Hobby Master 1/48 - FW 190 A-8/R2 11 (Sturm)/JG.3, Unteroffizier Willi Maximowitz, Dreux, France 1944

Hobby Master 1/48 - FW 190 A-8/R2 11 (Sturm)/JG.3, Unteroffizier Willi Maximowitz, Dreux, France 1944

In 1937 the Me-109 was an excellent aircraft but the Reich Air Ministry wanted a new advanced fighter that could out perform any future foreign designs. Kurt Tank’s Focke-Wulf Fw-190 Würger (Butcher Bird) won the design competition by using an air-cooled radial engine. When the Fw-190 entered combat in the summer of 1941 it already was Germany’s premiere piston-powered WWII fighter. Over 20,000 of all variants of the Fw-190 were built with 13,291 of these being of the 9 different “A” variants.

The Aircraft

On May 8, 1944 Unteroffizier (NCO) Willi Maximowitz became part of IV./JG 3 in Dreux France and providing ground support in Normandy. By July they were re-assigned to attacking Allied bombers. On July 30, 1944 Maximowitz was promoted to Feldwebel and soon after was injured crash-landing “Black 8”. Next he was assigned as Captain Moritz’s Katschmarek (wing-man). In February 1945 IV./JG 3 transferred to the Eastern Front and Maximowitz scored 12 more victories for a total of 27. On April 20, 1945 he failed to return from a combat mission.

Specifications :

Dimensions:	Wingspan – 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
	Wing Area – 18.3 m (197 sq ft)
	Length – 8.96 m (29 ft 5 in)
	Height – 3.96 m (13 ft)
Weight:	Empty – 3,470 kg (7,650 lb)
	Maximum – 4,900 kg (10,800 lb)
Performance:	Engine – BMW 801D 1,700 hp 14-cylinder radial engine
	Maximum Speed – 657 kph (408 mph) (335 kts)
	Service Ceiling – 10,300 m (33,800 ft)
	Range – 800 km (500 mi) (435 nmi)
Armament:	(2) 13 mm Machine Guns plus
	(4) 20 mm cannon or
	(2) 20 mm cannons plus
	(2) 30 mm cannons