Subject: Re: Airfix Fw 190D-9 by Bruce Grayson
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Bruce Grayson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:43:14 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bruce Grayson 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008 2:04 AM
  Subject: Airfix Fw 190D-9 by Bruce Grayson

  Gallery Template #03

  "Airfix 1:72 Fw  190D-9" 

  by "Bruce Grayson"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

  Once upon a time, there were only a couple of models of the Fw 190D-9. One of those was the Airfix model circa 1958 which had some accuracy issues, and another was from Lindberg, which was even worse. Then, in the mid-1970s, FROG released their Ta 152H-1. Maybe that spurred Airfix on to making a new tool of the venerable Fw 190D-9. In any case, it appeared in 1978. I have included a photo of the 1958 Airfix Fw 190D-9 to compare with the later one.

  The Airfix Fw 190D-9 has been joined in the market by Italeri, Hasegawa, Academy and Tamiya, but it's still a good-value kit. I made this one with the undercarriage down, but it sits on its stand in my coffee table. 

  I made it almost OOB. It has a DF loop made from 5 amp fusewire wrapped around a small paintbrush handle. The radio aerial is Aeroclub rigging thread (knitting-in elastic or lycra thread). 

   I used mainly Gunze paints except where noted otherwise: 
          RLM 66 for the interior;
          RLM 71 for the prop;
          RLM 23 for the control surface tabs;
          RLM 02 for the wheel bay interior and undercarriage struts; 
          RLM 74,75 and 76 for the exterior camouflage colours;
          Future prior to decalling;
          Tamiya Smoke for a bit of weathering; and
          Humbrol Mattcote to tone it all down. 
  These were sprayed freehand using my Badger 360 at 30psi, generally unthinned or slightly thinned with isopropyl alcohol (except Mattcote, which was thinned with Mineral Turpentine). I have an Iwata compressor, which is not particularly quiet, but it works quite well otherwise. 

  All decals are from Airfix, mostly from a recent boxing, although the hakenkreuz comes from a late 70s packaging of the kit. They reacted quite well to Microsol.

  In comparison with the Italeri and Hasegawa kits, the Airfix kit lacks a lot in the cockpit interior, but if you include the pilot, and shut the canopy, then you're not missing out on much. Speaking of the canopy, I spent a bit of time and Gunze Mr Surfacer 500 in fairing-in the canopy to the frame. 

  Have you built this kit? If not, why not? It's inexpensive and really good fun to build, and I think it scrubs up ok, too. If you're somewhat retentive about raised panel lines, then there aren't that many that you'd have to rescribe, being such a small model.

  Click on images below to see larger images

         Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 02.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 02.jpg   Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg  

  Photos and text © by Bruce Grayson

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