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Fw 190A-5 Light Fighter

Eduard 1/72 Weekend Edition Fw 190A-5 Light Fighter by John Bank

MANUFACTURER: Eduard

SCALE: 1/72

TYPE: New Version

PARTS: 64 plastic, 4 clear

MARKING OPTIONS: 2

D

uring World War Two, it

was common for many

allied squadrons to adopt

captured aircraft or vehicles

for use by squadron personnel.

Often painted in bright or garish

colours, these planes kept men

busy while waiting for rotation

back home. Mechanics of the

325th FG restored a captured

Focke Wulf 190A-5 to flight status

and gave it a colourful bright

blue and red coat of paint. For a

short period of time, pilots had

a toy to hot-rod around in, and

all had a backdrop for souvenir

photographs to send home. 

THE KIT

This is Eduard’s Weekend Edition

kit, which is the same basic kit as

the other kits in their 1/72 scale

family. It is crisply molded, and

adds revised details for an A-5

airframe. The kit contains two very

nicely printed, and very attractive,

marking choices using Eduard

house decals, which have good

registration and opacity. While the

kit contains no photo-etch, resin,

or masks, it loses nothing in this

regard. The plastic parts are well

detailed and fit superbly. Seat belts

and instruments for the cockpit

are provided on the decal sheet,

and these fit well. If one chooses to

use the seat belts, it is a good idea

to leave the decal on the backing

paper to provide a bit of depth. 

CONSTRUCTION

This is a simple kit to build, but the

usual caveats with modern Eduard

kits apply here. Test-fit the parts

and be aware that a simple coat of

paint can affect proper parts fit. I

found using a spreader bar at the

rear of the cockpit tub helped with

the wing to fuselage joint. If care is

taken with test-fitting, no filler will

be required with this kit. The only

likely issue I can see with this kit is

the fit of the landing gear legs in the

wheel wells. I found using a jig helps

set the proper angle for the legs

and makes assembly much easier. 

As is usual for me, I replaced

the gun barrels and the pitot

with Albion Alloys tubing. I also

decided to add seat belts, which I

made from thin plastic sheet cut to

shape. The aerial, attached between

canopy and tail, is made from

Uschi’s regular stretchable line. 

78 • JANUARY 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

KIT REVIEWS

072-79-Reviews-0118.indd 78 08/12/2017 17:05