1/48 Tamiya Fw190 D-9--Her Last "Hoorah"

[mustang1989]

I just finished this up in the "All the Rest" Community build and thought I would post it out here to share. I started off with a Tamiya Fw190 D-9, cut the nose off and replaced what was missing with a Jumo 213 inverted V-12 engine/ mounting from an Aires engine / cockpit set. I used limited cockpit parts from the set due to the fact that I had a spare Eduard Fw190 A8/R2 kit to rob some awesome PE parts and detailed plastic parts from( Will get to that later). I also opened up one wing root cannon on the port side of the aircraft and used CMK's undercarraige update set to display the tailwheel retracting mechanism through the access panel on the port side of the tail fin. The landing gear got a total upgrade due to Tamiyas inherent problem with the landing gear being WAY too short on these kits. I used the Eduard landing gear struts and doors from my spare kit to correct that issue. Also used from my spare Eduard 190 kit were the sliding canopy section (just alot of detail in those things), the instrument panel(to include PE) , control stick, rudder pedals (PE), wing root cannon access panel and I ended up ordering a spare Eduard 190D-9 kit and using the cowl machine gun access cover out of it due to the fact that the Aires panel just literall sucked, but already ordered my replacment part to once again complete that kit and have another D-9 to build. The parts used from the spare kit were just too good to NOT use. Paints are Vallejo Air acrylic on the exterior and Model Master acrylics throughout the interior and nose section of the aircraft. All in all I had a good time with this build until it came time for the Aires engine access panels but I made it throught it ok.

Anyways here she is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by mustang1989

[mustang1989]

Although of not that great of quality I'll throw this pic in to show what detail I can of the cockpit and wing root cannon. I'll work to resolve my close up shots. They turn out like this from time to time:

and then theres the shot of the vertical fin access panel. For the retracting spring I used a section of guitar string, painted it and applied a wash to bring out the "coils"

[slusher]

Amazing detailed build....

[mustang1989]

Thanks Carl! It took two extra kits and the use of a couple of AM sets to get it there. LOL

Edited April 3, 2014 by mustang1989

[Belugawrx]

Beautiful, well detailed build Joe

Looks Awesome

[Agent G]

Very, very nice. I love that first photo.

G

[Harry P.]

Man, that's impressive! Spectacular detailing... now that's what it's all about!

[Jim B]

That's a lot of details there! Great job on the Würger.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Jim B

[bogger44]

Holy smokes that is impressive, nice work!

[mustang1989]

Thanks to Carl, Bruce, Wayne, Harry P, Jim and Tony for the very encouraging comments. You know when I started this build I wanted to not only display a high level of detail but use the opportunity to display and pull off a paint scheme that beat all my past paint works. I built an SBD Dauntless that I shared with all of you a few months ago and that was the test bed for alot of the new techniques that I incorporated into this build. The engine area of this build here was fairly difficult and took me about a month to build and weather but the real work that was involved was in the paint and was by far the most time consuming and tedious of any I have attempted in the past. Again thank you all for your comments and for looking!

Edited April 4, 2014 by mustang1989

[Hard_2_Handle_454]

That would look good with my Me-109. It's got the same stripe on the propeller.

[mustang1989]

Thanks Eric! Would love to see pics of that 109! Eduard is to be releasing thier new 109 F,G, and K variants in May. These things look KILLER!! I'll be doing one of these this year as well in the G-6 variant.

[peekay]

Very nice, great details. All modelers should have a supply of guitar strings!

[mustang1989]

Very nice, great details. All modelers should have a supply of guitar strings!

LOL! I agree! I was at a loss for trying to replicate that spring when I had the flash thought of using a guitar string!! It did do the trick for me and thanks for the good word Peter!

[Mister 4x4]

OMG - totally ridiculous! You Sir, are the man - nicely done!! I did a Messerschmitt Me-109 once and loved building it... nowhere close to this level, though (hey, it was the late-70s and I was just a kid, after all). Gonna hafta try it again with this new inspiration you've given me.

[Roadrunner]

Your Dora looks great.

[mustang1989]

Thanks Eric and Kevin! This is probably my favorite build of all of them I have.

[Scalper]

Sweet build.. nice detail for 1/48 .

[mustang1989]

Thanks Andre! I think I spent about a month and a half on the engine build up alone! lol

[Roadrunner]

I took a stab at the old 1:32 Hasegawa "Hi-Grade" D-9 a few years ago, what an utterly horrible kit. It came out OK, but took a heck of a lot of work I can tell you that.

[mustang1989]

A Hasegawa 190 gave you problems? Usually Hasegawa has their act together on these birds.

[Roadrunner]

Yes, the old 1:32 "Hi-Grade" kit is a mishmash of new fuselage (not bad), and the old Fw 190A wings (horrible, with raised panel lines and the infamous "kidney bean" wing root gun bay covers). P.E. included, as well as some white metal parts, were OK, but nothing spectacular, certainly nothing to justify the expense of the kit at the time, given the overall poor quality of what was offered. All of the wing areas were sanded smooth, re-scribed, and new gun bay doors scratched up. Additional detailing was added throughout, and the end result was then OK.

Hasegawa subsequently released a 1:32 D-9 with brand new tooling, which is vastly superior to the kit I had built.

[mustang1989]

Sounds like a handful of a kit! I wonder what they were thinking when they updated the fuselage and not the wings???????? If I were in the market for a 1:32 D-9 I'd probably go with that new Hasegawa offering. Since I build 1:48, Eduard has 'em all smoked in the way of detail OOB / bang for the buck areas. True they are a little tricky to build at first but once you've built a couple and watch others build theirs (by way of watching folks in a Group Build) you get the hang of all the barriers and hurdles and overcome those fairly quickly.

[Roadrunner]

Oh yes, the newer 1:32 Hasegawa D-9 kits are sweet, no question about it. As to the why of the earlier attempt, that's anybody's guess.

[mustang1989]

I bought this kit just so I could use the cowl gun cover out of it..........which Eduard replaced for me so now I have a bright and shiny new kit here. I'm getting the D-9 itch all over again. When I build this I may throw a set of PE seat belts at it , otherwise I'll build it mostly OOB. Everything you need is practically there!!