In Box Review of AMT-Ertl 1/48th Scale
German Focke Wulf FW-190A-8
Kit no. 8887
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1990
I paid a cheap $1.50 for this kit back in the 90's. Quite a bargain !
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1990
I paid a cheap $1.50 for this kit back in the 90's. Quite a bargain !
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:
Aluminum Model Toys, commonly abbreviated as AMT, was a Troy, Michigan-based company that manufactured various pre-assembled plastic promotional models starting in 1948, when attorney West Gallogly, Sr. started it as a side business.
In 1983 AMT was purchased by Ertl from Lesney and renamed AMT-Ertl. AMT-Ertl then had a twenty-four year relationship until AMT was sold in 2007. For a time, AMT kits were reissued by independent companies such as Stevens International and Model King, before AMT came solidly into the stable of Round 2, LLC of South Bend, Indiana. In an ironic turn that parallels other large companies, AMT now co-exists in the same organization alongside a revived MPC and Polar Lights. Ertl is still in the Round 2, LLC stable as Ertl Collectibles.
Ertl Company:
Industry: Die-cast toys and scale models
Founded: 1945; 74 years ago
Location: Was once in Dyersville, Iowa, U.S.
Founder: Fred Ertl, Sr.
The Ertl Company was an American toy company best known for its die-cast metal alloy collectible replicas (or scale models) of farm equipment and vehicles. The company is based in Dyersville, Iowa, home of the National Farm Toy Museum. They later got into plastic model kits.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped blousy tray and lid type box. It is 3" too long and 2" too wide. Leaving a letter L void around the contents.
The box art shows a FW-190A-8 climbing to intercept a flight of 8 U.S. B-17 bombers that are leaving white contrails.
The 109 has an upper surface that is dark green fading to black around the cockpit, dark green fading to light gray on the sides, with medium gray squiggles on the sides. Lower surfaces are light blue. The rudder flap is red. It has a red and yellow spiral on the spinner.
It has a red fuselage code is red 13 outlined in white + a black squiggle. It has a white fuselage band and a black eagle's head outlined in white down the sides of the fuselage.
No swastika is shown on the rudder on the box art, but it is on the decal sheet and the painting instructions.
One side panel begins with features of the kit: positionable landing gear, authentic WWII markings for 3 versions, detailed armament, over 50 parts, paint and cement not included, in English and French.
This is followed by 4 walk-around type photos of the model made up in the box art scheme.
Aluminum Model Toys, commonly abbreviated as AMT, was a Troy, Michigan-based company that manufactured various pre-assembled plastic promotional models starting in 1948, when attorney West Gallogly, Sr. started it as a side business.
In 1983 AMT was purchased by Ertl from Lesney and renamed AMT-Ertl. AMT-Ertl then had a twenty-four year relationship until AMT was sold in 2007. For a time, AMT kits were reissued by independent companies such as Stevens International and Model King, before AMT came solidly into the stable of Round 2, LLC of South Bend, Indiana. In an ironic turn that parallels other large companies, AMT now co-exists in the same organization alongside a revived MPC and Polar Lights. Ertl is still in the Round 2, LLC stable as Ertl Collectibles.
Ertl Company:
Industry: Die-cast toys and scale models
Founded: 1945; 74 years ago
Location: Was once in Dyersville, Iowa, U.S.
Founder: Fred Ertl, Sr.
The Ertl Company was an American toy company best known for its die-cast metal alloy collectible replicas (or scale models) of farm equipment and vehicles. The company is based in Dyersville, Iowa, home of the National Farm Toy Museum. They later got into plastic model kits.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped blousy tray and lid type box. It is 3" too long and 2" too wide. Leaving a letter L void around the contents.
The box art shows a FW-190A-8 climbing to intercept a flight of 8 U.S. B-17 bombers that are leaving white contrails.
The 109 has an upper surface that is dark green fading to black around the cockpit, dark green fading to light gray on the sides, with medium gray squiggles on the sides. Lower surfaces are light blue. The rudder flap is red. It has a red and yellow spiral on the spinner.
It has a red fuselage code is red 13 outlined in white + a black squiggle. It has a white fuselage band and a black eagle's head outlined in white down the sides of the fuselage.
No swastika is shown on the rudder on the box art, but it is on the decal sheet and the painting instructions.
One side panel begins with features of the kit: positionable landing gear, authentic WWII markings for 3 versions, detailed armament, over 50 parts, paint and cement not included, in English and French.
This is followed by 4 walk-around type photos of the model made up in the box art scheme.
The other side panel begins with a overall color photo of the model made up in the box art scheme, followed by the FW-190's history in English and French and the copyright date of the kit as 1990 and Ertl's Dyersville, IA and Ontario, Canada office address Kit made in Japan, printed and packaged in the USA.
Part trees are alphabetized and have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees. However, trees are not illustrated in the instructions.
Part trees are alphabetized and have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees. However, trees are not illustrated in the instructions.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 3 light gray trees in a sealed clear cello bag with the clear tree. The decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet accordion folded into 6 pages in 18" x 7 1/2" page format, folded 3 times along its 18" length to fit the box.
Page 1 begins with a black and white line drawing of a FW-190, over the history of the FW-190 that was supplied by Brigadier General Stanley M. Ulanoff (Retired).
This is above important information about the kit, a list of suggested hobby tools and general construction instructions.
Bottom of page has a 1-800 phone no. you could call back in the 90's for any help with the kit.
Page 2 through 4 gives a grand total of 12 assembly steps.
Page 5 & 6 is the decal and painting instructions.
Page 5 begins with specifications of the FW-190, over 3 side views of the aircraft.
1. A FW-190A that has a medium gray upper surface, fading to light gray on the sides (solid to engine panel on engine cowl), random dark gray splotches on the sides. Lower surfaces are light gray. It has a black and yellow spiral on the spinner, a blue shield with a black knight's head on it on the sides of the nose, white fuse code 11 + -, and black and white fuselage bands
It was with II/JG "Grun Herz".
2. A FW-190A-8 that is the box art scheme (already described above).
It was with IV/JG Udet.
3. A FW-190A that has a dark gray upper surface, fading to medium gray around the cockpit, medium gray on the sides, dark gray random airbrushed blotches on the sides. It has a black and white spiral on the spinner, fuselage code black 4 + -, over a blue and white fuselage band and a red rudder flap.
It was with Stab and Gruppe JG 54.
Page 6 has a top and bottom view to use for the 3 schemes.
Light gray letter A tree holds: the fuselage halves, upper nose panel, elevators, engine cooling fan, oil cooler, propeller retainer (8 parts)
The kit contains 3 light gray trees in a sealed clear cello bag with the clear tree. The decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet accordion folded into 6 pages in 18" x 7 1/2" page format, folded 3 times along its 18" length to fit the box.
Page 1 begins with a black and white line drawing of a FW-190, over the history of the FW-190 that was supplied by Brigadier General Stanley M. Ulanoff (Retired).
This is above important information about the kit, a list of suggested hobby tools and general construction instructions.
Bottom of page has a 1-800 phone no. you could call back in the 90's for any help with the kit.
Page 2 through 4 gives a grand total of 12 assembly steps.
Page 5 & 6 is the decal and painting instructions.
Page 5 begins with specifications of the FW-190, over 3 side views of the aircraft.
1. A FW-190A that has a medium gray upper surface, fading to light gray on the sides (solid to engine panel on engine cowl), random dark gray splotches on the sides. Lower surfaces are light gray. It has a black and yellow spiral on the spinner, a blue shield with a black knight's head on it on the sides of the nose, white fuse code 11 + -, and black and white fuselage bands
It was with II/JG "Grun Herz".
2. A FW-190A-8 that is the box art scheme (already described above).
It was with IV/JG Udet.
3. A FW-190A that has a dark gray upper surface, fading to medium gray around the cockpit, medium gray on the sides, dark gray random airbrushed blotches on the sides. It has a black and white spiral on the spinner, fuselage code black 4 + -, over a blue and white fuselage band and a red rudder flap.
It was with Stab and Gruppe JG 54.
Page 6 has a top and bottom view to use for the 3 schemes.
Light gray letter A tree holds: the fuselage halves, upper nose panel, elevators, engine cooling fan, oil cooler, propeller retainer (8 parts)
Light gray letter B tree holds the wing halves (3 parts)
Light gray letter C tree holds: a standing figure with his hands behind his back, main wheels, landing gear legs and doors, drop tank, lower canopy solid section, cockpit tub, seat, spinner, propeller, under-wing gun gondolas and their gun barrels, tail wheel, dashboard, nose top panel etc. (38 parts)
The clear tree holds the windshield and canopy (2 parts)
I have a set of Robert's Models resin cast engines that i intend to add to the kit.
There is no seated pilot figure. Detail is engraved. Flaps are molded solid.
There is a yellow post card in the kit to use to subscribe to Ertl's Blueprinter newsletter.
There is a yellow post card in the kit to use to subscribe to Ertl's Blueprinter newsletter.
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
Recommended.