Warbird Information Exchange

Hello,
As an observor of warbird replica production, I have some questions regarding the Flug Werk FW-190A-8/N kit quality.

This company was started in 1985 and has delivered 8+ kits since then? To my knowledge however, only one has ever flown, their own "company demonstrator". I have taken note that several of the kits were delivered to notable warbird owners (Frasca, Blaire ect) but it seems that no news has been put foward if these aircraft have had their first flights. Even the owner of "Flug Werk of America" Jay Thinnes, seems to not have completed the kit he was working on. I seem to remember that the "white 1" project purchased a fuselage jig and other parts for their orginal FW190 project from flug werk . I am also aware that the Tri State Aviation museum is working on a Flug Werk kit.

With all these "kits" having been delivered I am very curious as to what is delaying progress? Are there just small problems that have to be worked out (as in any aircraft being put together)? Or structural and design problems that are forcing rework and redesign? What is the overall quality of the work that was done? Fit and finish of panels, rivet quality ect? I have not had the opportunity to see a Flug Werk airframe up close, I would appreciate any observations from WIX members.

Flug Werk Kit


Flug Werk Production Example


Rudy Frasca Kit


White 1 Fuselage Jig, Produced by Flug Werk

Maybe "kit" is something of an oversimplification. I should think it would take anyone a good amount of time to put one of these together.

Flugwerk is not all about these FW190's. This is just one of the project they did. they do much more besides this. I haven't seen one up close but I assume the quality to be very high. The owner is VERY passionate about his aircraft. He doesn't mess around. As for them not yet flying, I think that's mostly due to the owners budget for finishing them and mostly the paperwork. Since these are replica's, you just can't register them as the real thing. I heard that's what's keeping the FW in the Uk groundbound for the moment.

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

If you want to see what Jay thinks look at his web site http://www.flugwreck.com/. Jay has since passed away. It will be a major undertaking to get one of those airplanes (term used loosely) into the air. It will happen someday though.

Sounds as though Jay is more annoyed at the company and the man rather than the product, It would be great to just get some good shots of the work, you would expect owners to be proud of their accurate copies and would post lots of photos but i've hardly seen anything. The only one which looks like its moving at the moment is the one in Darois France. Is the problem the fact that the machines are new built by a company (not 51% rule) and not warbird restorations so they should have to undergo the same testing and classification as a normal GA aircraft?? Trying to pass a new aircraft with different systems and motor as an existing aircradt is obviously proving difficult.

Jay passed away, as in died? News to me.

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My understanding was that the kits imported into the US were far from complete. The major airframe parts were there, but the systems were never provided or were incomplete. You can't just bolt on an engine and put some radios in and go.

How would these be different to license than the 262 replicas?

Quite!

This is from that webpage...

"At this point let me say that it is the most impressive airplane kit ever created. Just think- here you have a newly built airframe of one of the best prop driven fighters ever."

A few years ago when visiting the White 1 shop, Mark told me that the parts he got from Flugwerke wouldn't/didn't line up with the original Focke Wulf parts.
He wasn't saying anything bad about them, they looked like FW-190 parts from the outside, but internally some parts didn't match up with what he had.

Regards,
Mike

I have to take issue with your "term used loosely" words above. This is borderline defamatory within your context and I suggest that the blog points out parts delivery and availability issues as opposed to quality issues as being the primary concern. Would you concur?

I have visited Flugwerk to inpsect their work very closely, spoken at length with their English designer (Arthur Bentley ex De Havilland - http://www.albentley-drawings.com/main.htm) in regard to the detail of their replica airframes.

I have also witnessed the A8 flying as well as inspected the Dora, again at FlugWerk.

These airframes are as accurate as practicable within the constraints of powerplant availability in modern times. They are not your typical 'homebuilts' and have very faithful construction and systems. You would have to be very critical to fault the quality of the workmanship or details. As such they are not going to arrive in a container and take to the air in a few short months, if you want that, talk to Vans or a composite or foam build company. If you want as close to a real FW190 with similar performance as you are likely to get, talk to FW.

The reverse engineered design relied upon a chance discovery of a crumpled 'missing' drawing found in the Smithsonian which had been used to protect and wrap up other FW190 drawings in the archive. It had all the important missing coordinates for the fuselage frames and stations. The wing aerofoil sections have been professionally re-analysed to verify and the also the actual location of where the washout started was re-discovered through this process.

Extraordinary lengths have been gone through to in order to produce these very complex airframes. How many of you have embarked sucessfuly on a similar project?

Its very dissapointing that a few careless words on an Internet forum can have potentiallly such far reaching consequences for a commercial enterprise. (reference similar negative ill informed and unfounded comments on WIX a while back concerning ACE Alisons)

None the less, here are a few pictures I took at FlugWerk on my first visit for you to inspect.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/213812882sBYsCi

I thought that the Smithsonian would only release blueprints and drawings of historic aircraft if the buyer would sign an agreement or make a promise to never fly an aircraft based off of those plans, due to potential liability issues. I seem to recall the Smithsonian nixing several requests for plans/blueprints for American built warbirds of some rare and non-existant types. Is this no longer the policy of the Smithsonian, or was this a different case, because it's a non-American design?

Yes, you sign a statement that they are for research only..that way it let's them off the hook if you build an airplane and crash. I can say that one of their busiest requests all deal with the Waco prints that they have for every model of Waco that Waco President Clayton Brukner donated to them in the early 1970's.

You guys know much more about these Flug Werk 190s than I do, but hot-dang I'd sure like to see a few fly by in formation in those wicked paint jobs, wouldn't you? Jay's Blog comments nothwithstanding, will we ever see them as regulars at major airshows? Sure does seem like a lot of time has gone by since I first (excitedly) heard about them.

Bravo to the effort - no matter what the eventual outcome.


My suggestion for a paint scheme - Weiss 11 of 1./JG 1:








Wade

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I couldn't have said it better! If it wasn't for Claus and his crew we wouldn't even have these amazing aircraft!

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

I had a short talk in June about the 190N with C. Jacquard, owner of one replica, being build in France.
He said that the work is very long due to many facts :

-the kit does not include the engine, wires, instruments...
-he wants also everything to be build as close as possible to the original FW. So many issues appear all along the process.
-He also chose to do the job by himself and his team, as he usually sends his planes for restoration to a bigger company (in the US for his Sea Fury) who have knowhow and skills do to the job faster.
-no experience on the plane, no feedback from other owners (except T. Blair's), so it's not as easy as working on a P-51 or a Corsair. He also doesn't use the same type of equipments as on Blair's 190

He hopes to fly the plane for spring 2009.

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