Tuesday 21 December 2010

Schlangenschwarm Fw 190 - snake Staffel rocket launchers



...the last few stencils being added to this Revell Fw 190 (1/72) finished in the markings of 3./JGr.10, an operational bomber destroyer trials unit, Germany, September 1944. I used the decals from the Kagero Fw 190 monograph (Vol 1)  - which went on just fine, although the Staffel codes should be black, outlined in red. Basically Kagero appeared to have copied the incorrect EagleCals sheet! The Revell A-8 is very slightly modified back to the A-7 variant (which is basically just relocating the pitot tube to the mid-wing position) and I used a new canopy sourced from another Fw 190 kit in order to depict it open. The underwing rocket launchers came from the Airfix Bf 109 G.. 

3./JGr.10 flew in concert with II.(Sturm)/ JG 300 during September 1944 from Erfurt-Bindersleben and suffered very high losses - as did the Sturmgruppe. Although not depicted here many of their Fw 190s were fitted with the rearwards firing belly-mounted Krebs or 'crab' rocket launchers - designed to be fired after a firing pass through the bomber box. Veteran Sturmgruppe pilots I have corresponded with have referred to the Krebs rocket launchers as a " ..stupid idea. A fighter pilot could neither see nor aim to the rear.." 




 Pic above shows the model posed on an image of 'Black 11' from the same unit. This is the subject of the recently released (August 2013) new tool Airfix Fw 190 A-8 which I have finished in a similar scheme at the following link also on this blog
http://falkeeinsmodel.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/new-tool-airfix-fw-190-8-172.html

One final pic (below) of the Revell Fw 190 A-8 finished in Jagdgruppe 10 "Schlange" or "snake" markings.


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