COMPLETED Airfix 1/72 Fw 190 A-8...from Catalonia

[stona]

Here it is. I wanted a closed canopy, but I know when I'm beaten and have posed it open. I will add the retractable step which is being painted.

I wanted a bit of fun with this, hence the bloke trying to move the sheep away. I have no idea why I have some sheep this size in my cupboard













A bit about the unit with which this aircraft served.

Jagdgruppe 10 (Jgr.10) was formed in July 1944 from Erprobungskommando 25, a specialist unit which tested experimental weapons and tactics to counter the USAAF’s heavy bombers. It comprised only three Staffeln. This aircraft is from 3./JGR.10 which kept its Fw 190 As until the end. The other two Staffeln (Stabstaffel and 2. Staffel) exchanged theirs for 'Doras' in late 1944.

The unit experimented with all sorts of systems most of which were not successful. It would have been nice for Airfix to do one of those that did work after a fashion, there is a good picture of one of the units aircraft carrying the 21cm Wurfgranate (WGr.21) tubes for example.

For one that didn’t work, there is a good picture of an aircraft fitted with the 21cm Krebs-Gerat rocket. This was a rocket with a 2 second fuse which was supposed to be fired rearwards from the Fw 190 as it passed the bomber formation after a head on attack.

More successful were experiments with the R4M rocket system. The unit also tested the EZ 42 gyro gun sight.

One of the more bizarre weapons tested was an upward firing cannon armament triggered electronically as the fighter passed under a bomber. This was tested over the Baltic using an He 177, from which the pilot had bailed out, as a target. The system failed and the He 177, having made a leisurely turn back towards land, had to be shot down using conventional armament.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Alan 45]

I have watched this come together from the sidelines and I must say it makes a very good looking plane Steve ,

Great build

 

[Centurion3RTR]

Cracking build there Steve mate, alway love your builds because we get some history with it.

Have fun, John

 

[Polux]

As I said, a fantastic build

Can I ask if you has some problems finally with the legs, or just leave as comes from the kit? O_o

I'm glad you like it Steve! Next time will be a 1/32, I promise :P

Cheers

Polux

 

[stona]

As I said, a fantastic build Can I ask if you has some problems finally with the legs, or just leave as comes from the kit? o_O

I'm glad you like it Steve! Next time will be a 1/32, I promise :P

Cheers

Polux

I had a disaster with the kit U/C legs when trying to shorten them. I decided to take a couple of millimetres out of the oleo piston, which was fine, but I messed up the scissor links and they just didn't look okay.

The undercarriage on the kit now is from another kit I had. I'm not sure what make it is. I shortened these legs by taking some length off from the top. The trick then is getting the angles correct.

My rule of thumb for the fore/aft rake is that with the aircraft parallel to the ground the back of the tyre should line up with the leading edge of the wing.

For the other angle (left/right) the inside edge of the tyre lines up roughly with where the actuator arm attaches to the electric motor on the spar.

I've also got a decent drawing which I can refer to and make fine adjustments by eye!

I'm eyeing up that Ju 88 now

Cheers

Steve

 

[john i am]

Baaaaaaah! I don't believe the story about the sheep I reckon you went out especially to get them.(only joking lol) magnificent build though and great backdrop cheers John

 

[phikoleoputra]

Great build mate

 

[Wendall]

Fantastic job Steve

 

[Ian M]

That Steve is a very tidy Fw.

Interesting history as well. I can imagine that the pilot (?) is waving his arms in despair saying something like. "Sheep? they want me to drop sheep?

Great Build Steve.

Ian M

 

[Gern]

Beautiful.

Gern

 

[papa 695]

A cracking build Steve

 

[dubster72]

That's a really good build Steve, you'd hardly know it was 1/72. I hope mine turns out half as good.

 

[monica]

fantastic build, Steve and lov the paint work as well, and the sheep make it

nice dio

 

[Deleted member 3568]

Great build love the sheep they really add to the overall story of the dio great job love it.

 

[steve scan]

Looks great and nice bit of history.

 

[colin m]

They're not sheep, they are Nuns in disguise. Nice job in this little scale Steve. I find 1:72 quite satisfying. It must be the 'quick result' generally possible in 1:72 models.

 

[treyzx10r]

Another great looking build with some intresting history thanks Steve!

 

[flyjoe180]

Awesome work Steve. This is the other version of the kit http://www.airfix.com/focke-wulf-fw190-f-8-a-8-1-72.html which has extra bits and pieces and two options, and A-8 or an F-8. I have this one, so your experiences with the landing gear and canopy have been noted as I suspect they are the exact same mould. Nicely photographed and posed, I like the scene a lot. As for the sheep, surely they are German Paratroopers exercising. The story about the He177 target aircraft could almost be comical.

 

[stona]

Thanks everyone for the positive responses!

It's a very nice little kit and goes together very well. Airfix deserves some credit for successfully raising the bar on these newer kits. Coming from the generation that first slapped together the old kits (remember the bags?) quite happily but then later struggled to do them 'properly' I can tell the difference

Joe, the undercarriage disaster was largely self inflicted! With careful cutting of the oleo and scissor links it would be possible to make the adjustment, I'd be reluctant to take the length out of the top, though this is what I did with my replacement set (which was also too long).

The attachment of undercarriage legs on just about every Fw190 model in every scale is different, error prone and fraught with problems. The system on this kit is actually okay and gives resulting angles close to what they should be, which is more than can be said for some of the others.

The sliding part of the canopy just didn't line up perfectly with the windscreen. The windscreen looks right to me, so I don't think I fitted that wrongly. I started to gently sand the hood to fit, but got nervous about breaking it and also having to move it forward far enough that the fit at the back would become an issue, so I chickened out.

Seeing those options explains why the kit is built with drop in panels the lower wings to model the different armament/ordnance options. Again, well done Airfix.

Here's the full account of the He177 incident, as told by Uffz. Karl Rossmann of 2./JGr.10.

"...a war weary He 177 was used as a target aircraft for the SG-116 system mounted on one of the units two Fw 190 F-8s. A pilot flew the He 177 to a safe distance out over the Baltic sea then parachuted near a waiting pick up boat. Our Staffelkapitan Oblt. Richard Heller would fly this F-8 with the SG-116 cannon system with high hopes that it would be successful. He was escorted by several other pilots flying standard Fw 190 A-8s. After several passes, under the bomber, expecting the electric eye to fire the cannons, nothing happened! This system was a total failure. In the meantime, the bomber gradually, on its own, turned back towards land so the pilots using their standard armament of machine guns and cannons shot down the bomber while it was still over the water. Needless to say, this system was abandoned."



You couldn't make it up.....a 'schwarm' of Fw 190s shooting down an He 177, I'd love to have seen that.

Cheers

Steve

 

[spanner570]

Top drawer build Steve, a nice simple diorama and history too boot.

It looks like Len Goodman has given his score too.......SEVEN!