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.

The Fw 190 A-6 was developed to address shortcomings found in previous "A" models when attacking U.S. heavy bombers. Modifications of the type to date had caused the weight of the aircraft to creep up. To combat this and to allow better weapons to be installed in the wings, a structurally redesigned and lighter wing was introduced. The normal armament was increased to two MG 17 fuselage machine guns and four 20 mm MG 151/20E wing root and outer wing cannon with larger ammunition boxes. New electrical sockets and reinforced weapon mounts were fitted internally in the wings to allow the installation of either 20 mm or 30 mm (1.18 in) ammunition boxes and for underwing armament. Because the outer wing MG 151s were mounted lower than the MG/FFs new larger hatches, incorporating bulges and cartridge discharge chutes, were incorporated into the wing lower surfaces. It is believed the MG 17s were kept because their tracer rounds served as a targeting aid for the pilots. A new FuG 16 ZE radio navigation system was fitted in conjunction with a FuG 10 ZY. A loop aerial for radio navigation, mounted on a small "teardrop" base was fitted under the rear fuselage, offset slightly to port, with an additional short "whip" aerial aft of this. These aerials were fitted on all later Fw 190 variants.

The A-6 was outfitted in numerous ways with various sets, Rustsatze (field modification kits); more flexible than the factory upgrade kits for previous versions, these field upgrade kits allowed the A-6 to be refitted in the field as missions demanded. At least 963 A-6s were built from July 1943 ending in April 1944, according to Ministry of Aviation acceptance reports and Focke-Wulf production books. In late 1943, the Erla Antwerp factory designed a simpler rack/drop-tank fitting, which was more streamlined than the bulky ETC 501 and could be quickly fitted or removed. Several A-6s, A-7s and A-8s of JG 26 were fitted with these racks (one such aircraft was A-8 W.Nr.170346 Black 13 flown by Obstlt. Josef Priller during the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944.)

This particular 1:72 scale replica of a German Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8 fighter that was piloted by Oberleutnant Otto Kittel, who was attached to 2./Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grunherz" during February 1945. Pre-order! Ship Date: 2025.

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

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "Sturmovik Hunter" - The son of a farmer, Otto Kittel didn't conform to most people's opinion of a successful Luftwaffe fighter ace, being more reserved and modest than brash and boastful, going about his duties in a ruthlessly effective manner. Initially posted as wingman to a more experienced pilot, Kittel eventually took part in the opening exchanges of Operation Barbarossa with his unit JG54, where it became one of the most successful on the Eastern Front. Otto Kittel was credited with 267 aerial victories during the Second World War, with his final victory being his 94th against an Il-2 Sturmovik attack aircraft on 16th February 1945, his 583rd combat sortie of the war.

Unfortunately, moments after dispatching his latest victim, the hunter became the hunted, as another Sturmovik attacked Kittel's Focke Wulf from below, scoring hits on the German fighter which almost immediately crashed into a forest below. The unassuming and well-liked Otto Kittel stands as the fourth most successful air ace of all time, achieved in less than four years of operational flying over the Eastern Front. He was also the most successful Focke Wulf FW190 ace, and, with 94 victories against the excellent Il-2 Sturmovik, the most successful 'Sturmovik Hunter'.

Scoring all his victories over the Eastern Front, Kittel was the most successful fighter ace to be lost during combat.