Eduard has graciously provided the IPMS Reviewer Corps with their new Limited Edition dual combo kit: Wilde Sau, Episode Three: Until the Fall of the Empire. Featuring the Fw 190A-8 and Fw 190D-9 kits in 1/48th scale.

In the Box

This is a typical Eduard top-open box with beautiful artwork. Inside are parts for a Fw 190A-8 and a Fw 190D-9 WWII German airplane. Also included are photo-etched frets for each plane, along with two sets of resin wheels and masking sets for the wheels and canopies.

The instruction booklet has 32 pages with easy-to-follow steps and well-detailed illustrations.

Decals are on one large sheet for both planes, along with a separate stencil decal sheet for each plane. Decals are the kind where you can lift off the carrier film after letting it dry overnight.

The provided decal markings are as follows:

1. Fw 190A-8, W. Nr. 733724, II./JG 300, Bayreuth-Bindlach, Germany, Spring 1945
2. Fw 190A-8, W.Nr. 171641, Fw. Konrad Bauer, 5./JG 300, Erfurt-Bindersleben, Germany, August 1944
3. Fw 190A-8, Fw. Hannes Theis, 6./JG 300, Lobnitz, Germany, October-November 1944
4. Fw 190A-8, Lt. Gustav Salffner, CO of 7./JG 300, Lobnitz, Germany, March 1945
5. Fw 190A-8, W.Nr. 737938, 4./JG 301, Brunnthal, Germany, 1945
6. Fw 190A-8, W.Nr. 170930, Stab I./JG 301, Stendal, Germany, April 1945
7. Fw 190A-8/R11, Ofw. Gunther Migge, 1./NJGr. 10, Werneuchen, Germany, March 1944
8. Fw 190D-9, W.Nr. 211164, Stab/JG 300, Prag-Rzyne, Czechoslovakia, May 1945
9. Fw 190D-9, W.Nr. 500408, 5./JG 301, Bad Langensalza, Germany, May 1945
10. Fw 190D-9, W.Nr. 500666, II./JG 301, Erfurt-Nord Airfield, Germany 1945
11. Fw 190D-9, W.Nr. 500576, 12./JG 301, Wunsdorf, Germany, May 1945.

The sprue-runners are well done, and the recessed rivet detail is petite and scale-appropriate, along with the panel lines. Some of the older sprue-runners are beginning to show their age, as minor flash is on some parts, but it is easy to clean up with a little effort.

Looking at the parts, the surface detail for the Fw 190A-8 has a lot of finely recessed rivet detail. However, the Fw 190D-9 has less surface rivet detail but has more options to open up the wing and nose gun bays for more visual interest.

Conclusion for Part 1

This is the first time for me to review and build any Eduard Fw 190 kit. My first impression is AMAZING. These two kits look absolutely wonderful, and the detail is impressive. I’m looking forward to building each kit and posting them in future reviews.

I want to thank Eduard for providing the Wilde Sau dual combo kit and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review.

Highly Recommended!