Just a quick question about the seats used in the FW-190A’s…What colour should the insert that looks like a cushion in the base of the seat be? Not sure if it should be left RLM 66 or painted another colour. I can’t find pics anywhere on the net of the seat (or the cockpit for that matter).
Thanks on advance.
Greetings! I’m currently working on a Fw 190-D (detailing the cockpit, as a matter of fact)–specifically the “Red 1” of the JV44, and the best, most reasonably priced (about $15 USD or so) book I’ve found is the Fw 190D book of the “Walkaround” Series (#10) by Squadron/Signal Publications. Lots of great interior/cockpit photos. According to the book, the seat was painted RLM 66 Schwarzgrau. It shows a photo of the seat, but does not specify the color of the cushion…I would strongly suspect that the cushion was the same color. Now, the book specifically addresses the Fw190D, which was the “Langnasen” version with the inline Jumo engine, not the radial engine earlier Focke-Wulfs, but I would highly doubt there was much significant difference in the cockpit/seat colors–the use of RLM 66 as a cockpit color was pretty pervasive amongst Luftwaffe fighters, particularly later in the war.
I will do some more online research and let you know if I find out anything–curious myself. Good luck! I highly reccommend the Squadron Walkaround book.
Squadron also does a “Walkaround” book for the Fw190A! Here is the link to the book I found…
http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=SS5522
It would probably be very useful to you, I imagine…
hey guys,
From what I know, having worked on the real birds at the Texas Air Museum a bit, the seats were a light khaki color. Not sure the exact degree of shade variation, but I usually use a shade like RAF Middlestone mixed with a little white.
Malcolm Laing, the author of both Squadron 190 Walkaround books has been my mentor for several years and taught me just about everything I know about the 190.
I’ve got two 190 kits sitting right here and hope to start working on them as soon as my helos are finished… if that ever happens!!!
Cobrahistorian–
Curious, do you mean the seats or the seat cushions were a light khaki color? Page 53 of the Walkaround book on the Fw190D shows a photo of the seat and states it is RLM 66, but does not show a cushion. Also, the seat harnesses are included in the photo, but I cannot tell if they are white, buff, or a tan color–the color of the belts is a bit washed out (perhaps from the camera flash?)…what color should the belts be? Thank you so much for the help–I’m glad we have an authority around.
Uproar,
The seat itself and the armor behind it are both RLM66. The cushion that fits into the seat tub should be light khaki. The belts are an off-white/light khaki color.
Thank you Cobrahistorian–you are a gentleman and scholar. You have solved a great mystery for me that has haunted me for minutes, perhaps hours. 
Know of any other good books/websites that have good detailed photos of the Fw190’s? I’m rather excited about building one of the JV44 Doras…and pingtang certainly would appreciate any help as well…thank you.
By the way, please tell your mentor, Mr. Laing, that his Walkaround book is awesome…
Thanks for the info fellas. I’m finding it hard to find good detail shots of the interior on the net, and I can’t get my hands on that book, so it’s helpful.
Daniel Try here…
Go for English navigation, there are load of detail shots of both the inside and the outside of various FW190s. Look under ‘Equipment’ - ‘Instruments’.
Also try here for more genral stuff…
Best of luck.
Karl
use this link to see a pic of a restored seat:
http://www.white1foundation.org/focke-wulf_fw190_restoration.htm
The picture should be halfway down on the left!
Matt,
Thanks for the link! White 1 was the first 190 I got to sit in when I was at TAM. I knew she’d been sold, but wasn’t aware of her status. While I was there at Texas Air, they had White 1, 190A-8 Blue 4 (flown by Oblt. Rudi Linz, a 77-kill Experte, and subject of the Hasegawa 1/72 kit) and 190A3 Yellow 9. All three machines were from JG5 Eismeer.
Guys, if you look at the photos on the link Matt provided, you can see the seat cushion. I’m assuming this is a newly manufactured cushion, as it is REALLY brown.