Fw-190 needs absolutely no introduction. This is arguably the very best piston powered fighter of the Second World War. Many features make it such, but from our current stand point the most interesting one for the modelers is its look. The plane fascinates with its rugged, yet polished appearance. At first glance controversial, especially with that big stubby nose, but then, after careful observation – a delicate and refined tool of war. Focke-Wulf made a plane that surpassed Bf-109, but not only – it fought against devoted and selfless enemy pilots, flying Spitfires, Mustangs and Thunderbolts. None of which being exceedingly better than the Fw-190. In the end, being part of the side that lost the war, Fw-190 slowly faded away as an idea, being revived decades later in the modeling world and with enviable dedication.
We can find the Fw-190 in many variants and in most of the scales. Especially in 48th, it is one of the more-than-abundant toolings. We have it in 72. We have it 32nd too. But Border Model decided to approach this subject differently. Now, we’ll get to get it in 35th scale as well. Remember, that Border Model started with armored vehicles. Tanks are more often than not in 35th scale. But planes, not so much. Helicopters – yes, airplanes…no. So it is a bid of a “Hmm” moment here.
Border Model had the last say so on the matter. They released serious aircraft models in 35th scale. Their Stuka was warmly welcomed. Bf-109 as well. Infamous Lancaster that they got from WnW was in 32nd, but that was neither successful, nor well accepted release, due to some missing elements that Border failed to address. Nevertheless, their 35th scale tanks are wonderful. So it worth taking this new tool into consideration. At least this is the best we can do for the time being, until we get to see the full review of the kit.
With all that said, “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” saying comes at hand here. The images Border Model shared paint a picture that is hard to be missed. They shared the engine and the lower part of the wings attached to the assembled fuselage. The weapons are clearly visible, alongside with the highly-intriguing engine details. On top of that, not everything is yet known about the contents of the box, but it seems rather tempting only from those two shots that Border shared. Once you get to see those, there is nothing much more to talk about.
Truly, the scale is a bit odd for the traditionalists. We are either in 48th or 32nd. Maybe 24th. But in 48th, Fw-190 is a bit of an underdog. Way too tiny, with some missed opportunities. Especially on a table with 48th scale WWII bombers at a modeling show. In 32nd, is great, but that means an obsolete tooling from Hasegawa. Not a bad one, but old. Other option is Revell, which is good, especially for the price, but somehow lacking the details considered acceptable for modern modeler. So, judging from the pictures, 35th scale might be a compromise that is worth living with, especially knowing the quality that you are getting with it.
So, why not? 35th scale might be a deviation from the road we all know and walk, but after all, things are changing constantly and it won’t hurt much if we stray a bit. In the end, the scale is just a measurement, the way the objects are represented is important. And we know – you might argue here that Eduard already gave it all with their quarter scale Wurger and its resin add-ons. You would be right. Also, Zoukei-Mura are about to make some hi-fi noise with their 32nd scale release. And maybe you are right here too. But usually, the Bigger the Better works for models as well, so that answers the 48th scale question. The second consideration is…the price. And we can bet that Border will beat Zoukei on that matter. Probably on the availability argument too.