Hobby 2000 48017 - 1:48 Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H-0

Plastic model kit of the German high-altitude fighter Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H-0 in 1:48 scale

Hobby 2000 48017 is a self-assembly kit representing the pre-production Ta 152 H-0 – the high-altitude development of the Fw 190 family with its characteristic very long wing and lengthened fuselage. The release is based on Dragon mouldings.

This is the most generously equipped kit in this group of Hobby 2000 releases. Besides the plastic parts the box contains two steel photo-etched frets (seat belts, headrest armour plate and the shelf behind the cockpit), a Junkers Jumo 213E engine model and a display stand. The manual includes templates for converting the wing to H-0 standard, and the Cartograf-printed waterslide decal sheet covers two marking options.

What's in the box:

• Injection-moulded plastic parts by Dragon
• Clear parts for the canopy
• Two steel photo-etched frets: seat belts, headrest armour plate, shelf behind the cockpit
• Junkers Jumo 213E engine model
• Display stand
• Waterslide decal sheet printed by Cartograf for 2 marking options
• Illustrated assembly manual with templates for the wing modification to the H-0 standard

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:48
• Catalogue number: 48017
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Assembled length: approx. 225 mm
• Assembled wingspan: approx. 301 mm
• Skill level: intermediate

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Assembly:

The build calls for some experience – mainly because of the steel photo-etched parts and the wing modification to H-0 standard following the templates in the manual. Steel frets are stiffer than the usual brass ones, so a sharp knife and precision tweezers are worth preparing for cutting and bending them. It is best to finish the cockpit together with the seat belts before closing the fuselage halves.

The included engine model opens up interesting display options, while the stand allows the aircraft to be shown in flight with the undercarriage retracted. Typical late-war Luftwaffe colours will be useful: RLM 82 and RLM 83 on the upper surfaces with RLM 76 underneath, and RLM 66 in the cockpit. Applying the decals over a gloss coat limits decal silvering, and a satin varnish makes a suitable final finish.

Tools required:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Brushes in several sizes and an airbrush for the camouflage
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish under the decals and satin varnish for the final finish
• A wash to emphasise details and panel lines
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Cyanoacrylate glue for attaching the photo-etched parts

About the aircraft – Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H:

The Ta 152 H was the final development of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 family and one of the most advanced German piston-engined fighters of the Second World War. The Ta prefix refers to the designer, Kurt Tank, and the H to its high-altitude role (Höhenjäger). The aircraft received a considerably extended high-aspect-ratio wing, a lengthened fuselage and a Junkers Jumo 213E inline engine with a two-stage supercharger.

The design was an answer to Allied bombers and reconnaissance aircraft operating at great altitude. Thanks to power-boosting systems – MW 50 injection at low and medium altitude and GM-1 at high altitude – the Ta 152 H reached figures no other production Luftwaffe fighter could match. The cockpit was pressurised and the aircraft carried an extensive avionics fit.

Production started at the end of 1944 and stopped in the spring of 1945, and the total number built was small. The H-0 was a pre-production batch without wing tanks; the H-1 received additional fuel tanks in the wings and was the main production version. The aircraft went mainly to Stab/JG 301, where they were used among other tasks to cover jet airfields.

Original aircraft specifications (Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H):

• Length: 10.82 m
• Wingspan: 14.44 m
• Height: 3.36 m
• Empty / take-off weight: approx. 3,900 kg / approx. 5,200 kg
• Crew: 1
• Powerplant: 1 x Junkers Jumo 213E inline engine, approx. 1,750 hp (up to approx. 2,050 hp with MW 50)
• Maximum speed: approx. 750 km/h at high altitude
• Service ceiling: approx. 15,000 m
• Armament: one 30 mm MK 108 cannon firing through the propeller hub and 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wing roots
• Production: from late 1944 to spring 1945, a small number of aircraft

About the manufacturer – Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model kit publisher based in Katowice, known for themed releases prepared in a reboxing formula. The company uses plastic parts made by well-established manufacturers – among them Hasegawa, Academy, Dragon, Fujimi and Bronco – and adds its own editorial package: new box art, an illustrated assembly manual and waterslide decal sheets printed by the Italian printing house Cartograf. Most of the aircraft kits also include self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing. Thanks to this approach the Hobby 2000 catalogue offers subjects that are hard to find in other ranges, often devoted to a specific theatre of operations, unit or to machines with a Polish connection. The kits are released in limited runs, which makes them attractive to collectors as well. This release is based on Dragon mouldings, completed with a new decal sheet.