Spring 2010 Group Build Under Construction Thread, Pacific Coast Ta 152 in Group Builds; As some of you will remember, I have been wrestling with this one for the group build for some time. ...
As some of you will remember, I have been wrestling with this one for the group build for some time. I'm now in the finishing stages, so I attach a few pictures of the paint job and progress so far.
I hope to complete by the end of the month.
It hasn't been easy. I chose a particularly difficult model for a beginner and had I known, I'd have picked another.
There was a lot of thick flash around the edges, almost as if the moulds were slightly misaligned and I struggled to make the wing sufaces line up anywhere near each other so lots of (amateurish) filler.
Please comment on progress so far.
Any suggestion on how to fabricate (very simple please) a broken off and lost 20mm cannon barrel would be helpful.
Like a number of you, I needed a lot of external supervision so I took the liberty of enclosing a picture of the build managers, who also contribute much to the lack of time to model!
It looks to me like you are winning! Easiest way to do a cannon barrel would be with a piece of brass tube of the relevant diameter,most model shops stock it. I'm afraid I can't remember the correct size off the top of my head. I'd do the other side as well,it'll probably look better than the kit ones anyway!
I would defer to your "build managers". I expect that when they say it's Thursday,it's Thursday,even if it's Wednesday.
Cheers
Steve
If you cannot get some brass tube (best if you can) then either plastic tube or the cheapest and not the best option wold be to stretch some sprue to the thickness you need. Brass tube looks better though. If you have any of the plastic glue that has a fine metal tube for 'precision application' maybe you could get away with using that. It, and brass tube can be easily cut by laying it on a flat surface and rolling it with your craft knife blade. A few rolls back and forth and you will get a clean cut without squashing the tube.
Hi Peter
The build looks to be coming along very nicely. I like your choice of subject matter too. Is the Ta 152 the last incarnation of the FW190? If so then this model kind of rounds off the GB quite well!
I agree with the brass tube suggestion. BTW you can get this stuff on ebay in the model section (Toys & Games) - just measured the canons on my 190 with a micrometer and they're 0.8mm. The brass tube definitely improves the look of the canons anyway so it may be a happy accident breaking one of them off!
Look forward to seeing the Ta 152 finished.
Cheers
Paul
Remember boys, flies spread disease... so keep yours closed!
Is the Ta 152 the last incarnation of the FW190?
Cheers
Paul
It was the final development of the Fw190 series. It was given the prefix Ta to recognise the designer Kurt Tank. It was ,sadly for the Luftwaffe though luckily for us,too little,too late.
Cheers
Steve
My reference works say that there were about 250 made, numbers are unclear at this stage of the war apparently, of which most were destroyed by bombing/strafing rather than in combat, largely due to fuel shortages.
Like you, I find it a very attractive looking aircraft.
As Steve (Stona) says, the designation Ta is in recognition of the work of the Fw 190 designer Kurt Tank.
There is an unsupported story by Tank that while flying one of these, he was attacked by two Mustangs which he evaded by opening the throttle and out accelerating them. Apparently it could hit 470 mph flat out, so it's maybe as well it wasn't available in numbers!
Steve, thanks for the tip about the brass tube. (Sorry I mean Paul). Thanks for measuring up the cannon.
It'll be an ebay job when I come back from dog walikng.
There is an unsupported story by Tank that while flying one of these, he was attacked by two Mustangs which he evaded by opening the throttle and out accelerating them. Apparently it could hit 470 mph flat out, so it's maybe as well it wasn't available in numbers!
Peter
Not entirely unsupported.The story appeared in "Kurt Tank,Focke-Wulf's designer and test pilot" by Wofgang Wagner and is the story of an "on the deck escape" sometime in the autumn of 1944.For various reasons this is very improbable. However the incident is mentioned by technical director Nallinger in a Daimler Benz report of 27/2/45. This implies to me the incident was early in 1945. Tank himself said he was flying at 7000m at the time of the incident. Given the date and Tank's own testimony,along with a little knowledge of the test beds he was flying it is a reasonable assumption that he was in either the V7 or V8 prototype at the time. Both were fitted with the DB603 engine and had the MW 50 injection system. They were capable of 720 Km/h at 7000m making the story at least plausible.
There is no corroboration from any allied accounts but if no shots were fired an encounter report would not normally be filed. The allied pilots would not have been aware what they were chasing. A long nosed Fw190 (or Ta 152) was usually called just that, a long nosed 190. I have seen them mis-identified as Bf109s in some encounter reports.
BTW total Ta152 production (including prototypes) was 40-45 aircraft. There were never more than 15 operational at any given time,usually only a handful. Your reference is a long way out.
Ain't the Luftwaffe fun.
Cheers
Steve
Thanks for the update on production numbers. Just re-proves what we already know, which is always to use more than one reference source, and in my case, look for something more recent than the early '60s!
Thanks for the update on production numbers. Just re-proves what we already know, which is always to use more than one reference source, and in my case, look for something more recent than the early '60s!
Peter
True enough Peter, a tremendous amount of information has emerged since the "fall of the Berlin wall" for obvious reasons. I also think more photographic evidence emerges ,somewhat sadly,as the wartime generation passes on and families either sell or otherwise make material available. This has certainly been the case with Luftwaffe pilots' "flugbuchs" or log books for example.
Of course the problem with multiple references is that they often conflict! That's why I put the figure vaguely at 40-45,most peoples' favourite is 43 but I'm happy sitting on my fence.
I've no idea where the figure of 250 came from. Even adding in production of the various Fw190Ds won't get you anywhere near that total!
Don't forget to keep us posted with your progress.
Cheers
Steve
Originally Posted by tr1ckey66
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