Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner
 

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Meteor Productions

 

FirstLook

Hasegawa’s Fw 190A series continues to excite Luftwaffe modellers and the demand for different finishes continues.

Cutting Edge has released another sheet of three schemes to help cater for this craving. A varied selection of subjects is chosen, two being A-7s and the other an A-6.

The printing of the decals are first rate with good colour density and very thin carrier film. Always a welcome inclusion is the stencil data and a range is included here. The instruction sheet gives an indication of where these bits and pieces are located but check your subject carefully to see if all items apply.

Usually there are no registration problems at all from this manufacturer, but strangely my example suffered. The chevron and Gruppe symbols are the culprits in this case with the white outline on one side being twice the width of the other.

Sensibly, some of the other items are printed in two parts to alleviate this potential problem, these being the fuel triangles, swastikas, and victory markings.

The three options represented on this colourful sheet are:

1. Fw 190 A-7, II/JG 1, Störmende, March 1944

This is the aircraft of Major Heinz Bär which proudly displays his decoration acknowledging 200 victories on the white rudder. “Red 13” also carries the Reich Defence band around the fuselage and bears the “winged 1” in the familiar position on the port engine cowl.

Bär went on to survive the war with a total of 221 successful combats. His luck ran out on 28 April 1957 when a crash in a sports aircraft claimed his life.

2. Fw 190 A-6, Stab III/JG 11, Oldenburg, Germany, April 1944

Here we have another colourful machine, this time flown by Major Anton Hackl.

His personal emblem was a rearing dragon and it appears under the cockpit on the port side. The decal sheet also supplies an unhanded one for the equivalent starboard position. Apart from the double chevron, it wears the yellow fuselage band of JG 11, standard III Gruppe bar, and a swastika that was oversprayed in white.

3. Fw 190 A-7, 3./JG 1, 1944/45

Fw. Gerhard Giese piloted this aircraft which ultimately claimed his life while engaging enemy bombers on 8 February 1945. Note that two Geschwader emblems are provided on the sheet even though this marking only appeared on the port side.

There are two trains of thought regarding the placement of the Werknummer. One camp suggests that it was placed just above the tailplane while the other proposes that it was in the usual position atop the swastika.

Thoughtfully Cutting Edge supplies both options.

With the resurgence in modelling in this scale, the demand for alternate markings increases.

Cutting Edge supplies three more examples of the Fw 190A to tempt the modeller and no doubt increase the sales of Hasegawa’s bold large scale venture.

Recommended

Thanks to Meteor Productions for the sample

Review Text Copyright © 2002 by Robert Baumgartner
Page Created 24 October, 2005
Last updated 23 October, 2005

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