Armed with 2x20 mm and 2x9.2 mm guns (some versions nominally had two
more 20mm of a different type with only 55 rounds but these were rarely mounted
in Germany and that gun was not built in Japan at all), it could carry 3x551 pound
bombs or one plus two 300 liter drop tanks. The latter mitigate the range problem
of a European design in PTO. Its RHS maneuverability rating (based on a formula) is 28 - good but not great for late war work - and durability rating (also based on a formula) of 20 is rather good for a single engine aircraft (mainly due to size combined with all metal construction and protection). It also has respectable speed and rate of climb. But it is a balanced rather than outstanding in some respect design: many late war planes are faster, or have more gun power, or more maneuverable. But it is an option. It will be presented in all but Scenario 106 - the 1945 scenario is strictly historical and assumes the 1943 decision not to build is to far in the past to change.
In a message dated 7/19/2015 7:09:27 P.M. Alaskan Daylight Time, Trevethans@aol.com writes:
ORIGINAL: Vipersp
Greetings El Cid and congrats for such awesome mode!
It becomes even better after each update!
Since some German types of aircraft are already representend at Jap OOB I wonder if there would be a chance to see the FW190 added but of course with the same limitions regarding production as the other types like the He100 and Me 109..it would be IHMO a very interesting option for IJAF;
Cheers
Vipersp
Art isn't a problem per se. The Altwars site AE art (which was done for all AE mods and much of which we use already) has it. RHS has multiple threads: this would not be appropriate for a 'strictly historical' scenario (101 to 104 and the future 106 Downfall scenario already issued for comments but not yet usable);
it CAN be used in a Japan Enhanced scenario (105 and/or the future 99 - which is dramatically enhanced). Now I can modify insignia - I did a lot of that in the strips released today - I could make them Japanese. The main work would be in terms of data - but that is my forte.
The reason we don't do that is it was not done historically. But over time I have come to appreciate the many connections between German and Japanese aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturers. I now can look up the details of the FW-190 - so let me do that and report.
REPORT: Japan actually imported (the details of how must be interesting) a FW-190 A5 in 1943! They considered putting it into production and tested it against their designs. The Allies became aware of this and assigned the code name Fred to the type. So it IS possible to rationalize the 190 in Japanese service. I also have
no objection in principle because I believe most players will make the decision not to produce it vs domestic for the same reasons Japan did: it lacks the range required for PTO operations. This is generally true for fighters of German design origin or inspiration (e.g. the Ki-61). Earlier the Me-109 was rejected in favor of
the Ki-44 even though it would take a good deal longer to get the Ki-44 into production and the Ki-44 lacked armor. It was so superior in speed, rate of climb and range there was almost no reason to consider the Me. The He-100 was not only licensed for production in Japan, its engine was put into production and a factory was
built to make it in. But problems with delivery of the rest of the jigs - or the time needed to make them from pattern aircraft already in Japan - ended up cancelling that plan. But RHS permits Me-109s and He-100s - because they were licensed and because it was (eventually) possible to put them into production. It rejected the FW-190 because I was not aware it was licensed or that a pattern aircraft reached Japan. It could have been produced - with a time delay. I will investigate adding it in the final round of air art updates (which is next). Further, it can be added to all scenarios - it is a historical option. I let players have the chance to do what could have been done - even if it is a mistake (which is mostly a matter of opinion - but I note few players put German planes into production as Japan even when it is an option).
