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 believed to have been used by II/JG2 during “Operation Bodenplatte” 1 Jan. 1945

The photo that this profile was taken from shows the aircraft carrying a 1,102 lb SC500 bomb. The image is not very clear so any interpretation of a camouflage scheme has to be speculative.
 
The instructions suggest a RLM 83 Dark Green fuselage with RLM 83/RLM 75 Grey-Violet wings. Sensibly AeroMaster say that the standard segmented fuselage camouflage (which is more likely) is also a possibility.
A fictitious W.Nr. is provided as there is no way it can be found on the original print.
 
A “Yellow 2” and Gruppe bar, outlined in black, is found on the fuselage sides. This is separated by a B4 style Balkenkreuze.

The standard 420mm H3 type Hakenkreuze is seen on the tail and the upper and lower wings are assumed to wear the 910mm B6 and 800mm B3 type Balkenkreuze respectively.
 
The lower portion of the rear fuselage plug has a “shine” to it that AeroMaster suggest could be bare metal. It could also be a “touched up” area done in a light colour…your choice here. Although not mentioned, there is also the chance that this aircraft had a yellow painted lower engine cowling.

 
Fw 190D-9 of II/JG26 W.Nr.401392

This machine was captured by the British and turned over to the U.S. forces where it received the Foreign Equipment Number FE-121.
 
It wears an upper camouflage scheme of RLM 83 Dark Green and RLM 75 Grey-Violet over RLM 76 Light Blue. The fuselage bore a black 5 and tactical markings as well as the black and white RVD bands.
 
A simplified B4 style Balkenkreuze was painted on the fuselage with a similar type under the wings. The top wings had the usual white outline B6 style.

 
Fw 190D-9 of IV/JG3, Prenzlau, Germany 1945

Judging by the position and shape of some of the fuselage “patches” it appears that “Blue 2” may have had some over painting of previous markings.
 
Upper surfaces are given as RLM 83 Dark Green and RLM 75 Grey-Violet. Lower wings and fuselage are painted in RLM 76 Light Blue. The RVD bands have been painted over and this is represented with RLM 75.
 
The tail wears the standard 420mm H3 style Hakenkreuze and AeroMaster provide a fictitious W.Nr. as the original one is not known.

The Balkenkeuze applied to this aircraft are given as the simplified 910mm B6 type on the top wing with the 900mm B1b type below.

No spiral has been applied to the spinner.
 
As is customary in this series, two full sets of stencil data is provided. These are superbly printed with all characters being easily read. The carrier film is very thin and reacts well with setting solutions.
The all-important registration of the colours was found to be perfect.

 
 

Conclusion

This is the third part in AeroMaster's Dora series in this scale.

As usual, the decals are first class and provide welcome alternatives for the options supplied in any Fw 190D-9 kit.
 
Recommended
 

 

Review Text Copyright © 2002 by Robert Baumgartner
Page Created 01 October, 2003
Last updated 05 October, 2003

Back to HyperScale Main Page