PCM Focke Wulf FW 190 A-1/A-2/A-3

[GazzaS]

Merry Christmas everyone!  

Last night I started working on the kit.  Having seen Tony tape all of the large parts together to get an idea of future fit, I did it with the FW.

You can see some gaps at the wing root.  I think I will extend the fairings from the fuselage and try to get a snug fit.  Fit is a bit querulous everywhere...  everything is close, but will want some clamping during the gluing process.

The remaining parts...  it's pretty small part count...  think I'm gonna have to get some brass barrels.

Resin and PE details.  Two choices for tires...   ribbed and smooth.

 

You get decals for 8 schemes...  here are five...

And three more...

Most versions are A-3.  One is A-2 and two are A-1.  I'm leaning toward the A-1 myself as I don't imagine any other company will ever release on in IM.

 

I hope you all enjoy the journey with me!

 

Gaz

 

 

[GazzaS]

Just a small update here...

Before I went to painting anything pretty, I wanted to take care of some mechanical features.

The fuselage is molded for A-2 and A-3.  Converting to the A-1 requires the placing of two plugs inside the fuselage halves.   And some filling...

The fit isn't exactly 100% tight.

 

And one of my pet peeves is a non-rotatable propeller.   If it can't spin, I can't position it for photos and it's more than twice as easy to break off.  Originally, I would have glued the engine to the fan to the spinner.

So, I drilled though the resin motor plug, the fan, and the base of the propeller spinner, and inserted a piece of 2mm Copper tube.  This will give me a lot more freedom late in the build.

 

I used my electric toothbrush sanding system to sand the small area between raised details of the exhaust area.  I'm quite pleased with the result.

 

The final early feature to add was blanking off the MG 151 shell ejector chute ports.   This was facilitated by two small pieces of PE. 

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Gaz

 

[DocRob]

Nice engineering on the Würger, I mean your work, not the plastic . I have to build one in the near future, I have only a TA-152 to show for, which is partly untrue, because I gave it to a friend.

Could you enlighten us, how your electric toothbrush sanding device works, as a tool nerd, I really like to know.

Cheers Rob

[Bomber_County]

Nice, wow the count is small!!!!!!! Looking forward to the next segment....

[GazzaS]

7 hours ago, DocRob said:

Nice engineering on the Würger, I mean your work, not the plastic . I have to build one in the near future, I have only a TA-152 to show for, which is partly untrue, because I gave it to a friend.

Could you enlighten us, how your electric toothbrush sanding device works, as a tool nerd, I really like to know.

Cheers Rob

Thank you, Rob!

Materials:  Electric toothbrush, Double-sided tape, and No-fil Sand paper.  No-fil paper is best because regular sheet can clog up quickly.  The double sided tape I have has a foam center and is about 1.5mm thick.

 

Next, shave all of the bristles off the disposable toothbrush head.  Then cut your double sided tape to a desired size.  Mine was about 10mmX10mm for this task.   Attach the double sided tape to the bristle-less toothbrush head and peel off the backing from the side of the double-sided tape facing you.   Tear off a piece of sand paper near the same size as your tape.  Attach it to the tape.  I use 600 grit when I want to remove material quickly, and 1200, for slow removal.  If I want to remove stuff really fast, and there is no raised detail nearby, I use 320 grit.

As a safety measure, tape over any raised detail nearby.

 

For this task I used CA as a filler.  Even though I had to apply it 4 times to fill every divot, I didn't have to wait overnight.  And if you do use CA...  don't let it cure overnight.  Because then you will end up stripping more around the CA than to the CA.

 

Since I started using the toothbrush, I hardly ever hand sand any more.

 

Gaz

 

 

[GazzaS]

5 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

Nice, wow the count is small!!!!!!! Looking forward to the next segment....

Thank you.  Yes, it's much more like an up-scaled 1/48 kit than a good 1/32 kit. 

 

Gaz

[BlrwestSiR]

You don't see too many of these made. 

Cool idea on the toothbrush sander. Mr Tools makes pretty much the same thing. Mine is somewhere on my bench. 

Carl

[GazzaS]

56 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

You don't see too many of these made.

Carl

I think that if I had paid retail, and been expecting something akin to Hasegawa, I might have been upset, and chucked it into the stash to be built or sold at a later date.

 

But, I got my first PCM kit for free...  the TA-152 C.  I looked it up, and retail was around 80 bucks US.   It provided some hurdles, but I was happy with the result.  I got this A-1/A-3 in a trade.  So, I knew what kind of quality to expect and decided it was worth it to be able to build a version that isn't covered by anyone else.

[krow113]

Nice.

I like the PCM kits , one key to them is there is more than enough plastic to get the assy sorted.

[DocRob]

13 hours ago, GazzaS said:

Materials:  Electric toothbrush, Double-sided tape, and No-fil Sand paper.  No-fil paper is best because regular sheet can clog up quickly.  The double sided tape I have has a foam center and is about 1.5mm thick.

Thank you Gaz, that's priceless, I never heard about this method before. Our dental care will be in jeopardy now, I know about this . 
Your method seems easier controllable, than to work with grinding bits on a micro drill, where it is so easy to ruin the surrounding areas and I always found it hard to work with, without having a melting effect on the plastic, even with the lowest rpm setting.

Cheers Rob

[Kaireckstadt]

On 12/27/2020 at 9:06 PM, GazzaS said:

Thank you, Rob!

Materials:  Electric toothbrush, Double-sided tape, and No-fil Sand paper.  No-fil paper is best because regular sheet can clog up quickly.  The double sided tape I have has a foam center and is about 1.5mm thick.

 

Next, shave all of the bristles off the disposable toothbrush head.  Then cut your double sided tape to a desired size.  Mine was about 10mmX10mm for this task.   Attach the double sided tape to the bristle-less toothbrush head and peel off the backing from the side of the double-sided tape facing you.   Tear off a piece of sand paper near the same size as your tape.  Attach it to the tape.  I use 600 grit when I want to remove material quickly, and 1200, for slow removal.  If I want to remove stuff really fast, and there is no raised detail nearby, I use 320 grit.

As a safety measure, tape over any raised detail nearby.

 

For this task I used CA as a filler.  Even though I had to apply it 4 times to fill every divot, I didn't have to wait overnight.  And if you do use CA...  don't let it cure overnight.  Because then you will end up stripping more around the CA than to the CA.

 

Since I started using the toothbrush, I hardly ever hand sand any more.

 

Gaz

 

 

That’s a cool and cheap method, Gaz! I will try that too! Is the PCM plastic as sturdy as on e.g. the Tempest-Kit? 
Not easy to work with! Very good job so far! 
Looking forward to your updates! 

[GazzaS]

21 hours ago, Kaireckstadt said:

That’s a cool and cheap method, Gaz! I will try that too! Is the PCM plastic as sturdy as on e.g. the Tempest-Kit? 
Not easy to work with! Very good job so far! 
Looking forward to your updates! 

Thank you!  I cannot really complain about the PCM plastic.  It's not soft like the stuff you get on kits from Russia.

[Kaireckstadt]

1 hour ago, GazzaS said:

Thank you!  I cannot really complain about the PCM plastic.  It's not soft like the stuff you get on kits from Russia.

That’s good to know. I am thinking about  buying also one since I only have the Revell A-8. 

[GazzaS]

11 hours ago, Kaireckstadt said:

That’s good to know. I am thinking about  buying also one since I only have the Revell A-8. 

My dilemma now is to rivet or not to rivet.  I'm more inclined not to rivet.  How's the surface on your A-8?

[Kaireckstadt]

59 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

My dilemma now is to rivet or not to rivet.  I'm more inclined not to rivet.  How's the surface on your A-8?

Mine has no rivets except a few on the connection between the wing and the fuselage. I will not rivet mine since the on the real aircraft most of the rivets and even panellines were puttied to make the surface smooth and the aircraft a few km/h faster. The Americans did the same with the Mustang. I enclose a picture of the Me 262 where you can clearly see this. This riveting and panellining is something which many modelers overdo since it seems to be a criteria for the quality of the model. I try to reduce this to a minimum and avoid panellining fluids. 

[GazzaS]

16 minutes ago, Kaireckstadt said:

Mine has no rivets except a few on the connection between the wing and the fuselage. I will not rivet mine since the on the real aircraft most of the rivets and even panellines were puttied to make the surface smooth and the aircraft a few km/h faster. The Americans did the same with the Mustang. I enclose a picture of the Me 262 where you can clearly see this. This riveting and panellining is something which many modelers overdo since it seems to be a criteria for the quality of the model. I try to reduce this to a minimum and avoid panellining fluids. 

I understand what you're saying.  But to go this route, I have to fill in the panel lines, too.

[Kaireckstadt]

6 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

I understand what you're saying.  But to go this route, I have to fill in the panel lines, too.

Filling the panellines isn’t necessary. I would only accentuate the panellines not too dark but just smooth. 
No one looks at the model without panellines. That’s the way it is. Just don’t overdo it, then it‘s ok. Maybe you can try the method I used for my Lanc. 
No panelliner used, just preshading and careful airbrushing:

 

 

 

 

[GazzaS]

8 minutes ago, Kaireckstadt said:

No one looks at the model without panellines.

I'm not sure that I agree with that assessment.  I mean...  many Luftwaffe aircraft went to war with no visible panel lines.  And I look at them a lot.  I've even modeled a few.  And they all got great reception, online.

This is how I feel/theorize about panel lines and rivets.:  IRL sometimes you can see them...  sometimes you can't...  especially at distance.  This ephemeral characteristic, entirely dependent on the effects of light and distance is impossible to reproduce.  Combine this with an aircraft that had it's panel lines filled, makes highlighting them rather unnecessary.   So once again we are left with that question of reality vs. art.

[Kaireckstadt]

9 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

I'm not sure that I agree with that assessment.  I mean...  many Luftwaffe aircraft went to war with no visible panel lines.  And I look at them a lot.  I've even modeled a few.  And they all got great reception, online.

This is how I feel/theorize about panel lines and rivets.:  IRL sometimes you can see them...  sometimes you can't...  especially at distance.  This ephemeral characteristic, entirely dependent on the effects of light and distance is impossible to reproduce.  Combine this with an aircraft that had it's panel lines filled, makes highlighting them rather unnecessary.   So once again we are left with that question of reality vs. art.

You are totally right. If you exactly want to replicate the original, than you have to putty the panellines. Do you have a foto or link to one of the models you did this way. I‘m very interested! 

[GazzaS]

 

7 minutes ago, Kaireckstadt said:

You are totally right. If you exactly want to replicate the original, than you have to putty the panellines. Do you have a foto or link to one of the models you did this way. I‘m very interested! 

They're both in 1/48.  The first is the Meng Me-410.  I filled in panel lines, but not access panel lines.  Just like the one at that RAF museum.

And this is the old Monogram Me-262:

Still...  I feel a little bit more is required for the larger scale.  So, I'm not really sure where to go, yet.

 

[Kaireckstadt]

6 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

 

They're both in 1/48.  The first is the Meng Me-410.  I filled in panel lines, but not access panel lines.  Just like the one at that RAF museum.

And this is the old Monogram Me-262:

Still...  I feel a little bit more is required for the larger scale.  So, I'm not really sure where to go, yet.

 

They look beautiful to me. You only have panellines where access-panels are located. Looks perfect! I will try this with one of my next builds! 
I‘ve seen the 410 in Cosford in 2019 after the SMW 2019 in Telford. You really captured the look quite well. 
Maybe you can try it at an old model in 32nd scale you have. 

[GazzaS]

1 minute ago, Kaireckstadt said:

They look beautiful to me. You only have panellines where access-panels are located. Looks perfect! I will try this with one of my next builds! 
I‘ve seen the 410 in Cosford in 2019 after the SMW 2019 in Telford. You really captured the look quite well. 
Maybe you can try it at an old model in 32nd scale you have. 

There is a historical anecdote I will share with you.  I read a book by a pilot from JG 300.  His name escapes me at the moment....  But later in the war, perhaps mid 44', they were losing aircraft so quickly that they gave up puttying and polishing at the airfield level.

[Kaireckstadt]

13 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

There is a historical anecdote I will share with you.  I read a book by a pilot from JG 300.  His name escapes me at the moment....  But later in the war, perhaps mid 44', they were losing aircraft so quickly that they gave up puttying and polishing at the airfield level.

Quite interesting, never heard of it before! So what you really need are pictures from the aircraft you want to build! 

[GazzaS]

15 minutes ago, Kaireckstadt said:

Quite interesting, never heard of it before! So what you really need are pictures from the aircraft you want to build! 

This is most likely it.

[GazzaS]

I haven;t done a lot.  Mainly cuz I've been working on that warship and doing other banal things like mowing the lawn every few days since we're getting a fair amount of rain.

 

Anyway...  here are my sloppily rendered inner bits.

There's absolutely no reason to do any more to the engine.  The plastic isn;t conducive to showing inner detail. 

 

I trimmed the hell out of the IP to make it fit.  Last time, I spent hours trying to shave the cockpit walls thin enough without going through, thank goodness.