The Focke Wulf Fw 200 as a passenger aircraft was well ahead of its time. No wonder then that the handwriting of Prof. Kurt Tank continued to be clearly visible to a greater or lesser extent in subsequent developments. In particular, Deutsche Lufthansa were very irritated by the reports from the USA, that a range of aircraft were in development there which would put all their predecessors in the shade. The German answer to this rumours was called the Focke Wulf 200. It was a low-wing monoplane with four engines and a retractable undercarriage. The Fw 200 was designed as a passenger aircraft with a 4 man crew and 26 passengers. In a record flight from Berlin to New York it covered the distance in a sensational 24 hours 36 minutes and 12 seconds. The average speed reached on the 6371,3km journey was 255,5km/h. While the first machines were going into scheduled service with Lufthansa, the Luftwaffe was beginning to show interest in this new long-haul aircraft. The war brought an abrupt end to the career of the Fw 200 as a civil aircraft, as all capacity was now needed for military purposes. With the occupation of Norway, operation "Weserübung", the Luftwaffe fell back on this plane, as transport space was urgently needed. In the military livery the Fw 200A proved just as reliable as it had in service with Lufthansa.  

Revell models have come in lots of colours, red, white, light grey (the normal now for their military airplanes), brown and green.

This kit, molded in 1997, has a total of 82 parts molded in dark green, maybe to help with the camouflage painting, the panel lines are recessed and there is no flash to be seen, maybe because the molds weren´t used so much (maybe the kit didn´t sell well?).

The construction of the kit begins by gluing the transparent parts to the fuselage of the plane (for the left and right fuselages), the cockpit is basic, just two seats, the control columns and the control panel, just that.

The kit has some features that are quite nice though:

1) Recessed panel lines.

2) Sturdy landing gear.

3) Movable main wheels.

4) Option for a wheels up/down model.

5) Movable propellers.

6) Two bladed propellers.

There are two decal options and no swastika is supplied:

1) Focke Wulf Fw 200A-05 F8+HH, Bomber Wing 40 (Kampfgruppe 40), Operation "Weserübung", April 6 1940. Painted in RLM 04/21/65/70/71.

2) Focke Wulf Fw 200A-01 G6+DI, Special Bomber Group 101 (Kampfgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung 101), Operation "Weserübung", April 1940. Pinted in RLM 21/65/70/71.

The first time I saw this model, it got me by surprise, I never knew that Revell had produced a civilian Fw 200. Its low parts count and clear instructions will yield into an interesting model which not every modeller might have.

The interest factor might be augmented if you can find (or make) decals for its civilian use at the hands of Lufthansa of Denmark.

Revell  instructions.

Francisco Santoro

December 2105

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