Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner
 

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Meteor Productions

 

FirstLook

Hasegawa’s superb 1/32 scale Fw 190D-9 kit was always going to attract the attention of the decal manufacturers.

Cutting Edge has entered the fray with the first of their releases to cover this kit.

“Doras Part 1” covers two aircraft, both of which appeared on CED48221 for the smaller scale builders.

Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9, II/JG6

This aircraft was discovered by the 7th Armoured Division at Halle in 1945.

The instructions state that the original camouflage was the factory scheme of RLM 75/83/76. The RLM 75 was later over sprayed with RLM 82 and the machine also saw a partial application of “RLM 84” (yes, Cutting Edge do realize the fallacy of the RLM number!).

The aircraft previously wore a “7” on the fuselage side and this has been painted out to make way for a “3”. Due to the difficulty in discerning the colour of the fuselage numeral, Cutting Edge are kind enough to supply both a red and black “3” as well as Gruppe bars in both of these colours.

The lower engine cowl wears a coat of RLM 04 and in this case the spinner is merely RLM 70. The aircraft is depicted with the blown canopy and there is no visible Werk number.

The fuselage B4 style Balkenkreuze is filled in with an irregular patch of RLM 83 dark green that modelers will have to do themselves. While the under wing 900mm B1b Balkenkreuze are of the solid black type, those on the upper wing have the usual 910mm B6 style white outline. A large 530mm H3 type solid black Hakenkreuz can be found on the tail.

Photos in the quoted “Broken Eagles 1” book reveal an abandoned aircraft with no canopy so take your pick as to “flat” or “blown” types. Cutting Edge chose the latter.

Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9, III/JG 54, 1944

Due to the lack of photographic coverage of the airframe, Cutting Edge is forced to make an educated guess on the colours of this aircraft.

The scheme chosen is basically the same as that for the aircraft above with RLM 82 and RLM 83 being chosen for the upper surface colours. A black outline B6 type Balkenkreuze graces the side of the fuselage and the smaller size solid black 420mm H3 type Halkenkreuze is found on the tail. There is a black/white spiral on the spinner and personal insignia under the cockpit. This consists of the word “BUMS” over a yellow outlined, green four-leaf clover.

Under the wings we see a black outlined B4 style Balkenkreuze while the upper items are the usual B6 900mm types with white outlines.

This aircraft features the earlier flat canopy.

For an alternative interpretation of this aircraft, I would refer readers to “Green Hearts, first in combat with the Dora 9” by Axel Urbanke.

Their interpretation is that although a III. Gruppe aircraft (11/JG54), it didn’t carry the III. Gruppe bar and suggest a scheme of RLM 83/75/76. The pilot was Gefr. Werner Merz and the photo from which the profile is produced was taken at Oldenburg, Germany in autumn 1944.

Most welcome in this scale is a “full” set of stencil data for one of the aircraft. All lettering is finely printed and where appropriate, the modeler gets a choice of styles and colours.
A separate instruction sheet shows where these details are to be placed.

The decals are printed by MicroScale so the quality is assured. My example was in perfect register with good colour density and the usual thin carrier film.

 

Conclusion

Here we have the first of what will be a succession of sheets for Hasegawa’s latest gem.

Good options, great printing, and the inclusion of stencil data, are the perfect recipe to please any ‘Dora” fan.

Recommended

Thanks to Meteor Productions for the sample

Review Text Copyright © 2002 by Robert Baumgartner
Page Created 30 September, 2003
Last updated 29 September, 2003

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