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In 2024-2025, HobbyBoss is to release 1/48th Focke-Wulf Fw.190A Würger kits - ref. 81781 - Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-6 Würger - ref. 81782 - Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-8 Würger V.P.

Trumpeter is to release a 1/32nd Focke-Wulf Fw.190A Würger family - ref. 03234 - Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-6 Würger - ref. 03235 - Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-8 Würger Source: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ug4y1S7Sh/ V.P.

Moxingfans China indicates that in a recent message Border Model posted some intriguing sprues pictures showing what looks like Focke-Wulf Fw.190 Würger parts. Most probably a 1/35th kit project. To be followed. Source: http://www.moxingfans.com/new/news/2022/0905/10739.html V.P.

Fw.190As & Fw.190A-8/R2s (#173 & #175) 1:48 EagleCals by Eagle Editions Ltd We’re well-served with Fw.190 kits in all scales, as it was one of the mainstay fighters of the German Luftwaffe of WWII alongside the equally well-known Bf.109. Eagle Editions have released these two decal sets that will help you depict a number of Fw.190As in 1:48 (other scales are available), from the early A-2s and A-3s in set #173 through to the later A-8/R2s in set #175, which had their 20mm outer-wing cannons replaced with larger 30mm Mk.108s for extra punch when attacking the bomber streams or engaging with Allied fighters in the defence of the Reich. Each sheet arrives in a ziplok bag, with the double-sided A3 instructions folded into four to act as protection for the decal sheets within. Sheet #173 has two sheets, with the balkenkreuz on a smaller additional sheet, while sheet #175 manages to fit all the decals on the one sheet. The instructions show larger side profiles of each airframe inside, top and partial bottom profiles, plus a separate page depicting the airframe stencilling, and a good deal of written information about each subject that covers a full A4 page. The almost photo-realistic profiles are penned by James Bentley, and are of excellent quality. Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Swastikas have been supplied, but in order not to fall foul of territories where displaying the symbol is illegal or to suit your own personal tastes, they are supplied in two halves, having separate central sections that you can omit, or just leave them off all together if the urge takes you. From the sheets you can build the following: Fw.190As – 1:48 (Sheet #173) Fw 190 A-2 “Yellow 12” flown by Oblt Rolf Hermichen 3./JG 26 May 1942, St. Omer France Fw 190 A “Green 2” Geschwader Stab JG 5 Fw 190 A-3 “Yellow 12” 9./JG 2 Fw 190 A-3 “Yellow 13/”Old Shap”, pilot Ofw. Josef Heinzeller Fw.190A-8/R2 – 1:48 (Sheet #175) “Black 8” 11.Sturm/JG 3 Uffz. Willi Maximowitz June 1944, Dreux France “Yellow 2” W.Nr. 682181 6./JG 300 Fw. Hubert Engst Dec 1944 Löbnitz, Germany “Black 4” 8/JG 300 Lt. Victor Heimann Feb 1945 Löbnitz, Germany “Yellow 12” Muschi 6/JG 300 Uffz. Paul Lixfeld Nov 1944 Löbnitz, Germany Conclusion If you’re looking for some different decals than those included in your kit box, then you should certainly consider these as candidates for your off-piste decals. Well-printed by industry masters Gartograf with some methodical research and high-quality instructions. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Focke Wulf Fw.190A/S/F/G - Monographs Special Edition #12 ISBN: 9788366148727 Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK Focke-Wulf’s Fw.190 was initially designed as a replacement for the ageing Bf.109, which was thought to be approaching the end of its development potential. They managed to squeeze yet more performance for the old 109 though, and they often fought side-by-side in the defence of the Reich until the very end. The British were shocked by its first appearance, as at that time the Spitfire had the edge over the 109, so when they were outclassed by the new, diminutive fighter it spurred the Spitfire’s evolution in that endless game of leapfrog that war begets. The 190 went through many alterations and improvements too, until its airframe diverged so far from the original that it was renamed after its designed Kurt Tank, as the Ta.152. The Book This is number 12 in the Monographs Special Editions from Kagero, with English used throughout. It is hardcover bound and contains 264 pages in colour and black & white, plus two sheets purposely blank. It is written by Krzysztof Janowicz, with many of the photos sourced from private collections that are noted in brackets in the captions. The first 210 pages are text interspersed with many pictures and their accompanying captions, followed by a few pages of statistics in tables. The remainder is filled with drawings with a substantial number of 1:48 scale plans, and the last 8 pages plus another 8 near the centre are devoted to some handsome side profiles of various airframes. The chapters break down as follows: Introduction FW.190A-1 Fw.190A-2 Fw.190A-3 Fw.190A-4 Fw.190A-5 Fw.190A-6 Fw.190A-7 Fw.190A-8 Fw.190A-9 Fw.190F Fw.190F-1 & F-2 Fw.190F-3 Fw.190F-8 Fw.190F-9 Fw.190G Fw.190G-1 Fw.190G-2 Fw.190G-3 Fw.190G-8 Fw.190S Painting & Markings Operations in Western Europe Operations in Africa, the South & North of Europe Ostfront Profiles The Fighter of Many Faces Africa & Sicily All Straks’s Men “Fire Brigade” on the Eastern Front Re-organisation Jack of all Trades Hills, Mountains & Monte Cassino To Stop the Red Bear From Normandy to the Rhine Defeat in the East The Hungarian Ally Hunting by Night Over the Atlantic Mistel Evaluation of the Fw.190 Endnotes Bibliography Plans Profiles There is a substantial amount of text throughout the book which gives a lot of detail on the development, entry into service, combat experience and its various sub-variants. The photographs are of great interest to anyone with a historical bent, and coupled with the captions there will be plenty of reading time after which you'll be a bit of an instant expert on the type, and ready for the plans, which are in 1:48. In addition, there are three loose sheets, one A3 sheet in 1:48 showing an A3 with an A-8/R8 over the page. The other two sheets are on A2 in 1:32 showing an A-5 and A-5tp on one page, and an A-8 on the other. They’re all printed on both sides for maximum information of course. Conclusion The diminutive and combative Butcher Bird is a firm favourite amongst us aircraft enthusiasts, and this book has an absolute wealth of information within its hard cover, that can’t help but broaden your knowledge in the process. Review sample courtesy of

Airframe & Miniature 3 Fw.190 Early Series (Radial Engined) and 7 Fw.190D & Ta.152 Update Editions A Complete Guide To The Luftwaffe's Famous Fighter Valiant Wings Publishing The Fw.190 was first developed as a replacement for ageing Bf.109 and to counter the British Spitfire, but it ended up serving alongside its Messerschmitt stablemate. When first encountered by the Spitfires it gave them quite a shock with its different flight characteristics and more nimble flight envelope, spurring on development of the Spitfire in a continual game of leapfrog throughout the war. Its design was to mate the most powerful engine they had to the lightest possible airframe, which resulted in the diminutive 190 with its blunt nose and wide tracked undercarriage that gave it better ground handling characteristics than its nose-over prone brethren. This is the welcome re-release of a series of two books, the second of which covered the genesis of the 190 through to the end of the war with later redesigns up until the end of production, the first covering the later 190D or Dora with inline engine that gained the nickname of Langnase or long nose due to the changes wrought on the shape by the different engine type. It also covers the re-designed Ta.152 which was to be the high altitude variant that saw very little service due to the deteriorating state of the war at the time. They also cover the oddities, which will be of interest to anyone that is interested in the almost or what-if possibilities of this versatile airframe. Both books are perfect bound in a card jacket and printed on glossy paper with spot colour throughout. The author for each one is the prolific Richard A Franks, with Richard J Caruana providing the colour profiles as usual with this interesting series, plus Jacek Jackiewicz who is responsible for the isometric and the plans. Attached to the rear of each volume are a set of plans that will be of great use to any modeller that likes to compare and contrast their plastic replicas with profiles and plans. The plans in #7 are thicker and have additional pictures and diagrams of airframe parts in addition to the 1:48 airframe plans. Airframe & Miniature 3, Fw.190D & Ta.152 – ISBN: 9781912932078 Consisting of 176 pages, it details the development of the 190D from prototypes, initial production and the introduction to combat with changes made from there. The major redesign of the Fw,190D that changed name to Ta.152 (designed by Kurt Tank) takes up a good portion of the text and photos, as there were a number of series planned, with more that were on the drawing board at the end of the war. Airframe Chapters Evolution – Fw.190D The Fw.190D series The Ta.152C series The Ta.152H series Projects and drawing board designs Camouflage & markings Stencils Colour Profiles Miniature Chapters Fw.190D & Ta.152 kits Building a selection Building a collection In detail: The Fw.190 & Ta.152 Appendices Fw.190D & Ta.152 kit list Fw.190D & Ta.152 accessories list Fw.190D & Ta.152 decal list Bibliography Glossary Fold-Outs Scale plans – Fw.190D early & late, Fw.190D-9, Ta.152H-0/1 Airframe & Miniature Volume 7 – Fw.190 Radial Engine versions (A, B, C, F, G & S) ISBN: 9781912932085 With an expanded page count up to 240 pages, this volume documents the development of the early Fw.190 from initial prototypes to the maturity of the airframe up until the point that the output from the BMW radial engine was holding them back. The changes involved many dead-ends, including new engines and ancillary positions such as radiators, turbojet powered redesign and just about any kind of aerodynamic of mechanical updates that the engineers thought could give them advantage over the Spitfire and eventually the Mustang, Thunderbolt and many other late war heavy fighters. The page breakdown is as follows: Airframe Chapters Evolution – Prototypes and A-Series Prototypes A-Series The F and G-Series F-Series Ordnance Test Trials G-Series Conversions, Projects & New-Builds Training Aircraft Fw.190C Series Fw.190E Series, Projects Modified, New-Builds Miniature Chapters Fw.190A to G kits Building a Selection Building a Collection In Detail: The Fw.190A to G Cockpit & Canopy Fuselage Engine, Cowling & Propeller Wings Tail Undercarriage & Wheel Wells Armament, Racks and Drop Tanks Radio, Electrical and Camera Equipment Miscellaneous Appendices Kit List Accessories and Mask List Decal List Bibliography 1:48 Scale Plans Fold-Out Fw.190 V1, A-3, A-6, A-8/R2 Fw.190A-9/R1, S-8 Conclusion As we have come to expect from this series, indeed any of the Valiant Wings publications, the text is interesting, the photos of high quality, and the drawings are crisp with lots of informative captions. The colour profiles are of high quality, and the isometrics that show the differences between marks are my personal favourites, and there are a lot of those in this pair! There is plenty to interest the aviation enthusiast as well as the modeller, but the modelling section is great for us plastic lovers, with models of the highest quality being showcased with tips and tricks to obtain similar results (talent willing!), with all major scales represented from many manufacturers. This series has become a great source of knowledge for those of us that don't know everything already, and with them in hand, you are poised to do a better job of your latest 190 project, especially if you're looking at detail. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 64 – Focke Wulf Fw.190A (9788366148093) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK Introduced in 1941 to combat the ever-improving Spitfire, the Fw.190 was intended to supplant the Bf.109 if it reached a plateau in development, or run alongside it as a stablemate. Its powerful twin-bank radial engine was installed with a close-fitting cowling and was initially equipped with an oversized, ducted prop-spinner to keep the engine cool, which was discarded early in development in favour of a fan that ran on the prop's drive-shaft to push air through the cylinder heads, which also facilitated oil cooling. It was also given a wide-track landing gear, which reduced the likelihood of a nose-over, a problem afflicting both the 109 and Spitfire, due to their narrow track and poor forward visibility. When it first encountered Spitfires, it gave the Allied pilots a shock, as they were expecting 109s, not these agile little aircraft. It caused a frenzy of development at Supermarine, which was just part of the leapfrog game played on both sides throughout the conflict. The initial A-1 production version was equipped with a BMW 801 engine, and by the time it matured, it had two 7.92mm guns in the cowling, and a pair of 20mm MG151 cannons in the wing root, all of which were synchronised with the prop's motion, in turn mated to a more powerful version of the BMW engine. There were a number of equipment fits used to give the Würger (Shrike) additional weapons and capabilities, including a pressurised cockpit, rocket tubes and reconnaissance cameras, and after the D-model the Ta.152 took over as its spiritual successor until the war's end. We have kits in all scales for example from Airfix in 1:72, through the Revell and newer Eduard kits in 1:48, then Hasegawa and Revell kits in 1:32. The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of masks for the Tamiya Fw.190A in 1:72 and 1:48, which are always good to have because the Wurger's canopy is a goldfish bowl that would show up scratches well. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 20 pages, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles, but in addition you get a sheet of loose A3 plans printed on both sides in 1:48 of the A-3 and A-8/R8 sub-variants. The first half of the bound plans show the variants from the A-1, A-3 with variants on the intakes around the engine cowling, the A-4, A-5 and A-6, plus a number of scrap-diagrams showing individualisms, and even a fuselage that is suspended by its engine mount (minus engine) on a maintenance tower for the diorama minded. The four pages of profiles show an A-3, A-5, A-4/U7, A-5Y, A-6, A-7, A-8/R2, A-9 and two A-8s on the rear cover. After the profiles, more plans of the A-7, A-8 and A-9s are printed, then the final page of the plans shows the evolution of the aircraft through the majority of the A series, with differences marked out in grey and captions discussing the nature of the changes. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that shows gun packs, antennae for the night fighters, weapons carriers and so forth. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that likes to compare their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the masks a useful bonus if you happen to model in those scales. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi everyone and just finished this wee one, Airfix's FW-190 A-8 in 1/72. Built OOB except for seat belts from masking tape. Brush painted with the mottle done with a small bit of sponge. Apart from the kit stencils and spinner, the markings are from Sky Decals for 'Blue 13' of JG 300, 1944. flown by Major Walther Dahl. From what I've read, the a/c was originally an R2 'Sturmbock' with 30mm cannons outboard and extra armour around the cockpit. These were removed and she reverted to type so I've added some paint dots on the cockpit sides to show where these attached. I'm not sure if the nose art decal should be darker too, so you can see the gunsight over the B-17. And I used the wrong shade colour underneath - it shoud be more of a light grey than light blue. No stress, I enjoyed building it anyway! Thanks for looking and enjoy your modelling All the best, Dermot Airfix FW_190_Done (1)r by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Airfix FW_190_Done (5)r by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Airfix FW_190_Done (2)r by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Airfix FW_190_Done (6)r by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Airfix FW_190_Done (10) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Airfix FW_190_Done (4)r by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Airfix FW_190_Done (3)r by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Airfix FW_190_Done (8)r by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr

Fw.190A-3 Landing Flaps (48980 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Eduard landing flaps use an ingenious technique to achieve excellent true-to-scale flaps using few parts, and requiring the modeller to simply remove the retracted flaps from the lower wing, plus scrape the upper wings to accommodate the thickness of the completed bays, all of which are shown in red on the instructions. Each flap bay is constructed in the same manner, by twisting and folding over the attached ribs to create a 3D shape, with extra parts added along the way. The bays glue to the inside of the upper wing and the flap is folded up and attaches to the rear wall of the new bay. Repeat this for the other side, and you're almost done. The bays have a "dimpled" panel in the small central section, and after pressing the details through with the tip of a ball-point pen, these are inserted and glued in place. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A-5 Undercarriage Legs BRONZE (648436 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Eduard have produced a line of Fw.190 kits that are peerless in 1:48, and as that range expands, so does the variety of aftermarket sets, tailored to their kits, and with exceptional detail that makes them a worthwhile investment if you're after the perfection. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. There are two cast bronze legs in the box, with two gear bay doors, consisting of two captive main and two inner doors that hinge along the aircraft's centreline. The casting of the bronze is superlative, and far better than white metal, as well as being much stronger and less flexible. If you are planning on loading up your model with resin cockpit, engine, gun bay, etc., these may be just the ticket to support all that extra weight, as well as improving the detail and scale fidelity substantially. Review sample courtesy of

Focke-Wulf Fw.190A "Wulf Pack" Vol.1 (ED48001 & ED72002) 1:48 & 1:72 Exito Decals Polish company Exito were new to us until recently, and have launched their brand from their website where they also sell general modelling "stuff" such as kits, tools, books and so forth. They have sent us their first issues in both scales, which arrive in a slightly larger than A4 releasable foil bag that is stiffened by a large piece of card, a sheet of paper front and rear, with the decals hiding in the back, and a set of side profiles on the front advertising what's inside. Inside are the decals of course, plus a page devoted to each option, which is printed on heavy glossy stock on both sides, with three-view profiles, a photo of the aircraft in question, and other information that may be of use to the modeller. Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There are sufficient national decals on the sheet to model each of the three options, with a dotted line encompassing each option, plus another annexing the corner that allows the vendor to cut off the Swastikas, which are also included in two parts on the body of the sheet to comply with local regulations regarding this contentious symbol. From the sheet you can decal one of the following: Fw.190A-3, flown by Oblt. Detlev Rohwer, Kapitän of 6./JG1, late spring 1942 Fw.190A-4, W.Nr.0799, coded SK+OU, probably belonging to I./SG101, France 1943 Fw.190A-5, coded Yellow 5, flown by Fw. Karl "Charly" Willius of 3./JG26, Dno, Soviet Union, early April 1943 The paint colours are called out in Mr Hobby and AK Interactive codes, as well as the RLM codes appropriate for each shade. That way, if you don't have those brands, you can always use your preferred paint system without going too far wrong. The BU-HU decals on the side of option two are quite appealing, and give the aircraft a more modern appearance due to its jaunty angle and positioning. The addition of the oak-leaves around the 7 on the cowling completes the look. Conclusion Another professional and attractive package from Exito. As well as some interesting decals printed by the company everyone else is measured against, you get profiles of all the options that are of such high quality that they could be framed or incorporated in the display of your finished model. We expect great things of Exito if this is anything to go by. Very highly recommended. 1:72 Scale ED72002 1:48 Scale ED48002 Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A Resin Upgrades (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Eduard's newly issued early Fw.190A has been released in ProfiPACK and Royal Class boxings, and now we have another brace of new resin sets for those of you that love to add extra detail to their models, and aren't always satisfied by the ability of injection moulding to satisfy your needs. The earlier sets dealt mainly with the A-4, which you can read about here. As always it's a modular approach, and you can choose what you use, with a guarantee that it'll fit your model just so, as it's by Eduard for Eduard. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. The larger sets are encased in an oblong box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched wrapped around, providing extra protection. Fw.190A-3 Cockpit (648357) Consisting of resin, PE, decals and a small sheet of clear acetate film, the largest part of which is the cockpit tub with the aft decking and side consoles already moulded in. The separate seat is prepared with its cushion and a set of pre-painted PE seatbelts, and fitted to the tub after the removal of some moulding flash that is indicated in red (already removed in the pics). Resin control column, resin and PE rudder pedals, and the instrument panel are made up next, with the latter having the choice of using the PE panel with pre-printed dials, or a detailed resin part over which you apply a decal of the instruments. Your choice! The panel fits on ledges at the front of the side consoles, and the resin gunsight with PE and acetate parts slides into a groove in the upper panel. The cowling fits over the top, and it too has cut-outs that need clearing of flash beforehand. To fit the new cockpit inside the fuselage a pair of plastic wedges are removed from the inside, to be replaced with a detailed PE and resin trim wheel. The assemblies should then fit neatly within, alongside the kit bulkhead, assuming you aren't taking advantage of any of the other sets I'll be mentioning in this review. The set includes the opening mechanism and the pilot's head armour, which has a warning decal added to it after painting. The interior roll-over frame is resin, and has delicate PE bracing wires linking to the rear, all of which fits inside the canopy after painting. The canopy then installs as normal. Fw.190A Propeller (648366) In order to fit this prop, you'll just need to shave the front off the housing at the front of the kit engine, before creating the prop on its jig, with separate central boss and blades, which fit snugly into the jig and should just lift out once the CA is dry unless you've overdone it. A PE template fits to the back of the boss to mark the centre-point for you to mark and drill a 2mm hole, after which the PE is discarded. The adapted kit part has a small resin pin added, and the prop with a choice of two types of cooling fan (large blades & small) is fitted to the tip of the pin protruding from the engine. If you wanted to portray a maintenance diorama there is a resin prop-shaft included with a detailed spindle that fits into either the kit engine, or one of the new resin engines that are out (648352 & 648335). A new spinner finishes off the set. Fw.190A-2 (648379) and Fw.190A-3/4 (648367) Undercarriage Legs BRONZE These two sets are functionally identical, but differ in the design of the inner gear bay cover detail. There are two cast bronze legs in each box, with four gear bay doors, consisting of two captive main and two inner doors that hinge along the aircraft's centreline. The casting of the bronze is superlative, and far better than white metal, as well as being much stronger. If you are planning on loading up your model with resin cockpit, engine, gun bay, etc., these may be just the ticket to support all that extra weight. Take your pick based on the variant you're modelling. Fw.190A-2 (648379) Fw.190A-3/4 (648367) Fw.190A Control Surfaces Early (648371) This is simply a new set of control surfaces with tab fitting that drop in place instead of the kit parts, benefitting from the fine detail that resin is capable, as well as super-fine trailing edges. There are elevators, ailerons and a rudder unit in the box, with attachment points for casting running along the leading edge, which will mostly remain unseen after construction. Fw.190A Pitot Probes Early (648373) This inexpensive set contains three resin pitot probes on a single casting block with a pair of rails on the sides to protect them from damage. The resin is quite flexible, and provides excellent detail, which is achieved by the addition of a small extension past the end of the probe to ensure complete filling of the narrow cavity and avoid bubbles. You can see that section in the photo at the tip of the arrow I have added. They're not as strong as a metal one, but you're also not likely to skewer yourself with a resin one. Having three on hand will be useful if you have a Royal Class boxing, or just for spares. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A-5 Advanced BigSin (SIN64843 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin In case you're unaware, Eduard's BigSin sets are a great way to purchase all the sets you want for your model whilst availing yourself of a bulk purchase discount that can be quite tempting. The set arrives in a large cardboard box with the BigSin branding and a sticker in the top left that details what's inside. Within the box the sets are all cocooned between two layers of grey foam with the resin in bags, while the Photo-Etch fret is still bagged in its flat resealable retail packaging. The set is designed to detail and open up much of the airframe, and includes a complete engine set, nose gun bay, wing root gun bay and propeller set, plus the general PE update set to detail the rest of the airframe. Fw.190A-5 Engine & Fuselage Guns Set (648408) Inside are a raft of engine parts in superb detail. I recently built one for the A-4 and reported the fit is astonishingly good. You can build the parts into sub-assemblies for painting, and if you approach it in a modular format the initial hesitancy of all that detail painting soon goes away. There are 22 resin parts, and sheet of Photo-Etch (PE), and only a small amount of trimming of the kit fuselage and lower wing panels is required, all of which is covered in the instructions. Placement of parts is important due to the accuracy of fit, so test-fit carefully and remove any paint from the mating surfaces to obtain the best, strongest join. The two guns mounted in the cowling behind the engine are also included, with a highly detailed bay part between the engine and cockpit. With sympathetic painting and weathering the final result is unmatched by styrene moulding. Fw.190A Wingroot Gun Bays (648356) This set permits the modeller to depict the wing root gun bays open, which first requires the removal of a portion of the upper wing from the kit parts, as indicated in red on the instructions. The lower wing is then fitted with blanking plates for the cartridge chutes and new resin barrels before attention turns to the new bay inserts. These have the gun breeches added along with a short length of 0.2mm wire from your own stock, arranged as per the scrap drawings, which helpfully have an arrow indicating the direction of flight. The bays are then inserted into the prepared aperture in the upper wing, and a PE bay lip is attached to the plastic to finish it off neatly. A small section of the lip that locates the wing spar will need removing, after which the wing halves can be mated and later in the build/painting the bay doors can be added to the lip that is moulded into the bays for a good strong joint. Fw.190A Propeller (648366) In order to fit this prop, you'll just need to shave the front off the housing at the front of the kit engine, before creating the prop on its jig, with separate central boss and blades, which fit snugly into the jig and should just lift out once the CA is dry unless you've overdone it. A PE template fits to the back of the boss to mark the centre-point for you to mark and drill a 2mm hole, after which the PE is discarded. The adapted kit part has a small resin pin added, and the prop with a choice of two types of cooling fan (large blades & small) is fitted to the tip of the pin protruding from the engine. If you wanted to portray a maintenance diorama there is a resin prop-shaft included with a detailed spindle that fits into the resin engine. A new spinner finishes off the set. Fw.190A-5 Upgrade Set (48949) This PE sheet is bare brass, and builds upon the detail of the kit and included PE that comes with the ProfiPACK boxing. It contains a canopy latch for the cockpit; ammo chute details; additional gear bay sidewall skins; new dual-layer gear leg covers with brake hoses and tie-down loops; bomb shackle details; gear bay retraction jack parts (including additional hosing); gun port surrounds; cockpit armour support, raised strip on the canopy and a frame that attaches to the outside of the windscreen. Conclusion After applying all this extra detail to your model, you will have an Fw.190 that not only weighs a ton, but is pretty much at the leading edge of detail and looks like you could hop in and taxi away. Review sample courtesy of

Having built three of them and with two more on the stash, I wanted to know if someone else has had issues fitting the gear doors to the struts because of their length, because when the time comes, I have to trim both doors to get them to fit, am I doing something wrong? Thanks.

Fw.190A-3 Exhausts and Engine Sets (648381 & 648364) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The newly improved Fw.190A kits from Eduard have been coming thick and fast, with additional detail added from the box. For those that want more, there are a range of PE and resin update parts from Eduard's own ranges that are pretty much guaranteed a good fit and have been engineered to replace parts that just can't be moulded to scale in injection plastic. These two sets cover the engine area, which isn't in the kit, but can either be simulated by adding a pair of well-detailed exhaust components around the cowling, or by adding a complete new engine with all the ancillary equipment that goes with it. Fw.190A-3 Exhausts (648381) This set arrives in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. Inside is a single casting block that contains the three sets of exhaust stacks on their retaining blocks, which are a direct replacement for the kit parts, adding better detail to the finished article. As they are attached to their moulding blocks at the rear, you don't even have to make a brilliant job of removing them, because all but the exhausts are invisible within the fuselage once installed. Fw.190A-3 Engine (648364) As usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, this one arrives in the oblong Brassin box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched wrapped around, providing extra protection. Inside are a raft of engine parts in superb detail, and from my experience of building one for the A-4 recently, the fit is astonishingly good. You can build the parts into sub-assemblies for painting, and if you approach it in a modular format the initial hesitancy of all that detail painting soon goes away. There are 22 resin parts, and sheet of Photo-Etch (PE), and only a small amount of trimming of the kit fuselage and lower wing panels is required, all of which is covered in the instructions. Placement of parts is important due to the accuracy of fit, so test-fit carefully and remove any paint from the mating surfaces to obtain the best, strongest join. With sympathetic painting and weathering the final result is unmatched by styrene moulding. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A Early Versions Royal Class Dual Combo (R0016) 1:48 Eduard The Fw.190 came on-stream in 1941 and gave the RAF a shock with its superior performance to the older Bf.109 that it was mistaken for by many a hapless Spitfire pilot. The visionary designer Kurt Tank stripped down the aircraft as much as possible to give it the speed and manoeuvrability advantage the German Luftwaffe needed, which resulted in a small but pugnacious design with a twin-bank radial engine buried in a close-fitting nose cowling that could out-fly a Spitfire Mk.V in most respects below 20,000ft. The initial Fw.190A, they went from A-1 sub-variants, through A-2 with an improved engine and weapons, the A-3 with another power improvement and the ability to mount more external weapons, as the versatility of the airframe was realised. The A-4 was little different, with more armament options that could be fitted in the field, and after that came the A-5 all the way up to the A-10, and in ground attack versions we had the F, with the high altitude variant designed D, with the G replacing some of the later A variants that had either long-range tanks or specialist armaments fitted. The Kit The newly tooled early Fw.190A series has added much to Eduard's existing line of Fw.190 variants, and with tooling advancement used to improve the model, it is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a Butcher Bird for their collection. The Royal Class boxing offers the modeller a "luxury experience", and in this box you get two complete kits plus a selection of resin parts, plenty of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a rather attractive custom printed beer glass. Inside the russet themed box are eleven sprues of dark grey styrene, two of clear, two sheets of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE plus a tiny sheet of bare brass PE, a sheet of pre-cut kabuki tape masking, a bag of resin parts, a large decal sheet with three smaller sheets of stencils and numerals, the aforementioned beer glass (tulip stemmed) and a rolled up print on thick A2 stock of an Fw.190A-4 sweeping low over a harbour in Algeria – quite a stunning piece of art! We reviewed the A-4 ProfiPACK variant in November of last year, which you can find here, and the build will clearly follow similar lines to that, so we won't re-tread old ground. Suffice to say that there are two kits in the box, and you have a three A-2s, four A-3s and six A-4s to choose from, of which you can of course only make two. As you would expect there are two of all the ancillary sprues, but there are three fuselage sprues due to changes in the vents behind the cowling and aerial fit, and two different wing sprues that have variations between their armament bulges on the underwing, which means that you are limited to building one model from the A-H range, and one from the I-N range below unless you can lay your hands on additional sprues. The resin parts include the two pairs of wheels for the finished models, which have superb detail, plus a pair of forward cowlings for markings option M, which have the tropical filter included with a PE grille at the front of the intake tube. The final resin parts are the inner wheel bay covers that were only fitted to earlier models, so apply to the first three options, all of which are A-2 variants. Various other adaptations are made to the plastic depending on which markings options you are using, so take care to choose your subject early to avoid confusion and possible errors in the details. Some annotations to the instructions may benefit in this case, especially as many modellers will probably choose to build the pair up at the same time in a mini-production line. Markings The main sheet is around A4 size and full of markings for the 14 options offered in the box, with the main sheet printed by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The two stencil sheets are printed in Czechia on a similar coloured backing paper, and are of similar quality. There is another small sheet that contains just two decals of the number 16, and is quite easily lost so tape it somewhere conspicuous once it is out of the bag. Fw 190A-2, W. Nr. 120282, flown by Fw. K. Nowak, 9./JG 2, Théville, France, May 1942 Fw 190A-2, W. Nr. 120206, flown by Fw. W. Grünlinger, Stab III./JG 26, Wevelgem, Belgium, September 1942 Fw 190A-2, W. Nr. 120325, flown by Ofw. J. Heinzeller, 3./JG 2, Trickqueville, France, June 1942 Fw 190A-3, W. Nr. 132259, flown by Uffz. G. Josten, 1./JG 51, Lyuban, Soviet Union, Autumn 1942 Fw 190A-3, W. Nr. 135313, flown by Oblt. A. Faber, III./JG 2, Morlaix, France, June 1942 Fw 190A-3, W. Nr. 125425, flown by Fw. K. Kundrus, 12./JG 5, Herdla, Norway, December 1943 Fw 190A-3, W. Nr. 130541, flown by Oblt. A. Dickfeld, CO of II./JG 2, San Pietro, Italy, November 1942 Fw 190A-3, W. Nr. 130541, flown by Fw. E. Mayer, 9./JG 5, Herdla, Norway, March 1945 Fw 190A-4, flown by Maj. H. von Bonin, CO of JG 54, Pskov, Soviet Union, Spring 1943 Fw 190A-4, W. Nr. 140581, flown by Lt. E. Burath, Stab I./JG 1, Deelen, the Netherlands, April 1943 Fw 190A-4, flown by Hptm. H. Philipp, CO of I./JG 54, Krasnogvardeysk, Soviet Union, January 1943 Fw 190A-4, W. Nr. 140634, flown by Maj. H. Graf, CO of JGr. Ost, Toulouse – Blagnac, France, April 1943 Fw 190A-4/Trop, W. Nr. 145614, EKdo 19, Benghazi, Lybia, November 1942 Fw 190A-4, W. Nr. 142317, flown by Fw. L. Seif, 11./SKG 10, Sidi Ahmed, Tunisia, January 1943 Can I Interest you in a Beer? The beer glass is found in a thick white cardboard box, wrapped in some crinkly paper for a bit of added protection. It is a really nice shape that's quite pleasant to drink from (speaking from experience), and will match the other beer glasses from the Royal Class series if you have them. If memory serves, you can augment your stash of them from Eduard's website too. The Print As already mentioned, the print that is included in the box is a handsome addition to anyone's collection of aviation art, depicting a flight of Fw.190s attacking shipping at Bona Harbour, off Algeria in 1943, flying at low level after releasing a bomb from the centreline station. Conclusion With a superb selection of decal options, highly detailed plastic and some really nice resin, PLUS a beer glass and a quality print, this is a lovely package that will give you plenty of modelling fun. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A-4 Photo-Etch, Masks & Decals (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Launched to coincide with the release of their new Fw.190A-4 kit, which we reviewed here, Eduard have created a host of sets that can be used to improve on the already impressive level of detail found in the box. There are so many sets that we will break them down between Photo-Etch (PE) and resin Brassin sets, and once posted, we'll cross link them for completeness. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The decals are in a ziplok type bag, stiffened by a cover sheet and a piece of white card to keep them safe. Fw.190A-4 Upgrade Set (48937) This PE sheet is bare brass, and builds upon the detail of the kit and included PE that comes with the ProfiPACK boxing. It contains a canopy latch for the cockpit; ammo chute details; additional gear bay sidewall skins; new dual-layer gear leg covers with brake hoses and tie-down loops; bomb shackle details; gear bay retraction jack parts (including additional hosing); gun port surrounds; cockpit armour support, raised strip on the canopy and a frame that attaches to the outside of the windscreen. Seatbelts STEEL (FE863) In case you don't already know, they are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. Fw.190A Landing Flaps (48936) Eduard landing flaps use an ingenious technique to achieve excellent true-to-scale flaps using few parts, and requiring the modeller to simply remove the retracted flaps from the lower wing, plus scrape the upper wings to accommodate the thickness of the completed bays. Each half of the flap (bay and flap itself) is constructed in the same manner, by twisting and folding over the attached ribs to create a 3D shape. The bay glues to the inside of the upper wing and the flap attaches to the rear wall of the new bay. Repeat this for the other side, and you're almost done. The bays have a "dimpled" panel, which is laminated to the bay after pressing the details through with the tip of a ball-point pen, and in this instance the flaps fold up simply into a roughly triangular profile, with a strip running through the middle, the location for which is shown on a scrap diagram. Masks (EX565) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Fw.190A Stencils (D48029) If you have a kit with no stencils from Eduard or another manufacturer, have stuffed up your existing set (we're only human afterall), or are looking for spares in case you do, this set of the stencils included with the kit will be of interest. It is printed to Eduard's usual high standard in Czechia (the new name for the Czech Republic if you didn't know) and comes with a colour diagram that shows where each one should go on the airframe. Brassin Resin Sets for Engine & Gun Bays These additional sets can be found in a separate review here to save your scrolling finger. Review sample courtesy of

Focke-Wulf Fw.190A Update Sets (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Launched to coincide with the release of their new Fw.190A-4 kit, which we reviewed here, Eduard have created a host of sets that can be used to improve on the already impressive level of detail found in the box. There are so many sets that we will break them down between Photo-Etch (PE) and resin Brassin sets, and once posted, we'll cross link them for completeness. As usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin rectangular box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions wrapped around them. The smaller set is supplied in their clear clamshell box with similar protection afforded by grey foam, and the instructions doubling as the header card. Some of the sets are specific to the A-4 variant, while others can be used across the whole range of A model 190s, which will be indicated in the sub headings. Fw.190A Wingroot Gun Bays (648356) This set permits the modeller to depict the wing root gun bays open, which first requires the removal of a portion of the upper wing from the kit parts, as indicated in red on the instructions. The lower wing is then fitted with blanking plates for the cartridge chutes and new resin barrels before attention turns to the new bay inserts. These have the gun breeches added along with a short length of 0.2mm wire from your own stock, arranged as per the scrap drawings, which helpfully have an arrow indicating the direction of flight. The bays are then inserted into the prepared aperture in the upper wing, and a PE bay lip is attached to the plastic to finish it off neatly. A small section of the lip that locates the wing spar will need removing, after which the wing halves can be mated and later in the build/painting the bay doors can be added to the lip that is moulded into the bays for a good strong joint. Fw.190A-4 Cockpit (648351) Consisting of resin, PE, decals and a small sheet of clear acetate film, the largest part of which is the cockpit tub with the aft decking and side consoles already moulded in. The separate seat is prepared with its cushion and a set of pre-painted PE seatbelts, and fitted to the tub after the removal of some moulding flash that is indicated in red. Resin control column, resin and PE rudder pedals, and the instrument panel are made up next, with the latter having the choice of using the PE panel with pre-printed dials, or a detailed resin part over which you apply a decal of the instruments. Your choice! The panel fits on ledges at the front of the side consoles, and the resin gunsight with PE and acetate parts slides into a groove in the upper panel. The cowling fits over the top, and it too has cut-outs that need clearing of flash beforehand. To fit the new cockpit inside the fuselage a pair of plastic wedges are removed from the inside, to be replaced with a detailed PE and resin trim wheel. The assemblies should then fit neatly within, alongside the kit bulkhead, assuming you aren't taking advantage of any of the other sets I'll be mentioning in this review. The set includes the opening mechanism and the pilot's head armour, which has a warning decal added to it after painting. The interior roll-over frame is resin, and has delicate PE bracing wires linking to the rear, all of which fits inside the canopy after painting. The canopy then installs as normal. Fw.190A-4 Engine (648352) Inside this unassuming box rests resin and PE parts to construct a complete engine for the deadly little Fw.190, which is so detailed due to Eduard's advanced prototyping and casting facilities. Incredibly, much of the detail is amalgamated into large parts to keep down the number of castings, starting with the two cylinder banks, onto which the exhaust collector pipework is attached. A PE wiring loom and resin ancillary plate are added to the rear, the remainder of the exhaust tubing and clustered outlet pipes surround this, followed by a complex assembly of flat and tubular frames that make up the engine mount. Another wiring loom is fitted to the front of the engine before the reduction housing and prop-shaft are inserted, after which the engine can be mounted to the fuselage. Red areas mark the parts of the fuselage cowling that should be removed, and four holes should be drilled in the plastic bulkhead to accommodate the engine mount parts, which clips within the fuselage halves and locates the assembly firmly within. The nose-ring mates to the remaining fuselage panels, and is joined by a replacement top panel with hoses added for extra detail. The missing panels are all supplied as thin resin parts, with exceptional detail, which is augmented by adding PE fasteners to the edges. They are shown posed open to the correct positions, and you can then choose to fit the kit prop, or leave it off and replace it with a shaft with splined ends if you wish. Colours are called out during construction in Gunze codes, which will help immensely with the complex task. Fw.190A-4 Engine & Fuselage Guns (648355) This set takes the engine set detailed above, and replaces the kit's blank internal bulkhead with a super-detailed alternative, to which the guns, ammo cans and additional plumbing are attached. You will also need some 0.3mm wire to complete the attachment of the gun breeches to the deck. The separate panel that covers the bay is also replaced by an exquisite resin part, with a set of PE fasteners installed around the sides of the bay for added detail. This complete set will allow the modeller to portray some maintenance and re-arming underway, and coupled with the wing gun-bay set with further enhance the candid look of the finished model. Fw.190A-4 Fuselage Guns (648354) If you just want to open up the gun bays, this set allows that by using the appropriate bulkhead parts from the full set (648355) alongside new parts that depict the rear of the engine in a slightly simplified manner, which will be dimly seen past the gun barrels. If you were to buy this set and the engine set separately (for whatever reason), you would end up with a few spare parts in the shape of the aforementioned engine rear plus its mount. Photo-Etch, Masks & Decals These additional sets can be found in a separate review here to save your scrolling finger. Review sample courtesy of

Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-4 ProfiPACK (82142) 1:48 Eduard Introduced in 1941 to combat the ever-improving Spitfire, the Fw.190 was intended to supplant the Bf.109 if it reached a plateau in development, or run alongside it as a stablemate. Its powerful twin-bank radial engine was installed with a close-fitting cowling and was initially edquipped with an oversized, ducted prop-spinner to keep the engine cool, which was discarded early in development in favour of a fan that ran on the prop's drive-shaft to push air through the cylinder heads, which also facilitated oil cooling. It was also given a wide-track landing gear, which reduced the likelihood of a nose-over, a problem afflicting both the 109 and Spitfire, due to their narrow track and poor forward visibility. When it first encountered Spitfires, it gave the Allied pilots a shock, as they were expecting 109s, not these agile little aircraft. It caused an frenzy of development at Supermarine, which was just part of the leapfrog games played on both sides throughout the conflict. The initial A-1 production version was equipped with a BMW 801 engine, and by the time the A-4 was signed off, it had two 7.92mm guns in the cowling, and a pair of 20mm MG151 cannons in the wing root, all of which were synchronised with the prop's motion, in turn mated to a more powerful version of the BMW engine. There were a number of equipment fits used to give the Würger (Shrike) additional weapons and capabilities, including a pressurised cockpit, rocket tubes and reconnaissance cameras. The A-4 also saw limited service as the F-1 in a ground-attack role, and was eventually replaced by the A-5, which moved the centre-of-gravity forward to accommodate the larger load it was capable of carrying. The Kit Since the initial tooling of the basic A series airframe in 2007, there have been numerous reboxings, additional parts and re-releases of other variants, although the A-4 doesn't seem to have been available in a boxing on its own until now. Eduard's 190 is a great kit, and has stood the test of time well over the last decade, and the moulds have seen additions that keep it current. The ProfiPACK boxing includes extras to improve on the already excellent detail, and arrives in the traditional orange-themed box, which is adorned with a painting of the iconic Butcher bird engaged with a Spitfire. Inside are five grey/blue sprues, one clear, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, a small sheet of kabuki tape masking material, two decal sheets and the instruction/painting guide in glossy colour printing. Due to the pick-n-mix nature of the sprues there will be a fair quantity of spares left after construction, which are marked on the diagrams with a pale blue overprinting. Construction starts in the cockpit, which is augmented with pre-painted PE side consoles and instrument panels, but also retained are the decals that can be applied to flat panels, as well as the engraved panels for those that prefer to paint their details manually. The tub includes the sharply pointed rear deck, to which you add the rear bulkheads, control column, seat, plastic or PE rudder pedals, pre-painted seatbelts and sundry other parts in styrene and PE. In order to close up the fuselage the cockpit assembly is inserted along with a bulkhead that closes up the front of the tub, two exhaust inserts in the cowling, and the engine assembly, which is only an approximation of the front row of cylinders, plus the reduction gear, as not much will be seen once the cowling is in place. The lower wings are full width, and have a spar fitted that runs to the ends of the gear bays, with detail on the face visible through the apertures. This is augmented by the wheel trays, various ribs and the cannon barrels that protrude through, with the upper wings added after painting of the bay roof detail that is etched into their underside. The completed wing assembly is then offered up to the fuselage, and the missing sections of the cowling with exhaust stubs, gun barrels and troughs are added to the top and bottom of the nose. The two-piece ring finishes the front cowling, and the flying surfaces are glued into to place, including separate rudder and ailerons, and fixed elevators. Two types of tyres are provided for the main gear, which have separate hubs, and fit onto the peg on the ends of the strut, with separate oleo-scissors and captive bay door parts. The retraction gear is installed on the inner side of the leg, and the centre doors fit to the central bar that splits the bays. The tail wheel slots into the rear, crew step, gun barrels and pitot probes are installed, then the three-bladed paddle prop is completed with spinner and fan behind it, with a peg at the rear fitting into a corresponding hole in the engine front. Different open and closed canopies are provided, and are outfitted with head armour before being added to the airframe along with the windscreen part. The last touch is to add the gear-down indicator pegs to the tops of the wings, which are made from tiny PE parts. If you are rigging the aerial wire to the tail, remember that if you pose the canopy open, the wire can appear relaxed, although many photos also show it taut, so check your references. Markings This ProfiPACK edition gives you five decal options, with plenty of variation between them, which should appeal to the widest of audiences, and don’t forget that you also have masks for the canopy and the wheel hubs to ease your painting job, which is always nice. From the box you can build one of the following: W. Nr. 746, flown by Oblt. S. Schnell, CO of 9./JG 2, Vannes-Meucon, France, January 1943 Flown by Maj. J. Trautloft, CO of JG 54, Soviet Union, early 1943 W. Nr. 749, flown by Oblt. E. Rudorffer, CO of 6./JG 2, Sidi Ahmed, Tunisia, December 1942 W. Nr. 760, flown by Fw. R. Eisele, 8./JG 2, Brest-Guipavas, France, January 1943 Flown by Oblt. W. Nowotny, CO of 1./JG 54, Staraya Russa, Soviet Union, March 1943 All the decals are printed in Czechia, have good registration, colour density and sharpness, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the edge of the printing. Under magnification there is a little spidering on the edges of some of the black parts, but under the Mk.1 eyeball this isn't readily visible. The stencils are catered for on a separate sheet, with a page of the instructions devoted to their placement, away from the markings options to avoid clutter. As always with Eduard, the Swastikas are provided on one cut-off corner of the sheet, and in two parts on the body of the sheet to comply with local regulations regarding this contentious symbol. Conclusion The surface detail on the kit is excellent, with lines of finely engraved rivets adding to the visual appeal (yes, we know rivets aren't holes, but this technique works for most of us though!). Add the extra PE detail, and quite a fun set of decal options (I particularly like option E), and you have a winner on your hands. Out of the box you can build a cracking model, but Eduard also have released a host of additional parts for those that either want to cherry-pick from the range, or go bonkers and add just about all of it in an attempt to create a singularity from the heaviest 1:48 model in the world! I'll be reviewing those shortly, but in the meantime feast your eyes on the kit itself. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190A-8/R2 Profipack 1:48 Eduard The Focke-Wulf Fw.190 was known as the Würger, which until I looked it up the other day, I didn't know meant "Shrike" in English, which is where the nickname "Butcher Bird" arises, as it is also another name for some of the Shrike family. You learn something new every day! Their introduction in 1941 gave the Spitfire Mk.V pilots a nasty shock, ending their superiority over the then current generation of Bf.109s. They were the impetus behind the scramble to give the Spit some extra power that resulted in the Mk.IX. The A-8 variant of the 190 sported a more powerful engine than earlier models, as well as upgraded armour, with the R2 designation having 30mm MK108 cannons instead of the 20mm cannons previously carried in the outer wing stations. It gave an already potent armoury even greater punch, which was needed to take down the incoming bombers quickly and with as little exposure to returned fire as possible. It was superseded by the Dora, or long-nose after sterling service with the Luftwaffe in many theatres of war. The Kit Eduard are acknowledged masters of the Fw.190 in 1:48, and this is a re-issue of an earlier kit in their new favourite shade of grey styrene, but with the same Photo-Etch (PE) and decal options. If you missed this on the first serving, you might want to rectify that with what is an extremely nice kit. It also has big cannons, which certainly endear any kit to me. The box is identical to the old one, sporting a rather nice painting of a 190 speeding over a crippled B-17 which has two engines afire. Inside are six large sprues in Panzer grey styrene, a clear styrene sprue, a sheet of pre-painted PE, a set of canopy masks in yellow kabuki tape (not pictured), a decal sheet and of course the instruction booklet in glossy colour. If you've built an Eduard Würger before, you'll know what to expect. It isn't a simple kit to build, but if you exercise patience and following the instructions particularly when building the complex engine, you will end up with an impressive model. The cockpit is formed from a basic tub to which you can add either styrene side consoles, or laminated PE panels, a choice that is echoed on the main panel, which is split into two sections, one of which is attached to the cockpit tub, the other to the airframe further down the line. Pre-painted seatbelts are also included to drape over the seat, and a pair of fine PE rudder pedals if you're not satisfied with the styrene set also included in the kit. The cannon bay is build up and attached to the fuselage with the cockpit, and either a one-piece tail-wheel, or a more detailed assembly with a two-part yoke and separate wheel. The lower wing is full-width, and has a spar inserted that also fills the job of rear walls of the main gear bays, to which a few additional ribs & parts are added along with a separate panel that covers the wheel area, plus the wing root mounted cannons. You can display the cannon bays open and expose their breeches by switching parts, or glue the bay doors shut and keep the lines clean. The upper wings are added, and then mated to the fuselage together with the upper part of the instrument panel and the separate ailerons that you can pose at will. The engine is a complete radial unit, with both rows of seven cylinders depicted, plus the spaghetti of exhaust manifolds that squirm around to exit the cowling side each side. A template is supplied to fit to the D-shaped lug on the rear of the engine, onto which you rest the exit ends of each tube, which should leave them correctly arranged if you're careful and don't get impatient when waiting for the glue to set up. As long as you've remembered not to glue the template, you then remove it and add the rear "greeblies" to the engine before mounting it on an octagonal frame and three triangular mounts that attach to very specific areas in the front of the fuselage. The cowling is made up next, and here you have a choice of a faired over pair of gun troughs on the nose, which is for the bright red captured 190, and can be found on the clear sprue for no apparent reason other than there was space. The three-part cowling (with or without faired over guns) attaches to the outer cowling ring, and then the inner ring, and it would be a good idea to fit this temporarily to the fuselage while it sets up, to avoid any wobbly shaped cowling issues later. Once dry, add the three hoses, and the cowling can be permanently installed if you aren't leaving some panels off to display your hard work. The tail has a separate rudder and one-piece elevators, and once the landing gear has been built up from strut, oleo-scissor link, bay door, single part wheels and retraction jacks, it is just a case of adding the drop tank to the centreline pylon, adding the barrels for the 30mm outer cannons (except for the captured option, for which you also need to remove their forward fairings), and then adding the canopy glazing, which is both thin and optically clear. There are alternative canopies for open or closed, plus additional armoured glass panels to be fitted to the sides of the canopy, which is probably best done by carefully flooding the gap between the parts with Klear/Future, being careful not to leave any bubbles compressed between the parts. The three bladed prop, PE exhaust grilles on the side of the fuselage and the remaining panels on the gun bays are the final items to be installed, completing the build. Markings There are six options in this Profipack edition, all but one of which have the same upper fuselage and wing soft-edged RLM74/75 splinter camo, overlaid with various forms of mottle on the fuselage and tail sides. Unit markings and theatre identification give plenty of variation, but that last option is in bright red and wearing stars and bars… just that little bit different! From the box you can build one of the following: Hans-Günther von Kornatzki, Stab/II.(Sturm)/JG4, September 11th, 1944 – green 3, and black/white/black tail band, black/white spiral spinner. Werner Gerth, II.(Sturm)/JG 3 “Udet”, July, 1944 – Black 13, black nose cowling and lightning strike down the fuselage, white tail band, black/white spiral spinner. Karl Spenst, 8./JG 300, December, 1944 – Black 10, blue/white/blue tail band, black/white spiral spinner. Ewald Preiß, 6./JG 300, October, 1944 – Yellow 1, yellow under cowling, orange tail band, black/white spiral spinner. Walter Wagner, 5./JG 4, January 1st, 1945 – White 11, black/white/black tail band, partial black/white spiral spinner. Ex-white 11 of 5/JG4, Leo C.Moon, 404th FG, 9th USAF, February/March, 1945 – All over red with black wing step, spinner and exhaust areas, wearing 00*L on the fuselage. All decals are printed in the Czech Republic, and are of good quality, showing good register, sharpness and colour density. The stencils are printed on the smaller sheet, and have a separate page at the back of the instruction booklet detailing their application, which is common amongst all markings. The US stars'n'bars look a little odd, which is possibly due to the white of the stars touching the bars, hiding the very tips of the star. If it bothers you, it's almost certain you'll be able to find some spares in your decal stash, or online. It might even be your excuse to try some masks such as these from Maketar. Conclusion A welcome re-release of an excellent kit. Interesting markings that are the same as the earlier edition, but if it's not broken, don't fix it. The red captured example is very enticing, but you have to leave the guns off, which is sad. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of