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1/32 Hasegawa Focke Wulf Fw 190A-6 (Trying Some New Things: Part Two)


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The weather was finally decent enough for outdoor photography on this one, but the lighting was still strange and a lot of the photos look a little darker than I would like. But, here we go...

 

This is the A-6 that I was working on basically at the same time as I was doing the A-5/U12 I posted the other day. However, since I used the A-5 to test out a variety of new paints, this build was going to take it to the next step. As I had mentioned before, the A-5 was (hopefully) the last build I ever did with my old Paasche H single action airbrush. It was during the construction of these two kits that I decided I was going to take the plunge and get a new airbrush that would take me closer to the direction I want to be heading. Being that the camo scheme of this A-6 is a bit more complex, it was the also the perfect test bed for a new airbrush. I looked at the Iwata Eclipse brushes at the local Hobby Lobby and did a bunch of research and review reading before I reached the decision to go with the Harder and Steenbeck Infinity CR Plus with the .15mm and .4mm nozzle/needle combo.

 

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Now, for the plane:

 

-Kit: Hasegawa Fw 190A-6

-Decals: Stencils and "Friedel" heart decal from Eagle Cals. Werk Number was pieced together from spares and the "3s" were actually made from 8s and I touched them up with paint. Unfortunately, I only had enough to do one side of the tail and couldn't print any because my printer hates me. :rolleyes: The "White 12" is a combination of spares from Eagle Cals and Kagero. Checker nose from Eagle Cals.

-Masks: Montex used for the wing/fuselage crosses and tail marking.

-Quickboost exhausts

-HGW Seatbelts (but assembled from spares and not exactly perfect or complete)

-RB Model brass MG17 muzzles

-E-Z Line antenna wire (inside canopy, too!) with CA glue for insulators

-All 20mm barrels cut from aluminum tubing

-Wire brake lines and wine bottle foil straps

-Drilled out holes in oleo scissors

-Wire and styrene used to make the landing gear actuator wiring on the scissors and the tailwheel retraction cable was made from wire and the mount for it from styrene and scale nuts/bolts (I forget the brand).

-Valve stems added to tires made from stretched sprue.

-Gun sight reworked to fit after leather padding on instrument hood filled in with styrene and Milliput

-Rudder light was sanded off and a new one made from copper tube and contoured back in with Milliput. Contoured sprue for the bulb.

-Rudder trim tab was deformed in this kit, so I sanded it off and and made a new one from sheet styrene.

_Outboard 20mm cannon fairings have the "bumps" added with Milliput.

-Landing gear indicators from stretched sprue.

-Aluminum tubing used in the leading edge of the wing for the 20mms. These serve as a guide and a better foundation in which to glue the barrels. 

-Aluminum tubing also used to depict the gun camera lens bezel. The lens itself is stretched clear sprue, polished and then inserted into the tube and being given a couple drops of Future (or whatever it's called nowadays). 

-Last, but not least (actually done before assembly and paint), the entire airframe was riveted using the Trumpeter riveting wheel.

 

Paints Used:

The main scheme of RLM 74/75/76 was all MRP paint and was given a coat of flat lacquer after weathering with oils. I did add a light mottle of RLM 76 using AK Interactive's Real Colors RLM 76 Version 2 over the MRP 76, as it is the lightest of all the 76s I have and it helped give more depth to the color. I also used MRPs white mixed with the 74/75  and used a similar technique to give a little more contrast in spots. I was very subtle about it, but it helps. Next time I may get a little more adventurous, but I'm still learning with the new paints and airbrush, so I'm happy with how it turned out. 

 

Prop blades were originally done with Model Master enamel mix of their RLM 70 Schwartz Grun and Flat Black. I came back and and added a light spray of Tamiya Black Green, later on.

 

The crosses/swastika were all painted with Gunze Gloss Off White and Tamiya Rubber Black. Tires were built up in various stages with the rubber black and Tamiya Red Brown 2 (and I know there was a light mist of Model Master Italian sand thrown in there at some point, as well). The exhaust stains were also done with very thin layers of rubber black and Red Brown 2. 

 

Cockpit was done in a mix Model Master RLM 66 and black, but the headrest assembly was done later on, after I had received MRP's 66, which is much closer to the real thing and probably what I will run with from now on. 

 

There are plenty of things I would do differently in this build, if I were to do it over (and some mistakes that the photos just revealed! LOL).  However, I'm very happy with how it turned out. In fact, it's probably my new favorite 190 model! 

 

Enjoy!

 

John

 

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Edited by mywifehatesmodels
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Thanks, gents!

 

I'm realizing that I was overwhelmed when I made the original post and will eventually go back and add a few details I forgot, but I also wanted to post the reference photos and info I used. Some of the other 190s that Kunze flew seems to get the most attention from modelers. In my quest to keep things different, I opted for "White 12", instead. In doing some internet digging, I found a few profiles and two photos of the actual plane that was crash-landed after action against B-17s. 

 

Focke-Wulf-Fw-190-A6-1-JG1-White-12-Bern

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As you can see in the second photo, it most likely had a short, black spiral on the spinner. I opted not to do that for a couple reasons. First, I couldn't find the right size spiral decal in my spares. I would have painted it, but I got lazy and I actually prefer the look of this plane without it, even though it's likely wrong. Another question is on the heart emblem below the cockpit. One piece I read from a flight sim skin maker suggests that there is a memoir out there that suggests this plane did carry the heart, but that it may have been slightly different than what he usually used. Most profiles don't show it and if it was present, it's hard to say exactly what it looked like. I opted to use it, at least for a splash of color and a little more character, also. 

 

Cheers,

 

John

 

Edited by mywifehatesmodels
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Very nice Würger John!  Your airbrushing work is outstanding as is your scratchbuiding.  The checkered nose is very eye-catching; I also built a JG1 Fw190 A6 though mine represents an aircraft of a different Staffel and has a yellow and black checker pattern.  I think you will really like the H&S Infinity.  I have owned one for 9 years now and use it for about 85% of my airbrushing.  I have the .15, .2 and .4mm needle nozzle combos and find they can handle the majority of the airbrushing requirements I have.  I almost always use either MRP or Tamiya paint for airbrushing which makes things pretty simple.  Again, great build and photography!

 

Ernest

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