I've noticed that too today.... Kind of makes it not as sexy.
Ive done my best to compile a short list of preliminary data. It *is* hard to come by data and, in fact, Ive read some lesser sources that simply seem to "copy and paste" the A8 info into the A9 while only changing the engine designation (not even the power!).
EngineThe primary difference between the two, in reality, is that the A8 was powered by variants of the BMW 801D while the A9 was powered by the BMW 801S (also called the 801TS). The 801D was rated at 1,677HP at military power and 1,953HP with MW50 while the 801S/TS was rated at 1,973HP at military and 2,170 with MW50.
There is a lot of confusion regarding the S, TS, etc radials produced during the end of the war - from what I read - and designations alone have little uniformity. It appears that the TS designation was given to S engines installed in 190's (as opposed to bomber applications) which required enlarged oil coolers. That said, all of the "power egg" engines were born of the 801F program, which never saw installation into aircraft (to-be-built 190A10) due to the war's end.
Beyond that, the use of either the VDM 9-112176A wooden propeller, at 11' 6" in diameter or the VDM 9-12067A metal propeller would further change performance. According to most sources, the A8 "could" use the improved propeller but the A9 was designed with it in mind.
WeightAgain, here, sources vary but weight is another factor worthy of mention. Per the majority of documents, the A8 weighed 7,652lbs empty, 9,100lbs loaded and had a maximum allowable weight of 10,800lbs.
After a brief search, I could not find specific A9 weights. However, it is known that the leading edge armor never made it past the design stage. Lets just add 100lbs to account for the upgraded cooling system for general purposes and arrive at a loaded weight of 9,200lbs.
ArmamentThe A9 was fully customizable, from a weapons standpoint, on the ground, by the crew, prior to each sortie. By that I mean not only could the outboard 151/20's be removed BUT several sources also state that the 13mm cowl guns could ALSO be deleted at the pilot's discretion!
Backing up into weight, someone (like many of us in this thread) who adores the 2 cannon A5 configuration but would rather blow off the weight of the worthless MG17's would be excited by this.
AirframeTwo items of significance come into play here which would not make the A9 a simple "A8 port" in the game. The nose would have to be elongated, as previously stated, to account for the somewhat larger engine and cooling system but, more importantly, MANY of the A9's were used as field test beds for the tail section ultimately installed on the TA152. See? Your eyebrow is raised. That much rudder authority in a short nosed 190? Tell me more!
The Summary of the VERY, VERY Basic, Took Me 15 Minutes to Look This Stuff Up PostIn very simplistic terms, here is how I would see the 190A9 fitting into AH. Ill use the A8 as my benchmark since we all understand what it is and is not.
Take a 190A8 and increase its military power by 296HP and its MW50 power by 217HP. So, In fact, the A9's 801S makes more power on military settings than the A8's 801D makes on WEP settings.
Oh but what about the increase in weight? True - and I wish I could find more info in the short time Ive dedicated to this post. But, lets just say that 100 pounds for an upgraded cooling system is about right.
That would give P:W ratios as follows (Loaded weighs of 9,100lbs and 9,200lbs used):
190A8 Military: 5.42lbs per HP
190A8 MW50: 4.65lbs per HP
190A9 Military: 4.66lbs per HP
190A9 MW50: 4.23lbs per HP
Thats a significant improvement.
Coupled with that the ability to not only remove the outboard 151/20's but ALSO the 13mm cowl guns and suddenly the power to weight ratio even looks "fighter-like."
Finally - should HTC model the 190A9 with the TA152 tail control surfaces and the improved propeller, we suddenly have an aircraft which, although resembles the 190A8 in appearance, flies drastically differently.
I think it would make an awesome addition and I think it would see significant use in the MA.
If there is a high level of interest, Ill spend to time to go digging for more detailed information.
