My stash just grew again 2025

[PR19_Kit]

Just paint over the rear part of the canopy. Simples. 

[Old Wombat]

Just paint over the rear part of the canopy. Simples. 

Not quite that easy, but not difficult. 

[NARSES2]

Just paint over the rear part of the canopy. Simples. 

On my 1/72 one I've converted the cockpit (which is one of the 3D printed additions to the recent re-issue) into a single seat configuration. The rear half of the canopy will see psr to get it to align with the fuselage and it also has had tropical filters added to the air intakes.

The rear cockpit of the 187 really does look like an afterthought. I don't think the FW designers hearts were in the conversion to a two seater.

[NARSES2]

These two arrived this morning from the Big H. Both will probably be Real World

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[Old Wombat]

The rear cockpit of the 187 really does look like an afterthought. I don't think the FW designers hearts were in the conversion to a two seater.

Kurt Tank (rightly) thought it was completely unnecessary, & it was only put in there at the insistance of the RLM, as they were contemplating it as a replacement for the Bf.110.

The changes made to fit the 2nd seat & rebalance the aircraft had quite a negative impact on its performance, so it was never adopted, but then the RLM's interest was only desultory at best..

[NARSES2]

Kurt Tank (rightly) thought it was completely unnecessary, & it was only put in there at the insistance of the RLM, as they were contemplating it as a replacement for the Bf.110.

I always thought it was in competition with the Bf.110 for the same contract ? I assume the prototypes that were used to defend the Fw factory later in the War were flown as single seaters ? Not sure if the rear seat and associated paraphenalia were removed though ?

[Old Wombat]

Kurt Tank (rightly) thought it was completely unnecessary, & it was only put in there at the insistance of the RLM, as they were contemplating it as a replacement for the Bf.110.

I always thought it was in competition with the Bf.110 for the same contract ? I assume the prototypes that were used to defend the Fw factory later in the War were flown as single seaters ? Not sure if the rear seat and associated paraphenalia were removed though ?

No, they were a "private venture" to create a single-seat long-range fighter, similar to the (later, just) Whirlwind, right at the tail end of that period when twin-engined bombers could outpace single engined fighters but, it turned out, weren't fast enough to out-run twin-engined single-seat fighters.

Neither the Luftwaffe nor the RAF considered their range, which greatly exceeded that of the single-engine fighters, of any importance because their bombers would get through the enemy's squadrons of single-engined fighters unmolested, so didn't need escort fighters. We know how well that turned out. 

True, both the Fw.187 & Whirlwind were slightly less manoeuvrable than their single-engined opponents, but not by much, & they were (initially) faster, & could fly higher, which meant that zoom-&-boom interception tactics would have made them both effective bomber escorts in the early years of the war. Given the same level of wartime R&D as that given to the Spitfire & Bf.109, they may even have stayed viable throughout the war.

The WHIF theory for my builds is that the single-engine fighter speed break-through never happened, & single-engine fighters never managed to reach the speed of twin-engined bombers, meaning that single-seat twin-engine fighters were the mainstay of fighter defence & offence during (at least) the early years of WW2.

[PR19_Kit]

These two arrived this morning from the Big H. Both will probably be Real World

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Are they both in HUGE boxes and filled full of bits you don't really need for the model, like their Spitfire PR1 kit that I got at Telford?

[The Wooksta!]

Given the level of detail in the Spitfire PR I got at Telford, I'm almost tempted with a normal fighter, but the price tag being over £20 for a single seat single engined fighter in 72nd is quite frankly unacceptable to me.  Especially when I have loads of Spitfires tucked away as it is.

[PR19_Kit]

For sure they aren't cheap!

[The Wooksta!]

I can just about justify twenty notes... any more, just no.

[Captain Canada]

Looks rather nice to me.
Gondor

It sure does ! The base looks like a jack-up rig for an offshore rig. If you could keep it intact it would be helpful bits for a sci-fi diorama!

[Gondor]

Looks rather nice to me.
Gondor

It sure does ! The base looks like a jack-up rig for an offshore rig. If you could keep it intact it would be helpful bits for a sci-fi diorama!

The lattice framework that supports most resin printed items are always useful for such things, industrial pipework and the like being the type of things that they lend themselves to.

[Andrew Gorman]

This FW-187 adds a peculiar nose and a turret! Speculation? Insufficient data?  But it looks cool- from a ca. 1940 postcard

[Old Wombat]

This FW-187 adds a peculiar nose and a turret! Speculation? Insufficient data?  But it looks cool- from a ca. 1940 postcard

Never built, probably not even considered by Fw but, rather, one of the RLM's spurious proposals to use it to replace the Bf.110 by turning it into the Bf.110 with all of the 110's faults & none of the 187's advantages.