FW-190 D-9-13 vs. Ta-152 C

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Did they use Mw50 during their "comparison tests"?
No, from memory they were restricted to military to preserve the engine. Pilot guidelines are very specific about its extremely conservative use anyway, only in level flight and at a high airspeed as an emergency measure to escape combat, the Americans quoted the Focke Wulf handbook about it. Use was prohibited at low airspeed BFM. MW50 and overboost in general doesn't reflect combat performance of an aircraft, it's largely superfluous, use it to enter a speed race not evaluate a fighter plane.

Were they familiar with german systems and tuning them ?
Yes, engineers examined the aircraft in detail, reported on its anciliaries and systems (such as the blower system and overboost guidelines), as well as compared their findings with captured FW pilot guidelines and workshop manuals.

The pilots had to work harder despite the presence of automatic engine controls?
Yes, part of the hassle was the ridiculously noisy and very hot cockpit, it was very wearisome. Controls were excellent but moving the aircraft around gave the impression it was quite heavy and it would slip a lot through manoeuvres. In general it was more about being an exhaustive aircraft to balance on the fine edge of high performance BFM and like the entire 190 family has a slight shade of inherent instability. Doras can't match the way an Anton can flip itself into a directional change, no other aircraft can, but it can still do a controlled stall not many others can match. They did remark it was surprisingly well equipped, mostly they congratulated the kommandogerät/aeromechanical-screw as revolutionary technology. It was. But a Mustang simply fatigues its pilot less overall, even Räll commented on this.

Did their report imply that a proper built dora could perform better ?
Yes but it was more about refinement and seviceability than figures. You might toss around something like a 7-15km/h speculative figure for qualitive finishing disadvantages.

Their expertise and eperience were better than Eric Browns ?
Yes, Eric Brown has never flown a D-9. He flew Götz's D-13. It was hand finished, has a prototype two stage motor and was given to a kommodore for service trialling. It is nothing like a typical wartime Dora.
 
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Hey Jim, your personal assessment of the Ta-152C/Fw-190D equation is fair as all opinions are but you should keep in the mind the German way of thinking here. The way they classified roles and requirements.
Jabo, zerstörer, schlacht, jäger, höhenjäger, escort, tactical reconnaissance, these were all to be ecompassed by the Ta153 project which became the Ta152. The Dora was just the jäger/jabo rushed into service as an interim, part of the same project mate.

Rebuild a Dora to fill the other mission requirements of the project and you wind up with the Ta152. The höhenjäger just has extended wings. They both just use modified A-6 wings. Rebuilding it to carry heavier armament simply redressed the thinking behind the 190A-7, this modification of the A-6 was to do just that (whilst A-8 is just an equipment update and sondernotleistung standardised, the A-9 is the same thing with an engine update). The Ta152 armament layout was a combination of filling numerous roles with the same basic airframe, so that piston fighter production could be downscaled and transition to jets.

The Ta-152C-1 was to be supplemented by hotrod Doras with updated engines, it replaced the Ju-88C/G and Me-410 (which was already cancelled but the role needed to be filled) and 109K-4 in one hit. The C-3 replaced Fw-190A/F in the schlacht role (the G was already cancelled). The Anton was to be dropped completely from production around mid-45.


Performance is the premium criteria for any fighter.
Including things like combat range? Damage resistance? Serviceability and support requirements? Handling qualities? Structural limitations? Pilot equipment? Loadbearing qualities? Rough field turnaround performance?
 

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