#43, Fw 190: Outclassed the Spitfire, For an Entire Year
When the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 appeared over the English Channel in late 1941, it was faster, more heavily armed, and more maneuverable at low and medium altitudes than the Spitfire Mk V, the RAF's best fighter at the time. For nearly a year, the Fw 190 owned the skies over northern France, and the RAF was forced into a desperate crash program to develop the Spitfire Mk IX to counter it. No Axis fighter ever caused the Allies a bigger technological shock.
Over 20,000 Fw 190s were built in a remarkable variety of roles: air superiority fighter, interceptor, fighter-bomber, ground attack aircraft, and even torpedo bomber. Kurt Tank's radial-engine design was rugged, easy to produce, and beloved by pilots for its wide-track landing gear and excellent visibility. The Fw 190D "Dora" variant, fitted with an inline engine, was one of the finest piston fighters of the war. Alongside the Bf 109, the Fw 190 formed the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force and accounted for thousands of Allied aircraft destroyed. Its impact on aerospace engineering competition between the Allies and Axis powers was profound.
