Were they still doing like the RAF and USAAF where each aircraft was test flown and had to meet certain performance expectations? Did they have service test pilots still flying each aircraft before delivery on these flights etc?
Hey Guppy!
You asked to me describe something that is hardly typical. There was no "one way" things were done and each company had it's own policy.
As I understand Focke Wulf policy was each aircraft was inspected and flown.
Kurt Tank did an excellent job engineering the Focke Wulf to be maintenance and production friendly. You can literally strip the entire cockpit in only a few minutes. Remove the seat, left/right console, upper/lower instrument panel leaving nothing but the empty fuselage. No tools required.
Subcontractors would build aircraft subcomponents. Included in this are many subcontractors whose factories were located in neutral countries.
For example, one company might build a wing, while another assembles the cockpit Geratbank and so on and so forth.
These would be shipped to final assembly points, inspected upon arrival, and then they would be assembled into the complete aircraft. Many of these were underground as in the Berlin Airport.
Inspections were of course done at all stages as standard practice. Just as in most aircraft manufacturers.
Once assembled, the aircraft would be either be shipped by rail or enter their final stage right there at the factory.
The final stage was either Focke Wulf company pilots or Luftwaffe pilots flew the aircraft to their final destination. Sometimes this was the Geschwader but in other cases it was a Luftwaffe depot where it received final inspection and became Luftwaffe property.
Certain subcontractor's manufactured complete FW-190's and oversaw their web of subcontractors. Focke Wulf maintained oversight with these contractors.
These flights included a checklist of function tests. I don't think they "put the aircraft through its paces" though. New engines require a break in period so unless the allied companies were only releasing aircraft after they passed the minimum hours required for break in I find it hard to believe they were putting aircraft through full top performance test's either.
I wonder if USA transatlantic ferry flights had time to break the aircraft in?
I will dig out some pictures I have of Focke Wulf, Sorau's factory production quality control example. This aircraft was flown to various subcontractors such as Arado, Dornier, and many others who built FW-190's as an example. With it came a team of Focke Wulf company employees who would inspect the factory and train personnel to meet company standards.
Now this system did start feeling strain in 1945. It did maintain and was in place though up until the last few weeks of the war.
All the best,
Crumpp
