Fw 190-A3/U10 Seewurger

[PR19_Kit]

After my recent mammoth repair session, I had a couple of aircraft left over that couldn't be repaired as I didn't have the required bits, one being the Fw 190 pictured below. I have no idea what it's orriginal sub-type was (I'm sure someone else here does....) but I think it was an -A7 or -A8 from and old Frog kit. As you can see it's lost one complete landing gear leg and its prop. It was destined to just lie in my scrap bin until I found a use for it, but when the UK SIG 1941 theme came up I got to thinking.......





The result was a seaplane Fw 190 taking part in the abortive Nazi Norwegian campaign. (see backstory posted later on, and I'll add a link here too of course)

I had a Jo-Han Zero landplane plus seaplane kit in The Loft, and I've had it since the mid 70s so you can tell how old THAT is! It's a lovely little kit, but you can only build one complete aircraft from it, and you're left with either a few landplane Zero bits or a complete 'Rufe' conversion kit! I tried the big central float against the Fw 190 and it looked great, so immediately got to work as a 'quickie' for the 1941 theme. (I have another idea if I have enough time for it....)

I also had an Airfix Fw 190-D9 in The Loft and it provided the prop, but had to be cut down a little or it would have clouted the top of the main float. The landing gear legs seem to have been made for a different aircraft as no way would they fit in the hole left by the departed leg, so I canibalised the existing starboard leg and used its door to fill that side, but used half a pound of filler on the port side. Amazingly it worked quite well and after a monster PSR session the underside of the aircraft is now smooth and unsullied by any landing gear. I took the opportunity to snap off the tail-wheel and fill its well as well, and also hacked off the centre-line fuel tank rack as it would get in the way of the float.



A bit of drilling here and there and the addition of a small packing piece enabled the main float to slot into place and the tip floats went into other holes drillled just outboard of the under-wing insignia. I had a beaching trolly in stock that usally supports an RW 'Rufe' that I have, and I figured it would do for the SeeWurger too, but for sme reason a Frog 'Rufe' and a Jo-Han one have different width floats so I modified the trolly a little and it works a treat.







I found it very odd to be doing PSR work on a model that was already painted and decaled, but I got by, and it will save LOTS of time later on. I've sorted out some Jagstaffel insignia for the model and done some small decals for it, so all I have to do now is re-paint the underside and the floats and we're there.

I may add a ventral fin to balance off the big nose of the float, and a couple of under-wing bomb racks would probably work well too, but that shouldn't be too much trouble.

Watch this space.....

Backstory here :- http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,33455.new.html#new

[kitnut617]

That float on it just looks perfect Kit ---   

[karlik]

as simple 
great work 

[Taiidantomcat]

Alright! New lease on life!! 

[rickshaw]

Looks like it was made for that Fw190, Kit!   

[RotorheadTX]

Heh, heh, heh. Rufe floats look great on just about any single-engine fighter.    Nice save!!

[NARSES2]

Nice one Kit, neat back story to 

[Old Wombat]

Looks good, so far. I look forward to seeing it finished!

[The Wooksta!]

It's the old Airfix kit, which could have been done as either an A-8 or F8, depending on the canopy and weapon fit.  It was the inlay in the wheel well that was the giveaway, plus the markings are for Priller.  The most recent release of the Airfix one was an Aces boxing and Priller was the choice.

One final thing.  The A-8 was used from late '43 onwards and the kit can't be backdated to anything earlier than an A-5 without serious surgery.  It's fine for a developed SeeWurger, but not one operating in 41.  The Matchbox kit, OTOH, would be ideal, being an A-3.

[PR19_Kit]

It's the old Airfix kit, which could have been done as either an A-8 or F8, depending on the canopy and weapon fit.  

It's fine for a developed SeeWurger, but not one operating in 41.  The Matchbox kit, OTOH, would be ideal, being an A-3.

Well as it's my model, I'll re-write any history to suit me, and 1941 it is............ 

Plus I can't change Herr Priller's markings now, so it'll still be No. 13 Stab aircraft, but in II JG/77.

[ChernayaAkula]

Very cool! 

[Pablo1965]

I like all the seaplanes and this is very nice, the seaplane of Joseph "Pips" Priler congratulations 

[sequoiaranger]

Just a hint--most such floatplanes had to have some sort of extra tail vertical stabilizer strake. Easy enough to do- put a "fin" under the tail where the tailwheel would have gone.

[Pablo1965]

Just a hint--most such floatplanes had to have some sort of extra tail vertical stabilizer strake. Easy enough to do- put a "fin" under the tail where the tailwheel would have gone.

Hi You like the seaplanes also, it shows.

[PR19_Kit]

Just a hint--most such floatplanes had to have some sort of extra tail vertical stabilizer strake. Easy enough to do- put a "fin" under the tail where the tailwheel would have gone.

Give me time, give me time..........