Fw 190 A-1/U1
Due to the shifting tides of war and the urgent need for new aircraft on the Channel Front, the Luftwaffe swiftly placed an order for 102 Fw 190 A-1 production aircraft in 1940. This decision was made without waiting for further testing, as most Luftwaffe units had been redeployed to the Eastern Front for the attack on Russia. The production work was to commence immediately at both the Bremen and Hamburg facilities.
The Fw 190 V7, serving as the prototype for this series, was similar to the V6 (or A-0) model but featured a more powerful 1176 kW/1600 hp BMW 801C-1 engine. It was equipped with the FuG 7 radio and the FuG 25 IFF system, with the latter initially introduced in 1939 and later replaced by the FuG 25a. The armament configuration included four MG 17 machine guns and two MG FF cannons, along with the capacity to carry up to 500 kg of bombs or a 300-liter drop tank.
The first Fw 190 A-1 aircraft were delivered to Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) in August 1941. These aircraft demonstrated excellent flight characteristics, making them formidable platforms. However, they were plagued by persistent engine issues that frustrated both pilots and ground crew. According to a report by Oberleutnant Behrens on 4 September 1941, the problems were primarily due to faulty spark plugs, which caused performance degradation, engine vibrations, turbocharger damage, and even fires in the forward engine compartment.