In 1944, a shortage of BMW radial air-cooled engines forced Kurt Tank to redesign the Fw190 to take Junkers Jumo liquid-cooled engines. The Jumos were originally intended for bombers, but as production priorities in the Reich shifted to fighters, these engines became available and formed the basis of the "Dora." Using the Jumo required the Focke-Wulf's nose and tail to be lengthened, altering its appearance somewhat. The Jumo, however, had more horsepower than the BMW, and gave the 190D a better turn of speed than the "A" models had. It was very comparable to a Mustang except in turning ability, and was heavily armed like its predecessors. German pilots had mixed feelings about the "Dora." Some felt it was equal to the best the Allied pilots had, while others preferred the nimbleness of the "A" models. Some older German pilots refused either model and stuck with their trusty Bf109s. In this author's opinion, the "D" did have a better chance of success in combat than the 190A or the Bf109 based purely on its performance figures.
TACTICS: Avoid tight-turning dogfights. Use high-speed "slashing" attacks, extending away at high speed before perhaps reversing for another attack. Stay moving fast and attempt to minimize the importance of maneuver. Your guns are powerful enough that you can often bring down an enemy fighter with a single close-range burst, so be content to limit your battles to those where you start in an advantageous position and can gain a few kills in one or two moves. Then, as surviving enemies inevitably begin to outmaneuver you, break off combat at high speed. This isn't cowardice, it's a wise tactical retreat. You can't turn with a Spitfire or Mustang so don't try. Get in, get quick kills if you can, and then get out. Fast. Most importantly, remember that your combat performance is far greater at low altitudes so attempt to fight there. Fighting at lower altitudes will often mean the difference between victory and defeat.
STRENGTHS: Good firepower. Structurally sound.
WEAKNESSES: Poor maneuverability, especially at higher altitudes.
MODELS:
D-9: August 1944 version.
D-12: Adds MW-50 engine boost. Replaces 13mm nose machineguns with 30mm MK-108 cannon.
D-13: Uses 20mm MG-151 cannon in nose rather than MK-108 of D-12 model.
