The Fw190, a popular kit by Eduard
There is no need to present the Fw190 or the Eduard kit any more. If you want to learn more about the various releases made by Eduard of this German WWII fighter (one, if not the most popular kit designed by the Czech manufacturer), please refer to the numerous reviews already published on the subject here on Aeroscale:
Fw 190 A-5
Fw 190 A-6
Fw 190 A-8
Fw 190 A-8 (revised edition)
Fw 190 A-8/R-2
Fw 190 F-8
Fw 190 Nightfighter
Fw 190 Grünherz Dual Combo
Fw 190A-7 Profipack
This Fw190A-7 Profipack kit is the 13th release? in the Fw190A family of kits (including 6 Profipacks, 2 Dual Combos, 4 Week-End Editions and a Royal Class boxing) and covers a missing link in the Eduard Fw 190A family.
Upon opening Eduard’s standard sturdy top opening box you are greeted by the following:
- 6 sprues of olive green coloured injected plastic.
- 1 sprue of transparent plastic.
- 2 photo etched frets of which one is pre-painted.
- 1 sheet of pre-cut masks.
- 1 instruction booklet.
- 2 decal sheets.
As usual there is a huge amount of parts in the kit. This is because Eduard's Fw190A kits features full engine, armament bays and landing gear details, and a lot of parts provided for other variants that won't be used. The only main differences between kit and the other kits is the main fuselage and top wings share the same sprues as the A-5 kit and the bottom wings are from the A-8 kit. A couple of the sprues and parts are starting to show their age and signs of flash.
The kit comprises two photo etched frets for additional details. Some of the metal parts are pre-painted (seat belts, instrument panels and side consoles, etc...). whereas the majority of the plain etch provides the additional armour plating for the side of the cockpit.
Instructions and decals
The instructions are an A4 sized 16 page booklet printed in colour. It comprises a brief history of the aircraft in both English and Czech language, a parts layout diagram, a paint colour table (with Gunze reference numbers), 9 pages of construction guide, 4 pages of full colour and decal guides (all with 4 view drawings) and one page with a stencil marking placement guide.
The four marking options are as follows:
A - W.Nr. 430352 2./JG 1, Dortmund Airfield Germany January 1944
B - W.Nr. 340001, Oblt. Waldemar Radener CO of 7./JG 26, Cambrai-Süd Air Base, May, 1944
C - W.Nr. 431007, Heinz Bär CO of II./JG 1 Störmede Air Base, Germany, April, 1944
D - W.Nr. 642962, Maj. Hans-Günther Von Kornatzki CO of Sturmstaffel 1, Salzwedel Air Base Germany, February, 1944
Of the two decal sheets all the markings for the four options are on one sheet and the stencil data is on the other. The two decal sheets have been printed by Eduard and are in perfect registration in my sample.
Conclusion
Many would say not another Eduard Fw 190 but this release finally allows you to build the A-7 variant without the need to kit bash other kits together. I can only recommend it to experienced modellers though as the Eduard kit doesn't build itself and requires great care and precision during the assembly.
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AeroScale.
