Hasegawa 1/72 Me-262A-1/-2 Combo

The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe ("Swallow") was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. Compared with Allied fighters of its day, including the jet-powered Gloster Meteor, it was much faster and better armed.

In combat, when properly flown, it proved difficult to counter due to its speed. Me 262 pilots claimed a total of 542 Allied kills (although higher claims are sometimes made) against the loss of about 100 Me 262s. The design was pressed into a variety of roles, including light bomber, reconnaissance and even experimental night fighter versions.

The Me 262 was one of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during World War II. The Allies countered its potential effectiveness in the air by relentlessly attacking the aircraft on the ground, or while they were taking off or landing. Maintenance problems and a lack of fuel during the deteriorating late-war situation also reduced the effectiveness of the aircraft as a fighting force. In the end, the Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war due to its late introduction and the small numbers that were deployed in operational service.

The Me 262 influenced the designs of post-war aircraft such as the North American F-86 Sabre and Boeing B-47 Stratojet.

Hasegawa's 1/72 Me-262s have been around for quite a while. I built my only kit of this back in 1997 and very much enjoyed the experience. The kit has engraved panel lines, decals for instruments and fairly nice detailing. One of the biggest complaints, as it were, is that some of the detail is a bit too pronounced. The area around the gun troughs and the flare chutes, for example, is raised above the rest of the airframe when they should be flush. The kit also has the two outer main gear doors molded as one piece. These really are not major glitches for most of us, but you need to be aware of them.

The kit comes with a fairly well done interior and one can add either R4M rockets or bombs and their appropriate racks if one should so wish. I did notice in the instructions, that they have you remove the small bump that is aft of the gun cover for two of the three markings options and the flare chute detail for them all. I have seen this bump area on one preserved aircraft, but it seems that it was not always there. The clear bits include a canopy that can be posed open or shut. I like that the area behind the rear clear bit is molded in with the part. There is plenty of room in the nose for weight under the separate cover and 3 grams is recommended.

Markings are for three aircraft. One is a re-nosed recce bird from 2./NAGr 6 in 1945 with a a heavy squiggle pattern in RLM 82/83 over the RLM 76 airframe. The solid nose is in RLM 81/83. Next is White F from 1./KG 51, a bomber unit. This one is also in squiggles and patches, this time using all three late war upper colors of RLM 81/82/83. Finally, not shown is Wolfgang Schenk's Black F from Kommando Schenk in 1944. This one has the standard splinter scheme in RLM 74/75/76. The decal sheet is very nicely printed with the whites actually being white. It includes the white fin tip, but not the silver nose circles for the second option.

When it comes to 1/72 Me-262s, some may prefer the less expensive Revell AG kit, but those who like Hasegawa kits will find that this makes into a very nice model.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me-262

December 2011