1/72 Dragon Wings German diecast models

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Diecast Airplanes

1/72 Warplanes

Dragon Wings German

Me 109G-2 Trop, III./JG 77 North Africa 1942

Warbirds Series. Nice enough model, with good paint work and detailing. The tropical filter is well made, as are the exhaust stacks.

However, the propeller hub is poorly made, and the rudder has a fake notch in it to allow movement from side to side. There's a mismatch in the color between the moveable rudder and the rest of the model. The wings don't have enough dihedral. The prop is firmly anchored to its mounting post, and doesn't turn when you blow on it.

All in all, not a recommended model.

Type	Land-based fighter
DW item #	50087

Fw 190D-9, Jagdgeschwader 4, Juterbog-Damm airfield, Spring 1945

Warbirds Series. Beautifully colored model with a generally nice paint job, though the paint sprayer missed a spot on the leading edge of the left wing. The canopy fits well when closed. Detailing and insignia are excellent.

Adventures in model making. I decided to display the model with its gear in the down position. But before putting the gear in place I had to attach the propeller, the two gun barrels, and the Pitot tube. I put the prop on first and found that it was wobbly and wouldn't spin when I blew on it. After trying to adjust the prop fit, I decided the problem was unfixable and that I would have to live with it.

The first gun barrel fit into a hole in the left-hand wing-root, but I couldn't get the second barrel into the hole in the right-hand wing-root. After filing the end of the 1/2" long barrel, I was able to get it into the hole, but it wouldn't go in all the way and sagged down, giving every indication it was going to fall out, which it did, repeatedly. I thought of trimming a little bit off the end that fit into the wing, but decided not to mutilate the part any more, and to live with the gun barrel hanging down and falling out. The Pitot tube fit without any filing. The tail wheel fit, though it is a chintzy affair of green plastic with a painted tire that looks like green plastic with a painted tire.

Each of the extended gear assemblies is made up of the main gear plus a 3/4" long brace that fits over a peg on the side of the gear. The brace is intended to keep the gear from collapsing inward. The upper end of each main gear comes with a black plastic fitting that slips into a box-like holder molded into the wing. I couldn't get the black plastic fitting into the holder on the left wing, so had to trim the plastic, which loosened the fitting so that it kept slipping out of its holder. The black plastic fitting for the right wing fit into box-like holder, but the peg at the end of the brace wouldn't fit into its slot in the wing, so I couldn't get the proper inward angle for the gear on the right side. I tried filing down the peg, but still couldn't get a proper fit. For some reason the gear was twisted on its mount and the brace had to be pulled forward to get the peg into the slot, but because I had filed it, the peg kept popping out.

Because of the gear-down problems I decided to display the model with its gear up. However, I couldn't get the gear covers to lay flat in the gear wells. The gear cover on one side was twisted, and the outer side of the cover looked like it had been sanded before the paint was applied. The gear cover on the other side had a peg on the inside that wouldn't fit into a slot that had been molded for it in the wing; to get it to fit would have required filing, which I decided not to do.

I assembled all the gear-down parts the best I could. However, I couldn't get the model to sit up straight, and it looked like a gimpy robot with a rupture. In addition, one gun barrel still sagged, and the prop was lose and refused to spin.

I finally decided that, since the model came as a collection of parts, I would display it as a collection of parts.

I also decided to change my brand.

Type	Land-based fighter/bomber
DW item #	50080

Fw 190A-4, Black 1, Oberleutnant Horst Hannig, 2./JG 2 Triqueville 1943

Warbirds Series. A nice looking model with an attractive and colorful paint scheme. The paint is well applied and appears durable. However, the canopy doesn't quite close all the way.

More adventures in model making. I tried attaching the landing gear in the down position, but couldn't get either gear leg firmly anchored in the wing. Both sides were wobbly, and when I sat the model down the gear wouldn't stay in position. As soon as I got the gear on one side or the other adjusted properly, the gear on the other side would slip forward or outward and have to be readjusted. Also, the tail wheel peg (which is 1/4" long) wouldn't fit all the way into its slot, and the tail wheel would fall out every time I picked up the model. Neither the gun barrels, nor the Pitot tube, would fit into the wings without filing, and I decided not to file. The prop was lose and kept falling off when the model was tilted nose down. Also, the prop wouldn't spin when blown on. The canopy would slide nicely, but fell off whenever the model was turned up-side-down.

Despite its good looks, I can't recommend this model to the serious diecast collector.

(Just two more Dragon Wings Warbirds models to document and I'll be free of this nightmare of ill-fitting parts. In the words of Merriwether Lewis, "Oh, Joy".)

Type	Land-based fighter
DW item #	50083

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