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Fw 190D-9 Part 1

HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS "20-20"

Before I actually started work on the kit, I purchased soft cover two reference books: the Squadron/Signal Publication Number 10, the Walk Around for the FW 190 D and the Marian Krzyzan Aircraft Monograph Number 6 on the FW 190 D / Ta 152. IMO, these two references would be invaluable for someone wanting to build a model of the Focke Wulf 190 D. Then I bought the old Hasegawa 1:32nd FW 190 D-9 kit and also the Verlinden detail set for the kit. The Revell Dora kit came with a Jumo 213 engine, as most all of those 1:32nd single engine fighters released by RevellUSA in the 1970s had engines in those kits.

Over the last ten years or so, I have build and painted most all my model kits and figures for IPMS contests around the American Heartland. I don't seem to be interested in building a model straight out of the box (OOB, in future). So for contest models, I usually try to do something that hasn't been seen in a while or is esoteric subject matter. So I usually do a lot of extra work beyond OOB category parameters in an attempt to increase my odds of winning. I will say candidly, that this kind of thinking has been known to backfire on me. And in terms of competing with this model in two of the IPMS National Conventions and in one IPMS Regional event, it did backfire. (More on that in the other parts of this series.) So, it was my idea to cut away the kit nose, side/top engine cowlings, use the kit engine as a place to start and improve on, and use my old Mattel Vacuform toy to mold new thinner engine cowls and show them in the open position. I would scratch-build the additional hoses and coolant/oil tanks to make the Dora engine compartment more eyecatching.

I examined closely both the Revell and the Hasegawa kit parts to see what kit offered the best airframe for what I intended to do. Also, it would have been very difficult to get the Revell kit engine to fit into the front of the Hasegawa fuselage. Although there are raised rivets on the Revell kit and raised panel lines, I decided to use that kit and I did NOT sand off the raised panel lines and rivets. It is a given that "Hindsight is always 20-20". NOW, I wish I would have sanded off all the rivets, raised panel lines and rescribed the panel lines! Hopefully, I will remember that for the next similiar type of aircraft model project I may attempt.