Hasegawa 1/72 FW-190A-8 "Bär", previewed by Scott Van Aken

KIT #:	51375 (AP115)
PRICE:	1300 yen when new
DECALS:	Two Options
REVIEWER:	Scott Van Aken
NOTES:	1995 limited edition

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 30 year old kits to still be among the best in the market. They have been good builds with almost no hassle.

This issue is in the AP line, which years later morphed into the Limited Edition series. 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. There is a small addendum sheet to deal with the new markings options and the change in common marking numbers. The markings are for two planes. The box art plane is the lead aircraft from JG1 in 1944. The other is in late war markings with a yellow rudder, yellow stripe around the cowling and, like the box art plane, standard RLM 74/75/76 camo with fairly heavy mottling. Decals are nicely printed but are the 'old school' with off white whites, though I'm not sure how big a negative that would be. Despite their age, they may well work just fine. Test one you won't be using to see if they break up. Fortunately, aftermarket decals have been done so you can do different markings if you so wish.

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