Focke Wulf Fw190F-8  W.Nr. 931862

Unteroffizier Heinz Orlowski, 9./JG5

This rare Focke Wulf Fw190F-8 was recovered from a Norwegian fjord where it crashed after being downed on 9 February, 1945 by British Mustangs.  The pilot, Uffz. Heinz Orlowski, had borrowed "weiße 1" from his Staffelkapitän, and was lucky to survive the unfortunate encounter.  Baling out of the burning aircraft, he was too low for his parachute to operate properly, and he bounced into a convenient snowbank.  Herr Orlowski survived the war, and now lives in Berlin; he has visited the aircraft once already, and signed the fuselage beneath the cockpit!

This aircraft is currently undergoing restoration at Tom Reilly's Bombertown facility in Kissimmee, Florida.  Recovered in the early 1980s, the aircraft was with the Texas Airplane Museum* for a number of years until it's arrival at Reilly's facility in April of 2000.  I have been contacted by Richard van Meeteren, the project manager for this restoration, and he has been most patient with my persistent questioning! :-)

I will continue to visit the facility and report on the restoration process, which is scheduled to last three to five years.  The ultimate goal, as with all of Reilly's aircraft, is to restore the aircraft to flying condition, with an original BMW 801D-2 14 cylinder radial.  That, my friends, will be a sight to see- an original Focke Wulf operating from the same ramp as Lee Lauderbach's Mustang Ops!  

Click on the thumbnailed photographs below for a full sized image.

2 July:  Pictures submitted by Paul Begin of various cockpit bits, the flapwell, and a closeup of the FuG16zy radio unit!  Thanks go to Paul for these shots; he apologizes for the blurry radio pic, and has promised to reshoot when he can.  A note of caution, the pictures are huge and will take a while to load.  

28 June:  Wheel well pictures of the Fw190S at the RAF Museum;  taken in 1992.  The aircraft has (or had) occasional engine runs, so this approximates the condition of an operational aircraft, oil drips and all!

Mainwheel, back                Mainwheel, front                Tailwheel, stbd                Tailwheel well

Tailwheel well door            First aid kit recess            Me by fuselage                Orlowski's signature

Pilot's storage hatch           Stbd. canopy track            Bare cockpit                    Canopy perspex

Early gun hood interior        Gun hood hinge            Cowl panel fastener            Eismeer emblem

BMW 801D-2 engine            Center engine support    Port wheel well                    Port trailing edge

Port cannon bay cover        Stbd aft spar pickup        Stbd cannon bay                Misc. parts

Bf109G droptank rack        Standard drop tank            Bonus picture #1!                 Bonus picture #2!

                                  fittings and filler point                    RAF Museum                    RAF Museum

                                                                                       Fw190S wheelwell            Fw190S wheelwell

Instrument panel                FuG16zy radio                Starboard flap well