Under New Management Comrade!
The Dragon 1/48 Fw190D-9 with a slightly different scheme than normal! A Dora under the Red Star:
This model depicts one of a number operated by the Soviet Red Army out of Marienburg, East Prussia from the Spring of 1945. These allegedly were still operational well into 1946.
The unit that flew these were the Second Guards Regiment IAP of 322 IAD. My source material came from a book by Carl-Frederik Geust published ages ago called “Under The Red Star” which mentioned the unit & had some typically Soviet grainy black and white photos.
I also managed to track down some colour artwork on the net, and basically gave it my best guess as to how these aircraft would have looked circa 1945.
The kit is from Dragon, and although it dates back to the Trimaster moulds of the 1980’s it’s still a very good kit.
It requires a bit more effort than Tamiya’s or the latest Hobby Boss offerings, but I feel it still can hold it’s own…And you can pick these up second hand for a song here in Australia.
Red star decals are from Techmod’s generic 1/48 Red Star sheet.
I also used the kit decals for all the stencilling. They were a bit on the thick side, but were still serviceable enough.
For a look at the build log, click on the link for the Work-In-Progress section of this site below:
Photo-etch came with the kit, & the only other aftermarket used was the Eduard Luftwaffe belt set, some generic brass tubes for the guns and Ezy line for the antenna wire.
Any questions regarding the build please feel free to ask.
In the meantime thanks for looking.
Craig Abrahamson said on May 1, 2015
Nicely done, sir…..(a Soviet FW-190D – who knew?)
Marek Halas said on May 1, 2015
Thanks Craig, it’s fascinating to find out what exactly the Soviets pressed into service during WW2.
Rob Pollock said on May 1, 2015
Great looking Dora, Marek. I’m surprised these kits can be found so cheaply. People used to hoard these Trimaster kits and then sell them dearly, even when newer offerings were available.
I also like the Russian theme.
Marek Halas said on May 1, 2015
Cheers Rob, ah yes the Trimaster kits: rarer than Unicorns on the second-hand market. The Dragon kits haven’t fared well with many a modeller here discarding them in favour of either Tamiya’s offering (which is admittedly a far easier build) or the latest from Eduard or the low rent alternative from HobbyBoss.
Tony Prince said on May 1, 2015
Very nice indeed Marek. Lovely weathering too. I built the Dragon 190D-9 some years ago (still have the model) & found it to be a beautiful kit. Hard to find now I think. Well done!
Marek Halas said on May 1, 2015
Thanks Tony.
Terry Schuler said on May 1, 2015
Marek, good looking model and a very interesting choice of markings. Nicely done !
Marek Halas said on May 1, 2015
Cheers Terry.
Korolev Vlad said on May 1, 2015
Marek, very cool!
Regards, Vlad.
Marek Halas said on May 2, 2015
Thanks Korolev!
Gregor d said on May 1, 2015
Very nice build. Well finished and weathered too. Well done.
Marek Halas said on May 2, 2015
Much appreciated!
Ken Hammer said on May 1, 2015
Very cool
Marek Halas said on May 2, 2015
Cheers!
Greg Kittinger said on May 1, 2015
Excellent build Marek! Beautiful finishing and detail work.
Question for you – do you find that the Ezy line collects dust over time? I use nylon thread assuming that since it is more of a slick surface it may not allow dust to cling to it as much, but it’s not as easy to apply (particularly in complicated applications) as something with some stretch to it. I also build only 1/72 scale and attempt to keep as “scale-looking” as possible.
Marek Halas said on May 2, 2015
Hi Greg, thanks for the comments. Regarding your Ezy line question, I’ve never noticed any dust issues with it. It is just Lycra thread which allows it to be stretchy to give you that taut look on all aerials and other rigging. Just watch using the superglue when applying, as it has a habit of distorting and thickening if you misadvertantly apply it directly onto the thread where you don’t need it. Having said all that, I’m just finishing rigging a 1/72 Albatros DV and I’ve had no problems at all with it.
Simon Whitney said on May 2, 2015
Very nice looking , a butcher bird in different plumage.
Nice.
Marek Halas said on May 2, 2015
Thanks Simon, much appreciated.
Dennis Meyers said on May 2, 2015
Truly awesome!
Marek Halas said on May 2, 2015
Cheers!
Magnus Fridsell said on May 2, 2015
A really nice FW! I especially like the scratched-off paint from the spinner! And I’ve never seen one in these markings either!
Regards
Magnus
Marek Halas said on May 2, 2015
Thanks Magnus, I tracked down a couple of Soviet Fw 190 build’s on the net, but they went for the versions with the unpainted rear canopy, which also featured in a lot of the artwork for the captured Dora’s.
I went for the more generic looking scheme with the diagonal white band on the rear fuselage, just for want of doing something a little bit different.
Bernd Müller said on May 2, 2015
A real beauty, well done Marek
Marek Halas said on May 2, 2015
Thanks mate!
Frank Cronin said on May 3, 2015
Marek,
Very nicely done, interesting scheme
Marek Halas said on May 3, 2015
Thanks Frank, glad you like it.
Paul Mahoney said on May 3, 2015
Great job on that D-9 Marek
I really like the scheme, but even more I like the weathering you have done. the chipping on the prop hub in particular just stands out for me. You don’t even notice it on the ‘further away’ pictures, but there it is on the close ups. You really nailed that effect!
Marek Halas said on May 3, 2015
Cheers Paul, I really appreciate the comments, thanks.