Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8, WNr. 732183, "Schwarze 4"
History
Wk. Nr. 732183 was manufactured by AGO Flugzeugwerke and served with 12./JG 5, a Luftwaffe unit operating in Norway during the latter part of WWII. The aircraft's most notable pilot was Leutnant Rudi Linz, a German ace credited with 70 aerial victories. On February 9, 1945, during the "Black Friday" raid over Norway, Linz downed both a British Beaufighter and a P-51 Mustang before being shot down himself. He survived the crash but was killed in action shortly thereafter. The aircraft was lost during this engagement and was not recovered at that time.
In 1984, Norwegian aviation enthusiast Tor Edgar Olsen discovered the wreckage of "Schwarze 4" near Kongsfjord, Norway. The remains were remarkably well-preserved, with many parts still in situ. A recovery operation in 1986 salvaged the wreckage, which was subsequently transported to the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum (NAFM) in Gardermoen. In January 1987, an agreement was made between NAFM and the Texas Air Museum to jointly restore the aircraft to exhibition standard. The restoration was carried out at the Texas Air Museum's facility in Rio Hondo, Texas, with the work completed by 1999. The aircraft was registered in the United States as N90FW.
After its restoration, "Schwarze 4" was displayed at the Texas Air Museum at Stinson Field, San Antonio, Texas