The Focke-Wulf Fw 190D was the last production version of the company's famous fighter, representing the culmination of a long line of design evolutions aimed at improving high-altitude performance. Although often considered an end-of-war project, work to equip the Fw 190 with an inline engine began as early as 1941 in response to Allied advances in turbofan bomber technology. Early prototypes with radial and inline engines (the Fw 190B and C) failed due to technical problems, but the introduction of the Junkers Jumo 213 engine revived the project. After extensive testing and modifications to correct stability problems caused by the new engine, the Fw 190D-9 entered production in August 1944 with considerable success. Further variants with improved engines were developed, although most remained prototypes through the end of the war. Between 1,500 and 1,700 Fw 190D aircraft were produced, only a few of which reached active Luftwaffe units before Germany's defeat.
