Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner
 

"Too Little, Too Late" 1/48 & 1/32 Fw 190D-9 Decals are available online from Squadron.com

 

FirstLook

The third part in AeroMaster’s 1/48th scale series on the Fw 190D-9 is sheet number 48-638.
As usual it covers three aircraft on an A4 size instruction sheet.

In 1/32 scale the kit is recommended for Hasegawa. Although recommended for the Tamiya and Dragon kits in 1/48 scale, it is the former that the bands and spiral have been sized for.

The subjects on this release are:

Fw 190D-9 of I/JG301 in the spring of 1945.

Flown by Feldwebel Hagen Forster.

This is a fairly standard machine that is only brightened up by the red and yellow RVD bands. Added interest also revolves around a personal marking of a cat that may or may not have been applied. AeroMaster supply three decals of this cat including one in a reversed attitude.

Upper surface colours are given as RLM 75 Grey-Violet and RLM 83 Dark Green over RLM 76 Light Blue undersurfaces. A white spiral is supplied for the black spinner as well as a fictitious W.Nr. for the tail.

The standard black outline B4 Balkenkreuze is displayed on the fuselage and wing undersurfaces with the white B6 versions appearing on top. The Hakenkreuze on the tail is of the 420mm H3 type.

Fw 190D-9 of II/JG26 in March 1945

A more interesting machine is this example, which had been much photographed after the war.
Apparently W.Nr. 211934 belonged to the Geshwader Technical Officer. A careful study of the photographs shows that it belonged to a previous owner, as there is a painted out area under the chevron.

The machine is given as finished in RLM 75 Grey-Violet and RLM 83 Dark Green over the RLM 76 Light Blue undersurfaces. AeroMaster also suggest the possibility of RLM 82 Light Green appearing on the wing. Mottling of both of the upper surface colours appears on the fuselage sides as well as what appears to be a “touch up” using primer on the port fuselage hatch. Thus part of the lower left arm of the fuselage Balkenkreuze should be painted over. A colour photo on page 20 of the Monogram “Close Up” shows this very well.

National markings consist of the standard B6 white outline Balkenkreuze on the upper wings and the B1b 900mm solid black version underneath. The larger 530mm H3 Hakenkreuze is represented on the tail and a white spiral is evident on the black spinner.

Fw 190D-9 of 6. Staffel, II/JG 6, WNr. 500570

There should be no problems with getting information on this well documented machine. The pilot surrendered his aircraft to the U.S. 10th Reconnaissance Group on May 8th, 1945.

Despite the contrast of the fuselage number to the Balkenkreuze as seen in the Squadron/Signal “Walk Around” photos, the aircraft is in fact “black 12”. This is confirmed by a colour photograph, which appears in the Monogram “Close Up” on the Dora.

AeroMaster give the camouflage colours on the fuselage as RLM 81 (AM accidentally printed RLM 83) Brown-Violet and RLM 82 Light Green. The lower fuselage is painted in the so-called “RLM 84” Green-Blue. The rudder is an exception and carries a finish of RLM 76 Light Blue.

It’s the wings of this aircraft that really make for some fascinating study.

The upper surfaces of the wings are stated as being in RLM 75 Grey-Violet and RLM 77 Light-Grey.
There is growing opinion that the RLM 77 may have been RLM 76.

The underneath of the fuselage is depicted in natural metal. Under the wings we see “RLM 84” with RLM 76 ailerons. Some of the panel joins have evidence of primer and the undercarriage doors are depicted as painted in a “brownish-green” colour.

An alternate take on this area comes from analysis extracted from the Experten Decals book 48-1.
Their view is that the undercarriage doors where tarnished natural metal and that part of the underside of the starboard wing near the tip was RLM 76.

It’s good to see AeroMaster acknowledge this possibility and give another interpretation to the photos as they see it.

The common white B6 Balkenkreuze was applied to the to wing upper surfaces and the fuselage wears the standard B4 black outline type. The lower wings bare the simplified B1b but on the starboard side it appears to have not been finished as one arm is missing. AeroMaster correctly show this on their decal sheet.

As usual, the decals are printed in perfect register with good colour density.

Stencil data is always welcome and here we have enough for two aircraft. The lettering is legible and I especially like the “hand painted” decal that is used to show the primer applied around the lifting holes on the rear fuselage of “Black 12”.

 

Conclusion

Another good effort from AeroMaster and one that will please many Dora fans.

Recommended
 

 

Review Text Copyright © 2002 by Robert Baumgartner
Page Created 05 October, 2003
Last updated 05 October, 2003

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