Focke-Wulf Ta 183B

by Francisco Carlos Soldán Alfaro
 

AMtech's 1/48 scale Ta 183 is available online from Squadron.com

I love Luft '46 project aircraft, so when AMtech's 1/48 scale Focke-Wulf Ta 183B kit was released around a year ago I ordered one from Squadron straight away.

When I received the model I was pleasantly surprised. The surface texture, engraved panel lines and general detailing was extraordinary.

It is a shame that the canopy is supplied in one piece, but it is a simple matter to cut the part in two so that the excellent kit detail can be displayed more effectively.

The only serious problem with this kit is choosing a colour scheme.

In the end I decided on a typical late-war scheme in RLM 81/82/76; but with the rear fuselage/empennage and nose finished in another combination, RLM 75/76. This is intended to depict components from different airframes.

All colors used were by Gunze Sanyo and Tamiya acrylics.

The cockpit interior is painted an equivalent dark grey to RLM 66 from Vallejo. The landing gear and wheel wells are also painted with Vallejo acrylics.

They are perfect for this sort of application. The effect of depth and shade is acheived with heavily thinned oil paints.

Weathering

I painted lines where the panels joined on the upper fuselage to represent putty. I used oil paint to show the effects of previously painted panels.

The area around the cockpit was weathered to represent the damage at the wing root and fuselage sides caused by pilots and ground crew.

Finally, with a Number 1 paint brush, I applied "chipping" of the paint with special emphasis on the front of the aircraft. The wings, which were made of wood, did not receive this chipping treatment. I only dirtied up these parts.

Markings

The crosses and the swastika were made with masks. This technique let me give them a paler weathered appearance.

The number “10 blue” is a decal. This was cut close to the digits and applied with the assistance of MicroSol and MicroSet.

I also added a Green RV Band to the tail, consistent with service in JG 27 at the end of the war.

The only kit decal used on my model declares “Hier sieth man Fritz, den muntern Knaben, Nebst Huckebein, dem jungen Raben”, which means “Here you see Fritz, the alert boy, next to Huckebein, the young raven”.

Once the work was finished I sealed it with a flat varnish mixed with semi-gloss by Marabú.

The result is the replica of a powerful machine that really does look like a clever crow ready to catch his prey!

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2003 by Francisco Carlos Soldán Alfaro
Page Created 18 May, 2003
Last Updated 17 March, 2004

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