Fw 190F-8/M-82 conversion options

[stevehnz]

An itch I've wanted to scratch ever since reading about it is to do the above conversion much as the Soviets did toward the end of WW2. They apparently used the front end off a La-5FN with its M-82 motor to replace the Fws BMW 801 donk. RV resin did a conversion some years ago according to Scalemates  & Antares did one in 1/48. The RV one doesn't show on any searches so I'm calling that unobtainium & the Antares one is the wrong scale for me so I'm reckoning to try it the way the Soviets did, take one La-5FN front end & graft it to a Fw 190F-8 frame. QUESTION, what is a cheap acceptably accurate La-5FN kit, its an area I know little about & some reviews I've found seem contradictory?

Steve

[Guest]

Ye olde Italeri kit or the more modern Hobbyboss one.  I'd go with the latter as the plastic is thicker and thus better able to withstand heavy conversion work.  I'd suspect that the RV resin one would be a copy of the former anyway.

[Graham Boak]

Steer clear of the Italaeri, which is based on the old Aeromodeller plans which were much too fat.  The KP kit is far superior.  Send me a PM as I have spare.

[Guest]

I'd forgotten about the KP kit and I'd suspect that ye olde Frog/Novo kit would be available for peanuts.

[stevehnz]

I've got a KP  La-5FN kit in stock but had intended to build that as is, I was going to use a Hobby Boss Fw 190A-8 kit as the base, so it might pay me to do some measuring one against the other before I decide if the KP is the way to go. Graham, thanks for the thought, I'll be in touch if this looks like the way forward. I thought one of these would make an interesting pairing with a modern Flugzeugwerke(?) repro which flies not too far from where I am, both with M-82/Ash-82 power & for which I reckon to use the two HB kits I have in stock.

Steve.

[stevehnz]

7 hours ago, The Wooksta! said:

I'd forgotten about the KP kit and I'd suspect that ye olde Frog/Novo kit would be available for peanuts.

Nothing is peanuts by the time it gets to here? An eBay search didn't bring up any Frog spawn ones but A model boxing's of the KP kit seemed like the best value, till I spotted Graham's offer that us.

Steve.

[SleeperService]

Be aware Steve that, as far as I could find out, this conversion never actually happened. I trawled all the sites I could find and, although mentioned frequently, never found a single photo.

 

I would very much like to build this in 1/48 if it was real. Not so keen on a What-If? at least this time around.

[stevehnz]

An aeronautic urban legend then eh? I've seen this mentioned before other places than the links I put up, not that that means anything but the Antares link has at least a convincing story to it, so I might just work on the theory that absence of proof isn't necessarily proof of absence. Plus it'll look ok with a modern day version, one day.  Maybe I need to register on the Sovietwarplanes board & ask the question over there.

They seem closed to registrations but I did find this thread within it, certainly absence of proof still, but heck, I like the look of it, maybe in a similar scheme to the TFCs La-9 would do the job.

Quite a few familiar names there.

Steve

Edited November 7, 2017 by stevehnz

[brewerjerry]

On 06/11/2017 at 10:45 AM, SleeperService said:

Be aware Steve that, as far as I could find out, this conversion never actually happened. I trawled all the sites I could find and, although mentioned frequently, never found a single photo.

 

I would very much like to build this in 1/48 if it was real. Not so keen on a What-If? at least this time around.

Hi

   Never worry about not finding a photo.

  sometimes cameras were scarse or use restricted. 

 

  for years (pre 80's) everyone thought, a whirlwind p6994, was lost en route to the usa in 1942,

  in the 80's, i met a vet who saw it in the usa, then later a pilot who flew it

     and years later files have turned up in us archives, covering its arrival.

   but never any photos  

      sometimes myth is true 

         cheers

           jerry

[SleeperService]

On 07/11/2017 at 1:22 AM, stevehnz said:

Maybe I need to register on the Sovietwarplanes board & ask the question over there.

@Learstang was a contributor to the original thread and posted drawings (now lost to PB) hopefully the tag will prompt a repost here.

I agree that lack of photos proves nothing, however the statement that it ended up in a museum suggests there would be some record somewhere.

The devil in me has modified my earlier position, I'd say do this then stick it on a show table and see how many 'experts' notice.

[stevehnz]

Jason's drawings are just those found in this link. They seem to show OK for me but I'd downloaded the workaround which enables PB photos in show in most instances. I've had a preliminary measure up, the fuselage widths are with 1/2mm so doable, the hardest part will be deciding which bits of each to cut away, maybe the Antares conversion gives a clue to how to proceed.

Steve.

[Learstang]

Steve, I don't believe this Fw-190 conversion was ever made. However, if you wish to use the best La-5FN kit available, use the new-mould KP kit. I built one for SAMI, and it's a very nice and accurate kit. Not without a few quirks (whose idea was it to put those ejector pins on the fins, right where they should glue together?), but if I can make a reasonable-looking model out of it, it can't be all bad. I may have dreamt this, but I believe that some manufacturer are coming out with a full kit of this possible, maybe, maybe-not aeroplane. Or did I dream it?

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Edited November 8, 2017 by Learstang
Minor correction. Almost too small to mention.

[k5054nz]

On ‎7‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 7:28 AM, stevehnz said:

I thought one of these would make an interesting pairing with a modern Flugzeugwerke(?) repro which flies not too far from where I am, both with M-82/Ash-82 power

Flug Werk  As much as I'd love to see an La-7 fly (there's a -5 underway in Russia), to be honest I'd just like to see the 190 fly. I was there in 2015 but decided to go visit a friend in Renwick during Friday's lunchbreak and arrived back to see the poor thing flopped in the middle of the field.

I'm excited to see your build as I don't think I've seen this one before.

Edited November 8, 2017 by k5054nz

[stevehnz]

I hope you can sustain the level of excitment for as long as it takes me Zac, I think I might feel obliged to get onto this sooner than I might otherwise though. I've seen the FW 190 fly at Omaka, I think 2013 show, I was impressed at how small it looked besides the P-40s & Spitfire but also how bust & urgent it looked too, well displayed.

Steve.

[stevehnz]

4 hours ago, Learstang said:

Steve, I don't believe this Fw-190 conversion was ever made. However, if you wish to use the best La-5FN kit available, use the new-mould KP kit. I built one for SAMI, and it's a very nice and accurate kit. Not without a few quirks (whose idea was it to put those ejector pins on the fins, right where they should glue together?), but if I can make a reasonable-looking model out of it, it can't be all bad. I may have dreamt this, but I believe that some manufacturer are coming out with a full kit of this possible, maybe, maybe-not aeroplane. Or did I dream it?

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Thanks for those thoughts Jason, I'm not too woried about it being the best of everything, I think I'll use a Mastercraft kit for the Fw 190 part of it, adequate rather than splendid, so an older KP La-5FN kit won't be too out of place, it should still look like one, if I think if I do my bit. As for a kit of this, almost certainly just after I get done I'd think, I'd better crack on.

Steve.

[Learstang]

You're welcome, Steve! The old KP kit is still a nice kit of the La-5FN. It has some raised lines, but since the La-5FN was mostly wooden, there really aren't that many panel lines to begin with. You can probably also pick one up relatively cheaply, even in the Antipodes.

 

Regards,

 

Jason