Hobby Boss 1/48 Ta 152C-11 Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Kurt Tank was trying to make a superior fighter out of the Ta 152C using the troublesome Daimler DB603 engine and produced the Fw 190D series as an interim solution while his engineers worked out the bugs. When the RLM requirement came for a high-altitude fighter to counter a potential B-29 threat, Tank reworked the Ta 152 airframe with longer wings and used the Jumo 213E for power. This high-altitude variant, the Ta 152H, would actually enter service while development work continued on the Ta 152C.

Hobby Boss has released a series of Ta 152C variants, though not the first in this scale to do so (Trimaster was the first and DML reissued this tooling) and thanks to Jamie McIntyre for correcting this bit of history. Their first offering was Ta 152C-0 prototype which Kelly Jamison reviewed previously. Since that time, they've released two other variants representing what would have been production airframes had the 8th Air Force and the RAF not bombed German industry into the stone age.

This release represents the notional Ta 152C-11 which will interest the Luft '46 crowd as well as anyone wanting an interesting 'what-if' subject on the shelf. The kit is molded in the standard light gray styrene and presented on seven parts trees plus one tree of clear parts and one small fret of photo-etched details.

The kit is a relatively simple build with a reasonably detailed cockpit that will serve as a good start for an AMS modeler. The rear of the DB603 engine is visible through the correctly open main wheel wells. Your choice of two cowlings are provided, one with open and the other with closed cowl flaps. The kit provides two gun hoods but I cannot see the difference between the two.

With the exception of the elevators, the kit provides positionable flight control surfaces - ailerons, rudder, and flaps. Canopy and landing gear are also positionable depending on how you wish to display the completed model.

Jamie also sent some useful images showing that the cowling face in this kit is patterned after the Fw 190D series (solid radiator face inside the cowling front) versus the annular radiator design around the cowl ring on the Ta 152. Jamie also pointed out that Trimaster also made the same mistake in their Ta 152C release which DML corrected in their Ta 152C-1/R14 release. (Thanks again Jamie!)

Markings are provided for notional Yellow 11 wearing JG 301 Reichs Defense bands.

This is another nice kit from HobbyBoss and an opportunity to depict this aircraft in whatever fighter group colors you choose. In the 'what-if' category, there won't be many people who'd argue accuracy!

My sincere thanks to Squadron/MMD for this review sample!.