Focke Wulf Ta152H-1

[Werdna]

Just completed this 1/48 Italeri/Dragon Ta152H-1.  I've been building up to this, so I hope I've done it some justice.  Was expecting to have a nightmare with this 'old' kit, after my previous experience with the Italeri/Dragon Fw190A-8 (which I eventually abandoned), but to be fair it went together pretty well.  Visibility/optical quality through the canopy is awful - I could have painted the cockpit bright pink and I doubt if it would be visible.  Basically an OOB build, but with the addition of some PE harnesses, and using the Montex paint mask set, rather than the kit decals.

 

Painted up to represent 'Yellow 1' of 7/JG301, before all remaining Ta152s got reassigned to JG301's Stab flight and received green numbers (or that's my understanding. anyway).  There is photo evidence of Yellow 1 in any case, as well as numerous profiles.  Painted using mainly Vallejo RLM76 and 83, and Mig RLM82, which I felt offered a better contrast with the Vallejo 83, rightly or wrongly.  Followed by a bit of weathering with Mig panel line wash, some oils and Humbrol weathering powder - not sure how well that will show up in the pics.  Whether the colours are accurate or not, I guess we'll never know.

 

Apologies for the outdoor pics, taken under cover, in rain/overcast conditions - it always seems to be raining when I post an RFI..  

 

[Walter]

Very nicely done 👍

[mark.au]

Very nice.  I have one in the stash and hope it comes out as nicely as this.

[Retired Bob]

Good looking Ta152   Camouflage looks good to me.

[ckw]

1 hour ago, Werdna said:

Apologies for the outdoor pics, taken under cover, in rain/overcast conditions - it always seems to be raining when I post an RF

I wouldn't worry - I think the soft diffuse lighting of an overcast day is perfect for models - sunlight is too contrasty and you loose some of the subtle details

 

Anyway, nicely done. I have the 1/72 Aoshima kit, and may well use your model as my inspiration

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[SAT69]

Beautiful work!

[supersonic]

That's a fine looking model, captured the camouflage pattern excellent, if you allow for my personal taste you could have weathered a tad more on the upper side, eg. the cowling section, especially  since the subtle weathered bottom looks spot on.

 

Cheers

Hans

Edited September 30, 2020 by supersonic

[Nanond]

Good finish! very well done.
I just finished the same kit and found the landing gear cover to be difficult to align properly. 

Nanond

[Werdna]

Thanks all for the kind words   It's a shame there isn't a more up to date version of the Ta152.  HobbyBoss makes all the variants of the 190D and several different Ta152C variants - none of which is thought to have seen service, but no 'H' model, which actually did see combat. Eduard - likewise, plenty of 190s and 190Ds, but no 152.🤔

 

58 minutes ago, supersonic said:

if you allow for my personal taste you could have weathered a tad more on the upper side, eg. the cowling section,

Yes I think you are correct.  I wasn't sure how far to take the weathering, given that these were relatively new aircraft that didn't see a lot of action..

13 minutes ago, Nanond said:

I just finished the same kit and found the landing gear cover to be difficult to align properly.

Despite being aligned correctly, the gear covers do not line up with the retainer bolts on the landing gear legs, which can be seen in the pics.  Not sure if anything can be done about that, apart from maybe filling the existing recesses and making new ones.  Also, having to clip 5mm off the top of the gear doors just to fit them in the 'down' position seems a bit brutal  

[supersonic]

@Werdna'' It's a shame there isn't a more up to date version of the Ta152''...... 

Well there is a newer version from Zoukei-Mura | No. SWS48-02

 

 

[Werdna]

14 minutes ago, supersonic said:

@Werdna'' It's a shame there isn't a more up to date version of the Ta152''...... 

Well there is a newer version from Zoukei-Mura | No. SWS48-02

 

 

 

Yes, that's true - but the price and sheer complexity of that kit is beyond me  

[supersonic]

Yes the price for the ZM kit is steep, and i completely agree to your thoughts about the TA 152 kit misery, even the 109 types with pretty low production numbers

are well covered by Eduard and not one Kit of such an elegant plane like the TA 152 H

Time will tell if Eduard will have mercy on us.........

[jackroadkill]

There you go again with yet another spanking example of a WWII Luftwaffe single-seater....!  At the risk of sounding like a fanboy I have to say that your work on these types is just brilliant.

 

As for the pics - I feel your pain.  As a Welshman, I was twelve before I realise you could take a cagoule off, etc etc.

[Werdna]

20 minutes ago, jackroadkill said:

There you go again with yet another spanking example of a WWII Luftwaffe single-seater....!  At the risk of sounding like a fanboy I have to say that your work on these types is just brilliant.

 

As for the pics - I feel your pain.  As a Welshman, I was twelve before I realise you could take a cagoule off, etc etc.

Thanks Jack   TBF, the weather's been pretty good round here this year so far - except when I post an RFI...  

 

Got a couple of twin-engine builds in the pipeline, which is going to give me some real shelf-storage problems...

[torqueofthedevil]

9 hours ago, Werdna said:

Thanks all for the kind words   It's a shame there isn't a more up to date version of the Ta152.  HobbyBoss makes all the variants of the 190D and several different Ta152C variants - none of which is thought to have seen service, but no 'H' model, which actually did see combat. Eduard - likewise, plenty of 190s and 190Ds, but no 152.🤔

Great pics of a superb model! Makes me want to do one myself. 

 

One of my reference books (sorry, I don't have it to hand) states that at the end of April 1945, JG301 had two serviceable Ta 152Cs on strength. That said, there is no mention of whether the pair ever flew a mission, let alone saw combat. But then any Allied or Soviet pilot who encountered a Ta 152C would probably think it was a 190D...one of those questions which will never be definitively answered!

[Werdna]

3 minutes ago, torqueofthedevil said:

Great pics of a superb model! Makes me want to do one myself. 

 

One of my reference books (sorry, I don't have it to hand) states that at the end of April 1945, JG301 had two serviceable Ta 152Cs on strength. That said, there is no mention of whether the pair ever flew a mission, let alone saw combat. But then any Allied or Soviet pilot who encountered a Ta 152C would probably think it was a 190D...one of those questions which will never be definitively answered!

Thanks for the kind comments  

 

Re the 'C' version - according to one of the 190 forums, Focke Wulf's Sorau plant had a block of 20 werk nummers allocated for Ta152C production, but it's not clear whether the two that were supposedly delivered to JG301 were from that block, or were re-assigned prototypes.  Either way, no photo evidence has yet emerged of them in service, as far as I'm aware.  As soon as someone invents a time machine, I'm off there with my digital camera..    

 

[torqueofthedevil]

13 minutes ago, Werdna said:

Thanks for the kind comments  

 

Re the 'C' version - according to one of the 190 forums, Focke Wulf's Sorau plant had a block of 20 werk nummers allocated for Ta152C production, but it's not clear whether the two that were supposedly delivered to JG301 were from that block, or were re-assigned prototypes.  Either way, no photo evidence has yet emerged of them in service, as far as I'm aware.  As soon as someone invents a time machine, I'm off there with my digital camera..    

 

Can I come please? As long as we don't get captured by the Russians... 

[luftmodels]

Very well done! Clean and accurate. Quite a rare example of Luftwaffe model. Thank you for making one! 👍🏻

[Wulfman]

Excellent job on the 152 !

 

Wulfman