Famous and feared as the “Scourge of the Atlantic,” the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor began life as an airliner. Quickly adapted for long-range maritime reconnaissance at the outbreak of World War II, the Condor became the bane of merchant-ship convoys, attacking when able and shadowing to provide guidance to U-boat wolfpacks — at least until convoys were able to supply their own air cover.
Roden has released this iconic bird in a manageable 1/144 scale kit of the later C-6 version. The kit appears simple, but there is enough detail to impress: the landing-gear assemblies alone require 10 parts each. Four detailed engines are also provided. The box includes optional underwing bomb loads, and although rarely carried, Roden also provides an option for two Hs 293 guided missiles to hang under the wings. On the downside, you only get one decal option. Unused wing inserts for shorter engine nacelles hint that Roden plans to release other versions of the Fw 200.
The fuselage assembly calls for strip windows to be inserted, but I left them off because they are too thick and better replaced with clear window fluid after finishing. There is no interior to speak of, so don’t worry. Sadly, the kit didn’t include guns for the turrets even though the painting diagram shows them.
The lower gondola is a one-piece clear part that is an exceptionally good fit to the lower fuselage. The wings are simple two-piece parts that have the correct outer dihedral molded in. Each lower wing piece requires an insert next to the engine nacelle. A bit of trimming improves the fit, but beware the instructions list parts 2F and 3F on the wrong wings. My references indicate the lower wing bomb racks were removed when carrying the Hs 293 missiles; a major surgical effort would be required to fill the resulting holes. I chose to ignore this inconvenient detail. The missiles themselves are well molded and have petite detail but needed a swipe of filler at the wing joints to close gaps. They were painted separately and mounted at the end of the build.
The wings and tail fit without issue or filler. Prior to painting, I added the canopy which fit well. The upper turret and rear gunner’s station were painted and installed later. The rear gunner’s canopy does not have a positive fit location, so check your references. I also painted and added the engines and nacelles prior to final painting but left the landing gear for later assembly.
I painted my Fw 200 Tamiya J.A. green (XF-13), light blue (XF-23), and dark green/JGSDF (XF-73). Odd choices, but they looked close enough to the standard Luftwaffe maritime camouflage in this scale. The decals went on without trouble, but the yellow in the fuselage code Q is a bit out of register.
After decaling, I assembled the finicky landing gear in stages. Keep the main trunnion (Part 7H) flat on the workbench, add the other parts slowly, and allow the glue to dry in between. I painted the propellers and attached them directly to the front of the engines because the prop shafts are vastly oversized.
I was impressed by the effort Roden put into its Condor, although somewhat let down by the lack of decal options and the omission of the guns. The thick fuselage clear parts are avoidable, the main canopy looks good, and the kit has enough detail and finesse for 1/144 scale. My Condor took just 13 hours to land in my display case and was an enjoyable build.