Messerschmitt Me262B
First look at Airfix Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1 in 1/72 Scale
T
wo years ago, Airix
released their new
tool Messerschmitt
Me262A-1 ighter which
replaced their original tooling
from 1960. Now they have
produced the two seat version
which can be built as one
of the few t≠wo seat night
ighter produced before the
war ended. Or one of the three
Avia CS-92 Turbina produced
in Czechoslovakia and saw
service with the Czechoslovak
Air Force between 1947 and
1951 before being replaced
by Russian built aircraft.
This is a fairly typical new
generation Airix kit with
slightly two deep engraved
panel lines, which is combined
with some nice engineering and
a near perfect it out of the box.
The new parts are contained on
one grey sprue which includes
two complete fuselage halves
rather than relying on inserts
like other manufacturers.
The nose-mounted aerialsfor the night ighter
are supplied as two
mouldings, this ensures
that they are simple to
assemble and strong but
the vertical aerials are
too thick for this scale.
The other new plastic
parts are on the clear
sprue which supplies a
crystal clear canopy and
windshield which will
show of any work you
do on the basic cockpit..
The decals are
beautifully produced
and have a little surprise
not illustrated on the
side of the box as a
third version is also
supplied. For simplicity,
the overall grey-green
Czech trainer is very attractive.
But most I am sure will pick
the Luftwafe ighter with its
grey mottle inished fuselage
with green splinter camoulage
on the upper wings with black
under surfaces. To add interestthe front of the right engine
nacelle is still natural metal.
The only thing missing from
the Luftwafe scheme is the
swastika on the tail to comply
with regulations in some
European countries. The littlesurprise is the inclusion of RAF
markings to replace the German
national markings as well as
the RAF tail lash for the tail,
which will certainly make a
third very attractive scheme.DECALS- Messerschmitt Me262B-
1a/U1, WkNr11980, Red 12,
10.Nachtjagdgeschwader 11,
Schleswig, Germany May 1945. - Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1,
As above with RAF markings at
RAE Aerodynamics Flight,1945. - Avia CS.92 Turbina, black V-31,
VLU Zatec, Czechoslovakia,
September 1947
CONCLUSION
I have seen a number of 262
built up from the single seat
boxing and they certainly
look the part, especially
when compared to a certain
Japanese companies version
at nearly three times the price
Later this year Airix will add
to their Me262 ighter family
with the bomber version
the Me262A-2 Sturmvogel,
but until the release of that
version you can still enjoy
this beautiful little kit.
Our thanks to Airix for
supplying this new kit for this
First Look and a full build will
feature in a future issue.SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL • MARCH 2019FIRST LOOK
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