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The BMW139 engine

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External weapons
Special devices & weapons
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External weapons

External bracket
Junker 87 Vtr bracket under Fw190G wing
External let us weapons external bracket Although they do not represent the most interesting part of Fw190, it seems useful to me to speak about the supports. In effects, not of carrying of weapons or additional tanks without them. Moreover Fw190A-1 could nothing carry of other that its weapons of edge because the supports was not at the point, which limited its role to pure hunting. The supports used all are indicated by letters etc for "elektrischer Träger für zylindrische Aussenlasten" (in German) what wants to say support electrified for external loads cylindrical (in French!). The standard support of Fw190 is the ETC501.ETC250 bracket under Fw190F wingFixed under the fuselage, it is composed of a long mast not very high but, and small legs of stabilization. The mast in general remained gone up permanently on the plane and the small legs were changed according to the hung load. the ETC501, derived improved of the ETC500, could carry up to 500 kg of load. That is to say a a whole panoply of bombs, adapters and tanks additional. 2 x ETC70 bracket under Fw190 wing, this bracket his used for SC50 or SC70 bombsA certain number of Fw190 had ventral supports ETC250, these supports were assembled by the mechanics in the units of hunting because it made it possible to carry 250 kg, that is to say an additional reserve of 300 liters, with a trail less than the ETC501. This use was lost since 1943 when the units of hunting are transfered allotted roles of support on the ground or drive out-bombardment. At this period, the ETC501 were assembled permanently under all the alternatives of Fw190 in the units and the ETC250 was used more only under the wings of the versions F Of another supports transfer the day, the ETC502 which had all the possibilities of the 501 with the capacity of carrying torpedes or bombs of the type "BT". Then appeared ETC503 towards the end of the war, gone up in series on F190f-8; it is in fact a reduced and reprofilé ETC501. It y have also the ETC504 which allowed in more transport of torpedo or large bombs, this last was assembles it standard on Fw190D-9.

The bombs
view of bomb size
Weight & size of any german boms4 x SC50 bomb on ER4 pylon on ETC501 bracketthe types of bombs are varied according to the effect which one wishes to obtain on the objective. They can be with fragmentation (SC), purpose of blast, flamer or penetrating (BT). The diagram opposite and the table below will give some more detailed information. The largest bombs transported by Fw190 are the BT1400 and the SB1800. The latter was tested in last times of the conflict to destroy the bridges and to try to slow down the advance of the allied troops in the East as in the West. I did not find information confirming the operational use of this bomb of 1800kg, container à sous munitions AB500 sur ETC501only of information on some trial flight or the pilot and the plane swallowed 1200 to 1300 meters of track before daring to take off with such an overload. Another type of bomb was used, particularly on the face of the East, it acts of containers AB. Of a weight of 250, 500 or 1000kg, they could carry a set of anti-personnel submunitions or variable anti-vehicle of weight. A AB1000 could, for example, to saturate with anti-personnel bombs of 1 kg a little more than 2000 m², a container AB500 could contain 118 bombs SD4 anti-vehicle, which released in hedgehopping above a convoy of troop could prove devastator.

The MK 103 gun in external pods
MK103
Developed by the Rheinmetall-Borsig firm in 1941 to answer at the request of the RLM which expressed needs of more powerful weapons; this gun of gauge 30mm spit a projectile of 530gr at the speed of 806 m/s. MK103 en gondole sous les ailes, fut essentiellement utilisé sur les versions F sur le front de l'est contre les véhicule et les blindésA complete shell weighed 950g approximately. It was brought back has several recoveries in reports/ratios of mission which ten shells placed well had is enough to break a wing of bomber! This terrible weapon had nevertheless defects, a weak rate of shooting (380 with 440coups/mn) and a weight of 146kg (199 kg fixed on plane with the gondole). Moreover the retreat of the weapon made the carrier aircraft unstable during the shooting. Size of the weapon, 2300mm, and the ammunition imposed its installation in shaped gondoles fixed under the wings and, the weight and the trail caused by these gondoles, strongly degraded the performances of the planes equipped. On Fw190, this weapon with primarily used that in gondoles on the versions F to fight against the Russian vehicles and armoured tanks on the face of the east.

The MG151/20 gun in external pods
2 x MG151/20 en gondoles sous l'aile d'un Fw190
Another manner of increasing the fire power to fight against the massive formations of combined bombers, was to go up in gondole a pair of gun MG151 of 20mm. This gondole was assembled under each wing, after disassembling of the gun of wing. Fw190 lent itself well to this kind of assembly, because the place left by the disassembling of the weapon of edge made it possible to place the ammunition for the guns of nacelle. The disadvantages of the system was always the same ones, increase in the trail and increase in the weight of the hunter. Although as devastator as the guns the larger (that made nevertheless 6 gun of 20mm which spits at the same time) degradation of the performances made Fw190 more vulnerable.

The drop tank
Croquis des differents montages de réservoirs
On Fw190, it were generally of a capacity of 300 liters in the shape of abdomen of wasp. It were fixed on a support ETC501 under the fuselage and only the versions G (Fighter-bomber or Jabo) of Focke Wulf had some under the wings goes up from there standard, initially (Fw190G1 with G3)sur of the supports Junker (the same ones as Ju87 "stuka") but those trails enormously and obliged the mechanics to cut out the split flaps; then on ETC250 or 501 under fuselage, supports of Me109 profiled better under the wings and even of the supports developed by Focke Wulf.

The WGr21 rocket
WGr21 et son tube sous l'aile d'un Fw190.
Developed starting from a mortar shell of the infantry, WGr21 (Werfer-Granate 21) is composed of a tube fixed under each wing inside whose was installed a self-propelled rocket. The guidance of the departure was ensured by three rails inside the tube. montage du tube par les mécaniciensThis rocket did not have any system of guidance nor of sensor of proximity to explode it, it exploded at the end of a certain time of course after its launching. That obliged the pilots to estimate with precision the distance before launching under penalty of seeing it exploding too early or too late and without any effect on the target, the optimal distance from shooting was 1200 meters. In addition, no artifice stabilized the rocket aerodynamically, which obliged to draw with a strong positive angle. In spite of these defects, it was used massively as from the summer 1943, and severely increased the losses of allied heavy bombers. The hunters equipped with WGr21 launched the rockets to dislocate the formations of bombers. Once separated in small groups, even only, the bombers was much more vulnerable to the attacks of the hunters with conventional weapons.mise en place de la fusée The German losses were terrible too. The weight of the rockets and the enormous trail of the tubes degraded so much the performances which the hunters equipped with WGr21 was easy preys for the hunters of escort which appeared massively at the same time. The undergone losses pushed the pilots German to claim them also an escort. Branchement des connections electriques, un bouton fixé sur le "manche" permettait de tirer cette arme !End 1943/début 1944, WGr21 were assembled primarily on heavy hunters (Me110, Me410) which left the place to the hunters single-engined aircrafts after the launching of the rockets. To the autumn 1944, the losses high undergone in the units which used them and the modifications of the tactics of escort of the allies returned the use of these rockets marginal. WGr21 had a propelling load of 18,4 kg, which could make accelerate the rocket until 1200km/h, an explosive load of 40,8 kg for a total weight of 111 kg installed (with the tube), such a weight did not authorize Me109 and Fw190 has to carry only 2 rockets. It y have some alternatives for for the fight anti-tank device of which WGr32 but they did not know a use operational to my knowledge.

The R4/M "Orkan" rocket
roquette R4M the R4/M was the first operational air-to-air rocket of the luftwaffe. Developed in the research laboratories of company D.M.W in Lubeck for Me262, it was also used by the other hunters with effectiveness. Developed tardily in the conflict, its startup hardly changed the course of the things. The R4/M was stabilized by small ailerons retracted before the shooting, which leave after launching. vue et coupe d'une R4MThe distance shooting ranged between 800 and 1000 meters, outdistances that the new Ez42 sight assembled on Me262 could determine with precision. To increase its effectiveness a proximity detector (similar to the magnetic mines anti-vehicle) makes it possible to explode it near the bombers. Tests with rockets of firing acoustics were carried out, I do not have any information when with the operational use of this version. The shooting, carried out in salvo, had proven devastator for the compact formations of allied bombers. groupe de 12 R4M sous l'aile d'un Me262The R4/M has a diameter of 55mm, a speed of 900km/h and an explosive load of 0,5kg for a total weight of 9kg. This weak weight and obstruction made it possible to carry them in great number, generally by group of 12 or 24 pennies each wing. Only information on the use operational as of the these rockets which I found, is the interception of a raid of B17 by of Me262 in March 1945 or 15 to 17 bombers were cut down without loss with dimensions Me262 and a second interception a few days later by Geschwader de Fw190, there more than thirty bombers would have made the expenses of the operation.

The PD 8,8cm rocket
Cette arme installée sous un Fw190 semble etre une roquette WGr32, si vous avez des infos....This weapon was conceived following a request of the RLM which wanted urgently a weapon anti-tank device usable of a hunter of support. Adapted starting from a weapon anti-tank device of infantry, it was implemented on the face Is during October 1944. Its gauge was of 88mm and the warhead is equipped with a hollow head being able to bore until 90mm shielding. It was generally assembled by group of 4 or 8 pennies each wing of Fw190F (Tactical support). This weapon was used as a basis for the development of the series of the "Panzerblitz" describes Ci below.

The Panzerblitz I &II rocket
Panzerblitz par 4 sur support ETC70 sous l'aile d'un Fw190Evolution of PD 8,8cm this weapon airborne anti-tank device was massively used to try to slow down the advance of the Russian armoured tanks on the face of the East. This weapon however had significant defects. The shooting was to be carried out at a speed of approximately 490 km/h to be precise, the shooting was to be carried out under an angle of 25 with 30° at a distance from 100 to 200 meters. Under these conditions, the zone of dispersion nevertheless represented a rectangle of 27 out of 14 meters, which gave an average of 10% of rockets to the goal, and facilitated the spot of the Russian DCA! The PB1 weighed approximately 6,5 kg and could bore up to 90 mm of shielding. The shooting of these rockets was made by group of 6 to increase the chances of blow to the goal, Fw190F could carry 12 of them. The PB2, was it developed starting from air-to-air rocket R4/M. Equipée with a load with improved hollow point, it could bore up to 180 mm of shielding. The precision of the PB2 was better than the PB1 thanks to the aileron of stabilization of the R4/M. Like the R4/M, the PB2 was able too late to be able to change the course of the things.

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