The RAF Museum's Focke Wulf Fw 190 S-8 is now dismantled and awaiting transport to a museum in Germany - according to staff on duty yesterday. The aircraft has been a part of the RAF Museum's collection since 1989 when the RAF facility at St Athan was closed. Moved to Hendon the Focke Wulf has been on display in London since then... until now..
From mid-1943 the Schlacht units began their refit on the 'fast' Fw 190 in replacement of their 'slow' Ju 87s while elsewhere training or Schul-units were using more and more elderly Fw 190 models - both Jagdfliegerschule and Schlachtflieger urgently required a Schul-version of the Fw 190 - a 'Zwei' or 'Doppelsitzer' ..with 'Doppelsteuer' or dual controls (and flight instruments)..
"Der Doppelsitzer ist für den Schulbetrieb vorgesehen, wobei Lehrer und Schüler die Sitze beliebig wechseln können." The two-seater is intended for school use. Instructor and student can fly from either seat.. The 'new' elongated canopy comprised a new fixed central section and two 'folding hood' sections, both of which could be jettisoned. Both occupants flew with parachutes (rear cockpit manual chute). Cowl MGs were removed. Each conversion required some 2,500 man-hours. The metal-working firm 'Brinckmann & Mergell' (Menibum) started conversion work on A-8 sub-types in October 1944 in Stendal and by February 1945 had delivered 58 examples. (Rodeike, 'Jagdflugzeug 190' page 373). WNr. 584219 is a 1943 Ago (Oschersleben) constructed F-8, later attached to JG 103 and the sole surviving twin-seat Fw 190.
Fw 190 S-8 'weiße 30' of 1./JG 110. Note the Gruppe emblem on the cowl. This machine is equipped with a Peilrahmen DF loop just behind the rear cockpit. The fuel filler triangle is just visible underneath. See Rodeike P. 377 for another view of this same machine.
Below; 'Umschulung' (retraining) of KG pilots on the Fw 190 at II./JG 301 in early 1945 (possibly in Stendal). Fw 190 S-8 being towed back to the takeoff strip by oxen.. compare with the reproduction on page 376 of Rodeike's 'Jagdflugzeug 190'..
Roland Jahne photos (below) taken in May 1987 during the period the dual-control Fw 190 S-8 was at St Athan. Having been captured at Grove the machine was flown to Farnborough in September 1945 and later as Air Min 29 it was allocated for preservation by the Air Historical Branch in 1946. The airframe spent many years stored in various locations arriving at St. Athan in 1970. The BMW 801 engine was first overhauled and ground run in 1984 and would subsequently be regularly run on 'first Sunday of the month' open days.
More on captive Fw 190s (in colour) on this blog here