Special Hobby 1/72 Fw 187 Falke

SPECIAL HOBBY 1:72 FOCKE-WULF FW 187 FALKE
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: Peter Hobbins (rec.models.scale)

For those like me with a penchant for twin-engined prop-driven fighters, the Fw 187 remains one of history’s great “why not?” options – like the possibility of a Merlin-engined Westland Whirlwind. An outstandingly fast and well-armed aircraft, the single-seat Fw 187 Falke (“Falcon”) was clearly superior to the Messerchmitt Bf 110 but the latter was already in service and – when forced to become a twin-seater – the Fw 187 lacked the rear defence gun demanded by the RLM.

While there have been several vacform and resin Falkes, this is the first injection-moulded kit in 1:72 scale. And thank you Special Hobby, as it looks like a nice kit. The instruction booklet is thorough and shows some useful detail pictures, such as the undercarriage and dihedral arrangements. The decal sheet is lovely, offering three aircraft, including one later-war scheme I’ve never seen before. The plastic mouldings are crisp and detailed, even including the engine instruments moulded on the inner faces of the cowlings – and matching decals (the cockpit was so cramped there was no room for them!). As is often the case with limited-run kits, the small detail parts are a bit sloppy but the injected canopy is quite clear. The resin is fine but I’ve seen better, while the photo-etch fret includes a useful array of parts, including belts, instrument consoles and radiator grilles.

Construction looks to be fairly straightforward, although lots of attention will be required in the cockpit to ensure it fits well, as there is also an undernose clear window. Wings of Fame volume 3 provides a good (if brief) overview and some helpful detail photos. Conversion options could include a single-seater prototype (tricky as it had a narrower fuselage) or ‘what-if’ options such as DB 601- or 605-engined versions that could really have given the Allies some curry.

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