Kurt Tank's Hochleistungsjäger: The Focke-Wulf Ta 153

A much better image of the Ta 153 (Fw 190V-32/U1) prototype. Since the forward fuselage is similar to the Fw 190V-13 through V-18 and V-30 prototypes, I will be using my MPM kit of the Fw 190V-18 to make a master mould. (I was tempted to use the kit itself for the build, but decided to keep the kit as is.) The extended tail, short-span wings and blown hood will be donated from a Ta 152C-0.

For the "what-if" Ta 153A production models, I will be "borrowing" the flat gun cowlings from the Ta 152 and adding the required troughs.

Yeah, very interesting project indeed. Keep us posted on your progress

The three kits to be used in this build:

For the "what-if" Ta153A-series production model, a suggestion was given concerning the potential use of the Ta152C-0 kit. When Tank did his preliminary work for the Ta152 series, one prototype, the Fw190V-20, basically took a Fw190D fuselage and grafted the future Ta152 nose to it. The first true Ta152 prototypes introduced the lengthened fuselage with the wings mounted further forward of the cockpit, and the same might well have applied to the Ta153 had it been further developed. In this case, the modified Ta152C kit would feature the Ta152H's wings (albeit clipped), additional outboard cannons, and the Fw190V-18's oil cooler bath, amongst other changes.

One proposed Ta153 option was the ventral turbo-supercharger as seen on the Fw190V-18, complete with the attendant exhaust pipes. Some referred to the Fw190V-18 as the "Wulfstang" because of its appearance. Had the installation been successfully cured of its bugs, the nickname might have applied far more appropriately to the Ta153. Then again, who's to say I won't introduce a "what-if" Ta252 with this installation in the future?