Amusing Hobby 48th scale Focke-Wulf Triebglugel

Model built between 23rd October 2020 and 12th December 2020

The Triebflugel is one of those Luft '46 projects I have wanted to do for years but never thought I would see a mainstream injection moulded kit. Amusing Hobby proved us all wrong. So, once I cleared some shelf space in 2019, I took the plunge and purchased their 1/48th scale Focke-Wulf Triebflugel kit.

The problem with such projects is this: how to make them original? You have a world of possibilities and can mark up this flying machine in any wartime markings you like. It is not like accuracy is an issue here. So I thought maybe an example captured in RAF service might be fun. I was going to go with a radar equipped version but then Minicraft beat me to that, so I swapped in this massive Mk 214/5cm Bordkanone just for fun. The gun was a turned-metal item by Master

I used the build as a testbed for airbrushing post-shading onto panel lines with my new Iwata Custom Micron. But it was a hopeless disaster and the less said the better. I am still learning. More successful was the cockpit when I used an Aires resin item and some Eduard colour photoetch all of which was designed for an Me-262. It took a while to get that resin to fit this fuselage shape but it was worth it. The Amusing Hobby cockpit was a car-crash. Completley out-of scale and awful to look at.

The kit was quite basic with quite a low part count. it was better than some limited-run injection moulded efforts we have seen, but barely. Surface detail was good and the fit was fair. However it was not cleverly engineered and there was a lack of detail in some areas that really deserved it.

This model was finished in a variety of Acrylics from AK, Mig & Tamiya plus some enamel by Xtracolor. Decals by LF Models (which were massively over-priced rubbish).

Photos of the original kits are here.