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Revell (Frog) Focke Wulf Ta 152H


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I wasn’t going to post a WIP on this, but then I read the reviews of the kit and thought it deserved one.

 

I’ve had a few months enforced absence from making little plastic aeroplanes because being a grown up occasionally gets in the way. Yesterday I finally got round to playing with my toys, but the prospect of coming back to a kit that has been half built since summer just didn’t crank my handle, so I grabbed the smallest and easiest looking kit from the top of the pile and dived in.

 

I got the FW 152 last week as a birthday present from a mate that I fight with once a week (Karate, not behind the bins at the Hare and Hounds). To my delight/slight horror the mould is the same age as me!

 

1968 - Apollo 8, The Frog FW 152, Me (and as it happens my mate from Karate).

 

It is rather basic. The cockpit consists of a hole, an L shaped bit of plastic and… er… that’s it. But with a bit of TLC it is starting to come together. There has been a fair bit of filling and sanding, but fundamentally the kit is OK.

 

So, don’t write all of us older guys off. With a bit of buffing there is a chance that we’ll turn out half presentable.

 

PC293910.jpg

 

PC293911.jpg

 

PC293912.jpg

 

PC293913.jpg

Edited by Harry_the_Spider
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I've just put my hand up for one of these too, not got it yet. From other builds, I'm looking forward to it but beware the prop, if the hole is not right through the hub, make it so, otherwise the prop can only fit back to front.

Steve.

 

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On 12/29/2018 at 10:38 PM, Troy Smith said:

and most of the allies mould ended up in Russia,  where they influenced another swathe of modellers,  ask @Aardvark

It would be more correct to say on the territory of the former USSR, although indeed, at this time, those FROG forms that were not destroyed after the collapse of the USSR are mainly concentrated in Russia. How popular are FROG / NOVO on the territory of the former USSR?

The main sites dedicated to modeling in Russia are http://scalemodels.ru

and https://karopka.ru

 I am not a member of

https://karopka.ru

, so I can only analyze http://scalemodels.ru

 

In 2018 year on http://scalemodels.ru published:

- Five articles on the assembly of FROG / NOVO models :

 

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/12709-Novo-Frog-1-72-Vickers-Vimy.html

 

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/12491-FROG-NOVO-1-72-Westland-P-V-6-Wallace.html

 

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/11709-Novo-1-72-Gloster-Javelin-Mk-9.html

 

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/12130-Frog-Novo-1-72-r-400-Airacobra-Mk-1.html

 

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/11885-Novo-Frog-1-72-Lockheed-Ventura.html

 

- two nostalgic review:

 

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/11735-Obzor-NOVO-1-72-Harrier-Gr-1-AV-8a.html

 

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/12553-obzor-Frog-Airlines-1-72-Vickers-Vimy.html

 

 and  thematic FROG/NOVO GB were also conducted.

 

Much or little, I do not know, decide for yourself.

 

Therefore, paraphrasing the famous USSR proverb* :

"FROG lived, FROG

lives, FROG will live!"

😁😁😁

 

 

B.R.

Serge

 

______________

* - 

"Lenin lived, Lenin alive Lenin, will live" V. Mayakovski

 

 

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3 hours ago, J Sherratt said:

Interesting! I picked up one of these Frog kits from King Kit a few months back and I’ve made a start on it. I remember building one back in the 1970’s but it never made it to the painting stage and is now long-lost. John

It's a pretty good kit considering its age.   I used the original 1970s decals and they went on fine.   Note what's Steve says about the propeller, it is evident when you assemble it.

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Thanks for the tip on the propeller. I've just drilled mine out and put a hole for the cannon in the spinner.

 

Note to self ; Clean airbrush properly before putting it away for months on end. Then clean it again.

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Had a bit of a 'mare with the airbrush, so it has been painted at least twice today. Still got the forward fuselage to do, but I've called it a day. Happy with the spinner though, as I only had to do it once.

 

Not sure if I'm going for "factory fresh" or "total-war filth". A decision for next year.

 

PC313916.jpg

 

PC313917.jpg

 

 

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I would tend to be restrained with any weathering on this one as the aircraft were not very old when the war ended.

 

Martian 👽

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10 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

I would tend to be restrained with any weathering on this one as the aircraft were not very old when the war ended.

 

Martian 👽

This is probably true in matters of oil leaks, dirt, etc., but I do not agree on the issues of chipping paint and dirt during assembling.

At the end of the war, many German planes were assembled from components made at different factories, while these parts were not only painted, but they were marked with insignia. Thus, in conditions of rapid assembly, the appearance of chips and dirt is inevitable.

 

B.R.

Serge

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Paint and wheels on. It looks a bit "flat", but some weathering, smoke stains and the detail on the exhausts should pop it up a bit. Managed to ping a bit of the undercarriage off to who-knows-where, so I had to improvise.

 

Starting to look like something now.

 

P1013921.jpg

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I have had a good look at 152 pictures and aside from a good deal of exhaust staining, the aircraft do not seem to be knocked about that much. I will dig out Malcolm Lowe's book on the Ta152 and see what that has to say on the subject.

 

Martian 👽

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Well, the tail band decal fitted absolutely perfectly with the application of a lot of time and Micro Sol. Then I caught the edge with the brush and managed to fold it over and that was that.

 

I’ve sprayed the tail band on now, and I think it looks better. The brilliant yellow and red of the decal looked at odds with the dull camouflage. The painted version is a little less in your face.

 

Weathering will be “used” rather than “knackered”. Just exhaust smoke and scuffs, with some dirt around the engine and on the control surfaces. No repaired bullet holes, fuel leaks or excessive blackening around the gun ports.

 

I wish I’d seen Adrian’s thread before I buttoned up the fuselage and canopy, because what I originally thought was an “unusual” fairing over the instruments is actually a “completely bloody wrong” fairing over the instruments. I have no idea why they would choose to make something like that, when getting it right would have been just as easy. It doesn’t really matter anyway as I doubt that you’ll be able to see much anyway once the masking is off. But I’ll know it is wrong and it will niggle me.

 

I’ll try and get a picture later, but my son dropped the camera last night and dented the casing so the Zoom isn’t zooming as it should. A bit of swearing and crow barring back into shape with a screw driver will sort it.

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Bugger. It must have flipped over. Good job I've got a load more on the sheet.

 

 

[EDIT] Sorted now. Quite pleased with myself that a) I got it off without damaging the paint and b) I've lived my life without knowing which way up a swastika goes.

Edited by Harry_the_Spider
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