8

www.FineScaleModeler.com

Thank you for your order!

Enjoy your FSM Direct–Downloadable Article.

Please remember that this copyrighted material is for your use only.
It’s unlawful to share or distribute this file to others in any way including
e-mailing it, posting it online, or sharing paper copies with others.

Sincerely,

The staff of FineScale Modeler

Troubleshooting Guide:
Please note: Packages are color intensive. To save color ink in your printer, change your printer
setting to grayscale.

SAVING PACKAGE
Save the package when you download the PDF. Click on the computer disk icon in Adobe
Acrobat, or go to File, Save.

MY PRINTER WON’T PRINT THE TEXT CORRECTLY

Close all other programs/applications and print directly out of the Acrobat Reader program,
not your Web browser. Printing problems are caused by not enough free system memory.

PAGES ARE NOT PRINTING FULL SIZE

Set your printer to print 100% and make sure “print to fit” is not checked under printer setup
or printer options.

If you have suggestions on how we can improve this product or have topics you’d like to see in
future FSM Direct packages, please contact us at editor@FineScale.com

FSPDF030
FSM Direct
DOWNLOADABLE ARTICLES

Modeling World War II

German fighters

FSPDF030
© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
 Fixing up a

Focke Wulf

30 FineScale Modeler December

© 2009 Kalmbach 2004 Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
Publishing
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
 1/48 Scale | Aircraft | How-to

Some minor
conversion and
detailing work
makes Dragon/
Revell’s kit into an
Fw 190D-13/R-11
By Alfonso Martínez Berlana
Photos by Aurelio Gimeno Ruiz

P
roduction of the late versions of
the Focke Wulf Fw 190D trickled
off as the Allied war effort cut off
supplies and captured manufacturing
facilities. Although not the last ver-
sion, only around two dozen of the
Fw 190D-13 model were finished.
Several of them featured unusual
field-applied camouflage, and that
was the mark for me!

The well-documented “Yellow 10” is the subject of

Alfonso Berlana’s latest 1/48 scale masterpiece.

December 2004 www.finescale.com 31

 1

Quarter-inch Dora
I based the model on Yellow 10, follow-
ing the Eagle Editions book and using
EagleCal decals, 1. The kit I used was
Revell Germany’s issue of the Dragon/
Trimaster 1/48 scale Fw 190D-11. The
conversion to the D-13 version lies mostly
in minor panel lines and service open-
ings. I followed the photos and drawings
from the book and marked each change
with a marker, 2 and 3. At each spot, I
Alfonso added an Aires cockpit and EagleCals’ markings to the Revell/Dragon kit. either filled panel details and sanded them
smooth, or engraved new detail. I used bits
2 of strip styrene to enhance the dividers
between the exhaust stacks.
The kit propeller blades were much
too short and squat. I cut off the tips and
replaced them by super gluing sheet sty-
rene to the blades and filing and sanding
them to shape, 4.
I replaced the kit cockpit with an Aires
resin and photoetched office. It’s designed
to fit the Tamiya kit, but with a little sand-
ing, the tub fits inside the Dragon fuse-
lage, 5. I hand-brushed most of the details
with Vallejo acrylics.
My kit’s fuselage halves were a bit
twisted, but instead of trying to bend
them back into shape, I gradually glued
3 the halves together and clamped the
rear fuselage and tail with spring-type
clothespins.
The wings didn’t fit the fuselage well,
and I had to fill the gaps with slivers of
sheet styrene and filler, then sand the
seams smooth, 6. More seams on the bot-
tom of the wing/fuselage joint and the
spot where the big air intake meets the
right fuselage half required filling and
sanding, too.
I added copper wire brake lines to the
To keep track of the minor access panel and vent changes, Alfonso highlighted each with a marker. main gear struts. Next, I flattened the
main tires slightly by pressing them to a
4 5 hot clothes iron.
I attached the windscreen to the
assembled fuselage and masked it but left
the sliding canopy off and masked and
painted it separately. I used small pieces
of Tamiya’s yellow masking tape; it’s thin
enough to produce sharp mask lines, and
it doesn’t leave adhesive residue.

Revell/Dragon’s prop blades were misshapen, With a little finesse, the Aires cockpit will fit
so new longer tips were fashioned from sheet into the Revell/Dragon fuselage.
styrene.

32 FineScale Modeler December 2004

 6

Painting
As documented in the book, Yellow 10
had a complex paint job, and I found that
duplicating the camouflage was the most
challenging (and the most enjoyable)
aspect of this project. The airframe was
probably hastily primed at the factory,
and quickly delivered, leaving camouflage
up to Jagdgeschwader 26. It appears that
in addition to a typical two-tone upper-
surface camouflage scheme, some artistic
license was executed. The bottom surface
of the wing was missing primer, and when
the machine was documented, this area
was still unpainted. I used Tamiya X-11
chrome silver for that area and X-10 gun Alfonso filled the gaps between the upper surfaces of the wings and the fuselage with styrene
metal to accent panel lines and wear, 7. strips and filler.
After masking the unpainted wing area,
I proceeded to airbrush the camouflage 7
colors. All were mixed from Tamiya acryl-
ics. I usually start with the lightest color
and work my way through all the colors,
painting the darkest last. In this case, I
first painted the windscreen and canopy
frames dark gray (RLM 66) to represent
the interior frame color. Then I started
with the overall uppersurface camouflage:
first light blue (RLM 76), then gray-violet
(RLM 75), 8 and lastly the greens (RLM
82 and RLM 83), 9. I tried my best to
duplicate the random pattern in the docu-
mentation of Yellow 10.

Accenting details
After the complicated camouflage was
applied, I masked around the exhaust area
and airbrushed the pipes red brown (XF-
64), black (XF-1), and deck tan (XF-55).
This combination gives a realistic “hot The first color to go on was silver for the unpainted wing undersurface.
metal” effect to the exhausts. The black
and white bands on the fuselage and the 8
green overspray on the top of them were
last to be applied.
To accent the panels, I masked around
the major panel lines and lightly air-
brushed dark gray (XF-24) over the light
colors. Deck tan (XF-55) went over the
dark colors. This is not the easiest way
to accent panel lines, but I like the way it
looks. When the paint had dried for a day
or so, I overcoated the entire model with

The topside camouflage was started with the standard light blue and gray-violet.

December 2004 www.finescale.com 33

 9

clear gloss, then applied a black oil-paint

wash for the deepest recesses and access
panels, 10. I used a Vallejo acrylic wash
on the aluminum areas, 11. The model
was then ready for decaling, and of course,
I used the EagleCals sheet that goes with
the Yellow 10 book.
After the decals had dried, I applied a
clear flat overcoat to the entire model. The
exhaust stains along the nose were made
by airbrushing diluted red brown (XF-
64) and flat black (XF-1). The propeller
received the final paint work. I painted
the spinner white first, masked the spiral
with thin pieces of Tamiya tape, and over-
painted with green (RLM 25). The blades
were painted black green (XF-27). The
last step was installing the canopy, land-
The next colors to be airbrushed were the random mottled-green pattern. ing-gear and doors, pitot tube, gun barrels,
and antenna wire.
10 You’ll have to admit, Yellow 10 is a
striking example of field-applied camou-
flage. It’s a conversation piece compared
to most Luftwaffe aircraft models, and it’s
one of my favorite models. FSM

REFERENCES
Yellow 10, Eagle Files 2, Eagle Editions
Ltd., Hamilton, Montana, 2000
Monogram Close-Up No. 10 and
Monogram Official Painting Guide to
German Aircraft 1939-45 Monogram
Aviation Publications, Sturbridge,
Massachusetts 1980
Aero Detail 2, Focke Wulf Fw 190D Art
Box (Dai Nippon Kaiga Co.), Tokyo

SOURCES
Cockpit detail set Aires (Czech Republic),
www.aires.cz
Vallejo Model Color acrylic paints avail-
A dark oil-paint wash over a clear gloss accents the panel lines. able from AeroMaster/Eagle Strike, 786-
293-0411, www.eaglestrikeproductions.com
11 EagleCals Eagle Editions, 800-255-1830,
www.eagle-editions.com

Alfonso used an acrylic wash over the silver undersurface.

34 FineScale Modeler December 2004

© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
AIRCRAFT SPECIAL

Dressing up
Trimaster/Dragon’s
Ta 152H-0
Super-realistic paint and weathering on
the ultimate Focke-Wulf
By Francisco Carlos Alfaro

The lanky Focke Wulf Ta 152H-0
is best represented in the
1/48 scale Trimaster/Dragon/
Italeri kit. Note the extra-long-
span wings of this high-speed,
high-altitude fighter.
T
he Ta 152 was the ultimate piston-engined fighter in Luftwaffe service. It was
an outgrowth of the vaunted Fw 190D-9 and built as a high-speed, high-alti-
tude interceptor to counter the B-29, which, in the end, was never used
against Germany. The Ta 152 could reach 472 mph and fly higher than
44,000 feet with its pressurized cockpit. Its 47’ 6” wingspan and stretched rear fuse-
lage make it look like a caricature of the earlier Focke Wulf.

38 FineScale Modeler November

© 2009 Kalmbach 2006 Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
Publishing
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
 1/48 Scale | Aircraft | How-to

1 2
I built the kit engine and added details to the rear section that could be seen I repeatedly test-fitted the engine, its accessories, and bulkheads to make
through the openings in the main-gear wells. The cockpit is mainly kit parts sure the additions would not inhibit a clean, tight fit. The plumbing was pro-
with a few details from the Eduard photoetched set. The cockpit was painted duced with plastic wire insulation and bits of wire.
RLM 66 using Vallejo acrylics. A dark wash and light dry-brushing makes
the details pop.

3 4
Here, I test-fitted the lower wing surface to the unfinished fuselage to More Eduard photoetched details, wire, and styrene stock were added to the
inspect clearance. Much of the engine’s aft end can be seen through the par- top of the main-gear bays. The basic color of the wheel wells is RLM 02.
tially roofless main-gear wells.

5 6
I dry-fitted the upper and lower wing parts several times to make sure the More dry-fitting was in order as I taped the main subassemblies together
added details would fit correctly. The crowded rear area of the engine and and placed the wing on the fuselage. Better to find out now than when
wheel wells would have to merge smoothly, too. everything is glued together.

November 2006 www.finescale.com 39

 7 8
The kit has recessed panel lines but no evidence of fasteners, so I produced I referred to the Aero Detail book for the placement of the rivets. After
fine, recessed rivets all over the airframe using a needle and a straightedge. pressing the rivet details into the plastic, I sanded all the surfaces with 800-
It’s easier to do this riveting before joining the fuselage halves and wings. and 1200-grit sandpaper.

9 10
I assembled the components using Tamiya liquid cement, letting capillary The top camouflage was RLM 81 and 82, including the mottled pattern on
action move the cement along the seams. I airbrushed the bottom of the the fuselage sides. I accented panel lines with the opposing color (81 on 82
model with RLM 76 and varied the shades of certain panels by adding a bit and 82 on 81) to help make the finish look more realistic, and repeated the
of dark gray to the mix. A wash made from black and burnt-sienna oil paints dark wash to enhance the panel lines and rivets. The yellow and red tail
was applied and allowed to dry; then the excess wash was removed with a band of JG 301 (the only unit to use the Ta 152 in combat) was masked and
thinner-dampened cloth. The dark wash remains in the panel lines and rivets. painted before the wash was applied.

For 1/48 scale builders, the Ta 152 kit
of choice was originally issued by
Trimaster, then later reboxed by Dragon,
and finally by Italeri. The Italeri boxing
did not include the original kit’s Jumo
213E engine, but you would have to cut
open the nose to display the engine any-
way. I had the good fortune to have the
engine in my kit, but I didn’t want to per-
form surgery on the nose and disrupt the
long, clean lines of the ultimate Focke
Wulf. However, the back end of the
engine, accessories, ammunition canister
for the Mk. 108 cannon, and supercharger
plumbing can be seen through the main
gear wells. So, that’s where I concentrated
my interior-detailing efforts.
The kit interior is pretty good, but I SOURCES
added a few pieces of Eduard’s excellent Vallejo acrylic paints, VLS Mail Order,
photoetched detail set in the cockpit. The 636-356-4888, www.modelmecca.com
Eduard set comes with flap details – but Photoetched details, www.eduard.cz
to retain the clean lines of the Ta 152, I
left the flaps retracted. REFERENCE
The rest of the assembly was mostly Aero Detail 2, Focke-Wulf Fw 190D,
out of the box, so most of my efforts went Dainippon Kaiga Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
into dressing up the exterior with new (available from RZM Imports, 203-653-
recessed rivets, paint, and weathering. The 2272, www.rzm.com)
end result reflects the no-nonsense
approach given to the late-war Luftwaffe
fighters: advanced engineering with little
regard to finish and heraldry. FSM
[I dedicate this model to my late father; I
hope he likes it!]

40 FineScale Modeler November 2006

11
I airbrushed the engine exhaust first with flat black, then oversprayed
diluted brown in a wider pattern. Overspraying with clear gloss produced a
smooth surface decals from the kit and my spares box. I masked and painted
crosses on the wings and fuselage; clear flat restored the desired finish.
12
The finished underside looks used but not abused. The Ta 152s didn’t see
much service in their short late-war history.

13 14
I added fine copper wire for the brake lines on the main-gear struts. Note I hadn’t painted the windscreen frames at this point, but here you can see
the photoetched screen in the air intake on the right side of the nose. the fine decaling for the wing walks.

I carefully drilled a tiny hole in the

canopy for the radio aerial. I used
.8mm fishing line for the aerial,
which falls slack when the sliding
canopy is open. I kept my canopy
moveable, so the aerial wire tight-
ens as I close the lid.

15

November 2006 www.finescale.com 41

© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
 FSM BUILDS
HASEGAWA’S ALL-NEW
Fw 190D-9
Doin’ the Dora in a big way
By Jim Zeske Photos by Jim Forbes and William Zuback
T
he Focke-Wulf Fw190D-9 was arguably the best piston-
engine fighter the Luftwaffe fielded during World War II. It
was originally intended as an interim solution to obtain a
high-altitude fighter. The first squadrons received their 190
“Doras” in October 1944.
Despite looking like a radial-engine fighter, the Doras had
Junkers Jumo 213A-1 in-line engines mounted behind circular
radiators (complete with cowl flaps). Designers compensated for
the increased length ahead of the wing by increasing tail
moment with a fuselage extension forward of the tail assembly.
Not your father’s model. Hasegawa’s Fw 190D-9 is an
all-new kit, and it has nothing in common with the company’s
previous 1/32 scale “high tech” Dora. That old kit had combined
a replacement Dora fuselage with an even older Fw 190A
wingset.
Examining its components confirmed the Dora meets
Hasegawa’s usual high standards, 1. The cleanly molded neu-
tral-gray plastic parts feature beautifully engraved panel lines,
© 2009
28 FineScale Modeler Kalmbach
October 2003Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
rear engine/accessory detail, a pilot figure, open and closed cowl
flaps, a drop tank, flat and blown canopies, and a bonus set of
photoetched parts, 2.
Office work first. I started construction with the cockpit.
As I used the bonus photoetched parts, I had to sand off the
detail from the plastic instrument panels, 3. The photoetched
panels have separate instrument faces which must be added
from behind. When the photo film instrument dials are added,
the whole affair looks convincing, 4. Other photoetched details
include rudder pedals, seat belts, an armored headrest, and a
cockpit-stowage door.
When installing the cockpit tub, I recommend dry-fitting it
to one side of the fuselage for alignment, then gluing the two
fuselage halves together. The cockpit tub can be properly
aligned for gluing through the bottom opening (before adding
the wing assembly). I found the tub can be pushed into the fuse-
lage location tabs too far. That can cause it to be off the correct
angle if you glue it to one half before closing the fuselage.
 1/32 Scale

Kit: No. ST19

Scale: 1/32
Manufacturer: Hasegawa, imported
by Dragon Models USA, 1315 John
Reed Court, City of Industry, CA
91745, 866-365-8721,
www.dragonmodelsusa.com
Price: $44.98
Comments: Injection molded, 152
parts (44 photoetched metal, 4 vinyl),
decals
Pros: Accurate representation of the
Dora, well-fitting parts, good detail,
pilot figure. No need to buy aftermar-
ket photoetched sets
Cons: Some sink marks, landing gear
struts are fragile

1 Here’s what comes in the box. The

separate flush lower-wing-surface panels
and open area to the side of the sprue
above suggest alternate versions to
come; perhaps a D-11/D-12?

October 2003 www.finescale.com 29

2 The Lion Roar photoetched fret is a 3 Here is the cockpit before painting, showing the photoetched instrument panel (with-
bonus from the North American distribu- out the photo-film dials), rudder pedals, and seat harness.
tor, Dragon Models USA.

Closed cowl flaps Front cowl ring

Photo-film instruments behind
photoetched panel

Cockpit tub is temporarily

attached to fuselage side. It’s
best installed from below after
fuselage halves are assembled.

Open cowl flaps Circular radiator

5 The distinctive circular radiator comes

with alternate open or closed cowl flaps.

Photoetched
rudder pedals

4 The finished cockpit shows off the plastic and photoetched detail. 6 A photoetched grille goes into the
intake for the supercharger.

Landing flap
Landing-gear bays

Folded photoetched
antenna

Separate flush
underwing panel

Open-top main
Spars gear bays

7 Spars and landing gear bay structures automatically set the 8 Wing details include a realistic wheel well and dropped flaps.
proper wing dihedral. The photoetched antenna has been temporarily installed.

30 FineScale Modeler October 2003

 The cowl flaps, 5, were a tight fit to the fuselage. Light
scraping with a knife at the top cutout solved this. The engine
exhausts comprise three parts per side and went in without a
problem. I removed the molded-on exhaust shield and used the
provided photoetched shield.
One of the photoetched parts is a grille for the carburetor/
supercharger intake on the right side of the nose, 6.
Hasegawa thoughtfully included the rear accessory section of
the engine, which is visible through the open-topped main
wheel bay. The engine module installs neatly in front of the
cockpit.
Wings. The wing assembly goes together easily, too.
Included is a landing gear bay with integral spars to help set the
correct wing dihedral, 7.
The bottom fuselage/wing unit is a complex, multi-joint
assembly. The center piece, C1, is a tight fit. I recommend sev-
eral dry runs to get the feel for how it attaches. The forward end
of the wing root required a bit of pressure to get a smooth joint
when I glued it to the fuselage.
The landing flaps are separate parts. As provided, they can
be installed only in the lowered position, 8. My sample’s flaps
had some sink marks, but they were less noticeable when
painted over.
The tail is provided as a separate assembly (indicating that a
late, Ta 152-tailed version is to come). This assembly went onto
the fuselage easily. The horizontal tail planes have interlocking
tabs and attached beautifully. The proper angle is assured with
this setup – thank you, Hasegawa!
I replaced the plastic “Morane” radio antennas and direction-
finding (DF) loop with the photoetched alternatives.
The landing gear legs fit tightly into their locating holes and
set up at the correct angle. Don’t try to file or sand them for a
looser fit as that will cause misalignment. The main struts are
sized to scale, but are fragile for the weight of the model.
I added the drooping radio antenna wire from stretched
sprue. It’s attached to the canopy and droops when the canopy
is open.
Camouflage and markings. I followed the kit instruc-
tions for the paint scheme of the special base-defense Doras of
JV44 with that unit’s unique white-stripes-on-red undersur-
faces. I used Gunze Sangyo’s late-war Luftwaffe acrylics.
The decals include markings for three Doras: one from
IV./JG3 and two from JV44 (red 1 and red 3). The special red
undersurfaces of the JV44 aircraft identified them as friendly
fighters flying cover above Me 262 bases. The white-stripe
decals went on well with a bit of decal setting solution.
A good, readily available reference is Aero Detail No. 2 Focke-
Wulf 190D, my primary source. A great reference for the JV44
aircraft is EagleFiles No. 1, Doras of the Galland Circus, by Jerry
Crandall.
I built my Dora in 25 hours. It was fun to build and meas-
ures to scale. What’s best, though, is that it looks just right.
Other than the challenging fit of the lower wing center compo-
nent, the overall task was a smooth one.
If you want a nearly effortless kit that yields a well-detailed
large-scale model of the Luftwaffe’s best, look no further. The
new Dora can take its place alongside Hasegawa’s Bf 109G as
anchors in any 1/32 scale WWII fighter collection. FSM
Hasegawa’s kit is the best 1/32 scale Fw 190 going away! The
radio antenna wire was attached to the canopy, so when the
canopy was pushed back, the wire drooped.
October 2003 www.finescale.com 31
© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
A fantastic resource
for all modelers!
No matter what you like to model,
FineScale Modeler magazine
will help sharpen your skills – from
basic construction to airbrushing to
weathering. Our expert modelers
will help you build realistic aircraft,
armor, ships, cars, and more!
PLUS, in every issue you’ll get:
• Clear, well-illustrated how-to
features written by the experts
• Kit reviews of the hottest kits
• Tips & techniques on assembling,
painting, finishing, and more
• Inspiring reader galleries
showcasing some of the greatest
models in the world
• And more!

Order online at www.FineScale.com/promo Enter code: IK92F

Or call today to subscribe 1-800-533-6644
Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m.— 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 262-796-8776 ext. 661.

CIR-ADH-09X1097RH