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In-Box Review
172
Fw 200 C-5/C-8 CONDOR

by: Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ]

History
Scourge of the Atlantic, said Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Focke-Wulf’s FW-200 Condor. Hitler’s Luftwaffe used these lovely aircraft, designed as airliners, as maritime reconnaissance bombers. They ranged far over the Atlantic, spotting, reporting and attacking convoys, although their main role was beaconing U Boats to the kill. The airliner lineage vexed the bombers with airframe weakness in the turbulent low altitudes of their anti-shipping attacks, and structural failures bedeviled them. Yet they were well armed for the time and dangerous to attack. As the war progressed they were versatile enough to carry new weapons, like the Henschel Hs 293 A-1, a German air-launched missile for use against ships or ground targets. Beginning in mid-1943, Hs 293s sank a number of Allied ships, mostly in the Mediterranean theater*. Later FW 200s were equipped with Type FuG 200

The Kit

Packed in tape sealed plastic bags are your 240 parts on eight sprues. Ten percent are thick but clear canopy parts! As usual with new Revell kits you have crisp molding without flash in light gray styrene. The part sprues seem thoughtfully engineered, the main landing gear strut with drag struts and side stays are single pieces that jut above the other parts, yet Revell seems to have put them on the sprues where they are packed under, and thus protected by, other deep parts on another sprue. The sprue attachments to each part are rather thick, often thrice as long as some parts are thick. I would caution against cutting by knife, suggesting you invest in a sprue cutter. The busy instruction sheet has a new feature for me, clock faces that I assume indicate how long it should take to complete a step. It appears the only paints referenced are Revell’s own line.

Revell is perhaps preparing to release other versions of the Condor as no dumb bombs are included, despite being on sprues in factory photos. The modular fuselage inserts for the top gun positions suggest this, too.

Shallow recessed panel lines detail the exterior. They are not broad, nor do I consider them razor-fine. They seem slightly rounded. Subtle. The instrument panel bezels are raised--I am intrigued as to how well the sharply printed instrument decals will settle upon the instrument panel. Small parts are neither bulky, nor lithe like Italeri is often criticized for. Some parts do suffer from the recessed circular mold release (ejector?) marks. Most seem to be where you can not see them. Unfortunately many can be seen, such as the interior of the fuselage door and the bomb bay doors. Mold lines are almost nonexistent. The line demarcating the control surfaces and the airframe seem shallow along the rudder. I did not realize that Focke-Wulf built the outboard wings with segments covered by fabric! This is replicated with slightly escalloped areas like we are used to on control surfaces. If Revell attempted to suggest fabric texture it is too fine for my eyes.

The interior offers to satisfy. However, I foresee many offerings by after-market companies for resin and photo-etch detail sets! The fuselage crew areas have stringers, spars and ribs molded on, as well a sample of control panels. Six and a half bulkheads divide the crew compartments. Two sport curtain detail, one is detailed on both sides--perhaps three as a pair are open with two structural beams molded across them. The half bulkhead is a partition to the radio compartment with radios molded onto it.

Two large floor pieces make up the cockpit and rear crew area. The flight crew side consoles mainly is detailed with recessed detail that does not seem pronounced. Five seats are provided for the crew, detailed with molded cushions, arm rests and belts. Their sides are thick. Sanding may be useful to create more in-scale proportions, if one thinks these will be noticed when the fuselage is together. Tables and a few other items busy-up the interior. The clear ventral gondola assembly is built with about a dozen pieces including the bomb boy roof, the doors, and fore and aft gunner/observer stations. It appears that corrugated decking and spar and rib detail is molded into the interior.

The powered gun turret is nothing fancy but the gun looks nice. All the MGs capture the look of the weapons without attempting to reproduce all the parts of the gun.

The engines are molded on their firewalls. The cowls are cast that you may partially display the engines.

Many small parts finish this aircraft, including the Hohentwiel anti-shipping radar antennas. These are obviously too thick and do not look good at all. Finally each Hs 293 A-1 is built of 7 parts.

The decal sheet looks very busy. Dozens of data markings are ready for you to apply, as well as codes for three aircraft. Registration appears to be ever so slightly off for the yellow border fuselage codes. I am curious as to how they will settle, my previous Revell decals have been thick and the clear film did not disappear easily.

All of those clear parts are a bonanza for those who enjoy painting canopies. I think I can predict where half the build time will be spent!


*Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum
SUMMARY
Here's a review by Fred Rick Boucher (JPTRR) of what prime Minister Winston Churchill called the Scourge of the Atlantic. This new mold 1/72 scale Fw 200 Condor kit is produced by Revell Germany.
Percentage Rating
80%
  Scale: 1:72
  Mfg. ID: 04387
  Suggested Retail: $20 USD
  Related Link: Focke Wulf Fw 200 C-5/C-8 CONDOR
  PUBLISHED: Jan 31, 2007
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 87.04%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 83.55%

About Frederick Boucher (JPTRR)
FROM: TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES

I'm a professional pilot with a degree in art. My first model was an AMT semi dump truck. Then Monogram's Lunar Lander right after the lunar landing. Next, Revell's 1/32 Bf-109G...cried havoc and released the dogs of modeling! My interests--if built before 1900, or after 1955, then I proba...

Copyright ©2021 text by Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

??? could you please link to the pictures that prove your view? It is as if you were pointing to google as reference ... cheers Steffen
FEB 06, 2007 - 03:53 AM
Hi Fred and all, I too was under the impression that the Fw 200 was an all-metal aircraft. The pictures you present do seem to bear this out. Reading the ongoing debate got me thinking, so I dug out my copy of "Warplanes Of The Luftwaffe" and did some reading. Regarding the Fw 200 Condor, on page 85: "The wing was built as a horizontal centre-section including the engines, with dihedralled and tapered outer panels. Structure was stress-skinned throughout, with flush rivetting, except for the fabric-covered wing aft of the rear spar and fabric-covered control surfaces." Unfortunately this book does not have any pictures showing the surface of the wings, just side views of the aircraft.
FEB 06, 2007 - 08:21 AM
Hi Steffen! Try this link: wreck Jean-Luc
FEB 06, 2007 - 11:39 AM
Wow!! This tread is really turning into a tressure trove of information on the FW 200. Great pictures and good links. Thanks for sharing all your information on the subject.
FEB 06, 2007 - 12:32 PM
Hi gang @ Jean-Luc: that also only gets me on the starting page of the wreck site (I am aware of the concept of "copy and paste" :-) :-) ), it is surely useful for general reseach, but for my discussion with Fred it is not really, because it is too less specific @ Jesper: Not for me, somehow I have the feeling we got into a deadlock ... 1. I cannot find pictures that convince Fred that I am right ----- after scanning, that is .. because in the book they look ok. 2. Fred does insist on his position Stretched fabric never looks like the model companies make us believe, the difference to metal planking is marginal, but can clearly be seen in 1/1 because of the different structure of the fabric and because you can see where it is glued to the framing .. so it is very hard to find pix that clearly show that, I thought my examples did... I know I am right, but I cannot convince him.... so I better drop out here best wishes to all Steffen
FEB 06, 2007 - 01:05 PM
Not for me, somehow I have the feeling we got into a deadlock ... Stretched fabric never looks like the model companies make us believe, the difference to metal planking is marginal, but can clearly be seen in 1/1 because of the different structure of the fabric and because you can see where it is glued to the framing .. so it is very hard to find pix that clearly show that, I thought my examples did... best wishes to all Steffen [/quote] The discussion here is good enough to me. It proves that the model might have some overdone details, but are fundamentally correct. That is fine with me and good enough for me to build this beautiful aircraft. It does not have to be a work of art. It normally never is, when I am done with it :-) :-)
FEB 06, 2007 - 03:43 PM
Steffen, Steffen, Steffen! Hit the reset button mine Freund! You did convince me yesterday evening. I rewrote my post with I just sent Jean-Luc the revised text and a re-rating of 80%. You did well and I appreciate your correcting me.
FEB 07, 2007 - 01:14 AM
Hi Fred! I've re-re-re-edited the review! :-) Jetzt ist alles wieder gut... Jean-Luc
FEB 07, 2007 - 01:23 AM
Hi Fred well, first your post only had the links (see my reaction above) ... so I thought you tried to prove you are right .... Well, now it all came to a good end .. as I like it cheers Steffen
FEB 07, 2007 - 01:28 AM
   
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