Andrew's 1/72 Airfix FW190 A-8 and F-8 'Double bill'

[adt70hk]

Good afternoon all

So ahead of the official start date on the 1st I thought I'd start my thread, although I obviously won't cut any plastic until then.

As you can see from the title, one will be done as an A-8 fighter version and the other as the F-8 Jabo version.

These are actually the first ever 190s I have ever done.  They will both be done 'wheels up' in flight as their supposed to be for the little battles Junior and I have.

The original release was the A-8 in 2013 (my one is apparently a 2018 rebox for starter kit purposes).  The F-8 was released in the same year, with the added parts for the bombs and racks, albeit the payload is apparently a bit limited.

The A-8 was a £7 Aldi purchase from this time last year, although I see it doesn't have the full decal sheet i.e. no stencils unlike the F-8.  Nevertheless, when you consider the pair cost me only £18, you can't really complain - even allowing for the minor shortcomings noted by most reviewers.

I've also bought an AM set of decals for the Jabo but I'm not sure if I'll use them; we will see.  I have also bought some canopy masks as usual.

Below is the usual set of pre-build taster pics, although as the sprues are identical (save for the bomb sprue) I have only taken shots of the F-8 sprues.  The destruction images of the paint job are for the F-8 version.

ACW as usual.

Andrew



Useful links:
www.scalemates.com/kits/airfix-a02066-focke-wulf-fw190-f-8-a-8--173949
www.modelingmadness.com/scott/axis/previews/airfix/a02066.htm
www.hyperscale.com/2014/reviews/kits/airfixa02066reviewmd_1.htm
reviews.ipmsusa.org/review/focke-wulf-fw-190a-8


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The Airfix A-8 decals are top right; the F-8 are at the bottom.





These are the AM decals for the F-8.

[thechaos]

Great i am o Board. 

[406 Silverado]

I’m all in on this one too!!

[kyledehart5]

Ah yes. This looks like it’s going to be great. I’m here for it.

[adt70hk]

Dec 30, 2023 10:03:20 GMT -5 thechaos said:

Great i am o Board. 

Dec 30, 2023 10:21:38 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

I’m all in on this one too!!

Dec 30, 2023 17:57:56 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

Ah yes. This looks like it’s going to be great. I’m here for it.

Good to have you aboard chaps!  Actually, I might be cutting plastic sooner than I thought.  It's club night on Tuesday so I can start to get the basics done there!

[handiabled]

Bookmarked! Looking forward to this!

[Green KreationZ]

Both of these birds are going to be spectacular if you put a similar amount work into them as the Yak you recently finished. I’ll be following along!

[dupes]

Oooooh, nifty. I'm doing the Eduard 1/72 F-8, so this will be an interesting comparison.

[adt70hk]

dupes, Green KreationZ, handiabled

Welcome aboard!  I'll try to find some space for you in the front row!


Dupes - it will be interesting to see how they compare, although I expect the Eduard kit to have the edge by some way.  I won't be using any fancy PE give what they're going to be used for either.  Out of interest is it a genuine Eduard kit or a rebox?  I bought one of their ProfiPACK 1/72 Hurricanes earlier this year and it turned out to be a reboxing of an Arma Hobby Hurricane, by all accounts the best around at this scale - oh and I won it an eBay auction for only £12 delivered, so I was doubly happy!


TS - I'll try not to let you down! 


Thanks again for joining the party!!

[TJ]

[adt70hk]

Jan 1, 2024 5:45:05 GMT -5 TJ said:

Excellent!  I see you've even bought your own popcorn!! 

[Real G]

Oh man, if you do the wiggly camouflage on the F8, I wish you luck!  At my age, I have found intricate camo schemes really difficult on 1/72 single engine planes.  But it will no doubt look spectacular if you do brave it!

[406 Silverado]

I'll get Brian (chromdome35) to give you a $100 cash if you'll pull that camo scheme on the left off Andrew.

[deafpanzer]

Sweet! I agree that Brian should give you $100 if you go for that wild camo scheme! LOL

[hasenpfeffer]

Hey Andrew, if you're up for the challenge - and want to earn that hundo quid... let me know. I have a book that describes how to do that very scheme... I'll certainly share.

[Joe Rix]

Great choices Andrew. It is going to be very exciting to see you build these kits. Man, with your skills pulling off that squiggly scheme will be easy money. I have complete faith in you.

[406 Silverado]

Jan 4, 2024 20:49:15 GMT -5 hasenpfeffer said:

Hey Andrew, if you're up for the challenge - and want to earn that hundo quid... let me know. I have a book that describes how to do that very scheme... I'll certainly share.

Well, you might as well spill it Dave......cuz I wanna know. 

[hasenpfeffer]

Jan 5, 2024 7:22:59 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Jan 4, 2024 20:49:15 GMT -5 hasenpfeffer said:

Hey Andrew, if you're up for the challenge - and want to earn that hundo quid... let me know. I have a book that describes how to do that very scheme... I'll certainly share.

Well, you might as well spill it Dave......cuz I wanna know. 

Well, if Andrew wants me to post it here, I will. But I will leave it up to him. If not, I'll post it elsewhere for ya... like maybe the GB thread.

[406 Silverado]

Jan 5, 2024 16:21:45 GMT -5 hasenpfeffer said:

Jan 5, 2024 7:22:59 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Well, you might as well spill it Dave......cuz I wanna know. 

Well, if Andrew wants me to post it here, I will. But I will leave it up to him. If not, I'll post it elsewhere for ya... like maybe the GB thread.

No worries. I saw that scheme several years ago in the Aero Detail Fw190 A series book and thought it was the coolest thing ever. My skills weren't (and still aren't) up for that one. Sounds good wherever you post it though. Thanks bud.

[adt70hk]

Jan 2, 2024 14:14:38 GMT -5 Real G said:

Oh man, if you do the wiggly camouflage on the F8, I wish you luck!  At my age, I have found intricate camo schemes really difficult on 1/72 single engine planes.  But it will no doubt look spectacular if you do brave it!

Neal

Thanks very much.  I hear you on that.  I tried doing a not dissimilar pattern on a 109 but grey over blue instead and that was tricky.  But as you'll see below it may not be quite as hard as we all think......

Jan 4, 2024 17:33:02 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

I'll get Brian (chromdome35 ) to give you a $100 cash if you'll pull that camo scheme on the left off Andrew.

Jan 4, 2024 20:37:42 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Sweet! I agree that Brian should give you $100 if you go for that wild camo scheme! LOL

Gentleman.....

I can't help noticing that you're being rather free with someone else's money i.e. Brian's!  Whilst this is a very friendly place....this strikes me as stretching the boundaries somewhat! 

Unless of course that is, he's already given you his approval, in which case I'm open to some negotiation.....for example, it would have to be £100 sterling and not this new fangled USD$ currency you're all so fond of ....otherwise I'd lose out on the exchange rate!

Jan 4, 2024 20:49:15 GMT -5 hasenpfeffer said:

Hey Andrew, if you're up for the challenge - and want to earn that hundo quid... let me know. I have a book that describes how to do that very scheme... I'll certainly share.

Dave - please, please feel free to post away.  Seriously, I'm always willing to learn and it could be a great resource for someone else out there.  Oh and I'm glad to see you think it should be £100 too and not $100!

Jan 5, 2024 1:19:28 GMT -5 Joe Rix said:

Great choices Andrew. It is going to be very exciting to see you build these kits. Man, with your skills pulling off that squiggly scheme will be easy money. I have complete faith in you.

Joe - I am flattered by the confidence you have in me....I just wish I had it in myself!



Ok gents so as usual a great set of comments both funny and serious.....and it's certainly the first time I have ever been offered payment to do a particular camo scheme.  However......

I have been doing some research and have also been having a discussion on the other forum I am on about Red 2.  It has raised some interesting issues about 'Red 2', a summary of which is as follows:

• 'Red 2' does not have a bomb slung beneath but an 'abwurfbehalter' (aka an AB 250).  It was explained that this is basically a cluster munition container that hinged at the tail.  The good news is that the Airfix kit appears to contain one.
• Someone on the Britmodeller site suggests that it is unlikely to have been 'red' 2 at all (here). 
• Someone on the other site I am on, who is a great modeller, very knowledgeable and whose opinions are very well respected, explained that the other person is very well respected in the community and that he may well have a point.  However, he also said that no one can be absolutely certain about the colour e.g. it could be blue or even black - but saying all that, he himself has modelled it as 'Red 2'.
• This same person also provided a picture of the actual plane (below) and as you can see, the actual camo job was much messier than the box art and destructions would have you believe - so for once some overspray might be quite helpful!
• A friend pointed out that Eduard's instructions show it as Blue 2 (here)....but he prefers the red option too.

That said, I might still do it in red and with the winter camo as a learning exercise......even though it will be completely wrong for the little battles Junior and I have.

I also made a very small amount of progress too at model club on Tuesday evening and have the basics of one of the cockpits together.

The good news for Hans and Herman is that, unlike their Airfix 1/72 WWII RAF counterparts, I won't have to chop their feet off to make them fit!  I also think I have worked out a way of making the flight stand work, so it can can be removed for storage.

Thanks as always for stopping by and apologies for the late reply.

Andrew


------------------------------------------

The cluster munition on the sprue:








'Hans' looking nice and comfortable:









The real 'Red 2':
As you can see the camo is a pretty mucky job......

[hasenpfeffer]

LOL. That's the problem we modelers face. It is very - very difficult to paint it realistically messy and have it look "good". I've often thought that about winter white-washes on armor. Everyone seems to chip the paint using hairspray or whatever, but I am pretty certain it doesn't come off that way. It washes off or wears off. I don't think there is much chipping. Anyway, great info you presented. I love the pic of the actual plane. I suppose that is why I have stayed to planes that probably were but a pic doesn't exist - because then there really isn't much to debate. To each his own. Take as much or as little artistic license as you like.

Page 2 is a little blurry. I took pics with my phone as scanning wasn't really an option without destroying the spine. Let me know if you would like any retakes. I apologize that there is some glare on some of the photos too. I tried to avoid this as much as possible. Cover included to give credit where credit is due. (Also note that this does not represent the entire article.

















I also had no idea that Aldi stocks model kits...

[406 Silverado]

hasenpfeffer...................


You'll be getting +3 Karma for that bro.

[adt70hk]

Jan 6, 2024 8:32:42 GMT -5 hasenpfeffer said:

LOL. That's the problem we modelers face. It is very - very difficult to paint it realistically messy and have it look "good". I've often thought that about winter white-washes on armor. Everyone seems to chip the paint using hairspray or whatever, but I am pretty certain it doesn't come off that way. It washes off or wears off. I don't think there is much chipping. Anyway, great info you presented. I love the pic of the actual plane. I suppose that is why I have stayed to planes that probably were but a pic doesn't exist - because then there really isn't much to debate. To each his own. Take as much or as little artistic license as you like.

Page 2 is a little blurry. I took pics with my phone as scanning wasn't really an option without destroying the spine. Let me know if you would like any retakes. I apologize that there is some glare on some of the photos too. I tried to avoid this as much as possible. Cover included to give credit where credit is due. (Also note that this does not represent the entire article.

















I also had no idea that Aldi stocks model kits...

Dave

I have VERY belatedly realised that I did not say thank you for the above that really is very kind of you.....so very sorry but it has been a trying start to the year, plus I wanted to get my Jagdpanthers over the line.

As for Aldi stocking kits, it's only a few times a year and for a short period, so you have to get in quick.

Thanks again.

Andrew

[adt70hk]

Good morning all

So a small update......only three and a half months after the start of this GB.  Over the past few months I have managed to get some building done - albeit VERY slowly and then yesterday managed to get down the internal RLM66 colour.

You'll also note from the below that I'm doing both of these wheels up.  I've also  sprayed the inside of the wings and wheel wells black just to make sure no light seeps through from anywhere.

Oh........and you'll note a fairly large hole in both of the bottom wing/fuselage sections but more about that later! 

ATB

Andrew

[handiabled]

It's great to see you have this on the bench! Sounds like you have the way this is going to be displayed well planned already

[adt70hk]

Apr 13, 2024 3:55:57 GMT -5 handiabled said:

It's great to see you have this on the bench! Sounds like you have the way this is going to be displayed well planned already

Thanks Brent.  It's good to finally have them on the go!

ATB

Andrew

[406 Silverado]

Apr 13, 2024 5:13:55 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

Apr 13, 2024 3:55:57 GMT -5 handiabled said:

It's great to see you have this on the bench! Sounds like you have the way this is going to be displayed well planned already

Thanks Brent.  It's good to finally have them on the go!

ATB

Andrew

 Well alrighty then!!! Good to see you back on these again Andrew and you've got my curiosity up about those holes in the bottom of the wings. Will be watching for more.......

[lyle]

Way to go! What is the old adage? "Slow and steady wins the race."?

[adt70hk]

Apr 13, 2024 7:33:13 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Apr 13, 2024 5:13:55 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

Thanks Brent.  It's good to finally have them on the go!

ATB

Andrew

 Well alrighty then!!! Good to see you back on these again Andrew and you've got my curiosity up about those holes in the bottom of the wings. Will be watching for more.......

Thanks Joe!  I'm glad to have them back on the bench.  A while ago I discovered that those holes should/could ideally have been slightly further back and then sitting looking at the pics yesterday I had another way that I think might have worked.....but all will become in due course! 


Thanks again chaps.

Andrew

Apr 13, 2024 7:46:51 GMT -5 lyle said:

Way to go! What is the old adage? "Slow and steady wins the race."?

Thanks Lyle.....slow and steady...true!  But glacial maybe not!! 

[kyledehart5]

Excellent!! I’m also glad to see you back on these.