Revell 1/32 FW190A - 8

[Starfighter]

Hi guys,

I have a questyon for all you FW190 experts . . . just received my  Eaglecals decal set ( EC 76 ) and according to their info the a/c I wish to depict  ( "Red 11 " from IV/JG54. )did not have the upper wing cannon fairings fitted ?

I do have the Valiant Wings Airframe & miniature No. 7, which details every variant of the FW190A - 8, and nowhere does it show  the upper wings without these fairings, so which one is likely to be right ?

I'm inclined to go with the book, as it's very comprehensive, but if anyone has any info on this I'd bee most grateful.  

 

[G.R.Morrison]

The rectangular fairing atop the wings in the outboard cannon position was to enable the fitting of the MK108 (3 cm cannon), and first appeared on the "A-7/MK".

 

Not all A-8s (nor F-8s) had this wing, for it wasn't required for the usual MG151/20 outboard guns (which had been standard from the A-6), but it later became the standard as a 'universal' wing, whether or not the bigger gun was installed.  Photos are always your best way to go, and you can observe their presence or absence if the photo angle is right -- and someone's not standing in the way (which seems  to be a 'requirement' when seeking a specific detail, doesn't it?).

 

Hope this helps, GRM

[Starfighter]

Many thanks for the info, GRM , that's something I didn't Know. Just as well I haven't drilled the holes out for the fairings yet ! Once again, many thanks.  

[Jerry Crandall]

 This A-8 did not have the upper wing fairings as seen in the photo. Not all A-8s had these fairings including Dortenmann's well known"Red 1" from JG 54. Of course they were necessary when the MK 108 30mm cannons were mounted in the outer wing(R2).

    Cheers, Jerry

 

[MDriskill]

The neat “Building a Collection” drawings in the Valiant book show the rectangular fairing on all 190’s that had outboard MG 151 cannon, starting with the A-6. This is a significant error that has sown a lot of confusion.

 

As noted above, this fairing was associated with the 30 mm MK 108 cannon. It became a standard fitting only on the later A-8 wing that was slightly re-designed to mount either the MK 108, or 20 mm MG 151 in the outer gun bays. The MK 108 required a small hole cut into the wing’s upper surface, which is what the fairing covered (and why it remained even when this wing did not actually carry that gun).

 

This pair of drawings (from Peter Rodeicke’s book, “Focke Wulf Jagdflugzeug”) perfectly illustrates why this bulge was not needed for the MG 151-only variants (left sketch); and why it was if the MK 108 was an option (right sketch).

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by MDriskill