Border Model Focke-Wulf FW190A-8 R2 - 8

[Kevthemodeller]

This is a first on a few fronts for me, this will be the first time I've ever built an FW190 in any scale, never built a Border Model kit and it's the first 1/35 aircraft kit. Which I believe is a new scale for aircraft certainly in my years, it always having been 1/48 or 1/32. This is going to be out of the box build, it comes with some PE and nice cannon barrels, I'm not a fan of all the cockpit PE, I find their a waste of money as you can't see 90% of it. That said, I do understand those who do enjoy their builds by adding it

The kit does look good, the write ups/reviews are also all good to excellent so here we go hope I can do it justice

[Quax]

Looks a lovely kit, the Border L/48 I’m building has been really good!

Following with interest!

Paul

[Stokesy44]

I really like Border stuff, hopefully you've got a good one there.

I think the 1/35 scale idea is so that you can go mad with a diorama

[digger303]

[DRUMS01]

Well you can go mad on a diorama or just go mad? I suppose you can get mad while doing a diorama too. I have read and watched several reviews on HK and Border models that show they are fitting well and have really good details. I think I'll have to get one.... or one of each (smile).

[digger303]

Well you can go mad on a diorama or just go mad? I suppose you can get mad while doing a diorama too. I have read and watched several reviews on HK and Border models that show they are fitting well and have really good details. I think I'll have to get one.... or one of each (smile).

Yeah I starting to think I'd like to do my FW-190A-6 from Border, but I won't I've set myself to do this Spitfire ( yeah I must be the only guy who hasn't built one ) some time ago and I would like to get it done.

[Kevthemodeller]

Looks a lovely kit, the Border L/48 I’m building has been really good!

Following with interest!

Paul

Been somewhat busy with other things of late, plus the weathers been too nice to sit in. Hope to be starting things by the end of Aug, still got some research remaining, I do like the research side of a build.

I really like Border stuff, hopefully you've got a good one there.

I think the 1/35 scale idea is so that you can go mad with a diorama

Yes, I guess that would make perfect sense, wonder why it's not been done before, or has it?

Well you can go mad on a diorama or just go mad? I suppose you can get mad while doing a diorama too. I have read and watched several reviews on HK and Border models that show they are fitting well and have really good details. I think I'll have to get one.... or one of each (smile).

The kit does look very good in all aspects, at least as good as the best that's currently available. The build when I start it will tell, hopefully not too long

[Kevthemodeller]

We're off at last

Quite a detailed engine, very nicely moulded let see what it goes together like

[Stokesy44]

Beautiful looking plastic

[cor]

Thats a nice looking kit

[Quax]

great detail in the plastic, you're going to have fun painting that up! Will much of it show or just what's visible through the front of the cowling?

cheers

Paul

[Kevthemodeller]

Thats a nice looking kit

Beautiful looking plastic

The moulding is really good. The attachment points to the sprue aren't so cleaver. Very short and quite thick, making getting the cutting pliers in there tricky even with Tamiya's thinnest. Not a show stopper but you just have to be careful of the more thinner parts as they can twist and break as you cut.

great detail in the plastic, you're going to have fun painting that up! Will much of it show or just what's visible through the front of the cowling?

The kit allows for all the engine and other area inspection/maintenance covers to be open, so hopefully much of the engine will be seen

[Kevthemodeller]

Engine sub assemblies

Let the painting commence

[Stokesy44]

Just had a look at the sprue shots full size, the surface detail is stunning. Crisp panel lines, beautiful restrained riveting. Should look amazing when painted.

[digger303]

Great detail with tedious clean up, but I'd build it.

[Kevthemodeller]

Just had a look at the sprue shots full size, the surface detail is stunning. Crisp panel lines, beautiful restrained riveting. Should look amazing when painted.

Yes that's true moulding is very good, but these sprue attachment points aren't, more on that later.

Great detail with tedious clean up, but I'd build it.

Thanks mate it's not too bad for areas that need cleaning up, it's more fit that's the issue, more on that later.

[Kevthemodeller]

Engine assembly, what a pain as individual sub assemblies they're fine, the cylinder banks fit ok, the induction manifold fits but the exhausts oh boy

Because of the of indexing of the cylinder banks the exhaust ports on the front bank are partly obscured by the rear bank of cylinders. The exhaust manifold is therefore shaped to accommodate this index/offset, however the manifold isn't really to scale and will not fit past the inlet manifold, go around the offset and under the cam feed oil pipe which bridges the V between each cylinder. Not without force it won't and I mean force This destroys the metallic finishes and damages/breaks the oil pipe. To make matters worse the instructions are really poor (look at page 3 section 1 above) there's no clear indication as to where the 4 exhaust manifolds fit in relation to the top or 12 O'clock position of the cylinders when it's in the fuselage. In fact the 12 O'clock position isn't shown anywhere! This is crucial as the main intake ring has to sit in a certain position as to the exhaust manifolds or either won't fit nor will the engine fit into the cowling. There are no pictures showing the correct relationship of these parts, just either back or front with the cylinders/engine in different index positions.

Then there's the fit, like Meng BMW I recently built, the fit is really interference in that you could actually assemble much of the engine without glue, i.e. a very snug push fit. The rear engine mounting ring has 6 little pins that locate into corresponding holes on the back of the inlet manifold, you can't test fit (not unless you either open out all the holes or reduce the pin diameters) and it has to go almost flush and it's tight. Hit each with extra thin and they slide in but they are not coming back out. This for me is highlighting the difference between Chinese kits and Tamiya, they are still someway off in my opinion. None of the above is a show stopper just spoils what is thus far a really nice kit

Completed engine, just a few bits of tidying up with the plug leads to do, which I'll do once it is mounted in the fuselage I wanted a in use/serviceable finish to the engine, as you can imagine this would mean clean ish, e.g. not covered in oil. Finding colour reference pictures of just that is very difficult, many of rebuilt totally restored or just ripped out partly assembled/bits missing museum display examples.







Lower wing assembly


Sprue attachment points. These are wide and short making cutting quite tricky, you've got to use sharp and thin nose snips, even cutting larger bits of main sprue doesn't really help. If you're not careful small parts will break off as you cut




The last real puzzle is there's no indication as to paint colours for anything other than the out side! Not unless I've missed something?

[Stokesy44]

The engine certainly made you work for it but it looks superb, great result

[Quax]

You’ve done a good job on the engine considering the trials and tribulations you suffered! I would guess that interior colours are RLM 66 and 02

Paul

[Kevthemodeller]

The engine certainly made you work for it but it looks superb, great result

mate it's a shame the exhaust and fit engineering let down what is a lovely engine. I did take a look at my rotary engine in my Tamiya 1/32 Corsair F4U. I know it's bigger but you can clearly see the better engineering.

You’ve done a good job on the engine considering the trials and tribulations you suffered! I would guess that interior colours are RLM 66 and 02

Paul

Paul thanks for the colour confirmations, it agrees with all the research I've done. I just find it odd, a big oversight really that there's no information, other than the outside, not the cockpit, engine, engine inner cowling, under carriage bays nothing

[DRUMS01]

Like the others have said, I think you've done a wonderful job on the engine. The build and painting make it look the business. Sorry to see the silly large sprue connections. You would've thought we have come too far to have those kind of issues, especially for a newer and more expensive and detailed kit that it is (?).

The same can be said for the lack of any paint callouts, very strange. Perhaps some magazines, books, or queried online content will fix the paint instructions (?).

Even with these shortcomings, I'm confident that your excellent modeling skills will continue to overcome those issues.

Oh!, I really like the snake markings.

[digger303]

Sounds like the exhausts are a real bugger to fit, but you've done a marvellous build of it.

[Kevthemodeller]

Like the others have said, I think you've done a wonderful job on the engine. The build and painting make it look the business. Sorry to see the silly large sprue connections. You would've thought we have come too far to have those kind of issues, especially for a newer and more expensive and detailed kit that it is (?).

The same can be said for the lack of any paint callouts, very strange. Perhaps some magazines, books, or queried online content will fix the paint instructions (?).

Even with these shortcomings, I'm confident that your excellent modeling skills will continue to overcome those issues.

Oh!, I really like the snake markings.

Sounds like the exhausts are a real bugger to fit, but you've done a marvellous build of it.

Thanks guys you're most kind. The lack of painting information is very odd!

[cor]

That engine looks amazing.

[Stokesy44]

That engine looks amazing.

You tell him Cor. Its an absolute beaut!

[Kevthemodeller]

That engine looks amazing.

That engine looks amazing.

You tell him Cor. Its an absolute beaut!

Thanks guys you're most kind

[Kevthemodeller]

I've been somewhat remiss in taking pictures and busy with other life stuff of late.

Starting on the cockpit, wings and fuselage




Hopefully things will speed up now, I want to get this one finished and get on the group build

[digger303]

[Stokesy44]

Nice and tidy work

[Kevthemodeller]

Nice and tidy work

Thanks fellas

[Kevthemodeller]

Cockpit is I think done, I don't like over weathered finishes. If you think about it these would have been no more than months, possibly a year old, the attrition rate was very high by 44. Other than battle repairs, high traffic areas and outer surface paint wear, the aircraft would be pretty well looked after. The cockpits would be kept to a high standard by the ground crew, all the pictures I've seen of downed aircraft support that.




I could only find one online reference picture for the radio


The dial decals are two separate decals but each is one complete panel decal, it would have been a bugger to get to lay flat and align all the dials into their respective mounts. I cut each out and set them individually.

Up next tail wheel and prop.

[Stokesy44]

Really nice work on the cockpit

[digger303]

The office is smicko

[Quax]

I scrolled back to look at how much pe there is there and the answer is (apart from the belts) none! I think you've done a fantastic job on the detail

now hurry up and get to Biffords 50th before its his 60th!

Paul

[digger303]

I scrolled back to look at how much pe there is there and the answer is (apart from the belts) none! I think you've done a fantastic job on the detail

now hurry up and get to Biffords 50th before its his 60th!

Paul

[Kevthemodeller]

Really nice work on the cockpit

mate

I scrolled back to look at how much pe there is there and the answer is (apart from the belts) none! I think you've done a fantastic job on the detail

now hurry up and get to Biffords 50th before its his 60th!

Paul

I'm doing my best, honest governor

The office is smicko

mate

[Kevthemodeller]

I've been banging away on this build, honest Paul I have There's been a few issues mainly around the fit, it being too tight stopping dry assembly which has taken quite a bit of time to fettle around. That said most of the sub assemblies are almost ready for fitting.

The land over the control panel was a pig to fit, for some reason one side was slightly lower, I had to cut the locating peg off and play about with it got there in the end. But I'm still not totally happy so may revisit this.

[Stokesy44]

Looking tasty mate

[cor]

That's some very nice work

[digger303]

lovely work and nicely painted.



Ps...be nice to see them assembled

[Kevthemodeller]

Looking tasty mate

That's some very nice work

lovely work and nicely painted.



Ps...be nice to see them assembled

Fellas

[Kevthemodeller]

Okay I've been busy with life stuff all good just busy

The wings, rear stabilisers, ailerons and flaps are now in place


No trying to fit the engine, the poor engineering and interference fit on everything pretty much, rose it's ugly head once more

The engine frame/cradle/mounting is modelled very realistically to copy the real engine mounting/cradle/frame. The problem is the latter is very flimsy and in 2 parts which have to join in the centre and take a look at page 12 of the above instructions. Because H2/3 have to be joined in the centre but there is no locating lug, just a very small flatish land to get the angle correct 3D angle. At the same time 4 rear mounting points have to be fitted into the firewall, only 2 of these mounts have lugs so they twist. Once done this leaves you with 3 mounting points for the cradle to mount to the engine frame, with a 4th in the lower engine bay, which can't really be seen! Because there's no positive way of getting the angles of all these correct and the rear cradle mounting points to the engine bay aligned, which only 2 have lugs. Everything has to be fitted at the same time ish if not, things don't line up and you've got to force things as it's twisted. Add that to you can't see the bottom mount and it's very poor engineering in my view

After fighting with all of the above and getting the engine mounted, or so I thought I went to temporary fit the engine cowlings to allow uniform painting of them. The engine was slightly twisted and tipped backwards, which meant the cowlings couldn't be butted up properly This would allow overspray into the engine bay and on the engine, thus ruining all the work There was nothing for it but to remove the engine and the cradle, separate the cylinders from the intake and remount the engine frame and cradle back into the engine bay, without the cylinders attached. This will ensure I can stop the twisting/tilting of the engine frame/cradle and get the engine finally mounted centrally in the bay. If there was proper mounting lug between the cradle centre and on all the 4 mounting point to the engine bay, the cradle could be mounted with some level of confidence. Instead, as it is you play a balancing act in 3D Border model engineering/fit/corner cutting/ lack of experience and instructions somewhat evident on this kit


Arrowed in the centre is the small land area that joints the cradle together there's nothing to stop any twisting. Circled bottom L/R are the 2 non lugged mounting points even though they're square shaped for a slot there's no mounting slot! Arrowed inner L/R from the above mentioned are the only 2 lugged (both broken off removing the cradle) mounting points. Because there's only 2 lugged mounting points my engine cradle twisted and was over to one side slightly. Preventing the cowlings from seating correctly.


Arrowed is the lower mounting point/hole for the engine bay mounted mount. Because of the interference fit on just about everything and that you can't see it when fitting the engine fully assembled as per the instructions, mine didn't fully seat, tipping the engine upwards slightly


Arrowed at the top are the 2 only lugged mounting points for the cradle, circled are where the 2 squared off section on the lower cradle go as you can see there's no slot for them to locate in! Arrowed at the very bottom is the 4th mounting point for the engine cradle that can't be seen if assembled as per the instructions and is a tight push fit.

From now on I'm going open very hole/slot I can and not follow the instructions, rather do it my way so to speak


Lets hope I can get this all back together and square

[Stokesy44]

Such a shame when the kit fights you, especially after fine painting work and a good looking engine.

Sadly its often the price you pay with kits of this scale when you get a full engine. My recent 109F was the same. The engine was never square and the nose cowlings had to be properly manhandled into position to 'muscle' the engine so it allowed the cowlings to join each other properly.

It just shows how perfectly aligned everything is on the real thing.

[digger303]

Damn, getting all the components to line up as in the cad drawing is really different when you have to actually do it.
To make things a little concerning for me is I have the A-6 variant and it surely won't line up either.
I hope you start having a easier go of it soon.