Aires continues to produce some highly detailed and attractive sets for the modeller who wants to build more than just out of the box. This set has been produced for the Tamiya FW190A-3 kit to display a full exposed BMW engine, gun bays and cockpit. Aires have combined their FW190 Engine set, Cockpit Set, Wheel well and gun bay detail sets.

Overall, the detail set contains 126 resin parts and 58 etched metal parts in total.

The engine set contains 70 crisply cast resin and etched metal detail parts and about the same amount of parts are to be manufactured from two lengths of provided wire. These parts to be manufactured are the push pods, rocker axles and various plumbing. The set contains the engine and ancillary parts as well as all of the engine mounting assembly and cowlings. The parts have easy to remove moulding blocks, but care will be needed when handling so as not to damage the fine detail.

First of all some extensive surgery is required to remove the kit nose area and this has been explained on the instruction sheet with the area to be removed shaded. Fortunately this falls along heavily recessed panel lines, so no rocket science is needed in measuring for the cutting. Some thinning of the kit is required where the firewall is to be located. The lower rear cowl remains as a part of the kit, and this will need some internal thinning and cleanup.

The engine is made up of 2 major parts, the block and engine rear face where most of the ancillary components are fitted. To this assembly are added all of the cylinders, wiring harness and various plumbing. The detail on the engine is excellent with all of the detail crisply moulded, even the cylinder head cooling fins are finely moulded and without flaw.

The engine firewall is similar and abounds in detail. The prominent features being the upper cowling gun mounts and associated wiring. The main engine bearers mount directly to the firewall encasing the engine onto sturdy mounting points at the rear of the engine. To complete the full assembly some plumbing and wiring detail needs to be added before fitting the cowling bearers and supports. The exhaust and inlet piping is excellently represented in resin and looks to be relatively easy to install. At this point the whole assembly is ready to be fitted into the model and glued in place. The last task for the engine area is the cleanup and display of the cowls. These have been provided with full internal and external detail that has been crisply moulded in full relief.

The cockpit is a full replacement of the kit cockpit. The cockpit set contains 7 crisply cast resin detail parts, 17 etched metal parts and 2 photo images for the instrument panel. The instrument panel is a real treat made from resin with an etched metal insert and photo backing for the instruments. The throttle lever is cast into the cockpit tub but is superb in its detail. The seat belt harness and rudder pedals are represented in etched metal and faithfully reproduce the detail on the real aircraft. The Tamiya control column is replaced by very highly detailed resin part containing all of the gun triggers and buttons. Some minor thinning of the kit sides is required to enable the set to fit easily.

The wheel well replacement is a single piece affair and represents the correct depth and extensive detail in the real thing. Some minor cutting of the kit lower wing to remove the moulded on inner wheel doors is required before fitting this item.

The next assembly is the five gun bay areas. The modeller needs to carefully cut away the inner and outer gun bay panels on the upper and lower surfaces of the kit wings and some thinning down of the internal surfaces will be required to allow the gun bays to fit. The resin bays are then a direct drop in with some minor assembly of the guns and barrels. The gun bays set contains 28 crisply cast resin detail parts. The upper engine cowl guns are a direct fit to the engine firewall which is part of the engine assembly.

The final details are the modification of some of the undercarriage parts with resin details and the replacement of the inner undercarriage doors which are moulded shut on the Tamiya kit.

This is a very extensive detail set and some advanced modelling skills will be required assemble and install the parts into the kit. For those modellers who wish to expose the innards and working details of the Focke-Wulf FW190A-3, this is a must get detail set.

Modelling Skills required- Advanced

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Aires for the review sample

Text and Images Copyright © 2006 by Mick Evans
Page Created 19 January, 2006
Last updated 19 January, 2006

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