Spitfire Mk XIV E vs Focke Wulf 190

[Oskar the Pilot]

This is just a quick one. Yes yes, I know you are probably all going to vote for the 'Wulf, but I just can't bare to hear that it beats the Brit Spit

So, which plane is/was better, the Spitfire mark XIV E or the Focke Wulf 190?

[drgondog]

I personally believe the only close match of any FW 190 is the FW-190D series, otherwise in the hands of comparable pilots the FW 190A series is overmatched in general. Perhaps the 190A can outroll the Spit XIV but that is about it as far as basic manueverability. The 190A has heavier standard armament but shouldn't be a factor except during a head on pass.

[tomo pauk]

A very specific type of Spitfire vs. any general type of Fw-190?
The latest/best FWs would be the Ds (D-9 was only produced in quantity), and that one seem to be lacking speed and rate of climb rate. The armament is pretty evenly matched, with Spit's guns having greater muzzle velocity, while FW's are centraly mounted.
The ultra rare D-12 & D-13 were significantly better than D-9, but also appeared maybe a year after Spit XIV was introduced.

Bill covered the Fw-109As.

[cimmex]

Pierre Clostermann a former Spitfire pilot who flew the Tempest in 1945 rated the Fw190 D clearly higher than any Spitfire version.
cimmex

[Juha]

Anyway, Piere claimed 6 Fw 190As and 4 more damaged while flying Spit IX/IXb. And flew he ever Spit Mk XIV or 190D?

Juha

[cimmex]

I don’t know whether Clostermann flew a Spit Mk XIV but in his books he showed a great knowledge about the capabilities of British fighters and he knew the Fw190D very well from fights against in his Tempest. Strange for me that he rated the D-9 even higher than any allied plane including the Mustang except the Tempest.
cimmex

[Juha]

Now even I though that Closterman's books were great reads when I read his 3 original books in late 60s early 70s already then I thought that he had added a bit too much "colour" in them and maybe a bit pessimism a la de Saint-Exupéry. I don't recall any great info on capabilities of a/c from them other that he was one of those who didn't like Spit LF Mk V. IMHO his books probably gave a good description how he had felt during the war and later in Algeria but I have always liked more the more the "down the earth", if one can use that kind of metafore on memoirs of pilots, style of JEJ and of the Finnish pilots. But we older Finns are rather dull when compared to French. 190D-9 was very good low- and mid-level fighter, no doubt on that, but it ran out of steam earlier than Spit XIV when altitude increased.

Juha

[cimmex]

I think you are right. He had also very optimistic speed numbers at least in the German edition.
cimmex

[Oskar the Pilot]

Luftwaffe pilots had the most kills in the war, correct? Most of the highest scoring Luftwaffe pilots flew FW 190s. Oh and, which 190 was around at about the same
time as the XIV? To make it a fair test, you know. I would like to carry on this research, if the FW 190 is better, it is my favourite plane.

[FalkeEins]

Luftwaffe pilots had the most kills in the war, correct?

yes perhaps, but not as many as is usually claimed for them, including and especially Hartmann

I think it was Tonne who during 1942 in the East went from 19 to 101 vics in 6 months ...his typically exaggerated claims were probably not the result of deliberate falsification, but there was obviously no rigour in the claims process whatsoever (contrary to popular opinion!)

[spicmart]

A very specific type of Spitfire vs. any general type of Fw-190?
The latest/best FWs would be the Ds (D-9 was only produced in quantity), and that one seem to be lacking speed and rate of climb rate. The armament is pretty evenly matched, with Spit's guns having greater muzzle velocity, while FW's are centraly mounted.
The ultra rare D-12 & D-13 were significantly better than D-9, but also appeared maybe a year after Spit XIV was introduced.

If it is lacking speed and climg rate, so why is it considered an even match for the spit? Eric Brown rated them as even with the Dora having a climb rate of just under 4500 fpm and the operational Spitfire XIV having over 4500 fpm. So there should not be much to choose about.

[tomo pauk]

Spit XIV was clocked up to 446 mph @ 26500 ft, and more than 400 mph at 3000 ft (June 44), 425 mph @ 20000 ft, 395 mph @ SL.
Climb rates from 4700 fpm @ SL, 3700 fpm @ 15000 ft, 3600 @ 22000 ft.
Fw-190D-9 maxes with 702 km/h @ 5,7 km (439 mph @ 18400), 428 mph @ 21300 ft, 383 @ SL.
RoC is 3580 fpm @ 15500 ft, 2500 @ 18700.

So I'd say that only between 15-20000 ft D-9 is somewhat faster, and having some parity in RoC under 15000 ft. Above 20000 ft, Spit has the edge in speed, and, especially, in RoC.

[Juha]

And that 702km/h max for 190D-9 seems to be a number without compressibility correction, with that correction the real max TAS was something like 695km/h when ETC 504 removed and engine gap sealed. But still it was a fast plane with excellent rollrate.

Juha

[Juha]

Most of the LW high scorers flew Bf 109s not Fw 190s. The top 190 ace was Otto Kittel, if I remeber his first name correctly, 267 kills, the 4th most successful fighter pilot, KiA mid Feb 45.

Juha

[tomo pauk]

And that 702km/h max for 190D-9 seems to be a number without compressibility correction, with that correction the real max TAS was something like 695km/h when ETC 504 removed and engine gap sealed. But still it was a fast plane with excellent rollrate.

Juha

Indeed, Juha, you are right, that figure is without compressibility correction. What to say, always red the fine print
Roll rate was a great feature of all the 190, in that category they had the edge vs. Spitfires.