Just for reference, my summing up made sense to me when I posted it, but JtD's explanation makes much more sense while contradicting my statement.
As such the only explanation I can think of for why reducing throttle could increase turn rate is that it could bring speed down to an aircraft's optimum turn speed, thus producing an increased turn rate. In the case of the Spitfire I tried this with, this is useful, because the Spitfire can maintain this turn rate at this throttle setting without the speed dropping (I would put this down to the Spitfire's high power to weight ratio and low wing loading).
The Fw190 can't maintain this (High power to weight ratio but high wing loading), but lowering the speed can produce an immediate and noticeable improvement in turn rate, hence the impression that down-throttling boosts the Fw190's turn rate. If the opponent was something like a P51, which is less manoeuvrable horizontally (and vertically) than a Spitfire, then you might well be able to out turn it.
AndyJWest, I noticed your description of trying to turn the Fw190 at reduced throttle involved the words "on the edge of the stall", and when I tried this myself it resulted in immediate and massive speed loss. You need to be turning somewhat outside the stall zone to avoid this and make it possible to turn at reduced throttle.
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