Sorry but I just can't let such a comment float around without responding...
wmaxt said:
The Spitfire.com Fw-190D9 data is, just like the P-38J data, production aircraft right off the line, and tested by the Germans with an eye to improving performance, so any comparisons should be valid. The testers made a point of stating gap seal problems as well as lack of expected power output affecting performance.
wmaxt, again you completely ignore the important parts....
The Fw190 D-9 Nr. 210001 and 210002 were both fitted with under-performing engines, severely impacting their performance in the tests.
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The first problem with all flight trials of Wk.-Nr. 001 002 is that they were done with the initial batch of production engines, which have well documented problems with supercharger performance.
Despite these engine troubles the 002 still managed to reach 595km/h at SL using MW-50, without the ETC-504 and with a puttied and polished surface. And in a later test where a gap between the engine and wing was covered with rubber, the 002 managed 608km/h at SL using MW50.
Fw-190 D-9 Nr. 001 however, with the standard factory surface finish, reached the same speeds as 002. This is something which had FW puzzled, cause why didn't the higher quality surface finish of Nr. 002 show in better performance ? So they were keen to investigate that issue further, and the conclusion was that with engines performing to their published figures and with good factory finish a serial production Dora-9 will reach the previously calculated performance figures - ~625 Km/h at SL using MW50.
And it turns out they were right, cause the next batch of aircraft to leave the production line performed much better...
Running at Start u. Notleistung (1,750PS@3,250rpm), Fw-190 D-9 Nr. 210006 reached 550 km/h at SL and climbed at 17 m/s (3,329 ft/min), and this is with a standard factory finish as-well as with a ETC-504 attached. - The same as in the chart I posted earlier;
Climb rate at Start u. Notleistung w/ETC-504 at a weight of 4,270 kg = 17.3 m/s:
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9339/d9climb8yo.jpg
Compared to 002 which had a puttied and polished surface, and no ETC-504 attached, 006 reached the same speeds but with a standard factory surface finish, a ETC-504 attached and with no main wheel doors (And even at a higher weight as-well) - just because the engine now ran properly.
Detailed information on Fw-190 D-9 Wk.-Nr.210006:
General information.
Airplane model: Fw 190 D-9 Wk. –Nr.210006
Aerodynamic Wing Area: F = 18,3 m2
Wing span: b = 31,32 ft (10,46 m)
Wing aspect ratio: R = 6,0
Engine: Jumo 213 A (B-4 fuel)
Engine power permissible for 30 min: 3250 rpm
Engine power for continuous operation: 3000 rpm
Air Intake: external scoop without filter
Exhaust system: plain blow back stacks
Pitot tube installation: Bruhn 5 d
Propeller: Heine, 3 blades, compensating core, D = 3,5m, t/D = 11,5%
Aircraft condition:
Standard version with ETC 504 (without wheel cover).
Engine: without gap gasket
Surface: standard, primed and sprayed
Armament: 2 mg 131 in the fuselage with 475 rounds and 2 mg 151 in the wing with 250 rounds.
Antennas: for Fu G 16 " Fu G 25 " equipment and directional loop cover.
Take-off weight: 9,590 lbs (G = 4350kg) (after n.J.190.213-045 v,31.7.45)
Fuel contents: 141 gallons (640 liter), of which 25 gallons (115 liter) is in the supplementary fuselage tank. 10,229 lbs. (4640 kg), if flown with 300 liter drop tank.
Note also that Fw-190 D-9 Wk.-Nr. 210001 with a metal gap seal at the engine in the wing/fuselage transition area(Not rubber or in every gap like on 002), running at Kampfleistung(1,590PS@3,000rpm), reaches the same speed as Wk.-Nr. 210002 running at Start u. Notleistung! Thats a speed increase of 18 km/h (11mph), with a gap seal, still with the underperforming engine! (Not bad!) With a proper working engine that would mean a top speed at SL of around 612-615 km/h using MW50.
Also remember metal wasn't in shortage like rubber was, so there's no reason to believe this modification wasn't implemented on future aircraft.
And lastly, although I know manufacturing quality had decreased in most factories producing the FW fighters by 44-45(Some of FW's own factories were still turning out good quality a/c), I do not believe it had decreased to an extent where the Fw-190A-5 from 43 at 1,800PS@2,700rpm would be running at a 27 km/h higher speed at SL than the Dora-9 running at 1,750PS@3,250rpm - since not even the BMW801F of the A-9 could produce the same amount of thrust at 2,000PS@2,700rpm as the Jumo-213A could at 1,750PS@3,250rpm, not to mention that the Anton series a/c produce alot more drag than the Dora series ! Overall manufacturing quality simply couldn't have fallen that much.
At 2,000PS@2,700rpm the Fw-190A-9 had a top speed at SL of 590 km/h (366 mph), btw.