In Box Review of DML Dragon 1/48th Scale
German Focke-Wulf Fw-190A-5 "Special" Fighter
Kit no. 5506
By Ray Mehlberger
One place on ebay for $59 bucks.
Copyright date 1992. I paid S28.50 for my kit back then.
By Ray Mehlberger
One place on ebay for $59 bucks.
Copyright date 1992. I paid S28.50 for my kit back then.
HISTORY:
Ever since the pre-production model (A-O), there was no change in the basic airframe design up to the A-4. However, due to the move of center of gravity caused by increase in weight through changing and adding equipment, it was necessary to move the engine 15cm forward to adjust its weight balance.
The 15cm gap thus caused between the engine cowl and the fuselage was faired and at the same time the nose gun cover was extended by the same length.
Another visible change was seen with the enlarged access panel on the left side of the fuselage. These two features became standard with all the later versions of the A series.
A lot of sub-variants existed with variety of equipment and external stores, but the standard A-5 had rather few. Among those was a special aircraft modified for high-altitude combat flown by Major Hermann Graf (one of the top aces famous with the red tulip on his aircraft).
This aircraft was unique with it engine cowl having external air intake tubes for improved air-flow to the super charger. A total of 723 A-5's were built until the summer of 1943.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Wingspan: 10.50 m
Length: 9.00 m
Height: 3.95 m
Fully loaded weight: 4,063 kg
Powerplant: BMW 801D-2 air-cooled radial engine of 1,730 hp
Maximum speed: 670 km/h
Service ceiling: 10,600 m
Range: 850 km
Fixed armament: (standard) two MG17 7.92 guns, two MG151 20mm cannon, two MGFF 20MM cannon
THE KIT:
Ever since the pre-production model (A-O), there was no change in the basic airframe design up to the A-4. However, due to the move of center of gravity caused by increase in weight through changing and adding equipment, it was necessary to move the engine 15cm forward to adjust its weight balance.
The 15cm gap thus caused between the engine cowl and the fuselage was faired and at the same time the nose gun cover was extended by the same length.
Another visible change was seen with the enlarged access panel on the left side of the fuselage. These two features became standard with all the later versions of the A series.
A lot of sub-variants existed with variety of equipment and external stores, but the standard A-5 had rather few. Among those was a special aircraft modified for high-altitude combat flown by Major Hermann Graf (one of the top aces famous with the red tulip on his aircraft).
This aircraft was unique with it engine cowl having external air intake tubes for improved air-flow to the super charger. A total of 723 A-5's were built until the summer of 1943.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 1
Wingspan: 10.50 m
Length: 9.00 m
Height: 3.95 m
Fully loaded weight: 4,063 kg
Powerplant: BMW 801D-2 air-cooled radial engine of 1,730 hp
Maximum speed: 670 km/h
Service ceiling: 10,600 m
Range: 850 km
Fixed armament: (standard) two MG17 7.92 guns, two MG151 20mm cannon, two MGFF 20MM cannon
THE KIT:
This comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Fw-190A-5 attacking a group of B-26's. It is in a wave pattern of 2 shades of green above a light blue undercarraige.
It has a yellow cowling with red scallops (TULIP), scallops outlined in white. This pattern is repeated on the rudder flap. A white circle with yellow reef around it and a black 202 on it is on the rudder sides. A red lightning bolt outlined in yellow is under the cockpit. A circle with a image of a blackbird feeding 3 chicks in a nest is behind the fuselage German cross.
One corner of the box art says the kit holds 102 parts and the kit is designed for modelers age 10 and older.
One side panel has 6 one paragraph histories, each labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language, including English.
Marco Polo Import Inc.'s street address in City of Industry, CA and their telephone and FAX numbers are shown. Marco Polo was the U.S. distributor of DML kits in the 90's. The copyright of this kit is 1992 and it was made in Hong Kong, China.
The box art shows a Fw-190A-5 attacking a group of B-26's. It is in a wave pattern of 2 shades of green above a light blue undercarraige.
It has a yellow cowling with red scallops (TULIP), scallops outlined in white. This pattern is repeated on the rudder flap. A white circle with yellow reef around it and a black 202 on it is on the rudder sides. A red lightning bolt outlined in yellow is under the cockpit. A circle with a image of a blackbird feeding 3 chicks in a nest is behind the fuselage German cross.
One corner of the box art says the kit holds 102 parts and the kit is designed for modelers age 10 and older.
One side panel has 6 one paragraph histories, each labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language, including English.
Marco Polo Import Inc.'s street address in City of Industry, CA and their telephone and FAX numbers are shown. Marco Polo was the U.S. distributor of DML kits in the 90's. The copyright of this kit is 1992 and it was made in Hong Kong, China.
The other side panel has 3 color photos of the model made up in the box art scheme, followed by a repeat of Polo's address and numbers and the copyright date.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 5 light grey trees, a clear tree, 2 steel PE frets and the decal sheet in 4 sealed clear cello bags and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7" x 10 1/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the Fw-190A-5 in 6 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints in the 6 languages.
The bottom of the page has paint color instructions for the cockpit instruments.
Page 3 through 5 give a grand total of 13 assembly steps.
Page 6 & 7 is the marking and painting instructions.
Page 6 has a 4-view of the box art scheme (already described above) It further shows the aircraft has a yellow square with a red heart with an arrow through it and the word XANYA on the fuselage side.
This aircraft was with Special Kommando/Jagd-Ergänzungsgruppe-Ost, flown by Major Herman Graf, April 1943, France.
Page 7 has a Fw-190A-5/U-12 Sta. Kap2/JG 11, flown by Leutnant Erich Hondt, late 1943, Germany. It is in a wave pattern of 2 shades of green over a light blue undercarriage, with a black propeller spinner, a long diagonal white fuselage band in front of the cockpit, a white 13 on the fuselage sides and a logo of a white circle with a image of an all black man sitting on a box on the sides of the nose. It has 10 victory markings on the rudder.
Light grey letter A tree holds: the wing halves, elevators, main wheels, landing-gear doors, cockpit tub etc. (13 parts)
This kit contains 5 light grey trees, a clear tree, 2 steel PE frets and the decal sheet in 4 sealed clear cello bags and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7" x 10 1/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the Fw-190A-5 in 6 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS about the kit, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested listing of Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands of hobby paints in the 6 languages.
The bottom of the page has paint color instructions for the cockpit instruments.
Page 3 through 5 give a grand total of 13 assembly steps.
Page 6 & 7 is the marking and painting instructions.
Page 6 has a 4-view of the box art scheme (already described above) It further shows the aircraft has a yellow square with a red heart with an arrow through it and the word XANYA on the fuselage side.
This aircraft was with Special Kommando/Jagd-Ergänzungsgruppe-Ost, flown by Major Herman Graf, April 1943, France.
Page 7 has a Fw-190A-5/U-12 Sta. Kap2/JG 11, flown by Leutnant Erich Hondt, late 1943, Germany. It is in a wave pattern of 2 shades of green over a light blue undercarriage, with a black propeller spinner, a long diagonal white fuselage band in front of the cockpit, a white 13 on the fuselage sides and a logo of a white circle with a image of an all black man sitting on a box on the sides of the nose. It has 10 victory markings on the rudder.
Light grey letter A tree holds: the wing halves, elevators, main wheels, landing-gear doors, cockpit tub etc. (13 parts)
Light grey letter B tree holds: interior parts and individual propeller blades etc. (12 parts) The propeller blades are blued-out in the parts trees illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the model.
Light grey letter C tree holds: the fuselage halves, cowling, more individual propeller blades etc. (25 parts) Four parts are excess.
There is no letter D tree.
There is no letter D tree.
Light grey letter E tree holds: the wing gun pods and gun barrels etc. (15 parts)
Lettering now jumps to the letter M tree. It holds landing gear legs etc. (22 parts) Four parts are excess.
The clear tree holds the canopy and wing light lenses (7 parts)
Letter MA steel PE fret holds: cockpit coaming, seat belts etc. (8 parts)
Letter MB steel PE fret holds: the dashboard, antenna, bulkhead etc. (9 parts) Two parts are excess.
PE fret are each in sealed clear cello bags with stiff cards to prevent them bending and stapled to a cardboard shelf stapled to one end of the tray.
Letter MB steel PE fret holds: the dashboard, antenna, bulkhead etc. (9 parts) Two parts are excess.
PE fret are each in sealed clear cello bags with stiff cards to prevent them bending and stapled to a cardboard shelf stapled to one end of the tray.
The decal sheet completes the kit.
The kit has engraved panel detail. Flaps are all molded solid and there is no pilot figure included.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.