Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 by Chris Wauchop (Hasegawa 1/32)

Hasegawa's 1/32 Scale
Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9

by Chris Wauchop

Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9
14./JG 26, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann

images and text by Brett Green

Hasegawa's 1/32 scale Fw 190D-9 may be ordered online from Squadron

Introduction

Chris Wauchop has already built one of Hasegawa's 1/32 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 kits. He has also finished a Tamiya 1/48 scale Dora in the markings of Oblt. Hans Dortenmann.

With the recent release of EagleCals' 1/32 scale sheet covering Dortenmann's Fw 190, Chris decided it was time to combine some of his favourite markings with one of his favourite models.

Construction

Last time Chris built Hasegawa's big Dora with only minor modifications. For this project, he included Eagle Editions' 1/32 scale Fw 190D-9 resin replacement cockpit.

Chris was very impressed with the casting and fit of this set. The modeller is offered the choice of a seat with a harness cast-on as a single resin part, or a plain seat with separate photo-etched belts. Chris chose the resin option.

Chris took a different approach to the rivets on the fuselage this time. He initially wanted to buy a ponce wheel to speed the task, but could not find a wheel with closely enough spaced teeth. He therefore simply used the point of a pin to push the rivets into the plastic of the fuselage sides. This detail was added to the full length of the fuselage from the nose to the empennage, with special attention to the area around the cockpit.

In common with his earlier large-scale Hasegawa Dora, other additions and modifications included:

Brass pins added to the tailwheel strut and oleo to retract the wheel into the fuselage slightly.
A replacement DF loop formed from a staple securing one of the polythene bags in a Tamiya kit. Chris uses Tamiya staples exclusively for this task!
The short FuG antenna on the fuselage was replaced with brass wire, beefed up at the base.
The whip aerial at the end of the Morane mast was replaced with wire.
Cannon and machine gun barrels were drilled out with the tip of a scalpel blade.
Hydraulic lines were added from fine soldering wire.
Aerial was sourced from smoke-coloured invisible mending thread. The isloators were built up from drops of Krystal Kleer then painted.
A lens for the gun camera was added using Krystal Kleer.
The flaps were modified to reduce the angle of droop.

Painting and Markings

Chris finished his Dora using decals from EagleCals' 1/32 scale release, EC#60. This set includes four interesting options.

The model represents the aircraft of Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, Staffelkapitan of 14./JG 26. There are two excellent close-up photos of the mid fuselage of this aircraft in Axel Urbanke's book, GREEN HEARTS First in Combat with the Dora 9. Chris based his paint job on the detailed sample shown in these photos.

This aircraft was typical of many in JG 26, wearing a black and white RV band and its paintwork having been "greened up" in the field.

The Testor Aztek A470 airbrush was used to spray Gunze acrylic paints. Upper surface colours are RLM 83 Dark Green and RLM 82 Bright Green. The lower surfaces are all RLM 76 Light Blue.

After the model was painted, Chris polished the fuselage rivets with a nail buffer. This highlighted the ridges of the rivets.

The decals were now added. They performed perfectly upon application.

The fuselage crosses were lightly oversprayed, as suggested by the photos in GREEN HEARTS First in Combat with the Dora 9.

After his customary flat coat over the decals, Chris thought that the finish looked a little too flat. He added a slight sheen by spraying a thin coat of Future over the flat finish to complete the job.