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This is a short-run injection kit with 27 parts (+ 26 for the R4M rockets). So don't expect FujiHaseMiya detail and fit. With some (may be more) work it can be built as a decent replica. Cockpit is rather good. An excellent instrument panel is provided. It consists of an instrument photo-etched placard and a piece of film containing the instruments which is meant to be sandwiched between the placard and a backing part. Anyway, the canopy is rather thick and cloudy, so little can be seen once the it's glued in the closed position. PE pedals are also included. Control stick must be replaced though. Breakdown of wing and fuselage parts is really awkward. As Rob says in its excellent page this is due as this kit is based on an old vacu-kit !!!(surprising). One piece forms the upper fuselage, upper-tail and the whole nose and the other part forms the under fuselage-wing. This leaves an awful gap around the under fuselage-nose and the under-tail. Tons of putty and patience were needed to correct this. A nice detail is the PE rudder actuators. PE wing tip bumpers are also included, but they appear to thin to me, so I added more "volume" with PVA-glue. I added a protruding tube to represent the rocket nozzle and a pitot tube made from a sewing needle. 24 R4M rockets are included and are very crude indeed. Anyway I wanted to represent the V1, so I avoided the herculean-job of refining all the rockets. There's some controversy about this plane's finish. I opted for RLM 02 but some sources say it should be RLM 65. Only one thing is obvious, its finish must be high-glossy. I mixed 02 from Tamiya acrylics.
Version : First prototype V1, coded KE + SW. Flown by Heini Dittmar on the 2.10.1941 at Mach 0.84 at 4000 mt (unofficial world speed record)
| KIT | Me 163 A - Condor 1/72
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| COMMENTS | Fuselage doesn't match, tons of putty |
| MODIFICATIONS | Detailed cockpit, scratch nozzle and pitot tube |
| REFERENCES | Warplanes of the III Reich, W. Green, McDonald & Janes Me 163, Waffenarsenal 1 & 2 Top Secret Bird, W.Spate, PH Komet, J.Ethell, Ian Allan Rocket Fighter, M.Ziegler, A & A Press |
| PAINT | General - RLM 02 (9 XF22 + 1 XF19 + 2 XF 2 Tamiya) brush painted Varnish - Micro Satin brush painted Detail - Cockpit : Tamiya XF22 RLM Grey, instrument panel : XF63 German Grey, hubs : X18 Semigloss Black, tyres : Tamiya XF63 German Grey + X18 SG Black. All brush painted. |
| DECALS | Microscale clear film & Letraset |
| FINISHED | July 94 |
| HOURS | 5 1/2 |