Hasegawa 1/72 FW-190F-8 'Schlachtgeschwader 4'
| KIT #: | 00678 |
| PRICE: | 1400 yen when new |
| DECALS: | Two options |
| REVIEWER: | Scott Van Aken |
| NOTES: | 2004 Limited Edition |
| HISTORY |
It was realized fairly early in the development of the FW-190 that it would make a very good fighter bomber. The air cooled engine made it a more survivable platform than the Ju-87, once the ordnance was dropped, it was able to operate as a standard fighter, and the aircraft was able to haul a reasonable bomb load.
Two different types were developed. One was the FW-190F which was fairly short ranged, and the FW-190G, which was a much longer range aircraft. All of the ground attack 109s were based on the standard fighter with modifications as required.
The FW-190F-8 was based on the A-8 Fighter, having
a slightly modified injector on the compressor which allowed for increased
performance at lower altitudes for several minutes. Armament of the Fw 190
F-8 was two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wing roots and two 13 mm (0.51 in)
MG 131 machine guns above the engine. It was outfitted with an ETC 501 Bomb
rack as centerline mount and four ETC 50 bomb racks as underwing mounts.
| THE KIT |
Initially
released in 1992, this kit replaced their older tooling from the early 1970s.
That earlier kit had a number of shape issues which were corrected in this newer
tooling. It was reissued quite frequently in a variety of boxings, some
including metal or resin parts.
This kit is for the ground attack version so it provides wing racks and bombs that are not in other releases. Some modifications need to be done by removing the underwing shell ejector pod as the F model did not have outer wing guns. Holes also need to be opened in the lower wing section for the wing and centerline racks.
As with all Hasegawa 1/72 190s, the cockpit uses decals for instruments. Frankly the cockpit is quite small and any additional detailing would probably go unnoticed in the finished kit. What would help would be a set of seat belts as those will be quite noticeable. The kit provides separate prop blades and you have options for different canopies depending on the markings variant you are building.
Two markings
options are provided. One is the box art plane in RLM 74/75/76 with no fuselage
mottling. The yellow rudder, fuselage band, and lower wing tips are provded as
decals though you still have to paint the nose bits. I recommend painting all
that. The other is from SG 2 in Hungary and has the larger canopy. This one has
white squiggles over all of the upper surface. It also has a yellow fuselage
band and the yellow V for under the wing. Decals are nicely printed, but due to
their age, may not be viable so test one you aren't using before committing to
painting the model.
| CONCLUSIONS |
Though it has been surpassed in terms of interior detail by newer kits over the last few years, the Hasegawa 190 is still a viable alternative for many modelers. Though it has been many years since the kit has been reissued, it is still fairly available and at a fair price.
May 2022
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