Azur FRROM Focke Wulf Fw-58B "Export" and "South American" 1:72

[woody37]

Focke Wulf Fw-58B "Export" and "South American" kits

Azur 1:72

 

Kit FR009 - Fw 58B "Export"

 

Kit FR010 - Fw 58B "South American"

Before doing this review I hadn’t heard of the Focke Wulf Fw-58. After doing some research, I can honestly say that I don’t know much more than before I started! What I do know is that there were over 1300 produced with many being exported to no less than 8 nations. Wikipedia states that 17 nations in total operated the aircraft, so I find it quite surprising that there is so little information about this attractive little aeroplane. First flying in 1935, it set out to provide a light training, transport and communications aircraft for the Luftwaffe. It was powered by two Argus AS 10 inverted V8’s of 240hp and constructed of welded steel tube and semi-cantilevered wing. The surfaces were a mix of fabric and metal. The two main variants were the Fw-58B as modelled here and the more widely used Fw-58C that was fitted out to carry passengers. The armed version was fitted with guns in the nose and ventral position. The B model also has provision to carry small bombs, although more for training than any combat requirement. Only one aircraft survives today in Brazil but another one is being restored in Norway.

The kit
The B & C models were released by Special Hobby a few years ago. This is a re-release under the Azur brand of the B model. Both kits have the same plastic offerings but with different decal options.
OK, let’s start with first impressions. The kits are presented in the new style top opening boxes with inspiring art work of what I believe to be a nicely formed aircraft. Three medium grey sprues are supplemented by several resin components and an etch sheet that are separately bagged. Moulding quality on the plastic looks to be very good although limited run, missing the location pins that were are used to on more mainstream kits. The fabric effect on the fuselage and wings is very well reproduced in a subtle way that gives good scale accuracy and finely recessed panel lines give a good presentation of the metal surface areas. There is minimal flash and no sink marks that I can see. The A5 instruction booklet provides clear diagrams for assembly.

Before I go on, I’ve come across a good pdf document that would be useful for building this kit. Please find it HERE. It has good drawings of the structure and undercarriage assembly if you wish to add some scratch built detail. You will have to register with the site to access it if you've not already.

 

 

 

 

 

Construction starts with the interior. There is more than enough detail to leave you satisfied straight from the box. The plastic parts are boosted by etch details that include panel, seatbelts, rudder pedals and throttles. The etch panel also has a film that is to be fitted behind it with the instrument details on. Referring to the link I mentioned above, there is a diagram showing a dual control option. The kit only provides for single control options and one seat, so if you want to add further detail, adding the second pilot position could be your chance! The interior steel framework is represented by formed detail on the inside of the fuselage halves. A great addition often over looked on kits is side walls to cover the wing root area inside the fuselage. These wing chord shaped parts simply locate on the side walls. The ventral gun location needs to be cut out from the upper fuselage. As there are no marks on the fuselage as where to apply your cuts, you will have to mark them by lining up the ventral fairing that fits into the cut-out. As there are no locating pins, the usual care will be necessary to get the fuselage halves accurately joined. I find using Liquid Poly or similar very useful for this as it gives a good initial bit but allows manipulation until you’re happy with your positioning. Holding it together with strips of masking tape is suffice until the glue (or weld) has dried. I’d recommend dry fitting the clear nose and cockpit before going ahead with the gluing just in case there are any alignment issues which might necessitate a thin fillet or plastic removal for a flush fit.

 

 

 

The lower wing root houses the rear nacelles. Blanks are provided for these so that you’re not left looking into a big void inside the wheel bays. There’s no detail in these blanks, so you might want to add a bit of detailing yourself. The wing root locates to the underside of the assembled fuselage with the outer lower wings and uppers wings fitting around them. Again, short run kits can have a tendency to be challenging during this phase, so be prepared for any surprises that you might face. The tail plane has an unusual forward location of the tail. Again the fabric is well represented on this part without being over done. The nacelles are supplied in two halves with a front part locating the prop hub face and radiator intakes. The undercarriage is quite a complicated affair using a mixture of etch, resin and plastic. Etch wheel hubs give a good lick of detail in a place where it really gets noticed.

 

 

 

 

 

The clear parts are beautifully formed. The transparent nose is moulded as a complete circumference so there are no fears about hiding glued seems. The nose blister is a separate part and houses a resin gun with additional ammunition magazine. I'd recommend dry fitting the smaller windows as some fettling may be required to seat them correctly. Note that some of them aren't required in this kit.

 

With the bulk of the kit assembled, focus turns to the detail. Several struts, aerials and masts are provided in resin, plastic and etch to finish the kit off. I’d be tempted to leave the struts off until after painting to make masking easier if doing the camouflaged scheme. The resin parts are a little vague and will requite care cleaning them up.

Decals
The sheets in the kits are produced by Aviprint. Register is spot on with very sharp and precise detail. Schemes provided are:

Kit FR009 “Export” – note the box top is labelled “Expert”!

 

• Hungarian G2+58 - operating from Poltava, Russia 1943 – light grey scheme
• Hungarian G2+47 – military mail runs on Hungarian front lines 1944 – camouflage scheme
• Romanian – Popesti –Leordeni Training School, Romania 1942 – camouflage scheme
• Romanian – Popesti –Leordeni Training School, Romania 1944 – camouflage scheme

 

This last aircraft was shot down by a US P-38 on the 10th June 1944

Kit FR010 “South America”

• Argentinean “171” – Grupo 1 de Observacion, BAM Parana 1938-48 – aluminium scheme
• Brazilian “2-V-6” – Aviacao Naval, Brazil 1938-41 – aluminium scheme
• Brazilian “AT-Fw-1530” – Forca Aerea do Brasil, 1948-50 – Light grey scheme

 

This last aircraft has been restored and is on show in Rio de Janeiro

 

Conclusion
This is a very nicely detailed if unusual kit. I doubt it will fall together given the limited run sprue design, but for a modeller used to doing such builds, I’m confident great results are possible straight from the box. How accurate the kit is, I couldn't accurately comment. It certainly picks up the character of the aircraft. Whilst some manufacturers offer main stream aircraft choices, I’m really grateful that Azur (amongst others) are prepared to invest in these rarer aircraft, especially when they are as attractive as the FW-58!

Review sample courtesy of

[The wooksta V2.0]

Looks to be better than the old Karo As kit - although that was an MPM tool in all but name anyway!

[Learstang]

Nice review! I've already done quite a bit of work on the Hungarian camouflaged version (that's what I intend it to be). I've glued the wings together, and done most of the non-etched work on the interior and I have to say it's a nice little kit of an attractive aeroplane. You have to do some hacking away at the fuselage to fit the gun position insert, as there is no "hole" for it (you're provided with the normal "ungunned" fuselage as here), but it's nothing that any decent modeller can't do. I'm tempted to pick up another one to do as a NachtSchlachtflieger aircraft, complete with bombs (I already have the decals for this, from an Owl decals set).

Regards,

Jason

[woody37]

Hi Jason,

Be really good if you could post some pics of your build or at least the finished kit. There is very little out there to determine how the kit builds up

[Test Graham]

I had the Karo-As solid nose and the original MPM release with the transparencies. The transparencies are certainly a great improvement, and the plastic is softer. Other than that, the model breaks down in the same way with the same pieces, but arranged on conventional sprues rather than the centrifugal ones of the original. I was surprised how similar the two kits are.

The MPM Dutch boxing I had came with the open gun position.

[Learstang]

Hi Jason,

Be really good if you could post some pics of your build or at least the finished kit. There is very little out there to determine how the kit builds up

I'd love to, but large empires rise and fall in the time it takes me to complete a single model. However, I might be able to post some piccies of what I've done. As I'm sure I've said before on this site, my models are like ageing actresses - they look better further away and a little out-of-focus. Luckily, my camera makes everything look that way.

Regards,

Jason

[woody37]

I'm inclined to agree with you about how long it takes mate, still waiting for you to finish that Lanc VI

It was looking good last time I seen it.

[Learstang]

I'm inclined to agree with you about how long it takes mate, still waiting for you to finish that Lanc VI

It was looking good last time I seen it.

Oh, b****r! I was hoping no one would remember that one. If it's any consolation, it looks almost exactly as good now as it did the last time you saw it. I knew blending in those b****y cowlings was going to be a show-stopper. Everything was going swimmingly until then. But I will finish it, oh yes, I will!

Regards,

Jason

[Learstang]

As threatened, here are links to some photographs of what I've done on my Fw-58 so far. You will notice the gap between the fuselage wing roots and the wings. I think this is more due to my glueing the wings together first than any inherent problem with the kit. I think if I had waited until the fuselage was glued together, then glued on the wings, these gaps would disappear or at least be considerably diminished. Note that the fit of the wings on the underside is very tight. Overall, the fit seems good on this kit, and the transparencies are excellent. The cockpit is shown pre-installation of PE parts (and I need to tone down the scuffing a bit, I think). I've also shown the gunner's insert and the partially cut away part of the fuselage where it will be glued.

Best Regards,

Jason

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/Learstang/CIMG0024_zps753bdf13.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/Learstang/CIMG0025_zps73449f07.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/Learstang/CIMG0009_zpsd1329154.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/Learstang/CIMG0008_zps1e5c9ee3.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/Learstang/CIMG0003_zpsd209c51b.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/Learstang/CIMG0028_zps3fa1a120.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/Learstang/CIMG0029_zpsa9a71a92.jpg

Edited May 29, 2013 by Learstang

[Julien]

Try this;

Julien

[Learstang]

Julien, before, I've been able to post the pictures directly in the post, but I wasn't able to this time, hence the annoying links. How did you do this?

Regards,

Jason

[Julien]

Jason, just manually put the pics in image tag;

[img=http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx323/Learstang/CIMG0029_zpsa9a71a92.jpg]

Hope this helps

Julien

[Learstang]

Oops, I thought I'd already thanked you for the help, Julien. Looks like I hadn't - thank you!

Regards,

Jason