Hasegawa 1/72 FW-190A-8 'D-Day', previewed by Scott Van Aken

KIT #:	51629 (SP129)
PRICE:	1200 yen when new
DECALS:	Two Options
REVIEWER:	Scott Van Aken
NOTES:	1994 release

The FW-190A-8 was pretty much the culmination of the radial engine 190A series. Though the A-9 did enter production, few were completed before the end of the war as engine production was severely hampered by Allied bombing. The A-8 version differed from the earlier variant by replacing the 7.7mm cowling machine guns with 13 mm versions for more punch. It retained the wing mounted cannon. Most pilots preferred the 190 over the older 109 because it was easier to fly, had better ground handling and landing characteristics and carried greater armament without the plane feeling too loaded down and sluggish. In the field, some pilots had the outer wing guns removed to lessen wing loading and improve performance and maneuverability.

In 1992, Hasegawa released a series of FW-190 kits in 1/72. Those were the FW-190A-8, FW-190F-8 and the FW-190D-9. These three kits shared some common sprues, with basically the fuselage sprue being the main difference between them. From there, Hasegawa branched out to other variants and to a considerable number of Limited Edition kits, which were basically just decal changes, though some of them included additional resin or cast metal parts. It is to their credit that many modelers still consider these now nearly 25 year old kits to still be the best in the market. They have been good builds with almost no hassle.

This issue is your basic A-8 boxing. The molding on this initial issue is excellent with no sign of flash or sink areas. it does have ejector pin marks on the one side of the wheels, but those are easily handled and of no real consequence. I should also mention that this kit only has the upper cowling for the upgunned A-8 variant and only comes with the older canopy and not the 'bulged' version put on production aircraft starting in January 1945. This is standard Hasegawa as they rarely provide bits to do other variants, sometimes even cutting the additional pieces from the sprues before boxing. As you can see from looking at the parts diagram, the only part not used is the later head rest for the blown canopy version.

You'd expect this one to have a decal for the instruments and you'd be right. Though the clear, two piece windscreen/canopy can be posed open, the cockpit of the 190 is so tiny that little will be seen. However, there are a number of nice aftermarket cockpits if you are so inclined to spruce things up. Your things under the fuselage is limited to a drop tank. You also need to open up some holes for the tank mount and for the upper wing cannon bulges.

The well done instruction sheet offers 6 nicely illustrated construction steps and I can tell you that the parts fit well and the kit will build quickly. The markings are for two planes. Since you get the standard boxing kit and instructions, there is an addendum sheet for the two markings that are provided with this issue. One is Pips Priller's plane, which actually took part in D-Day from JG.26. The other is an armored JG 4 plane as shown by the photo on the box art. This plane has the additional armor around the cockpit and you are provided a template to use to cut 3mm plastic card for this feature. As the decals are from 1994, they are 'old school' decals so you might wish to seek aftermarket.

If you have been looking for a 1/72 FW-190A-8, then this would be an excellent kit to have. It makes into a fine model and will look great on your shelves when done.