Mach 2 1/72 Blohm und Voss BV-142

The Ha 142 was a landing gear-equipped version of the Blohm & Voss Ha 139 seaplane, originally developed under the company name of Hamburger Flugzeugbau. Like its predecessor, it had four engines mounted on a low inverted gull monoplane wing, high horizontal stabilizer, and a double vertical tail.

The wing center section was strengthened by a typical Blohm & Voss cross-girder which consisted of a large-diameter pipe. This transverse tube (divided internally into five sections) also acted as a fuel tank. The center wing was metal-covered while the outer wings were fabric-covered. There were six hydraulically-operated flaps in the mid-wing. The fuselage was of metal and had an approximately circular cross-section.

Each main landing gear leg had dual wheels and was fully retractable, as was the tail wheel. The landing gear was hydraulically lowered and retracted.

Four prototypes, V1 through V4, were built. These aircraft were trialed by Lufthansa and used briefly in the postal service. However, the outbreak of World War II ended further development of the civilian project. The first two prototypes were modified with an extended, glazed nose and defensive armament for maritime operations. The other two were used strictly as transport aircraft.

Mach 2 kits are very much short run kits. They have a lot of small ejector towers, thick plastic, flash, and acceptable surface detailing. In some areas of my kit, the engraved panel lines are actually raised due to excess plastic. Transparencies are quite thick and in my case, the nose transparency was short shot and unusable. An e-mail has been sent to the owner, but I am not sure if the company is still in business.

Anyway, it is a fairly basic kit as these things go. There is a cockpit area with a seat, stick, and instrument panel. A floor for the nose position is also provided. No cabin detailing is given, but not an issue as little can be seen. Every part will need to be cleaned up to some extent or the other. Before closing the fuselage halves, a tail gear well will need to be installed.

There is a lower gondola that will need installed, though the actual placement is vague. There are two transparency sprues with one being all the fuselage windows. Wings are upper and lower sections. There are gear well sections into which the landing gear is attached. The tail section is upper and lower tailplanes with two piece fin/rudders. This is attached to a tab on the rear fuselage. There are tailplane struts that will also need to be attached.

Engines are fairly nicely detailed and are trapped into upper and lower engine cowling pieces. Wings fit into slots in the fuselage. As mentioned, transparencies are quite thick and mine were short shot. If I'm unable to get a replacement, I may try to do one of the short nose versions, the v3 and v4.

Instructions are barely adequate consisting of a single sheet of paper printed on one side with seven detail drawings and one showing the camouflage pattern. The maritime planes are in RLM 72/73/65. A decal sheet without swastikas is provided for one aircraft.

Mach 2 often produces kits of subjects not done by others. They are not easy builds, but not impossible either. They will require all those modeling skills you have developed over the years and your reward will be something fairly unusual.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blohm_%26_Voss_Ha_142

November 2022

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