The Focke-Wulf Fw-190 is one of the “iconic” aircraft in the WWII modeling stable. While there are dozens of aircraft from the WWII era that hobbyists can choose from, the Fw-190 is usually at the top of the list when it comes to sheer popularity. No surprise there- it was a great looking aircraft, with lots of variants and marking schemes.
A few years ago when Eduard released a newly tooled Fw-190, it was welcomed by the modeling community and hailed as one of the great kits when it was first released. It did receive some criticism, principally that of a bit over-engineered and difficult to build. Still, it’s stood well, and Eduard has released several more variants.
But enough about them- let’s focus on Accurate Miniatures Fw-190A-8.
Yes, it’s a rebox of the Eduard kit. To that I say “great”. I enjoy building models, and I know anytime a company can release a kit- even a reboxing, it’s good for the hobby.
So let’s take a quick look at what Accurate Miniatures has packed into their box.
As for the parts, if you’ve seen the Eduard sprues, no change here. All the sprues are cast very precisely, with only the smallest bits of flash in the odd place. Cast in a light olive color, I was really pleased to see how fine the parts were. Though I’ve seen and read plenty of this 190 on the web, this is actually the first time I’d been able to look over the sprues.
Though the original boxings contained several P/E frets, it is a testament to quality of the engineering that even though Accurate Miniatures’ boxing does not come with P/E, the detail parts are still well cast and work perfectly fine without P/E. I really appreciate that, in fact, as I tend to get frustrated with all of the bending and super glueing, and like how the kit simply does not need them. If you like them, you can be sure Eduard’s parts will fit!
The kit consists of over 200 parts…. quite a number, I know. Thus the charges of over-engineering, I suppose. But good grief, it is so detailed right out of the box. If you leave all the panels and so forth open that the kit allows, you’ll be treated to wonderful views of gun bays and the engine. Of course, if you’re hoping for a quick build, you might be at the bench a while.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that….. 😉
The decals are very nice looking- up to the usual high standards typical of Accurate Miniatures. Three options are available- Josef “Pips” Priller’s Black 13 (in D-Day markings from his famous strafing run), Willi Maximowitz’s Black 8, and Ernst Schroder’sRed 19.
In addition to the extra fuel tank parts covered in the instructions, there are bomb and aerial rocket parts included. I’m not sure if they were there for another variant, or options not covered in Accurate Miniatures’ instructions. I’m sure a bit of research, or a quick question on a forum would provide the answer. Clear parts are very nicely done, very clearly cast.
If I had any criticism of the kit, it would be the price. Accurate Miniatures’ release of this A-8 is listed at $39.99. Given that Eduard has released a Weekend Edition of the same kit for about $23, it’s a bit hard to go the extra dollar, even considering the additional decals in the Accurate Miniatures kit.
Still, I am a supporter of brands. I like Accurate Miniatures, as they are located in my state of residence, North Carolina. And they’re just nice people. That counts a lot for me. (Not to say the folks at Eduard aren’t….) So I’d spend a few extra bucks.
Of course, I really can’t complain, as Accurate Miniatures was kind enough to send me this as a review sample- how cool is that? 🙂 Special thanks to Accurate Miniatures and Tom Myers for this kit.
