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!