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Airfix FW190 A-8 WIP/in thebox review; Holy stammenkruezens Batman!
Topic Started: Jul 27 2013, 11:20 AM (2,512 Views)
Mentalguru
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Owned by Jen
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Ok- bought on the open market for your delight and my delectation, the new release Airfix Fw190 A-8 in 1/72;

Posted Image[/url] IMG_1678

Loads of bits- including decals and clear parts etc etc- now quickly on to the low down.

Airfix have tried really hard with this one- it's obvious as soon as you start to peruse the sprues, and after a brief examination, I'm at this point (remember, at this point we are far more in "in the box" than build review) at this point, I'm giving it one thumbs up, firstly, for the price, secondly, for the clear parts and decals- this sets the tone for later overall critique.

Posted Image[/url] IMG_1658

As you can see, the tub is rather appealing, it's not perfect, but it's a huge step forward, and with some painting trickery (and in my case wheels up with a terrorflieger on board) it's going to look quite ok- but I'm not going to tell you it's perfect, because it isn't. Instruments are taken care of by a decal- quite acceptable at this money.
The pilot's seat itself is really rather good :like:
Posted Image[/url] IMG_1659 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]

The fuselage seems pretty good at first eyeball, personally I will be filling most of the unrequired (and still overly prominent- but less annoying) panel lines.
One very positive critique is that the vertical stabiliser is moulded correctly, in shape- much much better than some of the "barn door" jobs we have seen o nthe 1/24 Airfix, and more rectly the Eduard series of 1/48 FW190s.

Next- Airfixs' very own "Drop your chips" moment;

Posted Image
The prop is very very nice- and looks like it belongs on a lat war Fw190 :like:
(although how it will all fit with the spinner and the fan and the cowling and.....)

Posted Image

the forward cowling/armoured ring (ooh err missus) has hoorenodus attachemnt points- (PB- please find a thumbs down- like the like smiley- and insert) and the waspy cooling fan blades are causes for concern, and possibly alarm, if it all goes tits up on the modelling bench interface.
Posted Image

Here are some parts- as we can see, if we can remove the flash, bobbles, and forgive Airfix they are using twice as much plastic on the sprue runners as they are on the parts themselves- then they are all very usable;
Posted Image[/url] IMG_1672 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]
Posted Image[/url] IMG_1674 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]

Not sure about the tip profiles of the tailplanes, I will have another squint a bit later on-
Posted Image[/url] IMG_1675 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]

I'm not sure, but I reckon these oleos look quite over extended- but they pack reasonable detail;

Posted Image[/url] IMG_1676 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]

Cannon barrels and retraction/etension links- good try on the links- barrels will be going "dans le bin."
Posted Image[/url] IMG_1677 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]


So there you have it.

It's far too early to say if it's gong to be good- but I know it won't be the best 1/72 kit ever- reasons being, a few slips, terrible trailing edges- a scale 5 inches thick I reckon, the obligatory short shot on the wing tips ((a la Spitfire grrrr) and I can't say for sure yet until I have a bit more assembly on it, but I do genuinely feel the inner wing cannon bay bulges are quite wrong- which is a real shame- they seem to be at angles to each other, not parallel, which is a PITA, and an extremely difficult fix.
Posted Image[/url] IMG_1663 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]
Maybe the bulges will look ok under a coat of paint and some general Luftwafferey-
Posted Image[/url] IMG_1667 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]

And then this happened- when I turned my back- I don't know how- but grrrrrr grrrr grrrrr
Posted Image[/url] IMG_1662 by RacerRich500, on Flickr[/IMG]

One little piece of sadness is that the blown canopy, is only blown in side elevation, a real shame as it is a really nice moulding apart from that. I do appreciate the extra costs involved in supplying a fully blown one..

I think with this latest batch of kits, Airfix is becoming "one to watch," and certainly, I am now more than ever convinced that if they are to move forward ,they really need to bring high quality production back to the UK as quickly as possible, as I feel I have just reviewed a kit that could be soooo much better out of the box if the person who pushes the button on the machine actually gave a damn.. (along with choice of machine process, and plastic used.- you get my drift.)

So to recap- PB, get that "Dislike" smiley rocking, and review will be a whole lot easier to get a format across our board :)




Edited by Mentalguru, Jul 27 2013, 04:44 PM.
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peebeep
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Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious
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:td:

That's your lot for this week, your becoming very spoiled. :adolf:

peebeep
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Mentalguru
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Owned by Jen
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Never mind that- did you enjoy the review?
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Mentalguru
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Owned by Jen
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What if I found another really really really really really good smiley?

You know, one with the :thrust: :thrust: :thrust: factor!
Edited by Mentalguru, Jul 27 2013, 12:02 PM.
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Walrus
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A bristle short of a full brush
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peebeep
Jul 27 2013, 11:44 AM
:td:

That's your lot for this week, your becoming very spoiled. :adolf:

peebeep
You need to get a spoiled smiley Paul. :unsure:

Thanks for the in-box review Rich

Now get cracking and build the bugger for a build review :whip: :P
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peebeep
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Mentalguru
Jul 27 2013, 12:01 PM
Never mind that- did you enjoy the review?
Yes, thank you. :like:

I don't like the sprue gates, but I think the engineering (including runner thickness) is mitigated against machine operatives on cheap labour rates who are basically unskilled. Yet we're still buying new kits that suffer with shrinkage and short shots, this ought to be sorted with proper training and QC at the factory.

Nonetheless I will have one or two 190's.

peebeep
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Floyd
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Those wing tips look rather shoddy, great review Mental mate. I have to admit I am a tad disappointed with this one. The QC looks rather bad, and Mental is bang on with those gun bulges, they should be pointed out from the root of the wing tip, easier to just show with a photo..

Posted Image

All in all don't get me wrong, looks like a lovely little kit, but it is better than Revells offering, if memory serves that really had a nice cockpit, restrained recessed panel lines, only thing that let that down was the rather shoddy cockpit canopy, which is easily fixable these days. From first glances and what not, I don't think it is, but I will withhold all judgement until I have one in my hands, then can inspect off each other.
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Walrus
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If you think the canopy is off, it is miles better than the one on my Revell Wild Sau
Really was a pig! :lol:
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Floyd
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Oh god yes, the revell canopy on there 190s and Me-262 were truly horrible. I must admit though that I really do like the airfix markings. Im still going to pick one up, might do some surgery on the wings to fix the gun bulge issues.
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Mentalguru
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Floyd
Jul 27 2013, 05:53 PM
Oh god yes, the revell canopy on there 190s and Me-262 were truly horrible. I must admit though that I really do like the airfix markings. Im still going to pick one up, might do some surgery on the wings to fix the gun bulge issues.
I think it all depends what you want out of this kit- properly prepped, and accurately painted, I think it will be a winner. I don't think the bulges will be that much of an issue.

havign jsut spent an hour- at the very end of a build, counterborign the rear of a 1/48 FW190 spinner so it goes where it should, would anyone have noticed if I hadn't bovvvvvered?
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desmojen
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I think the chosen paint scheme is dull. Otherwise I'd probably get one :shrug:

Jen.
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Mentalguru
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WOT :fp:
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Mentalguru
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Addendum- there is No spinner spiral decal.

Perhaps that's what Jen meant, but she put it in "Lady code"
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desmojen
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No, I just don't like that scheme. I bet there's a hundred more interesting A-8 schemes they could have picked than that.....

Jen.
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Mentalguru
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Really!

Do you mean the 74/75/76? Ie, a late war colours thingummybob would have looked more interesting?
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chrism
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Rich - you are the first person so far, who seems to have got one of these, and have taken the time and trouble to give the rest of us an insight into what is in the box. Thank you. It is nice to see what one gets.. if one parts with the folding paper stuff or quotes the numbers off the flexible bending stuff...

As for me ... having rushed in on a number of other "Airfix new-mould" releases over past 12-15 months ... and been very unhappy and in some cases done the equivalent to chucking £7.50 - or in some cases £10 or nearer.. somesuch in the bin .... I am now taking the view that unless 2 kids press me stupid for something and I then find them wanting to build it there and then, or at the next holidays..... I will use the "watchful-waiting" term (in respect of curbing the problem I currently have in the loft... and will now apply it to my future modelling purchases and therefore, wait until some - like you - who are willing to be brutally honest in what you say ... have said what you have to say... or in case of others who have swiftly built them and from whom we can see at different stages the "issues" they face and fail or f.er.m.uck or bugger-up or fumble at, or otherwise creep around... and then make our own opinions from what we get to see. ...

thanks mate....
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Mentalguru
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chrism
Jul 28 2013, 10:17 PM
Rich - you are the first person so far, who seems to have got one of these, and have taken the time and trouble to give the rest of us an insight into what is in the box. Thank you. It is nice to see what one gets.. if one parts with the folding paper stuff or quotes the numbers off the flexible bending stuff...

As for me ... having rushed in on a number of other "Airfix new-mould" releases over past 12-15 months ... and been very unhappy and in some cases done the equivalent to chucking £7.50 - or in some cases £10 or nearer.. some such in the bin .... I am now taking the view that unless 2 kids press me stupid for something and I then find them wanting to build it there and then, or at the next holidays..... I will use the "watchful-waiting" term (in respect of curbing the problem I currently have in the loft... and will now apply it to my future modelling purchases and therefore, wait until some - like you - who are willing to be brutally honest in what you say ... have said what you have to say... or in case of others who have swiftly built them and from whom we can see at different stages the "issues" they face and fail or f.er.m.uck or bugger-up or fumble at, or otherwise creep around... and then make our own opinions from what we get to see. ...

thanks mate....
Hi Chris- thanks for that :)

One needs to understand that for a somewhat emotive individual like myself, it is actually quite difficult to write this sort of "review," as I need to learn how to accurately report "what is," as opposed to "what I wanted/hoped it would be."

I think there is a bit of process going on here.

Up until fairly recently, if you wanted a really nice model, one tended to go the Japanese route- even if they weren't always dimensionally accurate. It is true that many modellers never stopped holding a torch for our more endearing indigenous brands, but however, that did not make them great purchases.
With Airfixs' determination to at least design, (if not sort out the moulding) of new, wanted, and much better kits, and the current stratospheric pricing of Japanese plastic, it now appears that only, they, and Eduard*, are offering serious plastic for easy money. (Now I do know that people here will say a Hasegawa kit IS value for money, when stacked against, quality of moulding, ease of build, etc, and I can't deny that for them, it works. But when one takes into consideration the fact that a single engine aircraft/smaller jet may be costing 4-6 times as much as a series 1 Airfix, then we have to decide where we draw our own personal line in the sand.

I know it was a fairly brutal review, but I think it is fair, and accurate. It is the main reason I no longer buy review based magazines, and don't bother too much with the glowing fawning on many internet modelling sites.

I struggled with the Spit- but here's the interesting part. I bought the kit in the first place because I really wanted the finished model on the shelf. I persevered, got through the tough outer skin of aggro, and ended up with a model that many would think may be Tamiya or Hasegawa. I achieved this because of my skills, and I would think nearly everyone who contributes to L&C would be able to do a similar (or better) job. This is my main gripe with Airfix- not what you get in the box- or the price, but the small stuff- with Airfix it DOES seem to be the small stuff you sweat over.
I have just started a 1/72 Airfix 109E for the group build over at HS, and I have to say, bearing in mind what I learnt about the format from the Spitfire, the build is going very well, and very quickly. If I get a chance to do any more today I will start a new thread to cover it.
I think the FW190 will go together just as well, and will look just as good when done- but being forwarned, I go forearmed.

Rich

*I have serious problems with the output of Italeri and Revell. The former made lovely helicopters (not my bag) but all their other stuff is just goddam weird, and Revell - I umm, I dunno- just not for me.
Edited by Mentalguru, Jul 29 2013, 07:07 AM.
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Porschemeister
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:thumbsup: Great received my two little kits this morning from Amazon.
Am not sure about the markings they could have provided a few more options as
Desmojen.
But looks nicely moulded,and my only criticism is the way the box opens!
Should not be too hard to find some aftermarket decals for some
other squadrons.
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Jonathan Mock
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Porschemeister
Aug 3 2013, 12:28 PM
:thumbsup:Am not sure about the markings they could have provided a few more options as
Desmojen.
I think its an established pattern than Series 1 kits have one option, Series 2 get two. As for the snake scheme - its one that will draw in the casual punter because its unusual.
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