Eduard 1/48 Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 "ProfiPACK"

Highly detailed kit from Eduard of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9. This ProfiPACK edition includes some pre-painted photo-etched parts and a set of paint masks. Markings are included for the following aircraft:

• 5./JG 301, Bad Langensalza, Germany, May 1945.
• Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, IV./JG 26, 1945.
• Stab/JG 4, Frankfurt am Rhein-Main, April 1945.
• I./EKG(J) or V./EJG 2, Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, May 1945.
• Stab/JG 6, Prag – Rusin, Czechoslovakia, May 1945.
• Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, I./JG 26, Spring 1945.

Decal schemes:

This Dora, W.Nr. 500408, was discovered by U.S. forces at the airport near Bad Langensalza. She was one of seventy aircraft of Mimetall´s second production batch, produced between December 1944 and January 1945. The yellow-red tail band indicates that this aircraft belonged to JG 301, the red horizontal bar denotes use by II. Gruppe, and the white individual numbers denote 5. Staffel aircraft. The fuselage was camouflaged in an RLM 81 and 82 pattern. Wing upper surfaces were in RLM 75 and 83. The forward part of the wing under surfaces were RLM 83. Note two variations of the RLM 76 colour. The camouflage of the aileron uppersurfaces indicate field replacement.

Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, a 38 kill fighter ace and Knight's Cross holder, noted in his memoirs that he used Dora W.Nr. 210003 as a personal mount from September 1944 to the end of hostilities. He personally destroyed her at the end of hostilities to avoid falling into enemy hands. At first, during Dortenmann´s service with III./JG 54, the airplane was marked 'Red 1'.

In late February, III./JG 54 was redesignated IV./JG 26, and Dortenmann was appointed Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 26. His Dora became 'Black 1'. The White- Black band appeared on the tail as well as IV. Gruppe‘s wave.According to Dortenmann´s memoirs, the original RLM75/83 camouflage scheme was changed to RLM 82/83, but the reason for re-painting remains unknown. A new-style blown canopy was installed instead of the original flat one. The vertical part of the tail unit was painted yellow from JG 54 days. 

Dora W.Nr. 600150 was built by Gerhard Fieseler Werke (first production batch). It is the only recently discovered JG 4 Dora that sports the unit´s badge. U.S. forces found her at Frankfurt am Rhein-Main airfield in April, 1945. Camouflage consisted of RLM 75/83 on the upper surfaces, and blue-green RLM 76 on the lower. The RLM 75 and 83 were applied to the fuselage, and the tail unit wore RLM 83 mottling. The engine section showed original Junkers paint of RLM 83 and a whitish RLM 76. The RLM 75 spots were added to the upper cowling by GFW. The forward part of the wing under surfaces, ailerons and landing flaps were blue-green RLM 76. The Werk Nummer is present on the port side of the fin only. There is no pulley system on the early-style canopy. The Black- White-Black band on the tail identifies this as a JG4 aircraft.

Dora captured by U.S. forces at Pilsen airfield in May, 1945, formerly belonged to I./EKG(J) – I. Gruppe of Ergänzungskampfgeschwader (Jagd). This supplementary unit was redesignated as V. /EJG 2 on March 29, 1945, and was located in Pilsen by the end of hostilities. Unusual style of Gruppe wave in red indicates that this Dora belonged to V./EJG 2 rather than to I./EKG(J) as this Gruppe marking wasn´t used by I. Gruppe. The upper surfaces were camouflaged in RLM82/83, and the under surfaces in RLM76. The forward part of wing under surfaces were RLM83, while the remainder of the wing bottoms were left unpainted except for the RLM 76 ailerons. The small black circle with a stylized number 17 under the cockpit appeared on the aircraft after capture and its exact meaning is unknown.

Dora W.Nr. 211164 found at Prague-Rusin airfield after WWII, in all probability belonged to Stab/JG 6. The upper cowling was painted in RLM 83 as well as the rest of the fuselage except for the rear, which was sprayed RLM 82. The tail section had previously been painted with a light coloured tailband, which was oversprayed with RLM 81. The same colour was used for spots sprayed on the vertical tail surface. Wing upper surfaces were in RLM 81/ 82. The forward part of the wing undersides were painted RLM 83. Note the lack of a white spiral on the propeller spinner that was prescribed for all fighter aircraft engaged in the Western theatre of operations from July 1944 onwards.

On March 29, 1945 Hans Dortenmann was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 26. In accordance to this, the marking of his Dora W.Nr. 210003 was changed from 'Black 1' to 'Yellow 1'. Also, the IV. Gruppe wave diappeared as I. Gruppe didn´t use any special marking of this type. This is a reconstruction based on Dortenmann´s memoirs. On the other hand, various sources say this Dora was used by JG 26 for a short period of time only at the end of WWII. There are doubts concerning the camouflage scheme changes also, as it is possible that this Dora W.Nr. 210003 wore the original RLM75/83 pattern throughout its whole life. The camouflage changes as described by Dortenmann were done during major repairs only. In such a case, the original colours would have been completely stripped down and replaced with new ones.