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Focke-Wulf
Fw 190A-8 in Detail (Revisited)
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The BMW 801 engine sans propeller viewed from the front. This one resides in the London Science Museum. It belonged to a Fw 190 and is preserved in pristine condition, down to the original German paint on the cowling. The 12-blade fan can be seen to advantage. As mentioned before, the front ring of the cowling was an oil collector ring manufactured in one piece from pressed armour plate.
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BMW produced these engines as complete units, with all accessories, exhaust piping, the cowling, fan and oil installation, ready to be bolted to the firewall attachment points of the aircraft. The resulting "power egg" made the engine very easy to replace, also under operational conditions. The idea was not unique for BMW: the British Bristol Hercules is another example of the same design philosophy.
The unit (including mounts) weighed around
1,250 kg and was 1.27 m in diameter, depending on the model. |
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Removed starboard cowling panel provides a view of both cylinder rows. The engine had two rows of seven cylinders each, the bore and stroke were both 156 mm, giving a total capacity of 41.8 litres. The engine generated between 1,550 and 2,000 hp depending on the version.
A painting detail worth noting is the rough
finish of the grey mottling on the forward cowling, with plenty of
spatter. The bulged panel at the bottom of the photo has been
repainted fairly recently. |
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The four exhaust pipes
on the starboard side. |
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The engine assembly
viewed from behind. This photo shows the shape and colouring of all
the accessories, plumbing and cabling. |
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The top cowling panel,
seen here from behind, features two recesses to provide a clear line
of fire from the fuselage-mounted guns. The presence of this panel
is a proof that this engine had been attached to the Focke-Wulf
fighter. |
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The red-brow cylinder
visible in this view is the oil filter. |
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