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Most accurate 1/72 Fw-190D?


warhawk

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Hello,

I have a dilemma whether to buy Fw190 D-9, Either from Hasegawa (newer tool) or Tamiya in 72nd.

Which one is more accurate in shape (level of detail and fit irrelevant)?

Aleksandar

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According to the Valiant Wings book on the Fw190D and Ta152, the Hasegawa kit is the best overall Fw190D in 1/72 and the most accurate. None of the kits are perfect but they did also like the Tamiya, Academy and Hobby Boss kits. All of them have their merits and flaws, I've built the Hasegawa D-9 and it is very nice indeed. I've also built the Academy one in the past, which like most Academy kits builds up nicely. The book was however written before the AZ Models Fw190D-11 and D-13 kits came out. They look very nice but no doubt will be a more challenging build.

My advice is to try to find the most recent tool Hasegawa Fw190D but for a sensible price!

thanks

Mike

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I am a big fan of the Hasegawa kit as the most accurate 1/72 Dora. It has its shortcomings--most notably the spurious shallow wheel detail--and the others have their virtues, but the shape is excellent. Its thin crisp moldings, extremely accurate rendering of the D's distinctive propeller, and beautiful canopies enhance the effect nicely, too.

Ā 

I have to respectfully disagree about the Academy kit being its equal, something about it just isn't right to my eye. Not a very useful analysis, I know, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it...!

Edited by MDriskill
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I've got both in my stash, just had a check. The Academy is a very obvious copy of the Hasegawa kit, down to the panel lines. Sizewise they are identical, both in length and width. I haven't build them but personally I doubt I would be able to tell them apart. The Hasegawa has some rivet detail the Academy omits but that's it. The parts breakdown is identical as well.

Edit: Wow, stop, you're right - the prop is different and has a funny shape on the Academy kit. Nothing that can't be reshaped but it's definitely off...

And of course Academy's decals :banghead:

Edited by sroubos
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Just grabbed the Tamiya as well :)

Compared to the Hasegawa the length is identical but the rear fuselage section is thinner, the tail is a bit 'squarer' and the wingspan is 2mm larger. I leave it up to the experts to decide what's right and what's wrong, for me these are really minimal differences and not really relevant to my enjoyment of building the kit.

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The Hasegawa kit is best of the mainstream manufacturers' IMHO. The only things that let it down are the covered wheel wells (you should be able to see the rear of the engine, etc) and a very poorly equipped cockpit.

The Academy kit is close, but has several errors and omissions. The fuselage strengthening strips are missing, the tailplane trim tabs are missing, the pitot tube is on the wrong side, the under fuselage access panel is circular, rather than the "square with very rounded corners" of the original. From memory, I think the supercharger intake is poorly shaped and the small intake on top of the gun deck is missing. The sprue attachment points on the transparencies are badly placed too, resulting in damage which is nigh-on impossible to remove.

The Tamiya kit builds nicely, but something about it seems to clunky to me. I'm not convinced about the 'sit' and the spinner is undernourished.

I have the AZ D-13 which on first inspection seems very nice indeed. If I didn't already have five Hasegawa Dora Nines on the go at the moment, I'd be right on it. If my suspicions are right, it is probably the best of the bunch.

Cheers,

Mark.

Edited by lasermonkey
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Mark has done a pretty good summary of the Academy kit's shortcomings. It sounds like it does have a better cockpit than the Hasegawa so it could provide a 'donor' for interior if you can pick one up cheap. From what I've seen on the net I think the fabric effect on the ailerons and elevators is overdone. Perhaps Academy fixed one of the problems - the pitot tube - The original was definitely on the wrong wing - see here:

http://modelingmadness.com/scott/axis/luft/fw/190/acad72190d.htm

All in all the Hasegawa kit is nicer than the Academy. I have the AZ kits and they do look nice and I hear they are releasing a D9 soon. Eduard also has announced a forthcoming kit but I expect this will have to wait until they do their A versions first.

Cheers

Michael

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Gentlemen, Thank You all for Your opinions.

Hasegawa it is, then :pilot:

No problem about the sparse cockpit and wheel wells, I just need an accurate starting point to begin with.

Regards,
Aleksandar

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I've built both the Hasegawa and Tamiya (not the Italeri rebox one) and they both build almost without issue. The nose gun cowl on both might need a little filler but other than that nothing to report. As mentioned above neither have accurate wheel wells and IIRC the Hasegawa kit still has the depression for the A series lower exhaust under the nose which should be filled, Tamiya get that right but they moulded a shell ejector slot for the engine mounted cannon that the Dora didn't have (again IIRC). Once built there isn't much of the cockpit in view so the detail provided would be adequate for most people.

Duncan B

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Just a quick point about the cockpits. You won't really see anything in any of the various kit's cockpits, unless you model the canopy open. If you model the canopy closed, it's a moot point about the detail or lack of in the cockpit area. The only thing you'll notice is the seatbelts with a closed canopy. If you model the Hasegawa or Tamiya one with open canopies there are some etch sets to improve the cockpits with.

Regards the wing issue of the Tamiya kit, I have the Loon Models conversion set that converts the Tamiya kit into a D-11/12 or 13 and mine will be a D-13, so that's a happy co-incidence as far as I'm concerned!

thanks

Mike

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On 5/12/2015 at 3:26 PM, Procopius said:

Well live and learn, I had always believed the Tamiya to be more accurate. Where does it falter in comparison with the Hasegawa?

Seems like the OP's question has long since been answered...but since you asked...and since I'm a little weird for Fw 190's...!

Ā 

The Tamiya kit has been publicly criticized for: undersized wheels (similar to other Tamiya FW's); undersized spinner, incorrect single shell ejection port between the wheel wells as already mentioned, and a badly shaped radiator cowl. Resin "fixers" for those things are out there. Recent issues of the kit include an improved spinner and backplate, however.

Ā 

To my eye, add to the list: clunky prop blades (if anything too wide, and with very little twist), overdone hinge detail at the cowl, and a weird "peaked" contour under the wing center section. And like every other 1/72 Dora, it has shallow and inaccurate wheel wells, and exaggerated bulging and creasing onĀ the nose gun fairings. The slightly longer wing span compared to Hasegawa is correct, that's a minor flaw of the latter.

Ā 

On the other hand, it fits like the proverbialĀ Swiss watch, has aĀ convincingĀ cockpit, and its main flaws are small enough forĀ most of us toĀ either ignore or easily fix. Even if you just stick a better prop and wheels on there, it makes a darn convincing and quickly built model.

Ā 

FWIW, the Valiant book on the 190D has very concise and well-done accuracy assessments of all available 1/72 kits, as well as superb builds and detailed comments by Libor Jekl, of both the Tamiya and Hasegawa kits.

Edited by MDriskill
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Tamiya had measured one of the D-9s in the States, which at some point in the past had it's wing swapped with that of the D-13 which came across to the US at the same time. Much the same mistake as they did with the Meteor F.1.

That explains the cannon cartridge case ejector slot on the centre line then. I did wonder why they had added that detail.

Duncan B

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  • 5 years later...

A search on Facebook will turn upĀ images of the Forces of ValorĀ kit.

Ā 

It seems to me an "impressionist" Dora at best: incorrect wheel wells (same old A-type dimpled inserts);Ā thick inaccurate prop blades;Ā sharp-edged radiator cowl withĀ incorrect face details;Ā weirdĀ "faceted" shape to the wing root gun covers;Ā heavy step in the nose gun cover;Ā exaggerated fabric sagging; heavy detail parts. Worst of all is the underside contours, quite wrong with aĀ barrel-shapedĀ belly protruding between the wings. The ability to expose the engine is nice -Ā though those parts don't look too accurate either!

Ā 

Looks like aĀ quick-build war game model, which I suppose was theĀ design intent. In my opinion, these days aĀ distant sixthĀ behind Hasegawa, Tamiya, AZ, Hobby Boss, andĀ Academy for buildingĀ an accurate replica.

Ā 

Edited by MDriskill
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And while we'reĀ updating this, ah, "vintage" thread LOL...theseĀ recent 1/72 Dora builds by Japanese master modeler Jumpei Temma may be of interest:

Ā 

Hasegawa kit:

http://soyuyo.main.jp/fw190/fw190-2.html#last

Ā 

Tamiya kit:

http://soyuyo.main.jp/fw190/fw190-4.html

Ā 

Related drawings:

http://soyuyo.main.jp/fw190/fw190-1.html

Ā 

Ā 

Ā 

Edited by MDriskill
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Please check the build of Jumpei Tenma. He did a great job with drawings first, then built both an A-8 with the recent Airfix (which shape-wise is the most correct on the market) then two D one Hasegawa one Tamiya. Hasegawa is the clear winner even if detailwise is rather poor

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