Italeri Fw190A-8 - - questions for those who've built it....

[Werdna]

Hi all..

 

I've got a 1/48 Italeri (ex Dragon/DML) Fw190A-8 in the pile and I'm aware that there is an issue with the incorrect angle that the main gear sits at, if it isn't modified.  I've seen details of the mod, which requires the drag link to be slightly lengthened.  It's not something I've done before but I'm ok with giving it a go.  Just wondered if anyone else here had built the kit and how you dealt with correcting the landing gear?

 

Alternatively, is anyone aware of any aftermarket parts (resin, metal, etc) which will do the job instead?  I've looked, but not found anything (yet)..

 

thanks in advance  

[Sturmovik]

Can't help you with the landing gear issue, since I went along with it. What I can tell you about is of the massive gaps between the fuselage and wings, which can be rectified by placing two spreader bars just in front and aft the cockpit.

[Werdna]

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind..   

 

I started this kit tonight anyway.  My impression so far?  Horrific... 

[Sturmovik]

6 minutes ago, Werdna said:

Horrific...

That makes us two. The surface is full of imperfections and I hate the PE included for the IP. The upside is that the decals are printed by Cartograf. 

However, I'm really thinking on buying the Dragon Fw 190A-5 Special (decals for Hermann Graf's and Erich Hondt's 190s).

Edited July 19, 2020 by Sturmovik

[Jure Miljevic]

This probably does not help much, but still ... I built one quite some time ago, and while I recall some issues with undercarriage, these must have been a minor ones as I cannot recall much about modifications required. All in all, I was quite pleased with the kit. It probably helped it was an original Dragon boxing, though. Cheers

Jure

[gingerbob]

In case you haven't already found it:

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/fw190landinggear_1.htm

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/fw190landinggear_2.htm

Edited July 20, 2020 by gingerbob

[Crimea River]

If this Italeri kit is a reboxing of one of the Dragon kits then I've had this experience. I built what Dragon called the "A-5 Special" and found the retraction arms to be far too short. I found this out quite late when I was gluing gluing the undercarriage into place:

 

 

In the above image, the strut at left shows how this all goes together without mods. The strut at right, minus the retraction arm, is where I judged the correct position to be. The remedy I used was to snip the eye from the end of the arm and add a short length of card:

 

 

 

With the main strut in the correct position, I then snipped the extension to the desired length and glued the two pieces of the modified arm into place:

 

 

It's a fairly simple modification that is well worth the effort. Good luck!

 

Andy

[Werdna]

52 minutes ago, Crimea River said:

The remedy I used was to snip the eye from the end of the arm and add a short length of card:

Thanks Andy - that's really useful.  That looks to be about what - 3-4mm extension?  Does that sound about right?

[Seawinder]

The two links that gingerbob posted above are IMHO worth following. One of the two articles describes another issue with the DML/Italeri struts that can clearly be seen in Crimea River's first posted photo: the axle is molded perpendicular to the strut, but it should be horizontal when the strut is properly positioned. The remedy offered in the article is to cut off the axle and re-install it at the proper angle to the strut. It's maybe worth noting that the white metal struts in the original Trimaster boxings didn't have this flaw.

Edited July 20, 2020 by Seawinder

[Crimea River]

4 hours ago, Werdna said:

Thanks Andy - that's really useful.  That looks to be about what - 3-4mm extension?  Does that sound about right?

Yeah I started with that and trimmed to suit.

 

3 hours ago, Seawinder said:

The two links that gingerbob posted above are IMHO worth following. One of the two articles describes another issue with the DML/Italeri struts that can clearly be seen in Crimea River's first posted photo: the axle is molded perpendicular to the strut, but it should be horizontal when the strut is properly positioned. The remedy offered in the article is to cut off the axle and re-install it at the proper angle to the strut. It's maybe worth noting that the white metal struts in the original Trimaster boxings didn't have this flaw.

I think I just installed the wheels then bent the wheel and axle until they were at the right angle then put a dab of CA on the bent part in case it cracked.

[Werdna]

Respect to anyone who's completed this kit.  You have more patience than me.  I've parked it now, as I'm very close to smashing it to pieces with a hammer.  Nothing fits, nothing seems to be the right shape and fixing such an appalling mess is not how I want to spend my free time.  I'll build something else...  

[Crimea River]

That's unfortunate but if you don't enjoy the work then there is no point. The Tamiya one might be better for you.

[fernandocouto]

I built severval DML Fw190..cause it was the cheapest WW2 aircraft kit...when released by Shanghai Dragon in China, it cost 42RMB( 5-6 USD). 

There ARE some issues at main gear, as Crimea River's work, we usually attach the strut as his starboard one. It truly leans forward and to centerline, so I ignored this, only found it quite hard to link properly.

Another common mistake is attaching the leg "vertical" to ground, maybe there should be a front view in instruction. On original Tri-master kit, all landing gear parts were white metal. I haven't built Tri-master kit yet, so no comment..

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On 20/07/2020 at 07:24, Sturmovik said:

That makes us two. The surface is full of imperfections and I hate the PE included for the IP. The upside is that the decals are printed by Cartograf. 

However, I'm really thinking on buying the Dragon Fw 190A-5 Special (decals for Hermann Graf's and Erich Hondt's 190s).

Oh better not buy that... It's only an A-8 with A-5 decal, cowl gun panel, gun pod and intakes, the latter ones don't fit high-attitude, but more similar to tropical set. Diameters and shape both different.

If you build it to A-5 version, you may need Hasegawa Fw 190A-3/4, where you can get spare MG FF bulge on X sprue, and inner gear doors(when you take your HAS kit with centre line ETC rack).  Use common cowling parts for Graf also flew one without supercharger.  In this way, you'll get your DML 190"special" much more accurate. Gun chutes on upper cowling is still incorrect (they were thinner and deeper with MG17, DML kit fits MG131). If you cannot live with it, ask your friend for an Eduard new tooling Fw190A-8, you'll get spare part there. 

[fernandocouto]

 

Here is my Fw190A-5/U14, converted from a DML G-3 version. I replaced gun chute and panel from eduard, but as you see, cross section is not 100% same.

 

Sorry I don't know why it's so small.....https://i.postimg.cc/5ysdSJtQ/20200721090934.jpg

Edited July 21, 2020 by fernandocouto
photo

[Werdna]

8 hours ago, Crimea River said:

That's unfortunate but if you don't enjoy the work then there is no point. The Tamiya one might be better for you.

I think you're right.  I already have a Montex mask set for the Tamiya kit, so I probably should have done that to start with...  

[VolkerR.]

On 20/07/2020 at 01:11, Sturmovik said:

Can't help you with the landing gear issue, since I went along with it. What I can tell you about is of the massive gaps between the fuselage and wings, which can be rectified by placing two spreader bars just in front and aft the cockpit.

The problem with these gaps can be easily avoided. You first glue the cowling parts (Trimaster: C13,14,3 and 4) together. When you join the fuselage halves, you only glue behind the cockpit. Do not use the spreader (C22). Join the fuselage, the wings and the cowling at the same time in one step. You will see that everything fits well and very little filler is required.

 

Volker