Jump to content

Airfix 1/72 FW190A-8 - a look in the box and a build with new Humbrol Acrylics


John

Recommended Posts

Acquired yesterday from Jamieson's in Glasgow for the incredibly reasonable price of £5.99 :

FW1_zps28182eaf.jpg

FW2_zps4b266e7f.jpg

The main camouflage colours are keyed to Humbrol's new Luftwaffe range, which are presumably close to release.

FW3_zps5358b0e5.jpg

FW4_zpsb3af0ba2.jpg

FW5_zps8ea187de.jpg

FW6_zps9fd2afe2.jpg

FW7_zps2dea975b.jpg

FW9_zps204bf5aa.jpg

FW8_zps1fa2c9b6.jpg

There's also a clear sprue with early flat and later bulged canopies.

FW10_zps91fd7a19.jpg

FW11_zps67abe4f0.jpg

FW12_zps55f239cb.jpg

FW13_zps94fcedd9.jpg

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same here.....In the post and a space for it ready on the work bench !

Wonder how good those new RLM paints are going to be :popcorn:

Andy

If the new Azure Blue is anything to go by, I'd be optimistic!

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1/72 isn't my thing so I don't expect I'd ever build this, but the thing I see that I really wouldn't like if I ever did is the way they molded the flaps into the top wing. For someone like me who often likes to show an airplane with the flaps dropped that would be a major construction job on this kit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to agree, it's a stunner. So far the only 'DOH !' issue is that there is a tail wheel access door on starboard side of the fin that should'nt be there. Hardly a game stopper but............I do agree with Niles that flaps area bummer especially after the 109E and Mustang then this one is a bit retrograde. Last but not least, the plastic is noticeably harder than previous Airfix offerings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting these pics John, won't be getting mine just yet, I'm still only mid-way through the Gladiator

Once you see the plastic for yourself you'll not be able to resist. Mine has arrived today and I'm very pleased, the panel lines are a lot better than the trenches on the Vampire T11 (lets hope the fit is better too). I'm really looking forward to making this one, my first impression is it looks to be the class leader in scale for a late 190, there is now no reason for buying the relatively expensive Hasegawa kit for the A8 anyway (shame I already have spent the money on them all).

Duncan B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be fair to the Hasegawa kit, it's panel lines are still much finer than the new Airfix kit, for those that are concerned with such things. Also, the Hasegawa kit can be bought for under £10 at shows etc, I've picked them up for Airfix series 2 money, so hardly mega expensive. I know the series 1 kit will be between £5-£6 depending on where you buy it but if you want more than 1, that means aftermarket decal time!

The Hasegawa kit has be done in many versions (I know, I have loads!) and the Airfix kit will be an A-8 initially and later A-8/F-8.

My first impression, is that there isn't much to choose between them but the fact that the Airfix kit will be far more readily available will probably make it the Fw190A-8 kit of choice for most people. It will be interesting to see what the Fw190 accuracy police make of it!

thanks

Mike

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

ooooh that looks good!

Now.. How many to order.. Hmm..

Well, I'm pretty sure that production hasn't hit the 'Zillion-unit' mark yet, so you and I will just simply have to come to some equitable arrangement on how to divvy them up between the two of us... :)

Byron

Edited by Byron Boyd
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be fair to the Hasegawa kit, it's panel lines are still much finer than the new Airfix kit, for those that are concerned with such things. Also, the Hasegawa kit can be bought for under £10 at shows etc, I've picked them up for Airfix series 2 money, so hardly mega expensive. I know the series 1 kit will be between £5-£6 depending on where you buy it but if you want more than 1, that means aftermarket decal time!

thanks

Mike

True enough Mike but the shows are few and far between in this part of the UK and the last Hasegawa Fw190 I bought had a 1/3 off and still cost me £16 plus postage from big H. I've got lots of after market decals to use up so this kit will be ideal to build up a fleet of butcher birds without having to see the Bank Manager or do a 600 mile round trip. I'll still build the Hasegawa kits I've got and would still pick one up for £8 if I saw one but the Airfix kit will be readily available at a price that'll make the hunt for the £8 Hasegawa unnecessary IMO.

Duncan B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But it also depends on which version you want! I found a Hasegawa A-9/F-9 boxing, 2nd hand from Hannants at the Duxford Spring Air show, had to pay £15 for it but then, I had been looking for it for years! I picked up a Hasegawa F-8/R16 (bet Airfix won't do that one!) for £8 at the Huddersfield show last year but yes, if all you want to do is a bog standard A-8 (and later F-8) then Airfix is the easier (and probably cheaper) way to go.

thanks

Mike

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another little stunner from Airfix, who could possibly fail to be impressed? Thanks for posting the pics John.

Colin

Edited by heloman1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having ordered a small selection of their new Luftwaffe acrylics from Humbrol, and having this kit immediately to hand, it seems like an idea to lay my collection of Tomahawks aside for a while and have a go at this.

Among the acrylics I've ordered are 245 : RLM 74, 246 : RLM 75 and 247 : RLM 76, which are called out in the painting guide for this kit. The kit instructions also call out 31 for the RLM Grey areas of the undercarriage legs, but I'll use the new acrylic 240 for that. The instructions also call out 245 for the cockpit and wheel well interior, presumably as a substitute for RLM 66. That seems a reasonable compromise for the cockpit but I assume the wheel well interior would be 02?

The first job in hand after examining the sprues is to drill out small holes for the upper wing cannon breech clearance bulges and on the lower centre section for the drop tank rack :

FW14_zpsd6958120.jpg

FW15_zps12e9efb3.jpg

Next job was to add the underwing panels with the shell ejection slots for the outer cannon :

FW16_zpsaa56c71d.jpg

FW17_zps430fc669.jpg

These drop in from the inside and only needed a little touch from a file. A little Humbrol Liquid Poly on the inside gives a nice neat finish.

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last but not least, the plastic is noticeably harder than previous Airfix offerings.

This is IMHO a very good thing: I always found the plastic previously used by Airfix too soft and I believe that a harder plastic should help in getting better defined details.

Looking forward to these to reach my shores, I must buy one. Will keep looking at this thread to see what John makes out of the kit

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I look for references to "box art" aircraft and this particular airplane haven´t outboard cannons (look at excellent build of Hasegawas 1/32 "Butcher Bird" by Jerry Crandall on HS)and may carry WGr 21 grenade launcher. This is a very atractive weaponry but in box isn´t... Is WGr 21 made as aftermarket ? (Or i can buy a Weekend edition of Eduard´s Bf 110G-2 and this have WGr 21 in box, no ?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're not wrong, the undercarriage bay would be 02, 66 was approved for cockpit interiors in 1941-ish(and began to supercede 02 in the cockpits), but as far as I know 66 was never used in undercarriage bays, only 02 or bare metal (in the very odd occasion from what I can tell).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I look for references to "box art" aircraft and this particular airplane haven´t outboard cannons (look at excellent build of Hasegawas 1/32 "Butcher Bird" by Jerry Crandall on HS)and may carry WGr 21 grenade launcher. This is a very atractive weaponry but in box isn´t... Is WGr 21 made as aftermarket ? (Or i can buy a Weekend edition of Eduard´s Bf 110G-2 and this have WGr 21 in box, no ?)

I have also seen a profile of this aircraft carrying WGr 21's. The Eduard Bf110G2 have the double and single launch tubes included.

Duncan B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A nice little package arrived from Hornby this morning with a selection of the new RLM acrylics:

NewRLMpaints_zps678cde25.jpg

The middle 3 are for the mid-War grey scheme.

First up was a trial of 240 02 into the wheel well:

FW18_zps7bd233e6.jpg

It needs another coat but the colour is spot on for RAL 7003, which is the modern interpretation of RLM 02 - well done Humbrol! Also of note is the very fine bracing strut across the middle of the well - well done Airfix!

I did notice one minor problem with the kit though :

FW19_zps826c8893.jpg

1 fin inspection panel too many, I think?

John

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...