Hasegawa Fw 190S Conversion

[JamesHatch]

How do you find the clarity of the canopy? I was thinking of using it for framing only, and re-glazing with my own panels.

 

Do you have any extra interior layout detail?

[LSP_Kevin]

How do you find the clarity of the canopy? I was thinking of using it for framing only, and re-glazing with my own panels.

 

Do you have any extra interior layout detail?

 

To be honest, the canopy is pretty poor in that regard. The master seems to have had a lot of imperfections (including lumps, bumps, a few hairs and at least one long raised streak), all of which have transferred to the vac part. I'm hoping it will improve to acceptable with a couple of dunks in floor polish. We shall see!

 

What do you mean by "extra interior layout detail" Jim?

 

Kev

[JamesHatch]

I mean the twin cockpit layout. The info I have is pretty poor on how the cockpit was laid out with relation to consoles and equipment etc.

 

Yes, with the canopy, I was thinking of using the raw vac form and cutting the window areas out totally, so you have a ready made frame that you can glaze from the interior.

[JRutman]

I mean the twin cockpit layout. The info I have is pretty poor on how the cockpit was laid out with relation to consoles and equipment etc.

 

Yes, with the canopy, I was thinking of using the raw vac form and cutting the window areas out totally, so you have a ready made frame that you can glaze from the interior.

There are super pics of the cockpit in the Aerodetails book.

J

[JamesHatch]

There are super pics of the cockpit in the Aerodetails book.

J

 

Cheers Jerry. That's been one area that has made me shy away from this conversion.

[LSP_Kevin]

I mean the twin cockpit layout. The info I have is pretty poor on how the cockpit was laid out with relation to consoles and equipment etc.

 

I'm just gonna fudge it using the parts supplied in the UMI conversion. I'm no rivet counter, and I don't really enjoy detailing cockpits anyway, so I'm happy just to make it look plausible. I'll be happy if I can get the two cockpits to sit roughly in the correct areas and at the right heights! Having said that, I haven't really had a chance to pore over my references yet, so I don't know what info I might have for the rear cockpit.

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

Well, here's the end result of all that blending:





It's not quite perfect yet, but you can't see the grungy bits in the photos anyway. The only remaining concern I have is that that the rear of the canopy still sits too high, making it slightly proud of the rear fuselage decking. I'm going to leave that for now, and look at my options once the fuselage is permanently together. It's a bit hard to gauge the extent of the problem accurately when the halves are only held together with tape, and subject to some movement against each other.

Now to figure out the cockpits!

Kev

[Wolf Buddee]

Well, here's the end result of all that blending:

 

 

 

It's not quite perfect yet, but you can't see the grungy bits in the photos anyway. The only remaining concern I have is that that the rear of the canopy still sits too high, making it slightly proud of the rear fuselage decking. I'm going to leave that for now, and look at my options once the fuselage is permanently together. It's a bit hard to gauge the extent of the problem accurately when the halves are only held together with tape, and subject to some movement against each other.

 

Now to figure out the cockpits!

 

Kev

All in all I'd say that came out lookin' pretty good Kev but it sure looks like you've got your work cut out for you! You are definitely a braver man than I. I'll be followin' this with a lot of interest.

 

Cheers,

Wolf

[LSP_Kevin]

All in all I'd say that came out lookin' pretty good Kev but it sure looks like you've got your work cut out for you! You are definitely a braver man than I. I'll be followin' this with a lot of interest.

 

Cheers,

Wolf

 

Thanks Wolf, nice to have you watching. If you've followed any of my other builds, you'll know this isn't far off par for the course (though I'm getting more ambitious/foolhardy with each build). Hopefully I won't stall again soon.

 

Kev

[PhilB]

Terrific clean work Kev!

looks like a "challenging" conversion but your winning!

 

Phil

[LSP_Kevin]

Terrific clean work Kev!

looks like a "challenging" conversion but your winning!

 

Phil

 

Hey, thanks Phil. It's a challenge all right, but I'm determined to conquer it! And I think I just might, if I can resist the temptation to tinker with the wheel wells...

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

Chaps, a quick question if I may. I've decided that I don't feel up to scratch-building new wheel bays for this one, but I figured I'd check with you guys whether anyone ever did an aftermarket set for it. I don't mind hacking the old ones out and replacing them with something ready-made, but I don't want to do them from scratch.

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

Hey Kev,

 

Don't know of a wheel bay set made specifically for the older Hasegawa Fw190A's, but Aires do have a set available for the newer Hasegawa kits...

http://www.aires.cz/wp-content/uploads/katalog/100/2039.jpg

 

There is a lot of excess resin to be removed from the back of this Aires wheel well, a function of the way they've cast the parts. This will unfortunately mean a lot of cutting or grinding down to get it to the point where the wings will mate together. A better option may simply be to source the plastic wheel well part from one of these newer kits.

 

Need one? Let me know...

 

Steve.

 

Yeah, I saw the Aires set for the newer kit, but I think trying to adapt it for this kit is too risky. I've got one of the new-tool kits, but I don't want to cannibalise it for the wheel bay part. If I had resin casting skills and equipment, I'd probably cast a copy and see if I could make that work. I think the best option would be if someone had a spare kit part after using the Aires set themselves. Is that what you're alluding to Steve?

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

I have a newer A8 kit that I've already cannibalised for parts, if you need the wheel wells.

 

Thanks Steve. PM sent!

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

Well, the parts from Steve have arrived, so it looks like I'll be hacking out the existing wheel bays and trying to cleave in the piece from the new-tool kit! Crazy, I know, but I just don't seem to feel at home with a build unless I approach it this way. So if I totally ruin the lower wing, I may be on the scrounge for a replacement!

Anyway, today's post is looking ahead to the final paint scheme. I'm looking for more information about the aircraft I'm currently favouring. Here's a dodgy profile of it from Butcher Bird - The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 by Edward Shacklady:



Here's an even more dodgy profile from Aircam #44, but this time with a supporting photo:



Note the colour callouts! Surely this would be more likely to be a 74/75/76 combo? Also note that the caption describes the lettering behind the cockpit as "A-5 2541 29.6.44". I managed to find a much better version of this photo in Kagero's Focke Wulf FW 190 vol.I:



Then I came across the following passage in Squadron/Signal's In Action #170:



A bit hard to read, I know, but sentences 2 & 3 appear to be discussing this same aircraft, citing it as an Eastern Front machine credited to Schlachtgeschwader 151. I'm prepared to take that at face value, and it appears to be the best-documented 190S I can find (certainly the only one I can find profiles for).

Given all that, what's the most likely colour combination? I'm assuming 74/75/76 with a yellow tail band. The photo doesn't appear to support the mottle pattern suggested by the profiles, and in fact appears to show the fuselage camo sweeping down to the wing root just forward of the cross. What about the line in the Aircam caption about yellow wing tips?

Sorry for the information overload guys, but that's about all I can find on this aircraft, so any further info or colour scheme advice would be greatly appreciated!

Kev