FW 190 hits debut snags

The long-awaited airshow debut of a Flug Werk FW 190 was restricted to a series of engine run-ups in front of an appreciative 28,000-strong crowd at La Ferté-Alais near Paris on May 30–31.

Two days before the show Christophe Jacquard's FW 190A-8N F-AZZJ arrived at La Ferté alongside Supermarine Spitfire PR.XIX PS890. As it pulled up after a formation pass, the new-build machine suffered a total electrical failure, and the port undercarriage dropped down. Pilot Marc Mathis elected to divert to the nearby airfield at Brétigny. The electrical snags were fixed to enable the '190 to fly back to La Ferté, with the wheels locked down, on May 29.

This is just a taster — see August's Aeroplane magazine for the full news story and pictures.

See photos of the 190's rollout and first engine test runs here.