PM models Luftwaffe unfinished prototypes

[yak face]

As the lengthy title suggests , this is an under construction thread for 3 of the 1/72 scale PM models luftwaffe project kits. All these aircraft didnt see production although some did get to a very advanced prototype stage (engineless gliders,full scale mock up etc.)The 3 kits are the Horten ho 229 nachtjager variant , the Messerschmitt me p1111, and the Focke Wulf ta 183 'Huckebein'. As usual for these kits there arent many parts and a bit of enhancing is going to be necessary , mainly the cockpits. The first on under way is the FW Ta 183 , a nifty looking bird! The first thing i had to do was create some sort of intake ,as the kit one is only about 1/4" deep,also the jet pipe is just a hole into the fuselage cavity!After cutting a hole in the fuselage fronts I used a burger king drinking straw for the front intake, and another straw from a carton for the jet pipe.The cockpit isnt that bad but benefits from a masking tape harness, a pair of side consoles ,and an instrument panel being added.The consoles and panel are going to get a mixture of spare panel decals and painting , and a good dose of artistic licence! cheers tony

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[papa 695]

Looking good Tony

 

[stona]

Good stuff Tony. Luft '46 or '47 in at least one case! I had to look up the Messerschmitt,I don't remember it at all. I bet these will look great with your usual skilful enhancements.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Brickie]

There's just been a Luft-46 Group build over at UAMF - you might find some useful stuff here.

 

[yak face]

Bit more on the cockpit . Instrument panel done , bit of guesswork on the side panels and it should pass muster under a closed lid! The fuselage is ready to go together then its on with the wings , which will need a bit of fettling and dry fitting and probably not a little filler!!Once its together i want to make a headrest and instrument shroud with gunsight before the canopy goes on. cheers tony

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[papa 695]

Very nice work on the cockpit Tony looks spot on to me and the jet intake

 

[Dave W]

Love the drinking straw intake Tony.Great idea.

 

[yak face]

Got a bit more done on all 3 yesterday. The aim is to get them all ready for paint at the same time so i can just mix one lot of rlm 76 at a time and blast them all together, the same with the rlm 81/83 etc. The ta 183 has got the wings and nose cone on and is just getting a bit of filler so is coming on nicely. The messerschmitt is going to take a bit more bashing ,as you can see from the pics ,the intakes are just holes - you can see straight through!! I think a smaller diameter straw is going to do the trick , and have added sides to the cockpit to keep it straight when i glue it in after ive fixed the fuselage top and bottom together. The horten 229 is going to need quite a bit of cockpit gubbins adding , as the kit just supplies 2 seats !! I think ill have a look at whats in the revell me 262 nightfighter thats in the stash , and just make a similar sort of layout. Once the cockpits and intakes are sorted they should all start moving fairly quickly towards the paint stage. heres the pics, cheers tony

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[dubster72]

This is great Tony, it's like your very own 'Secret weapons of the Luftwaffe' (for those enough to remember early computers! )

Is it me or does the MiG 15 bear a resemblance to the Ta 183? Maybe a few German designers were captured by the Russians.

 

[yak face]

The russians always denied any influence patrick , but it does have the look doesnt it? One aircraft that did benefit from the data on the ta 183 was the saab j29 tunnan , especially the wing shape. The ta 183 was developed by Kurt Tank after the war in Argentina, producing four prototype aircraft built by FMA and called the Pulqui (arrow) They were very similar in layout, just the wing being moved to the shoulder position, but never got further than testing and i think 2 were lost in crashes. I reckon the me 1111 looks like the Dh 108 swallow too! cheers tony

 

[stona]

The russians always denied any influence

Indeed Tony,but then they always denied everything in the post war/cold war period.Everything was supposed to be an achievement of the glorious socialist system. They captured a lot of men,materiel and data at the end of the war and it's inconceivable that they didn't use it. The influence is there for all to see.

It wasn't just the western allies tracking down their Dr Strangeloves....sorry,I mean Werner Von Brauns....at the end of the war.

"It would not be difficult mein Fuhrer! Nuclear reactors could.....I'm sorry,Mr President..."

Anyone who has never watched Kubrick's "Dr Strangelove" needs to see it in my humble opinion.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Centurion3RTR]

Nice and unusual builds Tony, look forward seeing them complete mate.

Have fun, John

 

[yak face]

Indeed Tony,but then they always denied everything in the post war/cold war period.Everything was supposed to be an achievement of the glorious socialist system. They captured a lot of men,materiel and data at the end of the war and it's inconceivable that they didn't use it. The influence is there for all to see.It wasn't just the western allies tracking down their Dr Strangeloves....sorry,I mean Werner Von Brauns....at the end of the war.

"It would not be difficult mein Fuhrer! Nuclear reactors could.....I'm sorry,Mr President..."

Anyone who has never watched Kubrick's "Dr Strangelove" needs to see it in my humble opinion.

Cheers

Steve

Too true steve, the influence of the german scientists/engineers can be seen everywhere in the post war period from the US space program to the advances in aircraft technologies on all sides, and in most cases the actual people concerned had a direct hand in these feats -- although very rarely credited with them. Another example of Tanks post war work is the Indian Hindustan aircraft industries Marut , a very successful aircraft designed and overseen by the great man himself. cheers tony

 

[dubster72]

Or perhaps the most obvious example of German technology used by the Russians, the AK 47 being a simplified version of the MP 43/44. Still, back to Tony's build ....

 

[colin m]

Another interesting subject Tony. I'm thinking you might be getting a bit low on shelf space, hence these 'diddy' machines !

Colin M........

 

[yak face]

good news/ bad news !

Latest progress, and a bit of a disaster!! The Ta 183 is nearly at the paint stage , the airframe being complete ,just needing the headrest and gunsight fabricating and the canopy putting on. And now for the bad news! The messerschmitt was going great, the fuselage top and bottom had been glued and i had superglued the 2 pieces of drinking straw into the intakes , ready for cutting flush after the glue had set. Now, what happened next i have never known happen before- the superglue must have had some sort of reaction with the type of plastic used by PM models and the entire nose just went brittle and crumbled!! The only thing i can think to rescue this is to stick a big lump of milliput on the front and try and sand it to shape again.Heres the pics -WARNING , not for the squeamish !!! tony

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[treyzx10r]

Tony,thats crazy I've never seen super glue react to plastic like that before! Maybe a balsa plug glued to the nose for a base would be easier to shape, then you can coat it with a thin layer of putty just my .o2. Hate to see that happen ,good luck with the repair,cheers Trey

 

[yak face]

Me neither trey , it just went like a very crumbly biscuit and disintegrated in my hands!! Hopefully i can salvage it , cheers tony

 

[stona]

Good grief! I've seen CA glues react with the surface layers of plastic to make a brittle,chalky sort of crust but never anything like that.

I'm a big fan of Milliput but wonder if Trey's balsa plug might not be easier to do.

I hope you can sort it and I'm interested to see how you do it.

Cheers

Steve

 

[papa 695]

Not prity Tony i've never seen anything like it before, and good luck with the repair