Focke Wulf Ta152

Back after a long day ‘shopping’ at the Bovington model show, one of my purchases,  this Revell Ta 152, rolled off the bench yesterday. 

It’s a very simple kit, formed using Frog’s 1960s moulding, so detailing is minimal to say the least. Decals were beautiful and plentiful, though a little brittle. The red and gold band, for instance, was left on the backing paper, painting being a far better option to laying a mosaic of decal pieces! 

Built out of the box, sticking to the suggested scheme, I finished the kit in what I find to be a most unusual brown and green camouflage. Not sure I like it as much as the greys I normally associate with the Luftwaffe but I guess fighting over Germany, as this aircraft would have been, the colours fit well.

I find the biggest enjoyment in finishing a kit, after I’ve photographed it and flown it around the room a few times, is opening the stash boxes to work out what to make next!

Fw190A-8

Here’s my other Airfix 1:72 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8. It’s the one that I rescued from the bin … I thought I’d give it another go.

I’ve finished this one as Airfix intended, in the colours of Fw 190A-8 ‘Weisse 3’, flown by Martin Ullmann of the ‘Eismeergeschwader’ (Arctic Sea Fighter Wing) JG5. 

Based on the Norwegian island of Herdla, near Bergen, JG5 was formed to provide air cover over the sea lanes of the Arctic Ocean and German naval bases in Norway, against British Coastal Command Beaufighter and Mosquito aircraft.

I love the detail on this kit but it was a pig to build. Having persevered and seeing it complete, I wonder now what all the angst was about!

Fw190A-4

Probably one most detailed but certainly one of the worst Airfix 1:72 scale kits I’ve ever had to construct is unbelievably complete.

The inspiration for this build came to me when I picked up Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown’s fascinating book “Wings of the Luftwaffe - Flying the captured German aircraft of World War II” in my local second hand bookshop some months ago. I already had an Airfix Fw 190 in my stash and so thought it could be the perfect donor kit for a ‘Winkle Brown’ project. 

From the book, I selected Fw190A-4, serial PE882, which had landed in error at RAF West Malling during the early hours of 17 April 1943 as my target aircraft. Winkle Brown flew this Fw 190 at Farnborough on 4 February 1944 while working as a test pilot for the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE). At this time it had both outside cannon and its external stores carriers removed which at least saved me gluing back on two of the four guns which I found impossible not to break off during the build! 

This aircraft was to fly until 13 October 1944 when after catching fire in the air, it was to crash on the road between Kettering and Stamford, demolishing three walls before coming to rest in the garden of a house. During its build, I had many a thought to use this model in such a diorama! Not my finest, just glad to get it finished; my first attempt ended in the bin!