1/48 Otaki FW190A-8 with help from DML, Airfix, and Tamiya
This is one of those older kits that you buy, and figure you could do something with it, then realize you should have just bought another of the newer kits instead. However, living on an island with no hobby shop, and not being able to resell it for ANY money, I couldn't bear to throw it out, so decided to still tackle it, even with all the warts.
When I saw one of the optional schemes in the Airfix kit, I started research, and noticed the scheme I wanted to do was in the Eduard kits as well. looking into it further, the scheme is fairly "guessed" by both companies, as the only photo of the airframe (I have heard) shows it disassembled in a pile. The rocket pods (Hasegawa weapons kit) are my own conjecture while it was in service. I used DML wheels, spare Tamiya wheel well, gear doors, and landing gear, Tamiya canopy, Tamiya cockpit, Tamiya engine front, and DML top cowl.
I had to rework the contours of the fuselage aft of the canopy, and reworked the landing gear well- the Otaki ones are, weird... I had to fiddle with the location of the canopy fore to aft, the placement of the top cowl fore to aft, and the underwing gun bay panels.
You tackled this oldie in a nice way, the result being really great, Dan!
Thanks very much Spiros!
Amazing as well, Dan @danfrombermuda
Nice combination of various parts.
Thanks John, I really wondered why I decided to fix it at first- but I had the extra parts in the spares pile!
Nice work!
Thanks Robert!
Bravo! I think there should be a category for old kits built to a high standard. It's serious modelling!
Very nice of you to say Colin- Thanks! I think I really need to build some of my kits that don't need 'fixing'!
That's funny. This kit was one of the first models that I bought years ago when I first got back in the hobby. At the time I remember thinking why would I spend $20 on the Tamiya kit when I can but this one for $8.00? About a year later I bought a Tamiya kit and found out why. I still have that model in the display case and it actually looks pretty good next to the Tamiya Wurgers. I think that I used DML wheels and a Tamiya canopy too. Your kit turned out great. I really like the rocket pods.
Thanks Scott- funny how we had a similar experience with the same kit.
Another clean build - very nice!
Thanks Greg, really appreciate it.