1/48 Fw-190D: Eduard or Hobbyboss ?

[Giorgio N]

I was reading earlier in the rumormonger section that Hobbyboss is realising a new version of their 1/48 Fw-190D so I wondered.... are these kits any good ?
The few reviews I've seen seem to be positive, so I looked into the price and found them at a local web based shop for around 20-22 Euro. Not a bad price for a modern 1/48 WW2 fighter. However.....

Eduard's kits are not far in price, and of course the weekend editions are even cheaper. For the D-9 I have these prices:

Eduard weeend: 15-16

Eduard Profipack: 25-26

Hobbyboss: 20-22

Now what do the Dora enthusiast think ? Is it Worth buying the Hobbyboss kits or at that price the Eduard kits are a better choice ?

[Troy Smith]

I was reading earlier in the rumormonger section that Hobbyboss is realising a new version of their 1/48 Fw-190D so I wondered.... are these kits any good ?

The few reviews I've seen seem to be positive, so I looked into the price and found them at a local web based shop for around 20-22 Euro. Not a bad price for a modern 1/48 WW2 fighter. However.....

Eduard's kits are not far in price, and of course the weekend editions are even cheaper. For the D-9 I have these prices:

Eduard weeend: 15-16

Eduard Profipack: 25-26

Hobbyboss: 20-22

Now what do the Dora enthusiast think ? Is it Worth buying the Hobbyboss kits or at that price the Eduard kits are a better choice ?

Hi Giorgio

The Eduard kit has a thick front to the tailfin, solveable with some sanding.

but, while not the question you asked, but hopefully a useful point, I don't know how easily available or cheap older Italeri kits are in Italy, but their 1/48th Fw190D [and ta 152H] are reboxes of the Trimaster/Dragon kits, which are still highly rated, in case you run across that.

The only real complaint I've read of the Dragon D-9 kit is the lack of open wheel well detail.

cheers

T

[Giorgio N]

Thanks Troy ! The italeri kit is not currently in production but it's not that hard to find, particularly at model shows, Cost for an as new box is around 15-to-20 Euro so it's in the same range as the other kits. I've heard it's a brilliant kit but also that it's not the easiest to build...

[Troy Smith]

Hi Giorgio

I have a Hobbyboss Ta152C, looks a decent kit. I think the Eduard will have the edge on detail, especially with Profi versions.

But, one other thought occurred, which may be if the price is about the same, the decals might be the deal breaker. From memory, Eduard decals have a good reputation, don't know about Hobbyboss.

I mention this as well as IIRC you are mostly a 1/72nd builder, so good decls could be deciding point.

cheers

T

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

I've built the Hobby Boss Ta152C-0 and it's a very nice kit to build and has decent detail, although the Eduard kits have a bit more small surface details but you wouldn't notice too much when painted. I had no issues with the Hobby Boss decals.

The Hobby Boss Fw190D's look very similar (funnily enough!) to the Ta152 so should be nice kits to build. Can't vouch for the accuracy though.

I've heard that the Eduard Fw190's can be tricky to build, mainly the A's and F's. I've heard the D's are easier but the Hobby Boss kits go together real well!

In the UK, you should be able to pick up an Eduard Fw190 Profipack for between £20-£25. In terms of value, these are probably the best kits, given that you get the canopy and wheel mask, colour cockpit etch and a lovely big set of decals with 4 or 5 marking options.

The Hobby Boss Fw190D's and Ta152's should be between £13-£15 in the UK, which I think is great price. On the plus side, they are the easiest to build but still have a good level of detail, you get etch seatbelts with them and they do versions that no one else does - like the Fw190D-10. A slight downside is you only get 1 or 2 marking options.

The Eduard Weekends are the Profipacks without the etch, mask and full decal set and should cost between £12-£16 depending on which version you get. Be warned though, Eduard have started omitting the stencil decals, so when you buy stencil decals and seatbelts, they are not such a bargain. On the other hand if you want a D-11 or D-13, Eduard's the way to go!

So as to choice, it really depends on what you're after or if there's a specific version you want.

thanks

Mike

[Seawinder]

There's been a fair amount of discussion of the HB and Eduard 190D's at HyperScale. You might take a look at these threads, the second of which also has a link to another short (favorable) review of the HB kit:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1372858888/Hobby+Boss+FW+190+D9+compared+to+Eduard+D9+for+Len

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1382699602/Opinions+on+Hobby+Boss+1-48+FW+190D-

Cheers,

Pip

[Giorgio N]

Thanks all ! The HB kit does not look bad at all, however I'm kind of tempted by the fact that only a few £ more would buy the profipack Eduard kit.

As Troy said correctly, I'm mainly a 1/72 builder, these 1/48 kits would be kind of one offs for me. Having everything into one box and good decals too sounds like a good deal. At the same time if the HB has etched belts in the box, maybe it already is a good enough package.. the decals here might be an issue, but I have no problem in painting my own markings if these are simple enough (and most Doras have relatively simple markings).

Would the Eduard weekend kits really need much detail to be added ?

[Seawinder]

Would the Eduard weekend kits really need much detail to be added ?

IMHO the most significant things missing in the Weekend 190 kits are seat belts and instrument panel. They do provide a plastic panel with raised circles for the instrument faces, but no raised gauge detail. Given that the panel is dark grey and the instruments are black, that may be enough to satisfy since it's not terribly exposed. I was going to suggest you might close the gap by spending a little extra money on one of Eduard's color Zoom sets, but they don't seem to make a set for their own Dora kits. I only have one of their A-8 Weekend Editions, so I don't know if their Zoom set for an A-5 or A-8 would work in the D cockpit. Maybe somebody else has more information on that?

[rmcclure]

Thanks Troy ! The italeri kit is not currently in production but it's not that hard to find, particularly at model shows, Cost for an as new box is around 15-to-20 Euro so it's in the same range as the other kits. I've heard it's a brilliant kit but also that it's not the easiest to build...

The Italeri kit can be made to look great and it comes with some really nice PE but it has some very tricky bits in very noticeable areas - the engine cowling and the sliding canopy mechanism are both waiting to jump up and bite you on the behind if you're not careful. Actually, even if you ARE careful!

[_H_]

There's no doubt that the eduard Dora can be a tricky build. I've literally just finished one and although I loved every minute it does require careful thought. I'm pretty sure the hobbyboss kit will be a piece of cake to put together and if you just want a Dora for a paint exercise I think they would be the winning kit if you want a pretty (but not totally) accurate then Eduard all day long.....just don't glue the engine bit into the fuselage

Howard