The FW-190A was an excellent day fighter that was capable of outclassing its opposition when it was initially brought into service. However, it was pretty much a low level fighter and with the introduction of the US into the war with its higher flying B-17 and B-24 bombers, it was realized that a version capable of attacking at higher altitudes was needed. Basically, this meant an airplane with a supercharged or turbocharged engine and for the Germans, that meant one with a liquid cooled engine.

Getting there was a difficult chore as this required basically a new engine. Both Daimler-Benz and Junkers were working on new power plants and so they offered preproduction versions to Focke-Wulf to test in their new planes. First thing was that the engines were heavier than the radial engine used in the A model versions. This required an extension of the fuselage to provide the proper center of gravity. Secondly, it was found that the Daimler-Benz engine was simply not reliable enough, so the choice of the Junkers Jumo engine was made. There was still the issue of the boosting, but eventually a reliable system was developed that fit behind the engine in the accessory area.

The new FW-190D entered service in late 1944, and while it was a major improvement over the FW-190A, it was a 'too little - too late' sort of thing. Rarely was the aircraft allowed to intercept bombers, being used as airfield protection aircraft for Me-262s, though when it was able to engage enemy fighters, it did quite well. From the 190D was developed the long wing, high altitude Ta-152 series, but those were only built in small numbers before the war came to an end.

Like other Kagero Monographs, this edition covers the initial development of the 190D-9 and Ta-152C/H along with the modifications made to the airframe to produce the different variants. Its war history is also provided, giving a good feel for how well the aircraft did in different situations. One of the major draws to this series are the large number of scale drawings of the aircraft. These include fuselage sections and views of the sides, upper and lower images and fore/aft drawings. Two additional sheets are provided to cover views that are too large for the book itself.

This edition is a reprint of the 2004 dual language release and includes decals, a feature that was often included in the early releases. There are unique markings for several aircraft and these are all portrayed in the selection of full color profiles that are a feature of all Kagero monograph books.  Add to this a large number of period photos and you have a book that thoroughly covers the subject. A great addition to this series and a book that I have no trouble recommending to you.