Scale aviation modeller international

ailerons to it cleanly into place.

Several early model Fw 190s

were landed wheels-up in error.

To help avoid this, from the A-2

version onward two small indicator

sticks protruded from the upper

wing surface to show the pilot

that the wheels were down. On

the model, these will have to be

added from stretched sprue.

I thought that the underwing

cartridge ejection slots were

correct only for later model

Fw 190s, and that since I was

building an A-1 model aircraft

the slots had to be reduced in size

to smaller rectangles. Further

research now suggests that

possibly only the A-0 models had

the smaller slots, so maybe my

modiication was not needed.

The cockpit tub has some very

nice detail cast into it, which

really just needs careful painting

to highlight the ine efects. I had

to add a throttle stub, something

which shows on the assembly

drawings but may have got

knocked of on my moulding.

There are photo-etch levers

to add to both the cockpit

sidewalls and the instrument

panel. Additional photo-etch

sections require careful folding

to create the impressively

complex rudder pedals.

The instrument panel is made up

of a series of layers of pre-coloured

photo-etch to provide instrument

interiors and faces over the various

levels of panel space. That took

some time and care to produce a

nice efect. I later found I needed to

chamfer the panel edges slightly

to ensure a good fuselage it.

The moulded seat had photo-

etch, pre-coloured seat harness

sections, which were also quite

complex and neatly done. Once

complete it it tightly into the

tub, with a curiously shaped

joystick added in front. The

completed cockpit tub, like the

instrument panel, required some

edge chamfering and slimming

down to ease a rather tight it.

Tub positioning was helped by

the side pockets moulded on

the fuselage cockpit walls.

The gunsight, which is a

prominent item on the upper

instrument panel, was left of

at this stage to avoid damage.

The resin exhaust stubs were

painted before being itted into

each fuselage half, along with

end plates that are glued behind

the cooling slots to avoid any

see-through efect. To model an

early Fw 190A-0, the kit includes

two blanking plates to close up

the cooling slots, although for

this some illing will still be

needed, which will be awkward

due to its recessed location.

Because the front fuselage

is made up of several separate

panels, I carefully taped together

all the upper front panels and the

engine cowling. The fuselage was

then glued together as far as the

cockpit area and the engine. The

resin auxiliary details were then

test-itted into the front section.

Because resin shrinks slightly

when curing (which makes precise

sizing a major challenge for any

manufacturer), I found I needed to

trim this casting down slightly.

An additional problem was

to ind a precise position for the

engine mounting so that the

propeller sits correctly. Some trial

and error and careful marking of

the inside surfces with a pencil

was needed before I superglued the

engine in place. Thin glue was then

iniltrated around the edges of the

other panels to irm everything up.

I added the asymmetrical

side bulges suitable for the A-1

series aircraft I was building.

Symmetrical bulges for an A-0 are

also included. Additional small

bulges are provided, though not

mentioned in the instructions,

since some aircraft had a panel

bulge near the rear of the fuselage

guns. This seems to have been

variable and some may well have

been ield modiications, so again,

photographic evidence of the

aircraft you are building is helpful

Next the lower engine panel

with its resin exhaust section

was attached. As they had been

moulded closed, the openings

for the exhaust stubs on this

panel required opening out. A

little light drill and ile work

sorted that out quite quickly.

The propeller is moulded

as three separate blades which

it positively onto a central

housing, itself itting on to

the spinner backplate. The

spinner provided is accurate,

although it needs shortening

slightly for the A-0 variant.

A nicely moulded cooling fan

sits in the front of the engine

cowling. In my example this

was not drilled through to it

the propeller, but it was a simply

corrected oversight. Next the tail

was completed, with one tailplane

locating hole requiring a little

reaming for a satisfactory it.

After some light illing and

sanding to clean things up, the more

delicate items were now added. The

gunsight was attached in place with

its clear screen protruding through

the panel shroud. The windscreen

itted well and the clear mouldings

for the screen and canopy are

amongst the best I have ever seen,

with tiny rivet detail and panel lines

“IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A MODEL

OF AN EARLY-SERIES VARIANT

OF KURT TANK’S MASTERPIECE,

THIS IS THE KIT FOR YOU”

32 • DECEMBER 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL