Kagero TopDrawings 66 – Focke-Wulf Fw.190 (9788366148161)

[Mike]

TopDrawings 66 – Focke-Wulf Fw.190 (9788366148161)

Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK

 

 

The Fw.190 was designed as a replacement to the Bf.109, but we all know that the 109 soldiered on manfully to the end of the war, and that the 190 gave the British Spitfires a bit of a shock when it was first encountered.  As usual with WWII German aircraft, they tried to make the aircraft all things to all men, and wasted valuable resources adapting it to do other tasks such as Ground Attack (F) with a lower altitude tuned BMW801 engine and bomb racks, Long range light bomber/attack (G) with reduced armament to carry bombs, and the ungainly two-seat trainer (S) which were re-designated A series airframes.

 

We have kits in the all the scales from most manufacturers due to the popularity of the type, from 1:144 to 1:24, with 1:48 having some brand new modernised toolings from Eduard.  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 canopy masks for the F & G Eduard kits in 1:48 and 1:72, plus a handsome A4 print of an F-8 flying low over some Russian armour.

 

 

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, two of which are printed with other titles in the series, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles of a pair of F-9s.  The first half of the plans begins with the S-5 and S-8 trainer variants with their odd angular canopies, then switches to the F-3, F-8, F-8/R1 and U1, and F-9.  After this the colour profiles are printed on four pages in colour, augmented by the aforementioned two on the rear cover.  Following the break there is another set of plans for the F-8/R1 Mistel, Ru-344 and Hagelkorn glide-bomb carrier, then a single page devoted to the G-2,3,4 & 8.  The last page shows the main differences between the single-seat variants from F through G.  Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that show cross-sections of the fuselage, fuel tanks, missiles, bombs, guns and such.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the masks and print a nice bonus.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of