This
model depicts the FW190 A-6 wknr 550505 flown by Fritz Lüddecke of Stabsstaffel
JG 51. Ofw. Lüddecke died in this aircraft on April 10th 1944
with 51 victories, including 17 IL-2s.
I
was inspired by photographs of Stab/JG51 aircraft in Bernd Barbas’
Aircraft of the Luftwaffe Fighter Aces vol 1 and photographs of
Black 12 in Kagero’s Monograph
#4 FW190 vol II. I wanted to do a war-weary machine that
represented the ‘common’ ace and not the flashy markings of the top scorers
that we all know. Lüddecke’s Black 12 with its over-sprayed theatre
markings and crudely masked and worn 12 - + - fit the bill perfectly.
I
also wanted to try my hand at opening some panels and displaying that
delightfully complicated BMW 801. The Aires kit was a definite challenge
garnering at least half the time spent on the model, due in part to the fact
that it’s meant for the Tamiya 190’s. The engine was a first for me.
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PolyScale
acrylic was used throughout with the exception of the Gelb 04 which was
Tamiya XF4 reddened slightly. The model features a heavily modified
and enhanced Aires cockpit with vellum harnesses and ExtraTech buckles.
I’ve come to love ‘Rosie the Riveter’, adding subtle riveting detail
to augment the Eduard surface details. The cooling gills were opened
and replaced with .005 styrene (port side) and lead foil (starboard).
The swastika and stencils are Hobby Decal dry transfers and the rest of
the markings are painted. The wheel wells were augmented with the
necessary wiring harnesses and bulkhead detail. Brake lines were
simulated with wire, and micro-tubing. The AB250 is from the Tamiya
F-8 kit while the ETC 501 is bashed from the kit and the Verlinden
armament set, with added scratch details and sway braces.
The
model is a lot of fun to take to local contests. Even though I’ve
provided pictures of the actual aircraft with all its ‘flaws’ highlighted,
it just bothers so many to have an airplane model be deliberately
‘imperfect’.
Bruce Hunt
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