When it appeared in the skies over Europe in 1941 the FockeWulf Fw 190 A was the best fighter in the world. It was more than a match for the best Spitfires the RAF could field and began shooting them down in everincreasing numbers. Only the introduction of the Spitfire IX with its twostage supercharged Merlin overturned its supremacy. Alongside the Messerschmitt Bf 109 the Fw 190 is the iconic fighter of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. It was hugely adaptable and fought on nearly a