In Box Review of Monogram 1/48th Scale
German Focke-Wulf Fw-190 Fighter
Kit no. 6804
By Ray Mehlberger
My kit is out of production. It was copyrighted in 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1970. It is shown a few places on e-Bay for anywhere from $10.00 up to $24.00.
By Ray Mehlberger
My kit is out of production. It was copyrighted in 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1970. It is shown a few places on e-Bay for anywhere from $10.00 up to $24.00.
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 Focke-Wulf 190 Würger 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, especially 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 specialized ground attack units called Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943 onward. The Fw 190 provided greater firepower than the Bf 109, and at low to medium altitude, superior maneuverability, 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 sub types meant only the D model would see service, entering service 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.
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 Focke-Wulf 190 Würger 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, especially 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 specialized ground attack units called Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943 onward. The Fw 190 provided greater firepower than the Bf 109, and at low to medium altitude, superior maneuverability, 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 sub types meant only the D model would see service, entering service 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.
THE KIT:
Monogram is an old prolific model company based in Morton Grove, IL. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. In recent years they became associated with Revell.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Fw-190 taking off against a orange sky. It has a black-green spinner and mottle pattern on it's side over a light-blue undercarriage. It has a red, white and black spinner, a red "H" outlined in white, the fuselage cross and a black triangle outlined in white and a yellow fuselage band.
One side panel has a small black and white photo of the model made up as a Fw-190A-7/R3 version. It is in a black-green and dark-green splinter pattern above dark green mottling on it's sides over a light-blue undercarriage. It has a red and white spiral on the spinner, an award insignia for 40 kills on the rudder sides, a fuselage code of red horizontal bar + and a red 23 with white outlines.
This is followed by the kit's features: 1/48th scale, kit was designed from photos and measurements of actual Fw-190's and features all the parts necessary for assembling any one of 6 versions, landing gear - tail wheel -flaps can be in up or down position, 2-piece canopy, pilot in authentic flying suit, 3 bladed propeller and cooling fan rotate, armament and decals for 6 different versions.
This is over Monogram's address in Morton Grove, IL and at the time this kit was released were a subsidiary of Mattel.
Monogram is an old prolific model company based in Morton Grove, IL. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. In recent years they became associated with Revell.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Fw-190 taking off against a orange sky. It has a black-green spinner and mottle pattern on it's side over a light-blue undercarriage. It has a red, white and black spinner, a red "H" outlined in white, the fuselage cross and a black triangle outlined in white and a yellow fuselage band.
One side panel has a small black and white photo of the model made up as a Fw-190A-7/R3 version. It is in a black-green and dark-green splinter pattern above dark green mottling on it's sides over a light-blue undercarriage. It has a red and white spiral on the spinner, an award insignia for 40 kills on the rudder sides, a fuselage code of red horizontal bar + and a red 23 with white outlines.
This is followed by the kit's features: 1/48th scale, kit was designed from photos and measurements of actual Fw-190's and features all the parts necessary for assembling any one of 6 versions, landing gear - tail wheel -flaps can be in up or down position, 2-piece canopy, pilot in authentic flying suit, 3 bladed propeller and cooling fan rotate, armament and decals for 6 different versions.
This is over Monogram's address in Morton Grove, IL and at the time this kit was released were a subsidiary of Mattel.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains parts of one olive-drab tree, a lot of loose olive drab parts that have broken off the trees, a clear tree, decal sheet and instructions.
Instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7 1/2" x 8" page format.
Page 1 has 6 black and white photos of the 6 schemes provided in the kit (described later) over the history of the Fw-190, copyright of 1965 and Monogram's address in Morton Grove, IL.
Pages 2 through 4 give a grand total of 9 assembly steps, with a lot of text.
Page 5 & 6 have two 3-views and 6 profiles of Fw-190 schemes:
1. A Fw-190A-7/R3 with fuselage number red 23 (already described above).
2. A Fw-190A-7/R2 with a dark-green spine over light-blue undercarriage,
fuselage code 4 + I in yellow outlined in red, yellow fuselage band and rudder flap, red spinner and panel below the nose, black-red engine exhaust ramps and a black rooster's head logo on the sides of the nose.
3. A Fw-190A-8/R1 with a black-green spine over light-blue undercarriage, red spinner and panel below the nose, black-red engine exhaust ramps, yellow 4 + - outlined in black fuselage code. Yellow "Storm worm" logo on sides of the nose, white spinner and black cowling front.
4. A Fw-190A-8/R3 with a black-green spine, dark-green mottle on the sides over a light-blue undercarriage. Fuselage code H + black triangle outlined in white, yellow fuselage band.
5. A Fw-190A-5/U8 scheme is the same as the 4th scheme, red, white and black spinner, same fuselage code as the 4th scheme, with a black "Mickey Mouse" logo on a red circle on sides of the nose.
6. A Fw-190A-5/U3 in a base of sand with dark-green mottling above a light-blue undercarriage. White panel under the nose, white and green spinner, white fuselage band, fuselage code in white of chevron I + - outlined in red.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do have number tabs next to the parts that have not broken off the trees.
The jet black tree holds: a bomb half, propeller, gun barrels, landing gear legs, pilot figure etc. (27 parts) rest of parts have broken off the tree.
This kit contains parts of one olive-drab tree, a lot of loose olive drab parts that have broken off the trees, a clear tree, decal sheet and instructions.
Instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7 1/2" x 8" page format.
Page 1 has 6 black and white photos of the 6 schemes provided in the kit (described later) over the history of the Fw-190, copyright of 1965 and Monogram's address in Morton Grove, IL.
Pages 2 through 4 give a grand total of 9 assembly steps, with a lot of text.
Page 5 & 6 have two 3-views and 6 profiles of Fw-190 schemes:
1. A Fw-190A-7/R3 with fuselage number red 23 (already described above).
2. A Fw-190A-7/R2 with a dark-green spine over light-blue undercarriage,
fuselage code 4 + I in yellow outlined in red, yellow fuselage band and rudder flap, red spinner and panel below the nose, black-red engine exhaust ramps and a black rooster's head logo on the sides of the nose.
3. A Fw-190A-8/R1 with a black-green spine over light-blue undercarriage, red spinner and panel below the nose, black-red engine exhaust ramps, yellow 4 + - outlined in black fuselage code. Yellow "Storm worm" logo on sides of the nose, white spinner and black cowling front.
4. A Fw-190A-8/R3 with a black-green spine, dark-green mottle on the sides over a light-blue undercarriage. Fuselage code H + black triangle outlined in white, yellow fuselage band.
5. A Fw-190A-5/U8 scheme is the same as the 4th scheme, red, white and black spinner, same fuselage code as the 4th scheme, with a black "Mickey Mouse" logo on a red circle on sides of the nose.
6. A Fw-190A-5/U3 in a base of sand with dark-green mottling above a light-blue undercarriage. White panel under the nose, white and green spinner, white fuselage band, fuselage code in white of chevron I + - outlined in red.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do have number tabs next to the parts that have not broken off the trees.
The jet black tree holds: a bomb half, propeller, gun barrels, landing gear legs, pilot figure etc. (27 parts) rest of parts have broken off the tree.
Dark-green tree holds: landing gear cover, air scoops etc. (7 parts) rest of parts have broken off the tree.
The loose parts in the kit are: the elevators, wheels, bomb rack, engine, etc. (24 parts).
The fuselage halves.
The wings consist of 3 pieces. the one lower wing and two upper halves.
Clear tree holds 2 canopy parts.
The decal sheet completes the kit.
I rubber-molded and resin cast the well well interior walls from another brand Fw-190 kit and will add these to this kit once built.
Nicely raised panel lines.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
I bought my kit at a local hobby shop 40 years ago that went out of business.