+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The second half of the Second World War saw the Focke-Wulf Fw190, in its various forms, emerge as the best of what was available to the Luftwaffe. The dedicated fighter version was a high performance, heavily armed machine. Its development had a precarious beginning, against a 1938 specification issued by the Technisches Amt, RLM. The first prototype took to the air on June 1, 1939. After a series of improvements and even radical changes, the design culminated in the fall of 1940 in the pre-series version Fw190A-0.
Development of the thoroughbred fighter continued in the guise of the Fw190D, which began to reach Luftwaffe units in the second half of 1944 and was the result of mounting an in-line Jumo213A-1 engine into a modified Fw190A-8 airframe. The Fw 190 D (nicknamed the Dora; or Long-Nose Dora, "Langnasen-Dora") was intended to improve on the high-altitude performance of the A-series enough to make it useful against the American heavy bombers of the era.
With the D version the power plant was changed from the radial engine of earlier models to a 12-cylinder inverted-V liquid-cooled engine. The Jumo 213A generated 1,750 PS (1,730 hp; 1,290 kW) and could produce 2,100 PS (2,100 hp; 1,500 kW) of emergency power with MW 50 injection, improving performance to 686 km/h (426 mph) at 6,600 m (21,700 ft). In order to fit the new engine in the Fw 190 fuselage while maintaining proper balance, both the nose and the tail of the aircraft were lengthened, adding nearly 1.52 m (5.0 ft) to the fuselage, bringing the overall length to 10.192 m (33.44 ft) versus the 9.10 m (29.9 ft) of the late war A-9 series. The lengthened tail required a straight-sided bay, 30 cm (12 in) long, spliced in forward of the rear angled joint and tail assembly of the fuselage. To further aid balance, the pilot's oxygen bottles were moved aft and located in the new bay. This gave the rear fuselage a "stretched" appearance.
Furthermore, the move to a V12 engine from a radial engine required more components to be factored into the design, most significantly the need for coolant radiators (radial engines are air-cooled). To keep the design as simple and as aerodynamic as possible, Tank used an annular radiator (the AJA 180 L) installed at the front of the engine, similar to the configuration used in the Jumo powered versions of the Junkers Ju 88. The annular radiator with its adjustable cooling gills resembled a radial engine installation, although the row of six short exhausts stacks on either side of the elongated engine cowling showed that the Jumo 213 was an inverted V12 engine.
While the first few Doras were fitted with the early flat-top canopy, these were later replaced with the newer rounded top "blown" canopy first used on the A-8 model, and it offered the pilot an improved all-around field of view, esp. backwards. With the wider canopy the shoulder and head armor plating design was changed, too. Some late-model Doras were also fitted with the broader-chord Ta 152 vertical stabilizer and rudder, often called "Big Tails" by the Luftwaffe ground crews and pilots. The centerline weapons rack was changed to an ETC 504 with a simplified and much smaller mounting and fairing.
The fighter lacked the higher rate of roll of its close coupled radial-engined predecessor. However, it was faster, with a maximum speed of 680 km/h (420 mph) at 6,600 meters (21,700 feet). Its 2,240 horsepower with methanol-water injection (MW 50) gave it an excellent acceleration in combat situations. It also climbed and dived more rapidly than the Fw 190A and was superior in turn rate, so that it proved well suited to the dive-and-zoom ambush tactics favored by the Schlageter fighter wing's pilots from November 1944 onward, when the wing converted to the Fw 190D. Many of the early models were not equipped with methanol tanks for the MW 50 boost system, which was in very short supply in any event. At low altitude, the top speed and acceleration of these examples were inferior to those of Allied fighters.
Sporting good handling and performance characteristics, the D-9 made an effective medium altitude, high speed interceptor, although its performance still fell away at altitudes above about 6,000 m (20,000 ft). When flown by capable pilots, the Fw 190D proved the equal of Allied types.
As it was used in the anti-fighter role, armament in the "D" was generally lighter compared to that of the earlier aircraft—usually the outer wing cannon were omitted so that the armament consisted of two 13 mm (0.51 in) cowling-mounted MG 131s, with 400 rounds per gun, and two wing root mounted 20 mm MG 151/20E cannon with 250 rounds per gun; all four weapons were synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. The wings of the Dora still were capable of carrying outer wing cannon, though, and also still had the electrical circuits and attachment points from the A-8 fighter for the underwing BR 21 rocket- propelled mortar rounds, although none appeared to have used these operationally.
The first Fw 190 D-9s started entering service in September 1944, with III./JG 54. It was quickly followed by other units including I./JG 26 which flew its last operations on the A-8s on 19 November 1944. Slightly more than 1.800 Doras were eventually built.
Due to the worsening situation some Doras were not only employed as daytime interceptors, a few of them were also transferred to night fighter units and used in “Wilde Sau (Wild boar)” tactics: instead of being guided towards their aerial targets through ground radar stations; the pilots were given a free hand to over-fly bombed areas to see if they could locate bombers using the ground fires below, and attack these individually. To improve these independent attacks, the Fw 190 D-9/R11 was a dedicated night fighter conversion which used a standardized Rüstsatz (equipment package); about thirty airframes in total were modified from regular day fighters in this way.
The D-9/R11 featured flame-dampening boxes fitted over the Jumo 213A’s exhaust stubs, muzzle flame dampers for the wing root guns and glare panels on the flanks for the pilot. A blind-flying radio equipment was added, as well as a PKS 12 radio direction finder, and window heaters, too. The Rüstsatz’ core element was a FuG 217 Neptun (Neptune) mid-VHF band radar system, which came with two alternative antenna arrangements. One version featured arrays of three dipole antenna elements vertically mounted fore and aft of the cockpit and above and below the wings. The other was a more obvious set of asymmetrical ‘antler’ Yagi dipole antennas on the wings’ leading edges. In both cases a small monitor was added to the upper left of the dashboard that displayed the radar’s acquisition. The FuG 217 worked on two switchable frequencies (158 and 187MHz) and had a forward search angle of 120°. Bomber-sized targets could be detected at a range between 400–4,000 m (440–4,370 yd). The radar could be combined with an additional “Elfe (Pixie)” device to automatically measure the target distance and fire the guns at a set range, but apparently only a handful D-9/R11 night fighters were outfitted with it. To compensate for the raised drag esp. of the FuG 217’s Yagi antenna arrays, most D-9/R11s with this arrangement were outfitted with new VDM all-metal four-blade propellers.
The Fw 190 D-9/R11’s primal operator was the Luftwaffe’s Nachtjagdgruppe 10 (NJGr 10). This unit was formed on 1 January 1944 at Werneuchen with 3 Staffeln (squadrons) and built from parts of I/Jagdgeschwader 300 (1st Group of 300th Fighter Wing), which contributed the Doras which had formerly been operated as pure daytime fighters. The night fighter conversion with the R11 package was done in the unit’s field workshops, and the machines were gradually introduced to frontline service, just as they became available. NJGr 10 was initially subordinated to the 1. Jagd-Division (1st fighter division), stationed at Döberitz in the West of Berlin, a unit which also operated radar-less Bf 109Gs and Fw 190As. On 6 March 1945, NJGr 10 transferred to Liebenwalde in Brandenburg, north of Berlin, where the 2. Staffel, in which the R11 Doras were concentrated, was primarily tasked with nocturnal interceptions of fast British Mosquito bombers and photo reconnaissance aircraft that tried to reach Berlin. However, after only a single month the whole unit was disbanded, and in April 1945 the remnants of NJGr 10 were absorbed by NJG 5 (Nachtjagdgeschwader/5th Night Fighter Wing), which rather operated heavy twin-engine night fighters like the Ju 88C against slower Allied bombers; the staff was integrated into NJG 5 but all single engine aircraft were passed to other units, where most were used as daytime fighters and lost their draggy radar equipment.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 10.2 m (33 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 18.3 m² (197 sq ft)
Airfoil: root: NACA 23015.3; tip: NACA 23009
Empty weight: 3,490 kg (7,694 lb)
Gross weight: 4,270 kg (9,414 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 4,840 kg (10,670 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Junkers Jumo 213A V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine with 1,750 PS (1,726 hp; 1,287 kW)
and temporarily with 2,050 PS (2,022 hp; 1,508 kW)with MW 50 injection, driving a 3- or 4-
bladed constant-speed VDM propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 685 km/h (426 mph, 370 kn) at 6,600 m (21,700 ft)
710 km/h (440 mph; 380 kn) at 11,000 m (36,000 ft) with MW 50
Range: 835 km (519 mi, 451 nmi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 17 m/s (3,300 ft/min)
Wing loading: 233 kg/m² (48 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.30–0.35 kW/kg (0.18–0.21 hp/lb)
Armament:
2× 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns with 475 rpg in the upper cowling and
2× 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151 cannon with 250 rpg in the wing roots,
all synchronized to fire through the propeller arc
1× ventral hardpoint for a 300 l drop tank or a 500 kg (1,102 lb) SC 500 bomb
The kit and its assembly:
This relatively simple what-if build was inspired by the thought that, while there were some Fw 190 A night fighters with radar in Luftwaffe service, no higher-performance Dora was (AFAIK) outfitted with these systems? This was spawned by a Revell 1:72 Fw 190 A-8/R11 kit in The Stash™, and upon inspection of the sprues I saw that the kit comes with an extra sprue for the FuG 217’s Yagi antennae (and a pair of underwing pods with two 20 mm MG 151/20 for an optional fighter bomber). Since I had an Academy Fw 190 D-9 without a real plan yet in The Stash™, too, I decided to combine both into the fictional Fw 190 D-9/R11 night fighter. Effectively, it’s a kind of kitbashing, because two OOB kits were merged, but since the radar elements and some other mods are rather small this technically is just a conversion of the stock Academy Dora.
The Academy Fw 190 is IMHO a really nice kit – robust, but easily built, with very good fit (requiring little PSR) and with sufficient detail. Only cosmetic changes were made, including lowered flaps and a different pilot seat, because the OOB part is bleak and very small, as if made for a pygmy – a classic Academy kit issue!
From the OOB kit I used the optional late “blown” canopy, the Yagi antennae were taken wholesale from the Revell kit (which will find a different use some day) and mounted in the same wing positions as on the Fw 190A. More night fighter flavor came with flame damper fairings over the exhausts (also taken from the Revell kit) and scratched muzzle fairings for the wing root cannons, made from heated styrene tube material and mounted to the kit’s gun barrel tips. Biggest change was the replacement of the OOB propeller with its deep three blades with a new 4-blade prop. Inspiration came from the propeller that was mounted to the supercharged Fw 190C “Känguruh” high-altitude prototypes. It was scratched from the OOB spinner, which was filled with 2C putty and mounted onto a metal axis. Four single propeller blades, left over from two KP Avia B.35 kits (these come with two-blade props, the blades have the same length as the original Fw 190 prop’s) were glued onto the now massive spinner. Inside of the fuselage a styrene tube adapter holds the construction and allows free spinning.
The ventral hardpoint/pylon was retained, even though I rather used the Revell kit’s 300 l drop tank instead of the Academy kit’s part, because it looks better. Shackles had to be improvised to make it compatible with the pylon, though.
Painting and markings:
A bit complicated, even though the model’s paint scheme was based on a real German night fighter camouflage from late 1944. This is a free interpretation of a scheme carried by a Bf 109G of 1./JG 300 in 1944 which was deployed in “Wilde Sau” night interception missions (and where the unit’s emblem stems from), found as a profile drawing (yet of dubious credibility). I slightly extrapolated the livery with the late war Luftwaffe nigh fighter camouflage practices and added personal twists. Late in the war, night fighters received a rather light livery, mostly uniform RLM 76 overall, and additional camouflage was later added in the field, e. g. irregular spots with RLM 75 and/or RLM 83, stripes or even net patterns. However, some aircraft also received black undersides again – partly as an ID measure for FlaK crews on the ground (frequently only a single wing was painted black for this purpose), but probably also as a defilade against the sky. Since this was frequently improvised with a washable soot paint, I adapted this for my model, too.
Mimicking the inspiring Bf 109’s look I gave the model an overall coat of RLM 76 (Humbrol 247), but I painted the rudders’ upper surfaces on the left wing and stabilizer with RLM 74 and 75, simulating cannibalized replacement parts. Similarly, the fuselage gun cowling and some access panels were left in bare metal. I also left the wings’ underside in bare metal/aluminum, with a leading-edge section in RLM 75 (I used Humbrol 106 as an approximation) and ailerons in RLM 76 – a frequent practice on late production Doras to save paint and speed up production.
The model then received a light black ink washing and some panel shading with lighter shades of blue grey. At this stage some decals were applied – national (simplified) markings, the unit emblem (the Revell Fw 190 A-8/R11 features the famous ‘Wild Boar’ emblem of NJGr 10) and stencils. As a member of a night fighter unit the aircraft does not carry any colored unit-related fuselage band anymore, what provides a slightly bleak look.
After this first stage the meandering RLM 75 camouflage pattern was added with Revell 77 (thinned acrylic paint), applied with a small blunt brush, dabbing the undulating lines around the markings. When this had dried up, I concocted a thin and translucent mix of very dark grey tempera, which was sparsely applied with a flat brush to all ventral surfaces and raised along the flanks into the upper camouflage, also covering the national markings but letting the original paint underneath and some markings shine through here and there. This effect was further enhanced through directional sanding on the leading edges, along the hull and at the panel lines, simulating flaking and wear and tear of the temporary dark paint, supported by some dry-brushing with light grey and silver. The tactical code (actually a 1:32 Bundesluftwaffe code number from a generic TL Modellbau sheet) was added on top of that, as if this marking had freshly been outlined with white, to make the aircraft easier to identify despite its improvised camouflage.
After some final soot stains behind the exhausts and around the gun muzzles with graphite the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
Admittedly, this is a rather simple what-if model, but the result looks quite convincing – after all, it’s a mix of real-world elements: the Fw 190D-9 existed, just as the R11 radar package, and even the paint scheme is heavily rooted in contemporary night fighter aircraft from the late 1944- early 1945 era.
