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Focke-Wulf 190F-8. 1:48


Shar2

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Focke Wulf Fw190F-8

1:48 Hasegawa

boxtop.jpg

History

Arguably one of the best fighters of the time, the Fw 190 was widely used during the Second World War. A total of over 20,000 were produced, including some 6,000 fighter-bomber variants. The 190 remained in production from 1941 until the end of the war, going through multiple redesigns. The Fw.190 made a name for itself as a true Luftwaffe workhorse and was used in a wide variety of roles, including a high-altitude interceptor (especially the Fw.190D), escort fighter, fighter-bomber and night fighter.

When the Fw 190 started flying operationally over France in August 1941, it quickly proved itself to be superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V. The 190 wrested air superiority away from the RAF until the introduction of the vastly improved Spitfire Mk. IX in July 1942 restored qualitative parity. The Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front in November/December 1942; though Soviet pilots considered the Bf 109 the greater threat, the Fw 190 made a significant impact. The fighter and its pilots proved just as capable as the Bf 109 in aerial combat, and in the opinion of German pilots who flew both, provided increased firepower and manoeuvrability at low to medium altitude.

The Fw 190 became the backbone of the Jagdwaffe, along with the Bf 109. On the Eastern Front, and was versatile enough to use in Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings), specialised ground attack units which achieved much success against Soviet ground forces. As an interceptor, the Fw 190 underwent improvements to make it effective at high altitude, enabling it to maintain relatively equal with its Allied opponents. The Fw 190A series performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above), which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor, but this problem was mostly rectified in later models, particularly in the Junkers Jumo 213 inline-engine Focke Wulf Fw 190D series, which was introduced in September 1944. In spite of its successes, it never entirely replaced the Bf 109.

The Fw.19 F-8 was the most mass-produced variant of the Fw.190F series, based on the Fw.190A-8. The Fw 190 F-8 differed from the A-8 model in having a slightly modified injector on the compressor which allowed for increased performance at lower altitudes for several minutes. The F-8 was also fitted with the improved FuG 16 ZS radio unit, which provided much better communication with ground combat units. Armament of the Fw 190 F-8 was two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wing roots and two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns above the engine. According to Ministry of Aviation acceptance reports, at least 3,400 F-8s were built, and probably several hundred more were built in December 1944 and from February to May 1945. Dozens of F-8s served as various test beds for anti-tank armament, including the WGr.28 280 mm air-to-ground missile, probably based on the projectiles from the Nbw 41 heavy ground-barrage rocket system, and the 88 mm (3.46 in) Panzerschreck 2 rockets, Panzerblitz 1 and R4M rockets.

The Model

Originally released in 2011 this kit has now been reboxed by Hasegawa, this time with a new set of decals and a different weapon load. The box artwork shows this well with a representation of the aircraft banking to port with the large bomb on its centreline. The styrene inside the box is of the usual Hasegawa fare, nicely moulded with fine panels lines, no sign of flash and only a few moulding pips on the seven grey sprues of varying sizes and one sprue of clear styrene. Instructions are not as clear as some of their kits but are certainly usable.

Spread over thirteen operations, the build begins with the cockpit which consists of the tub, with the rear decking integrally moulded, separate seat, side consoles, rudder pedals, and joystick. The instrument panel requires the details to be sanded away so that the instrument decal can be applied. Alternatively you could use the individual decals found on the Airscale products, and keep the surface details. Seatbelts are not provided so these will have to be sourced from elsewhere or assembled out of Tamiya tape. With the cockpit completed it can be affixed to one side of the fuselage, along with the trim wheel on the starboard fuselage side wall, after which the fuselage can be closed up.

sprue1.jpg

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bomb.jpg

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The main undercarriage bays are made up of the front wing spare face, wheel wells and central bracing structure. The bay assembly is then glued into position on the single piece lower wing. The upper wing sections are then fitted to the lower wing, the machine gun bulges are then fitted to the their respective positions on the upper wings, followed by the upper nose decking and horizontal tailplanes.

With the fuselage almost complete, it’s on to the engine and cowling. The cowling consists of upper and lower sections, two side pieces, front section and an internal intake part. Putting the completed cowling assembly to one side, construction of the engine can begin. The valve rods are attached to the combined cylinder banks/bulkhead. There is not much in the way of detail for the cylinders, but to be honest there won’t be anything seen once the cowling has been fitted. With e valve rods in place, the gearbox back plate is fitted to the front of the engine, followed by the gearbox, into which a poly retaining part has been added, followed by the fan disc. The completed engine is then attached to the forward fuselage, along with the exhaust pipes on either side and finished off with the cowling..

With the fuselage upside down, the undercarriage can be attached. Each main undercarriage assembly is made up of the main oleo, separate scissor link single piece wheels and gear bar door. The tail wheel also has a separate single piece wheel which is attached to the tail wheel oleo and supporting structure and finished off with the attachment of the other side of the wheel yoke. The main undercarriage assemblies, once fitted into position are completed with the attachment of a retraction jack for each leg. Additional parts fitted at this point include the wing root gun barrels, boarding step, outer wing panels, and the centreline bomb rack which is made up out of two front halves, a single piece rear section and completed with the fitting of the four crutch pads. The bomb itself is assembled from the two nose halves, two tail halves, two separate fins and the tail ring. Part of the lowest fin needs to have a section removed to give the required ground clearance. The bomb can then be fitted to the carrier.

The final sub-assemblies of the build are the propeller, (consisting of the single piece propeller, back plate and spinner), optional styles of canopy with alternative armour plate supporting structure, three piece gunsight, and windscreen which can then all be fitted to the model. Lastly the pitot probe and wing tip nav lights are attached,

Decals

The decal sheet is very well printed by Hasegawa themselves, in good register, nicely opaque and slightly glossy. Surprisingly full swastikas are included, so I don’t think this kit will be on sale in Germany, although they are placed on the sheet in such a way as to be easily removed. The are full stencils for one aircraft and the option of two aircraft markings.

  • Fw-190F-8 A3+18 11./KG200 March 1945, RLM74 and RLM 75 over RLM 76, with RLM75 mottle on the fuselage sides.
  • Fw-190F-8 A3+LV 11./KG200 1945, RLM74 and RLM 75 over RLM76 with no mottling.

decals.jpg

Conclusion

This is another nice re-release from Hasegawa and well up to their usual standards. The detail is very nice straight out of the box, and apart from the addition of seatbelts shouldn’t really need anything else. The unusual fin arrangement of the 1000kg bomb makes it a little more interesting and will make a nice addition to any collection. Recommended

Review sample courtesy of
logo.jpg UK distributors for logo.jpg

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It was to give the aircraft ground clearance. Unlike some of the other versions this one didn't have an extended tail wheel leg.

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Surprisingly full swastikas are included, so I don’t this kit will be on sale in Germany.

Not in this form anyway. But I don't think that it's a coincidence that the Hakenkreuze are arranged on a part of the sheet that's easily sliced off.

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It was to give the aircraft ground clearance. Unlike some of the other versions this one didn't have an extended tail wheel leg.

Thank you! That makes total sense.

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