Zoukei-Mura Ta152

[Guest]

I take that as a possibility for any parcel sent from an overseas seller.

I never ask or expect to have a seller mark an item as a gift simply because customs officials are not silly and know if one particular company or individual is sending through 100 parcels a day, all of which are 'gifts' and accordingly it's no guarantee.

Reputable traders won't do this anyway, the only leeway they give is occasionally parking shipments as samples, (some of my wifes overseas suppliers for her shop have done this).

If I order anything from overseas and most especially the US I fully expect tax and import duties to be added and factor this into the total cost, if it doesn't get added that's a bonus, the bit that really annoys me is that the shipper adds a thoroughly unreasonable 'handling' fee in addtion to the above, all for doing what they would with any parcel.

Make sure that you make the courier wait until you've opened the parcel and checked the contents, if theres damage send it straight back with him or her, let them go then find out and that causes all manner of bother and they're damn good at legging it the minute you've signed their electronic pad.

[stona]

I expected to have to pay some duty,whilst hoping to get away with it but the handling fee is equivalent to 60% of said duty! Good advice about checking the package,that I shall certainly do.

Thanks.

Steve

[Guest]

Mine should be here soon; I've had the 'item shipped' email. Thinking about doing it as the captured one in RAF markings.

[stona]

I've got piccies of a couple in British markings 150010 and 150168 both in Dieter Harmann's book,the inspirationally entitled "Focke Wulf Ta152". There is another of 150168 in Phil Butler's "War Prizes" but it may just be a cropped version of one of those in the other book.

I'm not planning to do mine like that but I'd love to see it done.

The British scrapped theirs in 1946 but they handed one to the Americans (WNr 150010 or 150003 depending who you believe) which survives today. The NASM has it in storage. You'll recognise it in photos as the Americans marked the tail FE112,a so called foreign evaluation number.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I didn't realise there were two in British hands, which probably explains 2 pics I've seen, one from the port side and one from starboard, which show different markings. The port side one has 'Air Min 11' painted down the aft fuselage, but the starboard hasn't, which seems unusual if it was the same aircraft. I'm thinking of asking Mal Mayfield at Miracle Masks to make me up the paint masks. Also, I'm thinking about a simple diorama, using the standing RAF pilot from the Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire looking at the 152.

In any case, if it turns out half as good as this:

Focke-Wulf Ta 152H by Ian Robertson (JRutman Productions 1/32)

I'll be pleased!

[stona]

That's a superb model.You could do a lot worse than using that as a template. He's even got the partial swastika on one side of the fin correct.

In the pictures I have of 150168 I can't see any evidence of "AIR MIN 11" on the starboard side,or of it's removal. Maybe it was only painted on one side? What I can see painted in white paint,on the starboard tail plane,across the elevator hinge line,in white paint is.

PLEASE KEEP (across the hinge line)

OFF (on the elevator)

No way of knowing if this was on the other side as well. My images were taken in early August 1945 so who knows what had happened between then and the aircraft's original capture at Leck.

It's all good fun isn't it!

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Thanks Steve - that's all good stuff. Is the 'please keep off' hand-painted? If so, I reckon I could do that freehand. Interesting that the RAF repainted the spinner from black to red for display - probably looked a bit more menacing!

[stona]

Here's the image from Butler's "War Prizes - The Album". I'm afraid a scan reproduced on a computer screen is a far from ideal way of viewing such detail. I hope you can at least see the position well enough. I've looked at the print with a magnifier and I'd say it is either painted neatly by hand or even just possibly stencilled.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Brilliant - thanks Steve! I reckon the lettering is also on the wing root, and I'd bank on it being on both sides of the aircraft. Anyway, who's going to tell me it's wrong!?

[stona]

It is on the wing root and,bearing in mind that normal cockpit access etc would be from the other (port) side,I reckon that it's a good bet that it would be on that side too.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Changing my mind for a diorama; I could do the aircraft as at the display, in the photo above. Does anyone know if there are any 1/32 or 1/35 civilian figure models?

[stona]

A diorama hey,I don't know about the figures but I spy a V1 infront and I think (I'll check the other images) that there is a Ju88 in the background........How much room have you got?

Steve (not being entirely serious)

Doh! that's an Fw190.

[stona]

The kit arrived on Monday and I finally got home to have a look at it today

First impressions are fairly good. It looks well moulded,no flash but I did notice a few of everyone's favourite,ejector pin marks. The detail looks good and crisp on a cursory examination which it should do at this price. All the myriad access panels that these late war aircraft had look to have been reproduced,hopefully in the correct places.There's a variety of different plastic,mostly a fairly hard silver styrene,we'll see what glue will work on that, and a typical grey styrene,also some softer black plastic and some nice clear parts.

The instructions are done in the style of a manual and are a bit vague for someone unfamiliar with WW2 german aircraft. They do feature nice photographs of completed sub assemblies to give you something to aim for.

The painting instructions for interior bits 'n' bobs are debateable,not wrong,but I would choose other options in some places. You could say this about any late war Luftwaffe project so it is not a criticism. You also get different options for the camouflage scheme which is honest. I'll be going for the all green upper, 82/83/76 option as various sources lead me to believe this is most likely. It's a brave man who would say the other options are wrong!I suspect large areas of the lower surfaces may have been left unpainted so I'll be looking in to that.

The decal sheet looks good too. It comes with a complete set of stencils and markings for "Green 9" of JG301. This is often referred to as Willi Reschke's aircraft which is odd. He flew it once according to his log book,one of a total of seven flights he made in the type! It also has a complete set of green,yellow and red numbers along with smaller black numbers so you can make an aircraft with different markings and werk nummer which is a nice touch. Swastikas are included as a two part decal (for legal reasons much discussed).

I'm not sure I'll be starting this,or anything else,anytime soon as work has become very busy but I'll post some piccies later anyway.

Cheers

Steve

Here you go.

The Instructions,an important part of any kit in my opinion.

Grey plastic,not bad,not brilliant.

Silver(ish) plastic. I'm wondering how this will react to my normal glue.It carries very good detail.

The soft black stuff. I'm wondering why they used this.It seems okay though.

Finally the decal sheet.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Mine arrived today, after paying customs - grrr! Oh well, it does look an excellent kit. Race you, Steve!!

[Ian M]

Thats a great idea with the decals as single numbers, in a whole series. Some thing other makers should think about!!!

Looks like a good kit clean moulded and sharp detail.

Ian M