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.

First appearing in August 1944 as a result of a special Air Ministry requirement, the Fw 190D-9 was an attempt to produce a high-altitude fighter based heavily on an existing fighter, the Fw 190A-8. The nose was reshaped and lengthened to accommodate a new engine. The Fw 190D-9 proved to be a superb fighter.

This 1:72 scale German Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 fighter was flown by Hans Dortenmann, who was attached to 12./Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grunherz", then deployed to Oldenberg, Germany, during 1944. Sold Out!

Dimensions
Wingspan: 5-inches
Length: 5-inches

Release Date: December 2015

Historical Account: "Green Hearts" - Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Grunherz (Green Hearts) was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. It was known as the Green Hearts Wing, and it was the second highest scoring wing of all time, JG 52 being the highest. JG 54 flew on the Eastern Front, racking up over 9,600 kills, with aces such as Walter Nowotny, Otto Kittel, and Hannes Trautloft being the most famous Experten.

Having enjoyed initial success over the Channel and South-east England during the summer of 1940, the unit was transferred to the Eastern Front in the spring of 1941 for Operation Barbarossa - the German invasion of the Soviet Union. JG 54 would remain a Jagdwaffe stalwart in the east, flying firstly Bf 109Fs and then the Fw 190.

JG 54 was known for its non-standard camouflage schemes. For example, Bf-109F-4's on the Leningrad front 1941-42 were painted in black-green/dark-green splinter finish with yellow under cowling and under the wing tips.