I have been flying the FW190A for about 12 weeks. Here are a few notes on what I have learned in that time.
The FW has a number of advantages. In order of importance, these are: almost no compression at high speed; rapid acceleration; massive firepower; excellent rear visability, and good initial turn rate. Its disadvantages are: it bleeds speed fast in turns; it has a nasty flat spin mode; it doesn't climb very well; it performs badly at high altitude; and it has lousy fuel consumption.
All good fighter pilots have two things in common: they kill a lot of enemies, and they don't die much themselves. This is obvious, but it doesn't mean you should spend all your time practising gunnery for killing, and flying for evading. It is also important to learn tactics that allow you to use your plane to its full advantage. For the FW190, this is B&Z: dive at the enemy from above, shoot him, climb back up, and look for the next victim.
First, check that you are actually using a FW190. Second, check your ordanance. Your plane will be substantially more responsive without the 2x500lb bombs that you were using for that last field attack :) Third, set your gun convergence to 200yrds: '.conv 200'. Finally, check you are taking off from the right field.
Hop in the plane, go to full power, get aligned on the runway, lift off at about 180ias. Keep with the front view, note your surroundings. Is the ack firing? Are tracers lacing the runway? Are bombs exploding around you? Even if they are, ignore them! Concentrate on getting into the air: planes work better when flying.
If the field is under attack, try this: once you are straight on the runway, push the nose down until you are using only the two front wheels. You will now be able to see craters in front of you (go around them or take off before them.) Also, less wheel friction means you take off more quickly.
Once in the air at 100ft: retract the gear, put the autopilot on speed (shift-X), and check your six.
My most common cause of death on takeoff is not enemy action, it is using the radio. Do not send messages! Do not hit tab to read old radio traffic! Concentrate on getting airborne.
Once you are high enough, set the auto-pilot on level. Your speed will slowly build up to around 250ias+. Keep checking your six. Watch the radio to see how the battle is going at your destination.
As you approach the battlezone, start looking for enemies. Look down by tilting a wing or flying inverted. Don't just attack the first enemy you see. Fly straight and level for several seconds. Glance at the enemy. Is he getting closer or more distant? Is he alone? Is he being attacked? Is he attacking a friendly plane? What type of plane is he? Is he flying straight and level? Ideally, you want an enemy that is a few thousand feet below you, flying straight and level, on the edge of the battle. If he is already being attacked, don't join in: he will probably be dead before you get there, and in any event, he will be expecting attack. Another good victim type is an enemy that is chasing a friendly: he will be concentrating on his attack, you know where he is going, and your teammate will be happy if you shoot the enemy down. Once you've chosen a victim, it is time to dive...
Point the nose down a little, and make an easy turn towards the enemy. Once he appears in your front view, continue turning until he is in your gunsight. Level your plane out, and fly straight at him. Observe how his plane is moving with respect to your sight. If it stays centered, he is either coming straight at you or going straight away. If it is moving left or right, he is at angle with respect to you. If he is moving rapidly across your view, he is either turning or flying perpendicular to you. If the enemy is dropping in the sight, he is diving below you. If rising, he is in level flight or climbing. Next check the distance to him. Ideally, we are about 20 away (2000 yards, or a little over a mile.) Watch how the distance changes over time. Is it rapidly decreasing? Slowing decreasing? Staying stready? If you don't like the angle of approach (perhaps he is moving rapidly across your view or diving hard below you,) now is the time to break off the attack: pull back gently, and WEP in a slow climb back to hunting altitude.
If rapidly decreasing, he is coming straight towards you. Two planes closing at a combined speed of 600MPH will cover a mile every 6 seconds, or about 3 distance units per second. In the FW190, always accept a head-on attack. You are now in kill mode (see below.)
If slowly decreasing, he is flying away. If you are now flying at 350MPH and he is flying at 250MPH, you close at 100MPH, or 1 distance unit every 2 seconds. At range 20, you have over 30 seconds of chase time.
If the distance is steady or slowing increasing, just keep following. The FW190 is fast, and will soon catch most aircraft.
Once you have pegged his speed and direction, gently ease the nose up a little, and follow him. Keep checking your six. Try to keep your speed between 350 and 400MPH. You are now committed to the attack. Do not be distracted by enemies presenting snapshots, concentrate on your victim. Use rudder to make corrections. Fly as smoothly and as levelly as possible until about 5 (500 yards) away.
The head-on pass is easy. Using only elevators and rudder, line your plane up with the enemy. Stay flat, do not roll. At range 10, open up with all everything. At range 3, stop firing and pull back on the stick. Your FW190 will climb gently over his burning corpse :)
Attacks from behind have several advantages: the enemy isn't shooting at you; the speed of closure is slower; and the enemy may not know you are on him. At range 5, concentrate on lining up the shot. Get dead behind him at the same altitude. Hold your gunsight on his tail. At range 3, open up with everything for a one or two second burst. At range 0, pull back and climb gently over him. If he turns, do not turn with him. Use gentle rudder to hold the burst on him. Even if he is not dead, climb gently over him.
The enemy may try to break to the left or right. Do not try to follow him in the turn. Cut the corner and try to have your sight ahead of him at range 4 or so. Give him a one second squirt, straighten out, and extend. Do not follow him for more than a quarter turn. You are losing energy much faster than he is.
It is easy to get killed going home. You may run into enemies heading towards your base, or enemies returning from a mission at your base. Plot a course to your nearest field (avoid flying over enemy fields and HQs.) Dive to get your speed up to 300+, level out, and fly home fast. Low and fast makes you a less attractive target to enemy fighters.
Eventually, you will get an enemy on your six. Ideally, you saw him coming a mile away. Less optimally, you have tracer flying by your plane. Don't yank the stick in panic: energy is vital. Don't turn: he turns better. Roll over and dive to the vertical. Keep at eye on your altitude. Try to get your speed above 350ias. The FW190 will still handle excellently, most attackers will be compressing. Add a corkscrew if you are still getting pinged. Just before you compress, pull out and go horizontal. If you are being chased closely, make a quarter-turn left or right: if the enemy is compressed, he won't be able to follow. Fly straight and level, and hope to outrun him. If he falls 20 behind, or tries to break off, Immelmann back onto him. The low, fast split-S often works well: many an enemy augers in a vain attempt to match it. Multiple loops often shake off poor enemy pilots. If all else fails, go low (50 feet) and fast (WEP) and run for home. Jinx occassionally. Take the pings, the FW190 is a tough plane. Try very gentle climbs followed by dives to the wavetops: the enemy will often splash.