need for
a separate power unit for that part of the
landing gear. D is the line from the cockpit
to the hydrayulic brake. Not that the fairing
E comes only a little way below the hub of
the wheel; another piece on the fuselage
moves in behind the retracting wheel to
complete the underclosure. )For other
details of the Focke-Wulf 190 see Aviation,
October, 1942, p233.)

THE FW190A3, newest and

hottestGermanfighterplane,isan
extremelygoodcraft,butitdoesnot
liveuptotheclaimsmadeforitby
Nazi officialdom. In fact, both
BritishandAmericanplanescan,as
has been proven in combat, more
thanholdtheirownagainstit.
Nevertheless, many points of
interest and value to the designer,
the production man and the
maintenance chief have been
broughtoutbyinspectionandflight
tests of British engineers, whose
reports have recently been made
available.Thisclosestudywasmade
possible when a German pilot was
forced down in England and
capturedbeforehecoulddestroythe
plane.
CreatedbyKurtTank,builderof
theFockeWulf Condor,longrange
fourengine bomber and the FW
189, short range reconnaissance

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

plane, the 190 was designed for

quantity production and extensive
subcontracting.
It is a lowwing, full cantilever
monoplanewitha34ft.5in.span
and length of 29 ft. 4 in. Wing
construction is of conventional
twospartype,withthewingbeing
built in one piece. While this has
effected a material saving in
weight, it has made maintenance
moredifficult. Wing trimtabsare
small perforated plates on the
aileronsandareadjustableonlyon
theground.
Split flaps are electrically
controlledbypushbuttonstothree
positions:closed;down10deg.for
takeoff, and down 60 deg. for
landing.
Unlike modern Allied craft
which have elevator and rudder
trimtabs,theFockeWulfstabilizer
is adjustable, making it more
vulnerable to concentrated fire
power.
Thefuselageisalsobuiltinone
pieceandisverywellstreamlined,
narrowingverticallypracticallyall
thewaybackfromtheengine.The

Copyright 2005

entirecockpitcover,includingrather
longfairing,slidesbackbutitcannot
beopenedinflight.Emergencyexit
in flight can only be accomplished
bypushingabuttonwhichdetonates
a cartridge which breaks the
supporting member, allowing the
entirecovertobeblownaway.
All the fuel is carried in the
fuselage in two selfsealing tanks,
one of 64 gal. immediately behind
the pilot's seat, another of 51 gal.
undertheseat.
The electrically operated full
retractinglandinggearhasatreadof
12ft.,apparentlymadenecessaryby
the high landing speed
approximately110mph.Itisalsoset
well forward to permit heavy
braking without nosing over. An
interesting feature of the landing
gear is the tail wheel retraction, a
cable attached to one of the front
wheelsautomaticallypullingthetail
wheelupintoitswell.
Power Plant
Power is supplied by a BMW
801D 14cylinder radial, aircooled
engine developing slightly under
1,600hp.at2,700rpm.fortakeoff
andjustover1,750hp.at3,000rpm.
at 18,000 ft. Cowling is extremely
closeset,thediameterbeingbut52
in., necessitating installation of a
large fan set just behind the
propeller.Theoilradiatorissetjust
inside the nose of the cowling,
coolingbeingeffectedbyareverse
flow through the radiator and out
through a narrow opening at its
front. Extensive baffling distributes
theairtoallthecylinderswiththe
heated air bing exhausted through
long louvres cut in the cowling
sides.UnliketheBMW801A,there
arenofacilitiesforslidingthenose
ring or cowling at the back of the

p 33 of 36

Structural details of Focke-Wulf 190A3 revealedinthiscutawayillustration,redrawnfromTheAeroplane,includefollowing:Aileronhinge

bracketandopenendshroudareatA.withailerontabadjustableonlyongroundatBandaileroncontrolatC.Disoneoftwo20mm.
cannonfiringoutsidepropellerarc.LandinggearradiusrodbreakhingeisatE,operatingtailwheelretractingcableF.Landinggearretracting
powerisdeliveredbyelectricmotorG,withpositionbeingcheckedbyindidcatorH.Jisonoftwo20mm.cannonfiringthroughpropeller
arc.Kisarmor=platedcoulingenclosingoilcooler.Two7.9machinegunsareatN.ThrottleisatO,whilePis14mm.armorplateto
protectpilotfromtear.Adjustingmechanismforpilot'sseatisatQ.Fueltanksof64and51gal.aresownatRandtheplane'sbatteryisatS.
TailwheelretractingcableisatTandcompassatU.TailwheellockisatVandshocklegguideandblockareatW.Xistailincidence
motorandYshowselevatorandruddertabs.(AlsoseeAviation,Oct1942,page233,andNov.,page157.)

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

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p 34 of 36

FOCKE-WULF
FW-190A3

RIGHT: Flight tests of this Focke-Wulf

190A3, captured intact by the British, reveal
many unusual design and construction
features but show that the pride of the
Luftwaffe leaves much to be desired. Note
the wide tread of the landing gear12 ft.

InternationalNewsPhoto

made necessary by a landing speed of 110

mph. LEFT: This close-up of the FockeWulf 190 shows the extremely close
cowling around the BMW 80iD 14-cylinder
engine, the first radial air-cooled engine to
be mounted in a German fighter. Note the

cooling louvres through which cylindercooling air and exhaust are dissipated. Note
also the 20-mm. cannon, set in the leading
edge of the wing; fires through the propeller
arc.

motortoadjusttheflowofair.
The electrically operated, three
blade, constant speed VDM
propellerisofrathersmalldiameter
due to landing gear restrictions
butthebladesareoflongchord
almostallthewaytothetips.
Armament and Armor
Armament consists of two 7.92
mm.machinegunsmountedatopthe
fuselagefiringthroughthepropeller;
two 20 mm. Mauser cannon
mounted in the wings, also firing
through the propeller; and two 20
mm Oerliken cannon also in the
wingbutfiringoutsidethepropeller
arc.Despitethefactthatfourofthe
six guns fire through th propeller,
the fire power totals about 3,500
roundsperminute1,200forthe
machineguns;1,400roundsforthe
inboard cannon and, strangely
enough, but 900 for the outer
cannon. Effectiveness of the fire
power is curtailed due to the short
rangeofthemachinegunsandlow
muzzlevelocityoftheOerlikens.
Provision is also made for
attachment of a 550lb. bomb
beneath th fuselage for very short
rangeoperations.
The plane iswell armored.A 5
mm.plateprotectstheoilradiatorin
the nose ring cowling and the aft
portionforthecowlingisfittedwith
3mm.plate.Cockpitwindshieldhas
2in.thickbulletproofglassanda
bulkheadbehindthepilot'sseatis8

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Cut-away and diagrammatic views of the BMW 801A engine, forerunner of the Model D installed in the
Focke-Wulf 190, the main difference being that on the D the nose ring and motor cooling air regulator
rings are not adjustable. These illustrations, redrawn from The Aewroplane, show the large cooling fan
installed just behind the propeller and point up the reverse flow of air.

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p 35 of 36

mm.thick.A14mm.thickpanelis
fittedbehindthepilot'sheadinthe
movablecockpitcover.
PerformanceNotOutstanding
Performance range of the 190 is
limited, its most effective altitudes
being above 15,000 ft. and below
25,000ft.Itstopspeedat4,500ft.,
for example is but 326 mph.
compared with 375 at18,000 ft.It
can, however, do 390 mph. at
20,000ft.foroneminutebymeans
ofabooster.ReportsfromAmerican
bomber crews indicate the Focke
Wulfdoesnotperformwellnearits
reportedserviceceilingof37,000ft.
Britishfightersareunderstoodtobe
abletoturninsidethe190,evenat
itsmostefficientaltitudes.

JL McClellan: FW-190 draft

Specifications and performance

dataareasfollows:
Wingspan.............................. 34ft.5in.
Length......................................29ft.4in.
Wingarea.................................203sq.ft.
Wingloading......................42.2lb./sq.ft.
Powerloading..........................5.3lb./hp.
Grossweight..............................8,580lb.
Weightempty.............................6,240lb.
Maximumspeed(18,000ft.).....375mph.
Landingspeed...........................110mph.

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p 36 of 36