FW-190 Question

gburch · Post by **gburch** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:33 am

I finally managed to pick up an FW-190 -- a "red stripe" number 3. It was billed on eBay as "new -- only taken out of the box to photograph." Upon receipt, I think this can't be true, as there were quite a few scratches on the paint, what looks like glue smears on the left upper wing from a repair to the aileron and a broken main gear hinge.

At any rate, here's my question. The canopy only slides back 1/2 inch. This doesn't seem right based on photos of the real thing and doesn't seem like near enough to get the pilot into the cockpit. Given the amount of damage this poor bird's already suffered, I don't want to force it. How far back is the canopy supposed to move? Is there a trick to opening it more that I'm missing?

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:52 am

I'll tell you this, if you have enough room to stick a small flatedge screwdriver into the canopy slot and seperate it a hair or two, the canopy will come right out the top and you can trim whatever needs to be trimmed or cleaned up.

gburch · Post by **gburch** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:06 am

mikeg wrote:I'll tell you this, if you have enough room to stick a small flatedge screwdriver into the canopy slot and seperate it a hair or two, the canopy will come right out the top and you can trim whatever needs to be trimmed or cleaned up.

I hate to be dense -- what precisely do you mean by "canopy slot"? Do you mean the slot in the top of the fuselage that the canopy mates into? You're saying to open this up a little?

Website · Post by **Teamski** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:07 am

The hinge on the gear was broken when you got it? The first series of FW-190's were notorious for broken gear. IMHO, it would be possible to have it broken on delivery if it was snapped during assembly. Did the plane have the rubberbands in place?

-Ski

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:11 am

Yes, that one- I just removed a canopy off one of mine a few days ago to replace it with another- the achoring section of the canopy is only barely wider than the slot width- so you dont have to seperate it much at all

scbvideoboy · Post by **scbvideoboy** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:31 am

Why would someone go through the effort to remove all the wire ties and assemble it just to photograph it?

Pictures of it in the box would be consistent with "New" Like if I was to sell one of mine and listed it as Mint, New in box, that would be it exactly, all wire ties intact, plastic wrap, instructions and all accessories and box still taped together.

DH

gburch · Post by **gburch** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:48 am

I must be denser than I thought (which is pretty dense). I tried inserting a flat-bladed screwdriver into the small bit of the slot visible BEHIND the canopy when it is as open as it gets. I could get no visible widening of the slot, despite repeated attempt to rotate the screwdriver, use it as a lever, etc. I also tried working the screwdriver around the seat-back through the small opening that the canopy allows, and did some slight prying into the wider part of the slot visible behind the seat back. I did manage to visibly widen the slot a LITTLE, but not enough for the canopy to come off. If anyone has pics of an FW-190 with the canopy open as it is supposed to be, I'd appreciate that, as well as pics of what the canopy and fuse look like when the canopy has been removed.

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:39 am

Sounds like your on the right track, neither one of my red 3s fusilages came apart violently or otherwise when I did this. If you want to pm me with a email and I send some pics- I seem to have issues with photobucke, et al- I think you just need to apply a little more force in the slot- hell, ya got a broken wheel anyway, right??

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