The Rarest Focke-Wulf 190: The Unique “Butcher Bird” That Survived History
Few aircraft of World War II are as instantly recognizable as the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Nicknamed the “Butcher Bird” by Allied pilots, the German fighter became one of the Luftwaffe’s most feared and versatile weapons. Designed by Kurt Tank, the aircraft entered service in 1941 and quickly earned a reputation for its power, speed, and adaptability.
More powerful than the famous Messerschmitt Bf 109 in many roles, the Fw 190 served as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft, and even a night fighter. By the end of the war, more than 20,000 examples had been built, making it one of Germany’s most important combat aircraft.
Yet despite those massive production numbers, only 28 original Fw 190s survive today.
Among those rare survivors is one aircraft so unusual that it stands alone in aviation history.
A Fighter That Became a Flying Bomb Controller
One of the best-known surviving Fw 190s can be found at the RAF Museum Cosford. This Fw 190 A-8/R6 once hung from the ceiling of the Imperial War Museum London before undergoing restoration.
Its wartime role was unlike that of a typical fighter aircraft.
The aircraft served as the control component of a Mistel composite attack system, paired with an unmanned Junkers Ju 88 packed with explosives. The pilot would guide the combined aircraft toward a target, release the Ju 88, and then attempt to fly the Fw 190 safely back to base.
The concept was primitive but innovative. German forces used Mistel combinations against heavily defended bridges and strategic targets where conventional attacks carried high risks for aircrews.
Captured by British forces in Denmark on May 8, 1945, the aircraft eventually made its way to Britain, where it escaped scrapping and became a museum piece.
An Eastern Front Veteran Finds a New Home
Another notable survivor resides at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the Smithsonian Institution.
This Fw 190 F-8 served with a Luftwaffe ground-attack unit on the Eastern Front, likely operating from bases in Hungary during the final stages of the war. Captured intact by American forces in 1945, it was shipped to the United States and later transferred to the Smithsonian’s collection.
While exceptionally well preserved, it is not the rarest Fw 190 in existence.
That distinction belongs to a far more unusual aircraft.
The World’s Only Two-Seat Fw 190
Hidden inside the hangars of the Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow is arguably the most extraordinary Focke-Wulf ever built.
This aircraft is an Fw 190 F-8/U1, a two-seat trainer version of the famous fighter.
Out of more than 20,000 Fw 190s produced during the war, only around 20 were converted into two-seat trainers. Today, this example is the sole survivor.
The aircraft began life as a standard single-seat fighter before undergoing modification in 1944. Engineers transformed the radio compartment behind the pilot into a second cockpit, creating space for an instructor to sit behind a trainee pilot.
The design was primarily intended to help pilots transition from the slower Junkers Ju 87 Stuka to the much faster and more demanding Fw 190.
The conversion also allowed the aircraft to serve as a high-speed liaison plane.
Although practical, the rear cockpit was cramped and far from comfortable. Nevertheless, it provided an essential training tool during a period when Germany desperately needed experienced fighter pilots.
Captured at War’s End
Like many surviving German aircraft, the unique trainer owes its existence to Allied capture.
The aircraft was seized at Grove Airfield in Denmark in May 1945 and transported to Britain after the war. On September 5, 1945, it was flown from Farnborough to RAF Brize Norton by the legendary Royal Navy test pilot Eric Brown, one of the most accomplished aviators in history.
For decades, the aircraft remained in British hands.
Today, although displayed in Berlin, it is still owned by the Royal Air Force and is on long-term loan to the German museum where aviation enthusiasts can admire this one-of-a-kind survivor.
A Unique Legacy
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 played a crucial role in Germany’s air war during World War II. Fast, rugged, heavily armed, and adaptable, it earned respect from both friend and foe.
Yet among the 28 original aircraft that remain, none is more remarkable than the two-seat Fw 190 F-8/U1.
It is the only surviving example of a variant that once existed in tiny numbers, a rare glimpse into how Germany trained pilots and adapted one of its most successful fighters during the final years of the conflict.
More than eighty years after the war ended, this unique “Butcher Bird” remains a living piece of aviation history—one that can never truly be replaced.
