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First Look Review
148
Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8/R2
  • Ed_Fw190A8-R2_Boxtop

by: Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]

Almost exactly one year after its first release, Eduard return to their original Fw 190 version, the A-8, but in a new guise - the A-8/R2 Sturmböck, a heavily armed dedicated bomber destroyer fitted with extra armour to withstand the massed defensive firepower of USAAF bomber formations.

As we've come to expect with Eduard's recent kits, the presentation is impeccable; the sturdy orange-label box is packed with sprues bagged in resealable bags and includes:

136 x pale olive styrene parts on 7 sprues
7 x clear parts
A pre-painted fret of etched details
Kabuki tape painting masks
Decals for 7 x colour schemes
An historical booklet

Eduard's earlier Fw 190 releases have been the subject of a number of Aeroscale reviews and, as the bulk of the parts here are unchanged, I'll concentrate on what's new. Not surprisingly, this boils down to the cockpit armour and here Eduard have taken a very different approach to Tamiya in how they've produced their Sturmböck. Where Tamiya included adhesive vinyl shapes to apply to the standard kit, Eduard have gone the whole hog and provided an entire new fuselage with the armour moulded on. This obviously makes this aspect of the build more straightforward (although, overall, Tamiya's kit is simpler, offering far less interior detail) and it overcomes the one worry I had with Tamiya's solution; namely, how permanent the stick-on panels would prove to be in the long-term.

Strictly speaking, the new fuselage parts have appeared before - in Eduard's limited edition Royal Class Fw 190A-8, but this is the first time the new version has been available in a standard release. The appliqué armour looks very good, slightly raised and with neat screw-holes contrasting with the delicate embossed riveting on the fuselage.

The armour for the canopy has been included in every version of the '190 that Eduard have released, so it was obvious from the word go that a Sturmböck was coming sooner or later. The side panels are very clear and, of course, painting masks are provide for them. Fitting them will be best achieved with PVA adhesive or thin strips of double-sided tape - to use standard styrene cement almost certainly risks clouding the clear parts.

Instructions and Decals
Eduard's assembly instructions are beautifully produced in the form of a 20-page A-4 booklet printed on high quality paper. The diagrams are very clearly drawn - and they need to be, because it's worth repeating what's been written elsewhere - Eduard's Fw 190s are quite complex kits, including a level of interior detail that surpasses all other '190s in this scale. Gunze Sangyo paint matches are keyed to most parts throughout the construction.

The kit contains two sheets of decals, thin and glossy and printed in excellent register. The first sheet contains a very comprehensive set of maintenance stencils and a 4-view placement guide is included for them. The second sheet contains markings for the following colour schemes:

A. "Green 3", W.Nr 681424, flown by Hans-Günther von Kornatski, Stab/II.(Sturm)/JG 4, September 11, 1944.
B. "Black 13", flown by Werner Gerth, II.(Sturm)/JG 3 "Udet", July 1944.
C. "Black 10", flown by Karl Spenst, 8./JG 300, December 1944.
D. "Yellow 1", W.Nr 682641, flown by Ewald Preiss, 6./JG 300, October 1944.
E. "White 11", W.Nr 681497, flown by Walter Wagner, 5./JG 4, January 1, 1945.
F. The same aircraft as "E", captured and repainted all-red as OO-L, 1-1-45.

That's six schemes - and a seventh, unlisted, scheme features on the front of the instructions: "Black 10" - from Scheme "C" again, but with JG 300's earlier red fuselage band.

Accompanying the kit is a full-colour 8-page booklet recounting the events of Sept 11, 1944, when JG 4 clashed with B-17s of the 100th BG and escorting Mustangs over the mountains of Czechoslovakia. The resulting bloodbath is covered with well chosen photos and diagrams, illustrating events as they unfolded and the tactics employed. The booklet is produced in conjunction with the Museum dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices made by the young airmen of both nations that day.

Conclusion
Eduard's Fw 190A-8/R2 is another beautifully produced and presented kit. It's not a beginner's model - the sheer level of detail included makes it best suited for modellers with a bit of experience under their belts. But, like the rest of the '190 series, in the right hands it should be a stunner - with a detailed cockpit and engine-bay, wing-root cannon-bays and wheel-well. Recommended.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.
SUMMARY
Highs: Beautifully produced and packaged. Great detail and comprehensive decal options.
Lows: The level of detail makes it a tricky build, probably beyond beginners.
Verdict: A superb kit for modellers with a bit of experience.
Percentage Rating
95%
  Scale: 1:48
  Mfg. ID: 8175
  Suggested Retail: $39.95
  PUBLISHED: Oct 13, 2007
  NATIONALITY: Germany
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.37%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 88.59%

Our Thanks to Eduard!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Rowan Baylis (Merlin)
FROM: NO REGIONAL SELECTED, UNITED KINGDOM

I've been modelling for about 40 years, on and off. While I'm happy to build anything, my interests lie primarily in 1/48 scale aircraft. I mostly concentrate on WW2 subjects, although I'm also interested in WW1, Golden Age aviation and the early Jet Age - and have even been known to build the occas...

Copyright ©2021 text by Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

where can I find one of these? or is it out. thanks, Kelly
OCT 13, 2007 - 10:46 AM
Hi Kelly It should be becoming generally available right now. Your LHS should be able to get it if they stock Eduard kits - if not, all the main on-line stores will have it. All the best Rowan
OCT 13, 2007 - 08:05 PM
I was just curious as to which one of the online stores you prefer to use if any one. as I kinda prefer to do things that way because of my work and hours. Thanks Kelly
OCT 14, 2007 - 06:24 AM
Hi again Kelly I'm sure everyone has their favourite online store and the list is huge. For me, it really depends what I'm buying. I'll start by saying that I've never had a bad experience with any of the online stores that I've used - so, depending on where works out best for you in terms of keeping postage rates down - Squadron, Great Models, Hannants, Roll Models etc. have all been excellent and it's worth shopping around to see who's got what at a good price. Where I am more specific is in buying kits originating in the Far East from HLJ and Eastern European and short-run kits from Modelimex - in both cases, these stores often have the items they specialise in cheaper and earlier than elsewhere. All the best Rowan
OCT 16, 2007 - 01:15 AM
Looks good - just as all the previous Eduard FWs. I will probably have to "invest" in one of these. Thanks for the update.
OCT 16, 2007 - 01:54 AM
Slightly off topic, but I love the box art on these new kits (Me 110 included). Anyone know who does it?? Steve
OCT 16, 2007 - 06:30 PM
You are right about the box art. It is fantastic. As Jesper said, I to will need to invest in one of these. I might even build one, some day, soon...
OCT 19, 2007 - 05:53 AM
I agree with this. In fact i've always thought what a good idea it would be for the intial production runs to be sold with a print of the box art as a bonus. Roden are another company whose box art is great. Andrew
OCT 19, 2007 - 02:15 PM
That is a really good idea. Their box art is good and I wouldn't mind having an 8x10 of it. Most of it anyway. On one of their D.VII kits, enemy aircraft fill the sky, and the pilot looks like he is about to fall asleep. It is still good art though.
OCT 22, 2007 - 08:08 AM
   
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Photos
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