In May 2025, Türkiye’s MSÖ Air & Space Museum announced the addition of a Flugwerk-built Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8/N to its expanding collection of historic aircraft. The aircraft, carrying serial number 1134, was purchased earlier that January by museum founder and veteran aviator Ali İsmet Öztürk from Dan Kirkland of California. Following a nearly two-month journey from the United States, the Fw 190 arrived at the museum’s restoration hangar at the Sivrihisar Aviation Center, where work has since progressed steadily, according to a recent update from Öztürk.
By late 2025, significant progress had been made on the aircraft’s Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine, which underwent a comprehensive overhaul. Numerous components were refurbished, fuel and oil lines replaced, and high-pressure testing of the individual fuel injectors successfully completed. The oil radiators were also reconditioned, while structural issues at the engine-to-fuselage interface were resolved. Additional work in the tail section included substantial improvements to the tailwheel assembly and elevator systems.
Restoration efforts continued to accelerate through the end of 2025 and into early 2026, with major emphasis placed on the wings, landing gear, and engine installations. By October 2025, refurbishment, painting, and assembly of the engine cowling and front radiator deflectors had been completed, followed by detailed spar manufacturing and leading-edge work. Throughout November and December, extensive wing reconstruction dominated the workload, including the production of new main spars to aviation-grade standards and the replacement of skins, ribs, and stringers. Wing covering and riveting proved particularly demanding, with traditional bucking rivet techniques employed throughout the process.
Landing gear restoration advanced in parallel, with the main gear legs, wheel hubs, electric motor mounts, and upper lock assemblies either overhauled or newly manufactured, resulting in fully restored landing gear by mid-December. Internal wing components were repaired and refurbished in preparation for zinc chromate treatment and painting, while front wing root assemblies and lower wing tip structures approached completion by year’s end.
As of January 2026, upper wing skin riveting and continued wing assembly work remain ongoing on both sides of the hangar. With wing-related tasks expected to continue through February, the restoration team is targeting March 2026 for mounting the airframe onto the wings. If these milestones are met on schedule, the Turkish Fw 190—destined to fly in Turkish Air Force squadron markings—could be ready for its first test flight as early as April 2026. For more information about the Türkiye’s MSÖ Air & Space Museum, visit www.msomuseum.com
