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The F4U Corsair is the faster, longer-ranged fighter. The Fw 190 hits much harder. On paper the Corsair wins five of the six performance rows, but the two aircraft were built for different jobs, so “better” depends on the mission.
The Corsair flew its first prototype on May 29, 1940, and the Fw 190 flew nearly a year earlier, on June 1, 1939. Both ended up among the most capable piston fighters of World War II.
This comparison uses the late-war F4U-4 Corsair and the Fw 190A-8, the versions our aircraft pages list.
| Category | F4U-4 Corsair | Fw 190A-8 | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guns | 6 × .50 in machine guns | 2 × 13 mm machine guns, 4 × 20 mm cannon | Fw 190 |
| Built | 12,571, 1942 to 1953 | 23,823 across all variants | Fw 190 |
Why the Corsair looks the way it does
The Corsair’s bent wing was a solution to a propeller problem. Its landing gear struts had to be long enough to clear the big propeller, and the inverted gull wing let the struts stay short.
The design cost weight and was harder to build. It also gave early Corsairs a nasty carrier landing habit: the left wing could stall and drop suddenly at low speed.
The Navy found the Hellcat easier for green pilots to land, so it gave the Corsair to the Marine Corps, which flew from land bases. The Royal Navy put Corsairs on carriers from 1943, despite many fatal crashes.
Why the Fw 190 looks the way it does
Kurt Tank designed the Fw 190 at Focke-Wulf, and most operational versions used the twin-row BMW 801 radial. It is shorter than the Corsair and has a smaller wingspan.
German pilots who flew both the Fw 190 and the Spitfire rated the German fighter superior in maneuverability at low to medium altitude. The Fw 190 also out-rolled the Spitfire Mk. V, though the Spitfire turned tighter.
Speed, climb and range: the Corsair pulls ahead
The F4U-4 tops out at 447 mph (719 km/h) against 405 mph (652 km/h) for the Fw 190A-8. It also climbs at 4,360 ft/min (22 m/s) to the Fw 190’s 3,000 ft/min (15 m/s).
Range is the widest gap. The Corsair flies about 1,000 miles (1,620 km) against 560 miles (910 km), which suits a fighter sent across the Pacific.
The Corsair also tops out higher, at a service ceiling of 41,500 feet (12,600 m) against 33,960 feet (10,400 m).
Firepower: the Fw 190 hits harder
The Corsair carries six .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns. Wikipedia counts about 2,300 rounds, or just under 30 seconds of fire from each gun.
The Fw 190A-8 carries two synchronized 13 mm MG 131 machine guns and four 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, two in the wing roots and two in mid-wing mounts. Four 20 mm cannon throw heavier shells than six .50 caliber machine guns.
The Fw 190 also kept getting heavier guns. The A-8/R2 variant replaced the outer-wing 20 mm cannon with a 30 mm MK 108.
Different jobs, different guns
Six machine guns and four cannon are different tools. Counting barrels hides how differently the two aircraft hit a target.
Did the Corsair and Fw 190 ever fight each other?
No documented head-to-head combat between the two is part of the record we could verify, so claims about a “winner” are opinion, not results. The two flew in different theaters for different air forces.
The Corsair’s claimed record is over 11:1 against all opponents, with 2,140 air combat victories to 189 losses, and 12:1 against the A6M Zero. Those are claims by U.S. naval aviators, and none of them is a ratio against the Fw 190.
What exists is test flying. In June 1942, Oberleutnant Armin Faber of JG 2 landed an Fw 190A-3 at RAF Pembrey, which let the British test it. The U.S. Navy later tested captured Fw 190s at its Patuxent River test center, and a Navy test pilot’s account of those evaluations has been published in Flight Journal.
The Corsair’s weapons load was also flexible. It could carry up to eight rockets and up to 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) of ordnance, which made it a capable ground-attack aircraft as well as a fighter.
The Fw 190 had a bomb-carrying role too. The A-3/U3 was the first fighter-bomber version, with a centerline rack for up to 1,100 lb (500 kg) of bombs.
Which Fw 190 are you comparing?
The Fw 190 changed a lot. The A-3 had a 1,700 PS BMW 801, the A-8 added a 10-minute emergency boost, and the Jumo-powered Fw 190D-9 flew from August 1944 to April 1945 with 1,805 built.
The Corsair changed too. The F4U-1D rose from 417 to 425 mph (671 to 684 km/h) with water injection, and the late F4U-4 added a four-bladed propeller and a 2,100 hp engine.
Against the Fw 190D-9 or the earlier F4U-1, the numbers above would shift. The article’s comparison is the late-war Corsair against the A-8.
How many were built?
Vought, Goodyear and Brewster built 12,571 Corsairs between 1942 and 1953, ending with French deliveries. Fw 190 production totals 23,823 across all variants, nearly double.
Wikipedia notes that the FAA lists 45 privately owned F4U Corsairs in the U.S. today.
So which is better?
On the numbers, the F4U Corsair is the better aircraft: faster, higher, longer-ranged and a stronger climber. The Fw 190 is the better gun platform and the smaller aircraft.
If the job is flying hundreds of miles over water and landing back on a carrier or island strip, the Corsair wins. If the job is hitting a target with heavy cannon, the Fw 190 has the edge.
Neither aircraft has a head-to-head record against the other, so no one can fairly crown a single champion.
FAQ
Sources and references used for research and fact-checking.
About the Author
Tim is the owner and lead editor of AeroCorner since 2019, overseeing aviation content covering aircraft, airlines, airports, and the broader aviation industry. Through years of researching, writing, editing, and publishing aviation-focused content, he has developed extensive practical knowledge of commercial aviation and air travel. Based in Asia and a frequent traveler himself, Tim also brings firsthand passenger experience to AeroCorner’s coverage. Outside of publishing, he has also explored aviation firsthand through hands-on flight training in New Zealand.