Revell 1/72 Fw-190A-8/R11

REVELL 1:72 Fw-190A-8/R11
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: John Lacey (elric@johnsmail.com)
- A Built up review of this kit exists on this site - see review index at bottom of page

Revell's 1997 Fw-190! In its alternate guises of an A-8/R11 night fighter, F-8(/U3?) torpedojager and Bv-246 Glide bomb carrier, this series has to be one of those kits you know will be purchased in multiples by all and sundry. Having purchased both the Night Fighter and Glide Bomb Carrier in numbers, I am eager to continue on with the Torpedojager.

A vertically folded multi page document is supplied as the instruction sheet, although sheet seems a little insulting here, and comprises of brief history, warnings & recommendations, parts breakdown, construction diagrams and a full page for each aircraft regarding painting & decaling. Alternate parts are provided for the A-8/R11 with its FuG 217 'Neptun' radar, centreline 300l drop tank (also applicable to the alternate version), outboard wing MG-151/20 long barrelled cannons & their associate breech bulges & cartridge ejection slots and exhaust glare shields. Its alternate form is an A-8/R1 bomber destroyer with aforementioned drop tank, no outboard cannon and Waffentrager gondolas with 2 x MG-151/20 cannons. The instruction sheet is careful to note each alternate part, it's location and relevant holes required to be opened.

The moulds are superb with abundant panel detail, both raised and recessed where applicable, an adequately detailed cockpit (lacking however a separate canopy), alternate landing gear configurations and a plethora of antenna fittings (including the Neptun) that put most brass to shame being of scale thickness and of round cross section (unlike the two dimensional brass). This flies in the face of the current trend to insist on brass etchings for kits, those oft-times difficult little frets being considered 'de rigeur' by many in the modelling community. Two versions supplied of differing variants in the same kit for under $AUD 10 makes me wonder why Hasegawa even bothers to continue to pump out it's single engine WW2 fighters in their restricted variants and outrageous prices.

Decal options are for the A-8/R11, complete with 'Wilde Sau' unit badge of 1./NJGr 10, (misidentified as a full Geschwader in the instructions) based in Werneuchen, Germany in 1944 and an A-8 of an unidentified unit at Bad Aibling, Germany, 1945. Naturally, no swastikas are supplied. Curiously, the day fighter isn't identified as an /R1 variant or seen to carry the Waffentrager gondolas, but rather a standard A-8 with outboard cannon as per the A-8/R11. The aircraft in question also sports a confusing code of '10 vs + BX', appearing to be a combination of Jadgdwaffe and Nachtjager codings. Check references here. The decals themselves are a trifle thick and very matt so care should be taken to prevent silvering and ensure adhesion.

A trip to the paint pots will not help as the R11 is given a standard Day fighter scheme of 74/75/76 whilst the A-8 has an overall 76 scheme, this being one of the popular schemes for later war Nachtjagers. Once again, references are critical here.

In conclusion, superb mouldings along with a plethora of variants make this kit and it's kin 'must buys', given the availability of aftermarket sheets and the sheer number of variants available to be kitted from crosskitting the series. The only caution here would be to check references regarding individual aircraft built.

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