Scale aviation modeller international

(Axel Boer) #1
questionable colours. Such
was the case with the decals
to be found in this otherwise
perfect Focke-Wulf package.
Luckily, I had several
aftermarket sheets in my stash,
which included the excellent Sky
Models Focke-Wulf 190 A/F set (
056), which features more colour
scheme options than you can shake
a stick at – indeed, many more than
the nineteen schemes illustrated on
the rudimentary instruction sheet
included in the set. The Sky Models
instructions are disappointingly
basic, but the decals themselves
are anything but, being gloriously
printed and in perfect register, and
easily on a par with Cartograf decals
(possibly even printed by Cartograf).
Unfortunately, as mentioned
at the start of this article, wartime
photographs of Fw190A-4s featuring
the adjustable cooling louvres are
few and far between, and all of those
optioned on the Sky Models sheet
proved to have been fitted with
slots rather than adjustable louvres.
In the end my only option proved
to be the very same yellow 4 that
features in the Eduard ProfiPak,
and which also appears on the far
superior Sky Models decal sheet.
In the spirit of the build I
decided to use the Balkenzreuz
from the Eduard package, but these
proved to be a little on the thick
side and didn’t settle well into
the recessed kit details, despite
numerous applications of Micro
Set and Sol. The Sky Models decals,
on the other hand, performed
faultlessly. The white-outlined
Balkenkreuz on the upper wings
were painted on using Montex
Masks, as were the white-outlined
panels to the rear of the exhausts.
After the generous sealing coat
of gloss varnish had thoroughly
dried, I rubbed the entire airframe
with Micro Mesh cloths to minimise
the stepped ridges around the

decals (a similar process had
been carried out prior to decal
placement, in order to minimise
the risk of silvering, and to
provide a faultless surface upon
which to apply the markings).
The remainder of the assembly
was then tackled. The engine
slipped effortlessly into position
within the nose but remained
unglued to facilitate alignment. It
was held in place by the cowl ring,
and once the propeller and attached
cooling fan were temporarily in
place, the engine was then glued.
The resin upper cowling panel was
glued in place. The open panels
were butt-fitted and glued to the
fuselage in the open position.

Once the adjustments previously
mentioned were carried out, the
Brassin main undercarriage fitted
perfectly, the solid brass legs giving
more than adequate support to
counter the added weight of the
many resin additions. There is an
assortment of tiny clasps included
on the brass frets of both engine
sets, and these were added at this
stage and painted to match the
panels from which they hung.
A new pitot tube was fabricated
from Albion Alloys metal tubing
and wing tip navigation lights
were made from short lengths
of clear stretched sprue; these
were all glued into the pre-
drilled holes I had added during
initial construction. Finally, the
rudder, wheels, and rear canopy
section were added, and with
the final addition of an aerial
wire made from elastic thread,
my Würger was finished.

THE ICING ON THE CAKE
This new-tool Fw190A-4 is
undoubtedly the best model of
the type ever produced in quarter
scale, and Eduard have once again
set standards of detail and accuracy
that other manufacturers will
struggle to better. This is a sublime
kit straight from the box, but the
numerous accessory sets available
from the same manufacturer add to
that excellence and take the build
experience to the highest level.
This initial release will
undoubtedly be followed in very
short order by every other variant
of the type to have seen Luftwaffe
service. Proof of Eduard’s future
intentions are visible for all to see in
the form of unrequired parts within
this ProfiPak offering: alternative
cowl covers, drop tanks and bombs,
different canopy parts, propellers,
undercarriage legs, ailerons, and
even radar arrays, all of which
provide parts for the spares box.
I already have two more early
Fw190’s to build from the Royal
Edition and I know that they won’t
be the last Eduard Würgers I’ll be
adding to my model collection.
My thanks of course to Eduard for
the ProfiPak and all of the extras.

“I ALREADY HAVE TWO


MORE EARLY FW190’S


TO BUILD FROM THE


ROYAL EDITION”


20 • MAY 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL


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48349 Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-4/5 Landing
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014-21-FEAT-Fw190-0518.indd 20 13/04/2018 14:10 SAC-0518-WP.indd 1 12/04/2018 11:

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