The Little World

I do not get a chance to build many Hasegawa aircraft – the kits are not as common on the shelves as they might have been in the 1980’s and 1990’s. I suspect his is a financial matter – they can be 25% pricier than other mainstream brands. I am not fussed – the examples I’ve seen have been delightful builds. People rave about Tamiya and their fit, but I think Hasegawa as good – albeit a little lighter on detail.

The FW 190A has assembled with no dramas whatsoever – this is worrying as it means I will be making my scheduled mistake at some stage closer to finish… There are two things that were notable:

a. The cockpit tub ( a clean assembly ) could be dropped in from the underside once the fuselage haves were joined. This mean the cementing could be neatly done with MEK and no juggling while it was in progress. It was all under clamps before the first cement hit plastic. And Hasegawa made positive locating ledges for the tub. Are you listening, Prague?

b. The propeller was in five pieces; three separate blades, a hub, and a spinner. Normally this would give me the heebie jeebies, but in this instance Hasegawa moulded a small locating pin on each blade to set into the hub – it keyed the orientation of the blade. I used Tamiya Extra Thin to set each one in and it set so fast that there was no time for things to go out of registration.

The prop in the shot is loose so that it can come out for painting. There will be no filler anywhere, so the undercoat can go on very soon. After that the fun starts.

Note: I am being wooed by the aftermarket decal makers in regard to this one. But I am going to remain strong – paying the price of the kit again for a sheet of specials is against my religion.*

• The Order of St. Cheapjohn.