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.

This is Part 2 of this kit review, and it will focus on the Fw 190A-8 airplane build.

Part 1 of this review looked at the box contents.

In the Box

For the Fw 190A-8 kit, the first half of the instructions are dedicated to its assembly. It starts in the cockpit where Eduard provides smooth panel parts to allow the PE details to be glued directly to the plastic without having to first remove & sand away the raised detail. But there are options to use decals to overlay on top of the molded panels or you can paint it by hand.

Once the cockpit is finished it can be installed into the fuselage halves along with the engine front plate.

The landing gear compartment is well detailed and the sequence to install the internal structure is logical. I did decide to cut off the machine gun barrels just forward of the leading edge since I knew they would not survive the process of sanding away the wing seams.

After that, final assembly of the fuselage, wings, horizontal stabilizers, and rudder was easy. The area that will need more attention is landing gear struts. To get them aligned just right will take several check fits and patience to allow the glue to dry. Fortunately, on page 8 of the instructions, you get a front profile of the plane, so you know how to align the gear for final configuration.

For the markings, I decided to go with the box art version (Option A) Black 12 with the red & yellow snake on the sides. The paints I used were Tamiya. Prior to decal application I gave the model a clear gloss coat. The decals are the kind that will allow you to remove the clear film after letting it dry overnight. I had no issues removing the clear film for this kit.

After this, I airbrushed several thin coats of AK Interactive Ultra Matt Clear added the final small bits and called it good.

Conclusion for Part 2 of this Review

This is the first time to review and build an Eduard Fw 190A-8. This is a great kit to build. My initial look at the sprues may have been intimidating but once I got into the flow of the assembly, it became a fun experience and less demanding than I estimated.

It may not be a kit for beginners (small parts, PE, & resin) but for more experienced folks, it will be a wonderful build.

For Part 3, I will be reviewing the Fw 190D-9 plane of this dual combo.

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