[Epapazian]

[Epapazian]

As the pictures, above, indicate, Altaya's FW-200 was a pleasant surprise. It's much more detailed than one might expect---comparable to or superior to Corgi and even Dragon in many respects. Also, the assembly---except for those small gaps near the wing roots and the tailplanes--is decent. The paint is well applied and the insignias as well. However, in the latter case, the underwing letters were misaligned and I had to correct them with a little painting. I didn't like the gray paint they applied to represent side windows, so these are now a dark, glossy blue to suggest a measure of depth.

All in all' this is a great buy for the money and a welcome addition to my collection. I hope they do as good a job on the other planes they are bringing to market.

[SkyBuffalo]

I just got mine this afternoon. I'll generally agree with Epapazian's assessment. The detail is good.

My only unexpected surprise was that the model seems to be totally plastic. There doesn't seem to be any metal at all, as far as I can tell. I don't recall anyone posting about their metal content, but I guess I was expecting something more like their fighter planes, some of which were like lead door-stops.

So if you don't mind the seemingly total plastic makeup of it, which reminds me very much of the EasyModel planes, then this is a good one. For the $30 price that the pre-orders are going for on several of the American website, I'd say it was probably worth it for a model that you really wanted and for which the pictures looked good, like the Condor.

I'm not sure paying much more than that, like from an E-Bay auction, would be worth it. They are all plastic and 1/144 scale, ya know, and personally I would value them closer to the $20-$25 range (comparing to the EasyModel 1/72 scale planes which generally go for $10-$15). I got my Condor from an E-Bay auction that was a bit more than $30 buck and I'd say I don't think I'll do that again. Of course I say that while I'm massively Jonesing for the Kawanishi "Emily" that no one has for pre-order, so I'll probably have to pay a pretty penny on E-Bay.

From now on, I'll wait for good pictures to be posted and try to get them on the $30 pre-order price (or less), or from another source, like E-Bay for not more than $30. Thankfully, there's not very many on the ever-growing list of the Altaya bomber releases that I absolutely have to have.

[SkyBuffalo]

By the way, Epapazian, or anyone else, can you tell me what the story is for this specific Condor?

From the French booklet I got with the book, I can basically decipher that this plane belonged to Kampfgeschwader (KG) 40, probably based in France. From the pictures on P. 8-9 in the book, I'd say the plane, the C-4 version, is from late 1943 or early 1944 like the top picture on those pages. It's odd that they list four other Fw-200s and info. about them on those two pages, but I can't seem to locate any specific info. on the model they built.

So does anyone know any more details on this one, besides it belonging to KG40. Like what time period? What base? What missions was it flying? Thanks for any info. you guys can share.

[Epapazian]

Originally Posted by SkyBuffalo

By the way, Epapazian, or anyone else, can you tell me what the story is for this specific Condor?

From the French booklet I got with the book, I can basically decipher that this plane belonged to Kampfgeschwader (KG) 40, probably based in France. From the pictures on P. 8-9 in the book, I'd say the plane, the C-4 version, is from late 1943 or early 1944 like the top picture on those pages. It's odd that they list four other Fw-200s and info. about them on those two pages, but I can't seem to locate any specific info. on the model they built.

So does anyone know any more details on this one, besides it belonging to KG40. Like what time period? What base? What missions was it flying? Thanks for any info. you guys can share.

Mine didn't come with a brochure. I'll try to find out more if I can.

[Epapazian]

According to the Luftwaffe Colours series ( "Kampfflieger: Volume Two" ) by Smith and Creek, this FW-200 operated out of Bordeaux-Merignac from the latter half of 1941 on. They show a B&W photo and an artist's rendition. The latter interprets the photo as having a red outline on the plane's individual letter ( "C" ) on the fuselage sides and red is also indicated as the color on the spinner tips. So far that's all I know.

[Cruver Collecter]

Trumpeter seems to have taken an interest in this specific aircraft. It is on the box art for their 1/48th scale model of the Fw 200.

[Epapazian]

Originally Posted by Cruver Collecter

Trumpeter seems to have taken an interest in this specific aircraft. It is on the box art for their 1/48th scale model of the Fw 200.

Perhaps it will show up in the next Easy Model catalog.

[stwhite]

Originally Posted by Epapazian

Perhaps it will show up in the next Easy Model catalog.

Yep, sounds good to me--just need it in 1:72 scale!!!

[pulqui]

Originally Posted by SkyBuffalo

My only unexpected surprise was that the model seems to be totally plastic. There doesn't seem to be any metal at all, as far as I can tell.

Altaya FW-200's main fuselage component is metal. That is from the wing root up and including the vertical tail surfaces. The rest is all plastic. This is typical for the series. Something similar happens on the B-17G and Wellington.