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A historic World War II-era Focke-Wulf 190 fighter aircraft flew again for the first time in decades after a roughly 14-month restoration, completing its first successful test flight in the Sivrihisar district of Eskisehir.
The German-built Focke-Wulf 190 was manufactured in Bremen, Germany, in 1943 and crashed in northern France in 1944 during World War II.
Its wreckage was taken to the United States in 2000, where restoration work continued for roughly 12 years, but the aircraft could not be flown again for various reasons during that period.
The aircraft was brought to Türkiye in 2023 through the efforts of the Sivrihisar Aviation Club Association and began to be displayed at the M.S.O. Air and Space Museum in Sivrihisar, Eskisehir.
The restoration was carried out by an 11-person technical team from Mach Teknik, led by aerobatic pilot Ali Ismet Ozturk.
As part of the process, the aircraft was completely disassembled and underwent detailed technical inspection. Usable parts were refurbished, while unusable components were remanufactured.
One of the most critical stages of the 14-month restoration involved the propeller, which a company in the United Kingdom produced over the course of roughly a year.
Following completion of the restoration, the aircraft successfully took off during initial flight tests conducted by professional German test pilot Klaus Plasa.
Nine sorties were carried out as part of the initial test program.
Based on data gathered from the test flights, some technical adjustments were determined to be necessary to improve the aircraft's performance.
The aircraft has been returned to the hangar, with a second round of flight testing planned before it flies again.
The Sivrihisar Aviation Club Association aims to have the restored Focke-Wulf 190 participate in this year's SHG Airshow 2026, the 11th edition of the event, scheduled for Sept. 19-20.
Ozturk told Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) that the roughly 11-person team had worked with great dedication, calling the aircraft's return to flight a significant achievement. He said the restoration process required patience.
"Only eight Focke-Wulf 190s exist in the world. About half of those are in flyable condition.
The fact that one of these historic aircraft is flying again in Türkiye and will be displayed in our museum carries great importance for our country's aviation culture," Ozturk said.
He added that the restoration process had been closely followed with interest by the international aviation community and that the project had contributed to promoting Turkish aviation.
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