Airfix Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8/A-8 1:72

Ref: A02066
Price around £7.99 GBP
Review by Geoff Coughlin (Jan 2014)

Our thanks to Airfix for supplying our review sample. Get this impressive little kit here now at: www.airfix.com

A little bit of background

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was one of the most famous fighters of WWII; perhaps not as important as the Spitfire, Zero, Mustang or Bf 109 but its performances were equivalent. Late versions of type like the ‘D’ (“Dora” or Ta 152 were considered by many to be the best aeroplanes ever built at that time. The Fw 190 was a truly multi-role aircraft within the German Luftwaffe: fighter, night fighter, bomber, fighter-bomber, torpedo bomber …the list goes on! The basic design had excellent potential for development, much like the Supermarine Spitfire that enabled it to carry out so many and varied tasks so effectively.

Here is my Hasegawa 1:32 Fw190A-8 that featured in my Osprey Modelling Manual book a while back that also featured “White 11”.

The A-8 version

The A-8 was an improved version of the A-7 with 115-litre extra tank behind the cockpit (note the correctly moulded fuel filler caps either side of the rear centre section on the Airfix kit). In addition, the aircraft’s electronics were upgraded to the FuG16YZ radio, FuG25a IFF and Molane antenna. The pitot tube was moved to the starboard wingtip (also correct in the kit). To adjust the position of centre of gravity, the radio equipment bay in the fuselage was moved one section forward and the position of the ETC501 bomb racks was moved 20cm forward (the ETC501 centreline rack is included with the kit). Many aircraft built after September 1944 were fitted with the “Galland Haube” canopy (slightly blown and rounded for better visibility) and this too is offered in the Airfix kit, along with the earlier, standard canopy.

And for completeness sake, my version of the F-8, also in 1:32 from the Hasegawa kit – just love that Eastern Front scheme that you could easily try to replicate on the Airfix kit – tricky in 1:72 for sure, but doable (it’s in my schedule, promise!).

The F-8

The Fw 190 F-8 differed from the A-8 model in having a slightly modified injector on the compressor which allowed for increased performance at lower altitudes for several minutes. The F-8 was also fitted with the improved FuG 16 ZS radio unit, which provided much better communication with ground combat units. Armament of the Fw 190 F-8 was two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wing roots and two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns above the engine. In the Fw 190 F-8/R1 two ETC 50 bomb racks were installed under each wing, capable of holding a 50 kg bombs. In 1945 the ETC 50 was replaced with the ETC 70, capable of holding 70 kg bombs. According to Ministry of Aviation acceptance reports, at least 3,400 F-8s were built, and probably several hundred more were built in December 1944 and from February to May 1945. Dozens of F-8s served as various test beds for anti-tank armament, including the WGr.28 280 mm air-to-ground missile, probably based on the projectiles from the Nbw 41 heavy ground-barrage rocket system, and the 88 mm (3.46 in) Panzerschreck 2 rockets, Panzerblitz 1 and R4M rockets.

There were also several Umrüst-Bausätze kits developed for the F-8, which included the Fw 190 F-8/U1 long range Jabo, fitted with underwing V. Mtt-Schloß shackles to hold two 300 L (80 US gal) fuel tanks. ETC 503 bomb racks were also fitted, allowing the Fw 190 F-8/U1 to carry one SC 250 bomb under each wing and one SC 250 bomb on the centreline.

• The Fw 190 F-8/U2 torpedo bomber was fitted with an ETC 503 bomb rack under each wing and a centre-line mounted ETC 504. The U2 was also equipped with the TSA 2 A weapons sighting system that improved the U2’s ability to attack seaborne targets with a 1,543 lb (700 kg) BT 700.
• The Fw 190 F-8/U3 heavy torpedo bomber was outfitted with an ETC 502, which allowed it to carry one BT-1400 heavy torpedo (3,086 lb/1400 kg). Owing to the size of the torpedo, the U3’s tail gear needed to be lengthened. The U3 also was fitted with the 2,000 PS BMW 801S engine, and the tail from the Ta 152.
• The Fw 190 F-8/U4, created as a night fighter, was equipped with flame dampers on the exhaust and various electrical systems such as the FuG 101 radio altimeter, the PKS 12 automatic pilot, and the TSA 2 A sighting system. Weapons fitted ranged from torpedoes to bombs; however, the U4 was fitted with only two MG 151/20 cannon as fixed armament.

Two great references (expensive, but nice!)…
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and Ta 152 by Eduardo Soler & Aurelio Gimeno, Published Accion Press
Aero Detail No.6 Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-F Published Dai Nippon Kaiga Co Ltd, Japan

The Kit…