Fw 190 Flight Test Report

Flight Report Fw 190/670 Fighter Bomber
Nr. 3

S.O.Archiv
Werk Flughafen

Date:	Nr.:	Take-off:	Landing:	Duration	Pilot:
24.1.43	28	11⁰⁹	12⁰⁵	56'	Märschel
24.1.43	29	15²⁶	16¹⁵	49'	Märschel
25.1.43	30	12⁰³	13⁰²	59'	Mehlhorn
25.1.43	31	15³⁵	16⁰⁶	31'	Mehlhorn
13.2.43	32	11⁰¹	11¹⁵	14'	Mehlorn

Condition:

Engine BMW 801 D/85289

Tight engine cowl.

Gills.

Armament: 2 MG 151

Fixed inner wheel doors

Oil cooler No. 1603.3 with armored ring mounting according to HSK 1115 (slotted flaps).

ETC 501 with intermediate rack under the fuselage.

1 Ju 87 auxiliary tank rack per wing with prototype fairing according to drawing 8-190.531-Z03.

Auxiliary oil tank for Jabo-Rei from 28/01/43, MG 17 removed.

Program:

1.)	Level speeds with combat and economical power.
2.)	Flight characteristics with Ju 87 rack and fairing to drawing 8-190.531-Z03,
	a.)	with auxiliary tanks,
	b.)	without auxiliary tanks.

Results:

1.)	Level flight performance is shown on the attached graph with and without auxiliary tanks at n = 2400 rpm and n = 2100 rpm. A dynamic pressure calibration to check the airspeed indicator error or the possible influence of the tanks on the Pitot tube has not yet been flown.

2.)

The aircraft’s flying characteristics with auxiliary tanks are not alright. The following deficiencies result from this condition in relation to the Fw 190 normal condition:

	I.	Relatively severe decrease of longitudinal stability (stat. instability in the climb, stat. neutral in normal flight.)

	II.	Acceptable decrease in directional stability.

	III.	Unacceptable changes to the longitudinal stability with small impact on the vertical axis while diving. The characteristic deficiencies listed under III) appear as follows: In dive, the machine initially behaves normal with respect to longitudinal axis up to dynamic pressures from v_a = 480-490 km/h in H_B = 2000 m. Above this speed, at v_a = 500 - 520 km/h, the machine experiences a jerky roll movement, in the direction of "rolling left", with simultaneous shift in balance around the vertical axis in the "clockwise" sense. If the speed is increased further, initially to about V_a = 550 km/h, severe control forces against the left roll apply that suddenly decrease with increasing dynamic pressure when reaching the above-mentioned speed and now must be overcome in the other direction. With a further increase of the speed to about 600 or 650 km/h, symmetrical but very high aileron forces occur, without trim changes around the longitudinal axis being detectable.

All characteristic deficiencies described under a) were no longer present in the flights with the rack fairing without auxiliary tank. The behavior of the machine was quite normal.

Remark:

In this context it should be noted that during testing of the Fw bomb and tank rack with Fw 190 No. 270 and 619 no significant degradation of flying qualities resulted, even when auxiliary tanks were attached.


Wenzendorf, 17 February 1943 Gt/Kl.

Speed performance with combat and economical power

Flugbericht Fw 190/670 Nr. 3 (pdf)

Translation by Jörn Dietrich and Mike Williams