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BIG 1/18 Fw190a-8


Gisbod

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48 minutes ago, airscale said:

The older Luftwaffe instrument set we made had some bigger versions of some of the dials in it, I had no idea they work for 1/18 - given I have just retired them as we have just relaunched a remastered set, I might well repackage them as 1/18!

 

Please do!

 

Cheers,

 

D.B.

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Thanks Peter! Yes, sounds like that could work...

 

Bit more progress. The tail wheel. Vinyl as per the main wheels. Fairly simple but looks the part. They’ve oddly gone for a sprung affair which acts as a working suspension. Not quite sure why that would be necessary, but it offers you the chance to bounce the tail assembly up and down if you want to ‘play’ with your finished model  :mental:

 

 

AE282381-5913-457-A-823-C-1095-BCA43-B87

 

 

Moving onto the flaps. As I mentioned these are just blank slabs of plastic that are quite neatly hinged using brass brackets. These work surprisingly well and is a neat design. But first I had to add a little detail. I went for cutting out holes in plastic sheet to provide a framework. These got a riveting tool run along the edges.

 

 

84-E881-CA-5-ED1-48-E1-B994-FAF797-B8-E5

 

Not quite Eduard BRASSIN quality, but then it didn’t cost me anything either ;)

 

 

A134741-D-D103-4-EC6-80-BC-3-D6-E5-FAE24

 

 

E08987-F3-E562-4-BEB-BF17-16-C06-BF27565

 

 

On the upper wing I’ve added more plastic card to represent the internal ribs...

 

 

02-DC5-EBC-BB40-4899-A578-4-C2-E1-F32-F9

 

The Aileron linkages were moulded chunks of plastic, and as they will be fairly noticeable I’ve removed these with a scalpel, drilled a hole and will fit brass or steel rod in after the models painted.

 

 

D990-FA8-A-8-D80-40-F7-BCBE-8529-AAFD42-

 

 

Shouldnt take much longer to knock together now as there are very few parts!

 

 

Guy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Gisbod
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Thanks,

 

I’ve put it all together - it was like an Airfix 1/72 starter kit :D

 

Despite the kits failings - the fit of parts has been truly exceptional. Considering the size of this monster - it just clicks together like Lego. Very impressed. There are various points for screws to be used to hold the thing together, but no screws are supplied nor mentioned in the instructions and to be honest, it doesn’t need them. In fact, I think if you did use the main fuselage screw point, you could easily squeeze the parts too tight and effect the fit of the wings. Just something to bear in mind if you are going down that route. In the end I just glued everything and it worked out just fine. There’s one construction oddity - a large side panel on the fuselage is a separate part (to allow access to the screw fixing). It’s not really an issue as the fit is perfect, but still something I’d rather not have. There’s always the danger of a slight glue overrun and it would be tricky to get the surface detail back. Proceed with caution! But it is Tamiya fit (really).

 

I’ve got slightly ahead of myself and put on a coat of primer - Mr. Surfacer 1500. Be warned this kit takes a lot of paint! It felt like I was spraying a car in a repair shop... :blink: 

 

So once again - despite the lack of any detail whatsoever - it really does look business - and it also looks exactly how a mean Fw190 should look to my eye :)

 

The riveting is absolutely beautifully done. I really don’t know why this never seems to be represented on 1/32 kits for Luftwaffe fighters. It totally puts me off - the thought of riveting a whole machine. Not just laziness, but that it would never look good enough. Are there any exceptions for a decent 190/ 109/ 262/ Stuka? I don’t really count Trumpeter as they always have shape issues? I’d like to get a really top Luftwaffe 1/32 or 1/24 next. This kit has really got me going! Are the new Revell moulds riveted?

 

Anyway, It’s now this beautiful, big, blank canvas - I can’t wait to start painting!

 

 

CD2641-B8-7-AE0-4160-A168-092851-FD919-E

 

Quick view of the Flaps in situ. They won’t be overly visible so I think I’ll get away with them not being PE sharp...

 

 

725-B3971-59-FD-4272-84-A9-BA6-C635-D845

 

 

I’ve added some very generic detail to the wheel bays. Please look away now if you’re easily offended. To make them totally realistic would take serious surgery beyond me.

 

 

A1-F0-E38-B-29-D6-4-CE4-A5-C2-5215850449

 

 

As an aside, if you’re thinking of getting the mask set - don’t - they just don’t fit the parts. Complete waste of money. 

 

 

F349-A7-D8-EA08-4777-87-B6-349-E0-E80-DA

 

 

Thanks 

 

 

Guy

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12 hours ago, Rob Colvin said:

......has anyone done decals or a mask set yet? 

 

 

 See above Rob, and don’t bother! 

 

 

7 hours ago, GMK said:

but the quality of your efforts are clear to see. 

 

Thank you! 

 

 

6 hours ago, airscale said:

you are clearly really enjoying yourself 

 

Peter

 

 

Thank you Peter.. I really am! It’s a good kit to have fun with! Not too involved, simple but satisfying. I feel like I’m an 8 year old again with one of their venerable 1/24 kits :P

 

 

Guy

 

 

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6 hours ago, Gisbod said:

Thank you Peter.. I really am! It’s a good kit to have fun with! Not too involved, simple but satisfying. I feel like I’m an 8 year old again with one of their venerable 1/24 kits :P

 

 

Ahhhhhh I remember those days!   I used to love, LOVE going to the local hobby shop with my dad and getting to look at all the stuff. It was legit some of the happiest times of my life.  Some of the happiest memories were of getting to occasionally take home one of the giant 1/24th kits with retractable landing gear, like the venerable MPC kits like the Harrier, Spitfire Fw-190 and P-51. 

 

Good times. 

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Quote

There are various points for screws to be used to hold the thing together, but no screws are supplied nor mentioned in the instructions

 

I think these molds were originally done for some factory assembled & painted toy, which would not only explain the screw points, but also the rather poor fidelity and sparse detail of the cockpit and wheel well. The shape of the completed FW seems to be surprisingly accurate, though! And you really make things come to life with your painting, Guy! Can't wait to see the finished "canvas".

 

(It's a shame Peter (airscale) does only natural metal birds—and there are no natural metal and/or civilian Focke Wulfs that I know of—for this kit could've been a worthy victim for his dark arts ;-))

 

Cheers

Joerg

 

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