Nicknamed the "Butcher Bird", the Fw 190 was Germany's best air-to-ground fighter. Faster and more agile than the British Spitfire, it dominated the skies over Europe as a fighter and was the Luftwaffe's most important ground-attack aircraft. Controlled by the skilled hands of aces like Oberleutnant Otto Kittel, the FW-190 gained the reputation of being one of the greatest fighters of all time. This fighter-bomber and anti-tank aircraft was almost impossible to defeat until the introduction of the long-range P-51 Mustang.

This particular 1:72 scale replica of a German Focke-Wulf FW 190A fighter was attached to 1./Jagdgeschwader 1 "Oesau", then deployed to Schiphol, Holland, during June 1943. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 5-1/4-inches
Length: 5-inches

Release Date: May 2010

Historical Account: "Schachbrettmuster" - The distinctive checkerboard markings, synonymous with 1/JG 1's Defence of the Reich FW190As, first appeared in the early summer of 1943. 1/JG 1 chose this scheme, with the chequers in black/white, while 2/JG 1 had them applied in red/black and 3/JG 1 in yellow/black.

FW 190 A-4 W.Nr. 0601 from 1/JG1, 'White 4', was based in Amsterdam-Schipol airport, Holland between June 1st, 1943 and July 7th, 1943. The aircraft suffered minor damage following a taxing accident at Schipol on June 25th,1943, but returned to service soon after.

The ' Schachbrettmuster' pattern would only last a matter of months, however, as the markings resulted in confusion in the air when other Jagdwaffe fighters intercepted the Gruppe after misidentifying its aircraft for similarly marked P-47 Thunderbolts of the USAAF's 8th Air Force.