Tamiya or Eduard FW190 A-8

[Jazzy Jase]

I've got the Tamiya FW190 A-8 kit and was just about to spend £22 adding Eduard PE, Aires wheels, and Quickboost gun barrels when I noticed that eduard do a much more detailed kit that includes PE and masks etc for only a few quid more.

Now I'm not sure what to do. Stick with detailing the Tamiya or buy the more detailed Eduard? I've read the Eduard is tricky to put together, but the extra detail is worth it.

What would you do????

Edited January 12, 2010 by Jazzy Jase

[desmojen]

It totally depends on what extra detail you are thinking of adding really. I think on the whole that the Eduard kit might be a better starting point, but if you want a proper detailed engine bay, you will still need to spend extra time/money detailing what comes in the kit. If you don't want the engine on display though, the Eduard kit needs little extra IMO.

It has far better decals, and a number of good choices within the kit negating the need for aftermarket markings. The downside is that it is a much trickier build. You will be forced to use forward thinking, patience, modelling skills and also a few swears while constructing it

In the defence of the Tamiya kit, all it really needs to make it correct is a pair of wheels, and a zoom type colour etch set for the cockpit will dress it up nicely. It is also a lovely kit to build and looks the part on the shelf next to an Eduard one......

Jen.

[Mentalguru]

The Tamiya kit is nice- but not nice in a few areas. Personally, I do not care for the plastic Tamiya use- very soft, and leads to wing warping/flexing on many of their 1/48 kits. Overly thick canopies, etc. However, the Eduard kit is not "Christmas on totty Island,' it requires everything Jen said... she is quite clever aksherly

[Jazzy Jase]

Thanks Jen and Mental... I'm not bothered about having the engine on display.

I was going looking at the full Eduard photoetch for the Tamiya instead of the Zoom as it comes with the side armour. (I'm not sure I trust the Tamiya vinyl armour to stay stuck or not to melt under a coat of Alclad grey primer).

Cockpit would be nice to detail up, which means PE or resin for the Tamiya. It's included on the Eduard kit.

Wheels on the Tamiya need replacing whereas I haven't heard that said about the Eduard wheels.

I probably don't need the Quickboost gun barrels.

So, being sensible I should probably just get some wheels and the Zoom PE for the Tamiya seeing as I already own it? Still leaves me with a niggling doubt about the vinyl armour peeling off after a while.

[desmojen]

I used some spare Eduard wheels on my last Tamiya 190. Another option to ponder - Buy an Eduard kit, and use the spare parts from it to upgrade your Tamiya kit. You essentially get two cockpits in the Eduard since they provide a set of blank panels to fix the etch to. You also get two sets of wheels, two canopies and various bombs and drop tanks.

If you are so worried about the stick on armour panels, how about using the vinyl parts as templates to make some up with 5 thou plasticard?

Jen.