Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9, WNr. 601088, "Schwarze 1"
History
Werknummer 601088 was assigned to the IV (Sturm)/JG 3 "Udet," a Luftwaffe fighter wing named after World War I ace Ernst Udet. This unit was active in late 1944 and early 1945, engaging in defensive operations against Allied bomber formations. The aircraft was captured intact by Allied forces at Flensburg, Germany, in May 1945. Following its capture, it was designated as RAF USA 12 and later assigned the U.S. Foreign Equipment number FE-120 for evaluation purposes.
After its capture, Fw 190D-9 601088 was flown to Cherbourg, France, and subsequently transported to the United States for testing at Wright Field (now Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) in Dayton, Ohio. The U.S. Air Force conducted performance evaluations to assess the aircraft's capabilities. A detailed performance report was issued in September 1946 by 1st Lt. Charles A. Ross. The aircraft was then transferred to the National Air and Space Museum in 1960 and has been on long-term loan to the NMUSAF since 1975