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The Long-Nosed "Dora": A Restored Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13 "Gelbe 10" Fighter

Danila Karpenko

September 11, 2026

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An article from the magazine *Flugzeug classic* (September 2004 issue) that I think will be of interest to readers and colleagues.

Editor’s Note: Aviation enthusiasts have been waiting a long time for this moment: after many years of painstaking restoration, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13 fighter can once again be seen in its original condition. This high-performance fighter is the newest addition to The Museum of Flight in Seattle. Frank Mormillo tells the story of “Dora’s” restoration.

On April 27, 2004, from the Gosshawk Unlimited hangar in in Mesa, Arizona, arguably the best-restored World War II fighter—the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13/R11 “Gelbe 10” (“Yellow 10”)—Dug Champlin’s aircraft—was rolled out of the Gosshawk Unlimited hangar in Mesa, Arizona. Although this is not the first restoration of this particular model, the work was carried out this time to an entirely new level of perfection. With one or two minor exceptions, this fighter now looks exactly as it did when it was handed over to the Allies in Flensburg in 1945.

Toward the end of World War II, the “Dora” was one of the most advanced fighters, and the Fw 190 D fighter was nicknamed the “long-nosed” due to its forward-projecting 12-cylinder inline Jumo 213C engine with an output of 2,240 l.s. (at sea level with the MW50 water-methanol injection system), which replaced the BMW 801 radial engine of the earlier Fw 190 A version. “Yellow 10” (serial number 836017) was manufactured in 1945 by the Roland production group; in April and May 1945, this “Dora” served with JG 26 as the squadron commander’s aircraft, piloted by Major Franz Goetz. This ace fighter pilot, who scored 63 victories, survived the war, and his personal emblem—an ace of spades inscribed within a diamond—was painted on the fuselage in commemoration of Goetz’s service with JG 53 “Pik As” (Ace of Spades). In the final days of the war, “Yellow 10,” based in Schleswig, flew several combat sorties and, following Germany’s surrender in Flensburg, was transferred to the Royal Air Force. Then, on May 17, 1946, the aircraft was transported to Freeman Field Air Base in Seymour, Indiana, where the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13/R11 “Gelbe 10” took part in an interesting comparative flight test with the latest British fighter, the Hawker Tempest (see “Tested in Great Britain. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13/R11 “Gelbe 10” Fighter”). After testing in the U.S., “Gelbe 10,” designated T2-118, was put on display; later, its wing was replaced with that of the Fw 190 D-9 T2-120 (serial number 601088), which is now part of the Air Force Museum’s collection.

In the mid-1950s, “Yellow 10” was sold to Bud Weaver, who soon resold it to Lloyd Freeman. The aircraft was then acquired by David Kyte, who transported “Dora” to Santa Barbara, California, and later, in 1972, Doug Champlin purchased the aircraft. Before displaying the Fw 190 D-13/R11 at his Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona, he sent the aircraft to Günzburg, Germany, where it was restored by Williams between 1972 and 1976. Professor Kurt Tank, who designed the aircraft, was brought in as a consultant and even suggested at the time that the restored Fw 190 D-13/R11 participate in air races in Reno. However, for many years the aircraft remained on display at the museum in Messe, showing only brief signs of life during engine starts and taxiing on the runway.

Although, for its time, the “Yellow 10” had been restored in Germany to the highest standards, in 2001, Doug Champlyn decided to have the aircraft restored again by Gosshawk and to equip it with three 20-mm MG 151 cannons, a sight, original instruments, and radio equipment. All components and assemblies were manufactured using the metric system, and the entire fuselage was re-sheathed with original metal sheets. According to David Goss, president of Gosshawk, the rivets required for this had to be ordered from France, since the original rivet holes had a 120-degree angle, whereas the rivets commonly used in the U.S. today have an angle of only 100 degrees and, therefore, would not have fit. It has been reported that these rivets alone cost about $7,000.

When David Goss tried to install the 20-mm cannons, they didn’t fit, which indicated that the wing consoles had been replaced at some point in the past. As mentioned above, “Yellow 10” was fitted with a wing from an Fw 190 D-9 fighter, which lacked a window for ejection of spent cartridge cases, and the aileron actuator was in the wrong location. In mid-2001, Doug Champlin reached an agreement with the U.S. Air Force Museum to replace the wings. Shortly thereafter, a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules delivered the wing spars needed for the Fw 190 D-13 from Dayton to Williams Gateways Airport, Arizona, and then flew back with a wing for the Fw 190 D-9.

In March 2004, after thousands of hours of work by a team of nine people, “Yellow 10” was finally ready for painting. With the help of aircraft painter Jerry Crandall, the camouflage scheme, serial number, identification marks, and technical markings of the Fw 190 D-13 were reproduced as accurately as possible to match its original condition when “Yellow 10” was handed over to the Allies. The only, barely noticeable difference from this World War II-era color scheme is that the portion of the underside of the wing, which originally remained unpainted metal, has now been coated with silver paint to protect it from corrosion.

Although Doug Champlyn sold his collection of World War I and World War II fighter aircraft to the Museum of Flight in Seattle in 2003, he was unable to part with the Fw 190 D-13/R11 “Gelbe 10.” Nevertheless, “Yellow 10” remained in Seattle for some time as a loaned exhibit and was displayed there on June 6 as part of an exhibition dedicated to the Normandy landings. As David Goss said

“After the restoration in Mesa, we had planned to start the engine and taxi the aircraft down the runway, but we ran out of time because in mid-May we had to disassemble the aircraft again to transport it to Seattle.”

Although Doug Champlin has no plans to fly this rare fighter again, it is fully flight-ready. According to David Goss, the plane just needs fuel, oil, coolant, and a battery. There is even a second Jumo 213 engine that can be used as a spare. Since the Fw 190-D-13/R11 fighter is a highly valuable rarity, and thanks to the outstanding quality of its restoration, its value is estimated at $4.5–6 million. Thus, anyone with enough disposable income who wants to buy this fighter has the chance to fly one of the most unique historic military aircraft in the world.

Gosshawk Unlimited, based in Mesa, Arizona, has been in business since 1995 and specializes in the restoration and maintenance of aircraft from World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War.

“Actually, I’ve been in this business for 21 years now, because starting in 1983, I worked for Doug Champlin and served as the CEO of his Fighter Museum, where I was responsible for all restoration work. Then I followed his advice and started my own company in a hangar next to his museum.”

– said David Goss. Starting with a hangar of about 600 square meters, Gosshawk Unlimited later also took over an old museum hangar, so Goss’s company now occupies 1,600 square meters. However, David Goss has even bigger plans, and he wants to move into a brand-new building in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Lynn Davis leads a highly skilled team of restorers, but Dave Goss is especially proud that his 17-year-old daughter, Lindsey, is already involved in some projects.

“She started sweeping the hangar when she was eight years old, and now she’s already able to help protect the Fw 190 from corrosion. She’s also removed cylinders from T-28 engines and installed wheel bearings. She simply has a knack for engineering.”

“—Goss explained with a father’s pride. However, Lindsay doesn’t see her professional future in aviation; she wants to study criminology or emergency medicine and then work for the FBI.”

Now that work on the “Yellow 10” has been completed, Gosshawk Unlimited is shifting its focus to another Fw 190-related project. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 F-8 “Weiße 1” ground-attack aircraft (“White 1” (serial number 931862), which was found in Norway in 1983 and is currently located in Mese. This aircraft was manufactured in June 1944 by Dornier in Wismar and served with IV/JG 5 and 9/JG 5 in Finland and Norway. On its final combat mission on February 9, 1945, it was piloted by Corporal Heinz Orlowski (Unteroffizier Heinz Orlowski), who shot down a Mustang and a Beaufighter before his aircraft was shot down by a Royal Air Force Mustang, forcing Heinz Orlowski to bail out. Heinz Orlowski, who scored three aerial victories, survived the war. This Fw 190 F-8 was originally restored for the Texas Air Museum in Rio Hondo, Texas, and is now owned by the “White 1” Restoration Fund in Kissimmee, Florida. In early 2004, the aircraft was acquired by Gosshawk Unlimited, which plans to restore it to airworthy condition. Given Gosshawk Unlimited’s reputation for producing high-quality work, we can be confident that “White 1” will become a rare and valuable historic military aircraft.

Source

Jerry Crandall «Yellow 10 — The story of the ultra-rare Fw 190 D-13», Eagle Files EF#2, Hamilton, USA 2000

APPENDIX. History of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13 “Gelbe 10”

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13, restored by Gosshawk Unlimited, is the only surviving example of this high-performance fighter. Since 1944, “Yellow 10” has changed hands many times. Peter Kohaus recounts the history of the long-nosed “Dora.”

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13/R11 “Gelbe 10” fighter, with factory number 836017, has an eventful and fascinating history. In January 1945, the aircraft was manufactured by the Roland production group and was transferred to the headquarters of Squadron 1/JG 26 with the tail number “Gelbe 10,” becoming the personal aircraft of the squadron commander, Major Franz Götz. This is evidenced by the inscription “Kommodore” on the underside of the engine cowling. Toward the end of the war, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13/R11 “Gelbe 10” fighter was based at the Flensburg-Weiche airfield.

The Fw 190 D-13 was likely one of the pinnacles of Focke-Wulf’s “long-nosed” fighter development. It differed from its predecessor, the Fw 190 D-9, in its engine, radiator, armament, and propeller. The Patin-PKS-12 course control system, which was built into the fighter’s equipment, was activated by pilots even during takeoff to reduce the torque generated by the large propeller with wide blades.

In the final weeks of the war, only a few Allied pilots encountered

“long-nosed Focke-Wulfs.”

Therefore, in June 1945, some officials in the Royal Air Force came up with the idea of conducting comparative flight tests of the Hawker Tempest and Fw 190 D fighters. To this end, on June 25, 1945, they retrieved Major Heinz Lange, the last commander of JG 51, from a prisoner-of-war camp and selected the Fw 190 D-13 (serial number 836017), which, with its German identification markings painted over and the number “USA 14” painted on its fuselage, was still awaiting shipment to the United States. Before the comparison flight with the Fw 190 D-13, its weapons were removed and it was refueled with enough fuel for about half an hour of flight time. At an altitude of about 3,000 meters, the Tempest and the Fw 190 D-13 met, attempted to get on each other’s tail, and turned away. Ultimately, it became clear that both aircraft were on equal footing and that the advantage ultimately depended solely on the pilots’ skill. On the same day, another flight was made in the Fw 190 D-13, with Oberleutnant (Senior Lieutenant) Günther Josten in the cockpit of “Dora.”

The fact that German pilots were allowed or had to fly German aircraft that had become Allied war trophies after the end of the war was nothing out of the ordinary. It was more of a precautionary measure on the part of the Allies, since maintenance on German aircraft was often still carried out by German ground crew. These test flights with German pilots, conducted before the British or Americans took control of the captured aircraft, virtually eliminated the possibility of sabotage.

In July 1945, the Fw 190 D-13 arrived in the United States via Gilze-en-Reijen, the Netherlands, and Cherbourg, and at the U.S. Army Air Forces Freeman Field airbase, the captured aircraft was assigned the test registration number FE-118, which was later changed to T2-118. After some testing, the aircraft was placed in storage. In the late 1940s, the Fw 190 D-13 was displayed at Dobbins Air Force Base alongside a Bf 109 G-10. However, the wing spars of the Fw 190 D-9 (serial number 601088), which is now on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum, were used during its transport to Dobbins Air Force Base.

After the air show at Dobbins Air Force Base, the U.S. Air Force declined to take two captured aircraft on the grounds that they would simply be scrapped anyway. Professor Donnell W. Dutton was delighted to receive these two aircraft as teaching aids for his Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. However, the Fw 190 ultimately ended up in storage at the U.S. Navy’s Marietta Air Station. There, it was discovered that the MG 151/20 cannon was still mounted on the aircraft—and, what’s more, it was loaded!

In Atlanta, the aircraft changed hands several times. At first, it became the property of an inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration, who traded the Fw 190 D-13 and a Bf 109 G for an engine for an Aeronca sports plane, which his flying club needed more than the two somewhat dilapidated German trophy aircraft. Unfortunately, he stored the planes outdoors in his backyard, where they fell into disrepair more and more.

In 1966, the Fw 190 D-13 was finally sold, and the new owner began the initial preservation work. Just a few months later, the Fw 190 came into the possession of a collector of military memorabilia in Santa Barbara, California, and in 1972, it was acquired by oil tycoon Douglas “Doug” Champlin in Enid, Oklahoma. In essence, this purchase saved the aircraft.

The Fw 190 D-13 was then restored by Williams, a company based in Günzburg, Germany, until 1976. In 1980, the Champlyn Fighter Museum opened in Mesa, Arizona, where the restoration of the Fw 190 D-13/R11 “Yellow 10” was completed; Among other work, a major engine overhaul was performed. After the restoration, the museum regularly conducted ground tests of the Jumo 213 engine for the public. Although the Fw 190 had been assigned the American civil registration number NX190D as early as 1974, flight tests were not conducted because the engine control unit was missing.

In 2003, the Champlyn Fighter Museum was permanently closed due to a lack of visitors, and most of the aircraft were transferred to the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The Fw 190 D-13 remained in Mesa for a while, where Gosshawk Unlimited began an extremely complex restoration project to return the aircraft to its original condition as accurately as possible.

During the first restoration in the 1970s, a number of compromises had to be made regarding authenticity due to the limited availability of original parts and information at the time. For example, the paint job was done only in shades of gray, there were various gaps in the equipment, and some more modern components were installed in the cockpit. Nevertheless, the team at Messe succeeded in restoring and starting the Jumo 213 engine, and several ground tests were conducted.

Since 2000, four specialists from Gosshawk Unlimited, led by David Goss, have been working nearly full-time on the restoration of the Fw 190 D-13, spending 26,500 hours to restore the fighter with the utmost precision, right down to the smallest details. Many missing parts were replaced, and incorrect parts were swapped out for original components. The historically accurate restoration of the entire electrical system was also a painstaking process.

During the restoration of the wing roots from two sub-variants—which had been accidentally mixed up—they were reattached to their respective fuselages through an exchange with the U.S. Air Force Museum. Flight tests with the “incorrect” wing struts from the Fw 190 D-9 are not possible due to numerous technical differences compared to the Fw 190 D-13.

The paint scheme and all markings were carefully reconstructed and restored based on available photographs taken in the summer of 1945. The camouflage applied to the aircraft’s surfaces consisted of shades of gray-violet (RLM 75), light green (RLM 82), and dark green (RLM 83). The lower part of the fuselage was primarily painted light blue (RLM 76), while the underside of the leading edge of the wing was painted gray-violet (RLM 75). It took three days just to make the stencils for the identification markings.

In May 2004, the restoration was completed, and the aircraft was unveiled to the public during a ceremonial rollout from the hangar. The restored Fw 190 D-13 fighter was then transferred to the Flight Museum in Seattle, where it has been on display since June 6, 2004—the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

The app’s author would like to thank Dave McDonald and Steve Barber for their kind support. Unless otherwise noted, the photos are courtesy of Gosshawk Unlimited. For more information, visit www.nwrain.com/-newtsuit/gosshawkunlimited

Source: Franc B. Mormillo, “Dora, the ‘Long Nose.’ The Restored Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13,” *Flugzeug classic*, September 2004, pp. 16–23

Translation first published at – https://vk.com/@710541705-dora-die-langnase-focke-wulf-fw-190-d-13-restauriert