Platz Hobby

 1/144 Fw-190 D-9 model kit

Product # PD-9

Product Article by Steve Bamford on Oct 14 2011

 

This is another wonderfully engineered and beautifully detailed 1/144 kit from Platz Hobby.  The Dora is my favourite 190, so it was a very happy moment for me when I saw that Platz Hobby had released an Fw-190 Dora in 1/144th scale.  The fine panel line detail as well as excellent detail in other areas of this kit is easily as good as 1/72 scale.  There are even recessed shell ejection chutes in the bottom of the wing that will respond well to a wash or you can cut them open for the full effect.  Platz has taken the 1/144 scale kit to a very delicate looking and well detailed level.  All panel lines are fine and recessed.  The canopy and windshield are a one piece affair, so if you want to pose this model with an open canopy then just cut grind/sand/file away the unwanted parts from the 4 canopies included in this kit.  Yes you actually get 2 kits in this one box......and you get 4 canopies....so having a open canopy is very much an option.  The cockpit consists of a very well done seat and in 1/144 you won't see much in the cockpit, but the 1/144 super detailers could add seat belts to bring the cockpit to life.

 

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There is a centerline pylon with a drop fuel tank.  The engine cowl ring has all the cowl vents and they look quite good.  Plus the prop blades are thin and look correct.  You also get an engine which will come to life with a bit of paint and dry brushing.  The separate tail wheel is very nicely detailed and of course the multi- part main landing gear look very good as well.  The main landing gear doors have recessed panel lines and even tiny rivets.

The decals include 3 Fw-190 D-9's in the last few months of the European theatre during WW2 and 2 of the planes are from the famed JG-26 and all 3 wear the very unique looking mottled camo the Luftwaffe was famous for during WW2.  The decal sheets contain 2 part Swastika's that have one decal for the centre cross and one decal for the 4 rotating ends....this looks to be a very simple but effective way of laying out a 2 part Swastika in 1/144 scale.  Platz was careful to select some very appealing paint schemes. 

  • Fw-190 D-9 W. Nr. 211934, 2/JG26 May 1945 Germany

  • Fw-190 D-9 W. Nr. 210003, 14/JG26 March 1945, Varrelbusch, Germany

  • Fw-190 D-9 W. Nr. unknown, JG4 May 1945, Bayreuth-Bindlach, Germany

The decals are excellent quality and in register and include stencils for all 3 aircraft.  All parts are packed in separate bags to protect the smaller more delicate parts.....even the canopies are in their separate plastic bag.

The 4 pages of instructions are easy to follow line drawings.  Colour profiles for the 3 decal options are contained on the back of the box.

1/144 models are a blast to build out of the box and the Fw-190 Dora is a very popular aircraft among modellers, so this should be a very big seller.  I guarantee you will enjoy building this tiny Fw-190 D-9.

Check out http://www.platz-hobby.com/ for this and other fine products.  I'd like to thank Platz Hobby for the review sample......this kit is made in Japan and the high quality is evident throughout this tiny model kit.

Steve

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Photos and text © by Steve Bamford