In Box Review of DML Dragon 1/48th Scale German Focke-Wulf FW-190D-9 Langnasen ("Long Nose") "Dora" Fighter
Kit no. 5503
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $39.91 at Mega Hobby, $37.55 at Kit Linx and $38.49 at Sprue Bros. Also available from 10 sources overseas.
I paid $19.99 when it was marked down from S27.75 at the Toy Fair store at our mall in the 90's that later went out of business
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $39.91 at Mega Hobby, $37.55 at Kit Linx and $38.49 at Sprue Bros. Also available from 10 sources overseas.
I paid $19.99 when it was marked down from S27.75 at the Toy Fair store at our mall in the 90's that later went out of business
HISTORY:
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger (English: Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II.
Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Luftwaffe's Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force). The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and, to a lesser degree, night fighter.
The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941, and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V, particularly at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk. IX.
In November/December 1942, the Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front, finding much success in fighter wings and specialised ground attack units called Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943 onwards. The Fw 190 provided greater firepower than the Bf 109 and, at low to medium altitude, superior manoeuvrability, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters.
The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above), which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor.
From the Fw 190's inception, there had been ongoing efforts to address this with a turbo supercharged BMW 801 in the B model, the much longer-nosed C model with efforts to also turbocharge its chosen Daimler-Benz DB 603 inverted V12 power plant, and the similarly long-nosed D model with the Junkers Jumo 213.
Problems with the turbocharger installations on the -B and -C subtypes meant only the D model would enter service, doing so in September 1944. While these "long nose" versions gave the Germans parity with Allied opponents, they arrived far too late in the war to have any real effect.
The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces claimed a great many of their kills while flying it, including Otto Kittel, Walter Nowotny and Erich Rudorffer.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Primarily Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG, but also AGO, Arado, Fieseler, Mimetall, Norddeutsche, Dornier and others
Designer: Kurt Tank
First flight: 1 June 1939
Introduction to service: August 1941
Retired: 9 May 1945 (Luftwaffe), 1949 (Turkey)
Primary users: Luftwaffe, Hungarian Air Force,Turkish Air Force
Produced : 1941–45; 1996: 16 reproductions
Number built: Over 20,000
Variants: Ta 152
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger (English: Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II.
Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Luftwaffe's Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force). The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and, to a lesser degree, night fighter.
The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941, and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V, particularly at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk. IX.
In November/December 1942, the Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front, finding much success in fighter wings and specialised ground attack units called Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943 onwards. The Fw 190 provided greater firepower than the Bf 109 and, at low to medium altitude, superior manoeuvrability, in the opinion of German pilots who flew both fighters.
The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above), which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor.
From the Fw 190's inception, there had been ongoing efforts to address this with a turbo supercharged BMW 801 in the B model, the much longer-nosed C model with efforts to also turbocharge its chosen Daimler-Benz DB 603 inverted V12 power plant, and the similarly long-nosed D model with the Junkers Jumo 213.
Problems with the turbocharger installations on the -B and -C subtypes meant only the D model would enter service, doing so in September 1944. While these "long nose" versions gave the Germans parity with Allied opponents, they arrived far too late in the war to have any real effect.
The Fw 190 was well-liked by its pilots. Some of the Luftwaffe's most successful fighter aces claimed a great many of their kills while flying it, including Otto Kittel, Walter Nowotny and Erich Rudorffer.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Primarily Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG, but also AGO, Arado, Fieseler, Mimetall, Norddeutsche, Dornier and others
Designer: Kurt Tank
First flight: 1 June 1939
Introduction to service: August 1941
Retired: 9 May 1945 (Luftwaffe), 1949 (Turkey)
Primary users: Luftwaffe, Hungarian Air Force,Turkish Air Force
Produced : 1941–45; 1996: 16 reproductions
Number built: Over 20,000
Variants: Ta 152
THE KIT:
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a blousey shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. The box is 3" too long.
The box art shows a Fw-190D-9 flying above clouds.. It has a splinter of olive-green and dark-green on top of the wings and fuselage spine, over light-blue sides and undercarraige. It has a white "Cristl" under the cockpit. Fuselage code is chevron - + - with a skeletal cross. It has a black, white and black fuselage band, with skeletal crosses on the wing tops and a black spiral on a white spinner.
One corner of the box art says the kit contains 96 parts and is for modelers 10 and over. Box contains model of 1 aircraft.
One side panel has the history of the aircraft in 6 languages, including English. Each is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language. Followed by CAUTIONS to not use glue or paint near an open flame and to be in a well ventilated room when you do use them. Kit is not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts, in the multiple languages. Italeri's street address in Italy as being the importer for Europe of DML's kits is provided.
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a blousey shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. The box is 3" too long.
The box art shows a Fw-190D-9 flying above clouds.. It has a splinter of olive-green and dark-green on top of the wings and fuselage spine, over light-blue sides and undercarraige. It has a white "Cristl" under the cockpit. Fuselage code is chevron - + - with a skeletal cross. It has a black, white and black fuselage band, with skeletal crosses on the wing tops and a black spiral on a white spinner.
One corner of the box art says the kit contains 96 parts and is for modelers 10 and over. Box contains model of 1 aircraft.
One side panel has the history of the aircraft in 6 languages, including English. Each is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language. Followed by CAUTIONS to not use glue or paint near an open flame and to be in a well ventilated room when you do use them. Kit is not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts, in the multiple languages. Italeri's street address in Italy as being the importer for Europe of DML's kits is provided.
The other side panel has 3 color photos of the model made up in the cover art scheme, followed by a white sticker with Marco Polo Import Inc. street address in City of Industry, CA. They were the U.S. importer and distributor of DML kits in the 90's.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 5 medium-grey trees, a clear tree, and decal sheet in 3 sealed clear cello bags and 2 steel PE frets, each in their own stapled cello bags stapled to a cardboard shelf at the end of the box and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art over the acraft's history in 6 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested listing of paint colors by Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands, in the 6 languages.
The bottom of the page has the first assembly step on it.
The steps are oddly not numbered.
Pages 3 through 5 show what I count to be about 11 total assembly steps.
Page 6 & 7 are the painting and marking instructions.
Page 6 has a 4-view of the box art scheme (already described above). It was with JG-6 and flown by German ace Major Gerhard Barkhorn.
Page 7 has another 4-view in the same camouflage as Barkhorn's plane, with black fuselage number 1 before a skeletal cross and a white tip on the spinner. No swastika is shown in the illustrations of either scheme. It is also missing on the box art. This is to keep the kit "politically correct" in countries where it is sold that have outlawed displaying this symbol.
Page 8 is the parts trees illustrations and decal application instructions in multiple languages, including English.
Some parts are shown blued-out in these illustrations. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Medium-grey A tree holds: wing halves, elevators, main wheels, cockpit tub, wheel doors etc. (13 parts)
This kit contains 5 medium-grey trees, a clear tree, and decal sheet in 3 sealed clear cello bags and 2 steel PE frets, each in their own stapled cello bags stapled to a cardboard shelf at the end of the box and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art over the acraft's history in 6 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested listing of paint colors by Gunze Sangyo and Italeri brands, in the 6 languages.
The bottom of the page has the first assembly step on it.
The steps are oddly not numbered.
Pages 3 through 5 show what I count to be about 11 total assembly steps.
Page 6 & 7 are the painting and marking instructions.
Page 6 has a 4-view of the box art scheme (already described above). It was with JG-6 and flown by German ace Major Gerhard Barkhorn.
Page 7 has another 4-view in the same camouflage as Barkhorn's plane, with black fuselage number 1 before a skeletal cross and a white tip on the spinner. No swastika is shown in the illustrations of either scheme. It is also missing on the box art. This is to keep the kit "politically correct" in countries where it is sold that have outlawed displaying this symbol.
Page 8 is the parts trees illustrations and decal application instructions in multiple languages, including English.
Some parts are shown blued-out in these illustrations. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Medium-grey A tree holds: wing halves, elevators, main wheels, cockpit tub, wheel doors etc. (13 parts)
Medium-grey B tree holds: wheel well component, individual propeller blades and its spinner, air intake etc. (17 parts) 1 part is excess.
Medium-grey C tree holds: a fuselage half, bomb, cowl flaps etc. (7 parts)
Medium-grey D tree holds: the other fuselage half, drop tank and its mount, upper nose panel (5 parts)
Clear K tree holds: cockpit canopy parts, wing light lenses, gun sight (5 parts)
Medium-grey M tree holds: exhaust pipes, antenna, tail wheel, main gear legs, cockpit side instrument panels etc. (33 parts) 1 part is excess.
Steel PE fret MA holds: cockpit coaming, air intake screens etc. (10 parts) 1 part is excess.
Steel PE fret MB holds: the dashboard, bulkheads, loop antenna etc. (6 parts)
Steel PE fret MB holds: the dashboard, bulkheads, loop antenna etc. (6 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit.
This kit has nice engraved detail. No pilot figure is included and no swastika on the decal sheet.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.