This Condor is a  B-grade plane. Cockpits and gunstations are rudimentary implementations, fully functional, but not final state of the art. This plane uses no MOS file due to limitations of the CFS3 engine, thus you will not see bullet holes on this aircraft. CFS3 allows for just one base-texture sheet to function in conjunction with the MOSfile. We had to leave this part out since we have kept the multi base-texture setup of the original CFS2 aircraft.

Gregory Pierson's Version 4.0 first released in August 2006 represents a complete update of the AvHistory 1% Assembly Line Process (1%ALP). Compared to our previous efforts, 4.0 is an order of magnitude improvement and a closer step towards our goal of producing aircraft that perform within 1% of the real aircraft. For additional info on Version-4 flight packages see the included AvHistory - Version-4 1%ALP text file.

AIRCRAFT BACKGROUND:

Groundcrew Design Group's Greg Law created this outstanding visual and John (BRAVO/4) Whelan painted it as the maritime patrol craft F8+AH flown the 1st Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 40 based at Bordeaux-Merignac, Western France.



This unit carried out maritime patrols over the Atlantic in the period June-August 1940, under the operational control of Marine Gruppe West, at Lorient. The Fw200 was developed in the late 1930's as a commercial transport for the German airline Lufthansa. The aircraft set a number of long distance flight records, and based on a Japanese request in 1938, Focke-Wulf modified the aircraft to create a maritime reconnaissance bomber. The first production model, the C-1 version, entered service with the Luftwaffe in June 1940 at Bordeaux-Merignac.



The Fw200 earned its reputation as the "Scourge of the Atlantic" with the sinking of significant numbers of Allied ships as well as coordinating attacks with the German U-Boats.

Typically, Condors flew long missions between France and Norway; a flight would take off from Bordeaux-Merignac on the French coast, loop far out into the Atlantic until well west of Ireland, and then turn north and east before landing at Trondheim-Vaernes in Norway; a fresh crew would fly a return the next day.

Though a Luftwaffe asset, the Condors functioned under the operational control of the U-boat command, locating and radioing the position of convoys to lurking submarines, and then undertaking their own attacks as well. (Occasionally, in a turnabout, U-boats would locate a convoy, report its position, and then shadow it for subsequent air and sub attacks). In one six-month period, the Condors of one maritime patrol bomber wing, Kampfgeschwader 40, assisted by some smaller He 111's, destroyed 85 ships totaling 363,000 tons.



As a rule, Condors were highly successful "ship-busters;" in one attack against a 16-ship convoy off England in February 1941, five FW 200’s singled out five merchant ships and sank all of them, thus sending fully 31% of the entire convoy to the bottom in no more than a few minutes. By cooperating (however imperfectly) with surface craft and U-boats, they added an important force-enhancing factor in Nazi sea control operations.



IMPORTANT NOTES:

The Condors climb rate is very low any hills, trees or both at the end of the runway will cause you problems. The Bomber Base Extension Package created by Charles "CHARLIE" Simpson for this project gives you an extra safety margin at these airbases. 

You will also be needing it for a number of the other 4 engine bombers that will be released.

The Condor takes a lot of runway to reach 100mph so be careful. At high gross weights the aircraft may lift off the runway but may not be able to climb out of ground effect until sufficient flying speed is reached. Also, if you get shot up and lose 1 or more engines the aircraft may not be able to maintain altitude.

Should you be over the ocean/channel you may descend until you enter ground effect where you may be able to limp home skimming across the water. For reference, ground effect extends for about 2 wingspans above the ground. Each aircraft is different and each aircraft has it's own unique ground effect pattern.

The Condor may require The Bomber Base Extension Package if you are flying maximum gross weight missions. The longest CFS3 default runway is 2000 meters & all the "3 runway" air bases have one.
As is usual please report any problems or issues to AvHistory 1% Squawks at

http://www.avhistory.org/scripts/MegaBBS/forum-view.asp?forumid=3

for the fastest responce.  We will also be checking in on the major CFS3 boards but our responce may be a bit slower.

BEAR - AvHistory Team
http://www.avhistory.org
http://www.groundcrewdesign.com