Kit: No. ST21
Scale: 1/32
Manufacturer: Hasegawa, imported by Dragon Models USA, 1315 John Reed Court, City of Industry CA 91745, 866-365-8721,
www.dragonmodelsusa.com
Price: $44.98
Comments: Injection-molded, 126 parts (4 vinyl), decals
Pros: Excellent detail and decals
Cons: Minor fit problems, incorrect cockpit

Hasegawa has replaced its late-1960s-vintage Fw 190A-8 kit with this new offering. Built on the company’s excellent Fw 190D, this A-version kit features a new fuselage and detail parts.

The kit parts are cleanly molded in neutral gray plastic. Building options are limited to a drop tank and a pilot figure.

I started construction with cockpit. The cockpit tub is the same one included in the Fw 190D kit, so it’s not completely accurate for an A model. Despite this, assembly presented no problems.

Following the instructions, I assembled the BMW 801 engine and cowling. The cowling is a multi-piece affair and is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. I left off the cowl ring (Part R1) until final assembly to make painting easier. Checking the fit of the engine fan showed it barely fit within the cowl ring, so I sanded down the fan blades. I may have caused this fit problem by not seating the engine properly in the cowling.

The wing assembly includes the bulk of the kit’s large parts. The wheel well includes an integral wing spar that assures proper dihedral. New drop-in lower wing panels are included with the outer-wing gun-shell ejection ports. A second unused set of panels indicates another A version may be coming. The panels didn’t fit terribly well; a little sanding and filling was necessary.

Make sure you install the smaller tail wheel before you close up the fuselage – it’s the correct one for an A model.

After just a little filing, the fit of the wings to fuselage was perfect, and I added the engine/cowling assembly.

Decals, provided for two aircraft, went on well with a little decal solution. If you use the large fuselage identification panels, cut them in half to help them conform to the fuselage.

I completed my kit in 24 hours. It required a few minor tweaks but went together easily and looks good when compared to my references. This is another great addition to the growing collection of newly issued 1/32 scale World War II aircraft models. I’m pleased with the model and can highly recommend this new Focke Wulf to modelers of all skill levels.

-Jim Zeske