Trumpeter 01639 1/72 FW 200C-8 Condor Model kit

Details of Trumpeter 01639 1/72 FW 200C-8 Condor Model kit

Basic Specifications

• Brand: Trumpeter
• Item No.: 01639
• Scale: 1/72
• Subject: German Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-8 Condor Four-engine Long-range Anti-Shipping Missile Bomber
• Material: Plastic
• Finished Size: Approx 408mm ×530mm

Kit Contents

• Total around 260 plastic parts
• Photo-etched detail parts included
• Clear transparent parts for cockpit, ventral gondola, waist and tail defensive gun positions
• Four Bramo 323R-2 radial engine assemblies and three-blade propeller sets
• FuG 200 Hohentwiel airborne search radar components
• Hs-293A radio-controlled glide bomb and underwing mounting pylons
• Decals & assembly instruction manual
• Unpainted and unassembled kit, paint and glue not included

Product Features

• Accurately reproduced Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-8 Condor, the specialized missile carrier variant designed to launch Hs-293A guided anti-ship glide bombs
• Faithfully modelled four Bramo 323R-2 radial engines with detailed cylinder heads, exhaust stacks and engine cowling texture
• Fully detailed multi-crew cabin, ventral observation gondola, waist gun emplacements and tail gun station
• Equipped with FuG 200 Hohentwiel nose-mounted search radar antenna array
• Fine engraved panel lines and rivet details across long-span cantilever wings and reinforced fuselage
• Unique underwing pylons for mounting Hs-293A radio-controlled glide bombs, the key feature distinguishing C-8 from earlier Condor versions
• Optional open or closed internal bomb bay configuration for conventional aerial bombs
• Precise tricycle landing gear with detailed wheel wells, heavy-duty struts and wheels
• Replicated defensive armament including MG 151/20 cannon and MG131 machine guns in multiple gun stations
• Multiple marking options for Luftwaffe KG 40 bomber wing

Historical Background

• The Fw 200 C-8 Condor was a late-production missile carrier variant of the Condor series, modified to carry and launch Hs-293A radio-controlled glide bombs against Allied shipping.
• It retained the FuG 200 Hohentwiel surface search radar, allowing crews to locate enemy convoys over vast stretches of the Atlantic and Bay of Biscay.
• The Hs-293A was one of the world’s first operational guided anti-ship weapons; bombardiers used radio control to steer the missile toward surface targets.
• Only a small number of Fw 200 C-8 airframes were converted, operated by KG40.
• By the time the C-8 entered service in 1943, Allied maritime air superiority had greatly increased. Heavy losses limited the effectiveness of the Condor in anti-shipping missions.
• As the war situation deteriorated, surviving Condors were reassigned to transport and secondary support roles until the end of WWII.