Focke Angelis FA 223 Drache ''Captured''

This 1/48 scale kit comes from a very familiar Czech model company known as Special Hobby. For me when it comes to their kits, they’ve either been hit or miss and this one is the latter in my opinion. The pros for this kit are as follows: You have three paint schemes to choose from and the one I did is the German version. That being Fa 223V-14, DM+SR, Luftwaffe, Dornstadt, mountain terrain deployment operational tests, September-October 1944. The other two versions included are the British version, Fa 223V-14, ex DM+SR, RAF, Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment, RAF Beaulieu, September 1945. The American version is known as Fa 223V-14, ex DM+SR, USAAF, as it was test flown at Studgart-Nellingen airfield in June 1945, with its national insignia sprayed over. You have some options available to you. You can have both the squared-off rudder and no nose-mounted machine gun option for the British and American versions. Or you could do the exact opposite for the German version. The painting illustrations are in full color with all the right angles for painting and the placement of the decals. The cons for this kit are as follows: The illustrations on the instructions are quite hard to read. Almost nothing fits right on any of the components. The large decals are extremely delicate as I had one folded over and ripped apart. The kit as whole has too much weight on the tail section. First I drilled a hole in the center of the tail section. Next I used an old sprue from one of my older kits which then I inserted into said hole. Then I used a piece of a wing from another one of my older kits, drilled a hole through it as well as shaped it until it fits the fuselage. Finally I inserted some fish sinkers inside the fuselage. But no matter what I did, it was still too tail heavy! So I got most of the sinkers and inserted a ball point needle on the underside of the aircraft. There’s also no engine included which in my mind would’ve made the aircraft less tail heavy. In conclusion, I give this kit a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5. Special Hobby if you’re reading this, I highly recommend that this kit needs a major overhaul. The instructions and illustrations should be just like the ones that Airfix uses. Have your decals a lot stronger so that they don’t fold over and tear apart so easily. Also have place to insert some weight or include the engine so that the aircraft is not tail heavy at all. If you’ll do any of these suggestions, I’m sure that it’ll be one of the better kits that you have produced in my opinion.