Eduard 1/48 Fw 190A-8
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Overview
At first when I heard that there was going to be a new kit of the FW
190, I had to ask why! We had some nice kits from the big boys. And now
Eduard was going to have one as well in 1/48 scale. But when I got the
kit and had a good look at it, all that I could say was thanks now we
do have the best 1/48 scale Fw 190 out there.
The Kit
This is what you will get in the box. The kit has 172 parts in light
brown and 8 parts of clear plastic. There is a nice color photo-etch parts,
and a masking sheet for the canopy. The decals provide markings for three
FW 190s, and all of this is available for under $40.
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So, just what do you get for that $40? You will have everything that
you would need to build a FW 190 with the gun bays open, and detailed
engine and some of the best overall detail that I have seen in 1/48 scale
kit. There are a number of things that jump out about this kit. I will
start with the fuselage. Eduard said that they plan not to make any plugs
that you would use for the different models of 190s. You will get a new
fuselage when the let say a 190A-3-or a A-4. That will be nice, and it's
the same with the wing. There will be a new wing and not just a part for
the different guns like some of the other kits.
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The instructions are in a book form and it is nice with 19 pages on
slick paper. On the back of the instructions are three pages for the markings
for the kit. The cockpit is made up of a combination of plastic and photoetch
and there is a lot of very small parts that will take some time to put
on. The instructions are very good in showing just where all the stuff
will go.
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Next up is the engine. This is a work of art, with no less than 19
parts. You do not have to go and get an aftermarket one as the kit has
all that you would need. They have a jig for the correct alignment of
the exhaust pipes; this is nice touch.
 On
to the wing. This could be the tricky part of the kit. The way that they
have the landing gear attach to the wing might be a little flimsy. I will
know more when I start the kit. But how they have the strut attach to
the wing is not like the other kits of the 190. I think Hasegawa has the
best one, with its very positive attachment point. Once you put the strut
you will have the right angle to the wing. I hope that I will not have
any trouble with it.
You get the rudder and the ailerons as separate parts, but the elevators
are fixed in the neutral position. And the same with the flaps they in
the up position but could be cut if you wanted them down. The wing gun
bay can be closed or open. It is very nicely done, and would look nice
open. The same with the fuselage guns. You get some W.Gr 21 rockets for
the wing and either bomb or a drop tank for the fuslage.
 Now
to the canopy. You will get two types of canopies: one is a straight and
one is a blown verson for the late FWs. Here is where Eduard has it over
all the rest of the kits out there on the FW 190s. They give you two canons
one is for the open posing and one close. In all other kit when you would
have the canopy open you would have it hanging over the fuselage. Apparently
when the canopy will flex as it is opening witch would make it narrows
as it was sliding back So they have one that will fit the fuselage when
open and one closed this is nice. Now ever time that you build a 190 you
will try to get it fit the canopy rails.
 They
have two decal sheets in the kit: one is for the markings and one is just
stenciling. You get decals to do four JG units. One is Walther Dahl of
JG 300 in Dec. 1944, and another is Hans Dortenmann of 2/JG 54 June 1944.
The other two are from 12/JG 5 in 1945 and JG 301, also in 1945.
Conclusion
YES it is worth it, and yes we did need a top of line FW 190 in 1/48
scale, and Eduard has done that. Out of the box it will be a kit that
you will not need anything more to make it look good. It is nice to see
kits like this where you do not have to put more money in the kit to have
a good-looking model. The only thing that I can see with the kit is the
landing gear and keeps the right angle to the wing. But if you take you
time and dry fit it to the wing you should not have any trouble. They
have come a long way form the Aurora's all black plastic kit of the FW
190 to this one.
Thanks to Eduard for the review sample. |
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