Eduard 1/48 Fw-190A-8 Weekend Edition By Mike Whye

Introduction

When I saw Eduard’s new Weekend Edition of the 1/48 Fw-190A-8 (Eduard #8429), which came out this January, I wondered what’s the difference between it and the other Eduard 1/48 Fw-190A-8 (Eduard #8173) that I acquired last September. That’s because I hadn’t heard of Eduard’s Weekend Editions--kits that are like many other kits we’ve been buying for many years--just the plastic, the instructions and a decal sheet. When compared to the #8173 kit, the new one doesn’t have photo-etch nor masks nor 4-color instructions. Those are the prime differences….well, not to mention that the Weekend Edition is $17 cheaper, too, at Eduard‘s suggested retail prices.

Otherwise, they’re basically the same kit although the Weekend Edition has its own specific decal sheet so the model will represent Yellow 11 Fw-190 flown by Feldwebel Alfred Bindseil, an NCO pilot of the 6./JG Stormede in Germany during the summer of 1944. The decal sheet in the Weekend Edition has no variants so if you want to do something else, you’ll need to shop for some aftermarket decals.

The Kit

All right, so what does having the weekend kit mean compared to the earlier issue? Well, for one, you save some bucks as I wrote a moment ago. Two, you’re still getting a fine fine kit. As modelers learned last year with Eduard’s earlier Fw-190’s, the molding is fine. Nowhere on the six sprues of medium olive drab styrene did I see any sink marks or ejection marks that will matter once the model is assembled. About the worst I saw were some faint flow marks on the lower wings but, hey, one coat of paint will eliminate those from sight.

The seventh sprue in the kit is made of clear styrene and you get far more on this sprue than what you will need. Actually, you get double what you need and then some. From the way things look, this sprue is destined for one of Eduard’s two-for-one kits with a couple of Fw-190s, like Eduard’s other Dual Combo kits. What I don’t understand, and may not until I assemble this kit, is why it has two canopies; according to the instructions, #N1 is an open canopy and #N7 is for showing it closed but I can‘t see any differences so far with them on the sprue. The clear sprue also has a couple trapezoidal pieces; I suppose these represent armored glass for some other Fw-190 variants. Also, there’s a clear upper cowling with gun troughs in it. The instructions don’t call for its use but, still, I wonder how it’s to be used in another of the Eduard Fw-190 kits. Oh well, wait and see, I guess.

Okay, let’s get on with things at hand. First, I’m not happy with the instructions because they’re way too small. Whereas the instructions in Kit #8173 have pages that are each about the size of a sheet of typewriter paper (and use full color on the painting instructions), the Weekend Edition instructions are half that size and only in black and white. Got magnifying glasses? You might need them.

Aside from that disappointment, everything else in the kit looks absolutely fine. Like engines? You’ll like this one--ten pieces form the 14-cylinder BMW801D-2 and that’s not including the exhaust pipes. And the frame for holding the engine in place in the fuselage is another four pieces. Yup, you’re going to get detail in this kit. As for the gun compartment just behind and above the engine, seven more pieces make up this area and another 15 pieces are used in the cockpit. If you include the main wing spar, ten pieces make up the main wheel wells. So, in short, this kit is rich in detail without having to resort to photo-etch materials.

As for other details….you can open the gun bays on the wings if you wish and the ailerons and rudder are molded separately, the only separate control surfaces. The engine cowling is five pieces that, when glued together, are designed to simply slip over the engine assembly. I guess I’ll have to figure out how to assemble this pieces in such a way I can show off the fabulous engine when I build this model rather than hide all that wonderful detail. You’re supplied with a bomb, centerline drop tank and two W.Gr. 1 rockets mounted under the outer wings.

(Not sure what Alfred Bindseil was packing when he flew his Yellow 11 Fw-190 in the spring and summer of 1944, I researched him and his aircraft on the internet. A profile by artist Simon Schatz shows Bindseil was using the drop tank. Bindseil shot down at least five allied aircraft, including a Spitfire and a Mustang on July 14, 1944 over Normandy, before being killed in a fight with P-47s and Spitfires on July 20, 1944).

If you want to see more details about Yellow 11, the International Museum of Flight at Laatzen-Hannover, Germany. My German is way rusty nowadays so I don’t know if the Fw-190 in the museum is the actual Yellow 11 (perhaps Bindseil was in another Fw-190 when he died?) or another Fw-190A-8 painted to resemble Bindseil’s aircraft. One thing to notice about these photos is the wavy demarcation between the wing’s top and bottom colors at the leading edge. So now you have a small dilemma: paint it like Schatz’s painting with a sharp demarcation between the upper and lower wing colors or use the wavy demarcations as in the museum photos? Either way, you’ll have proof to back up your decision.

Eduard’s painting guide shows Yellow 11 with a white spiral stripe on its dark green spinner. The stripe will need to be painted by hand unless you have a spiral decal hanging out someplace. Other than that, I don’t see any problems with the decal sheet or the painting instructions which is all black and white.

I’ve read some complaints….er, comments….on a forum that the engine cooling doors, called gills by some people, in this kit are molded shut. Well, by gosh, they are! But, after looking in Squadron’s original Fw-190 In Action book, I found a couple photos showing the gills in a closed position, including one photo taken during an engine run-up (page 38). Also, if you look at the photos of Yellow 11 on the International Museum of Flight’s website, it appears, note, appears, the gills are shut. Since this is the specimen used by Eduard as the basis for this kit, well then it should be no surprise that Eduard made this kit with closed gills.

Judging from the preponderance of photos showing the Fw-190A-8 with gills open, having the gills shut was not common but not unheard of either. If you want an Fw-190A-8 with gills open, you can do one of two things, buy another model maker’s kit with the gills open (every Fw-190A-8 kit in my stash by other model manufacturers has the gills open so you won’t have trouble finding one of these) or get out the Dremel and some styrene sheets and prepare to have spend some time doctoring up this kit. As for what I’ll do, hey, I’m happy to leave the gills closed when I build this kit, after all, some photos support this.

Conclusion

Okay, now for a wrap-up. Is this a good kit? You bet! Even without the photo-etched items and the masks of the more expensive Eduard kit, you’re going to end up with a good-looking model. As for its being called a weekend kit, well, if you want to build it over one weekend, have at it. I’m sure it can be done. But I plan on spending a few weekends to put this one together. It’s not that several weekends are needed, I just don’t want to rush a good thing and will allow plenty of time for the various paints to dry.

Eduard’s Fw-190A-8 Weekend Edition (kit #8429) has a suggested retail price of $22.95.U.S. Thanks to Eduard for making this kit available for review.