1/48 Ho-229 Flying Wing - Jet/Recon/Transport GB

[Rogi]

Username:Rogi
First Name: Igor
Category:3
Scale: 1/48
Kit Manufacturer: Dragon (Rawr ! )
Model Type: Ho-229 Flying wing
Details: This kits been in the hobby shop for a while and the GB inspired me to get it I'm really glad I did, most Dragon kits have been a bit of a let down with their canopys being scratched worse than some 70s Tamiya kits, but this ones amazing, no scratches, excellent details, and 2 full Jumo Engines, I loved detailing my very first model back from a 5 year vacation (a He-162 with a BMW 003, very similar engine) and I'm sure I'll go crazy for detailing this beast

Huge thanks to Vic for 1 of the books I didn't have on this Ho-229 really cool book

I'll be doing either The Ho-229 captured by the allies (It'll let me do a lot of framework and display it sans wings) or the prototype H.IX V2, she had 3 flights before she crashed (1 was a simulated dogfight against an Me-262 in which she outperformed the 262), I'll have to research her a bit more (got a ton of books on her now and one from Vic, thank again Vic

On the last test flight, her engines caught fire and stoped, it went into a dive, despite all this the test pilot Leutnant Erwin Ziller didn't radio or eject (unconcious, who knows?) Amazingly, he was thrown from the aircraft on impact, despite this, he died two weeks later in the hospital.

What an amazing aircraft and it makes you wonder what would of happened had she been given permission to go into production earlier, if the 3rd Reich didn't hinder her progress, she would have been available much sooner.

Some shots, 1 of the kit box and the second the instruction manual, man I love that tubing in the kit

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice looking kit Igor and I'm really looking forward to seeing this one come together.

 

[ccheese]

.....I'm really looking forward to seeing this one come together.

Me too !!

 

[Crimea_River]

I love it!

 

[vikingBerserker]

Very cool!

 

[meatloaf109]

One of the greatest designs to come out of the last part of WW2!

 

[Capt. Vick]

1 was a simulated dogfight against an Me-262 in which she outperformed the 262

- Bologna, sliced thick and served by Davis Myra IMHO Shame on Gat. Geo. for repeating such hogwash.

 

[rochie]

great choice Igor

 

[A4K]

One of my all time favourites - great choice Igor!

 

[Rogi]

- Bologna, sliced thick and served by Davis Myra IMHO Shame on Gat. Geo. for repeating such hogwash.

Its in a couple Ho-229, It appears in the book Ho-229 Spirit of Thuringia. I'll check a couple other books, but if it is legend, thats a major mis-step on historians. I don't see why it would be myth, there are a lot of things that people didn't beleive the Arrow accomplished, and a lot of things some people think are underblow, still not a lot of documents on the Gotha's test flights are around so we can't know for sure. Was the aircraft sturdy enough to withstand the testing, or the engines reliable, V2 proved it wasn't and it needed more design.

Could it have test flown against a Me-262, maybe.

Now onto a ponderous question, it seems when looking at the Ho IX Vs and comparing it with the Ho-IX V3 the only diffrence is the size of engine nacelles, would they both sit the same with the engine nacelles removed?

 

[Jack_Hill]

Donnot kwow if it comes from the same mold.
But the box looks the same as i build 15 years ago.
Almost needed a chainsaw to thin the wing, hydraulic pistons to fit any part, no way canopy would render the Mantis Ray look, flat winged needing blow toching for correct dihedral and so on.
Took weeks and help to go through.
Funny experience anyhow.
Have fun, sure she will be nice !

 

[Capt. Vick]

Rogi,

I forgot myself. An excellent choice! I will watch this build with high interest. Good luck!

 

[Rogi]

No worries all

As Jack sugested, there are problems with fit :S

I was thinkiing of attaching the main frame today, but I ran off to a little problem right off the bat

This is just a test fitting with no glue, but as you can see, she doesn't fit when you jam it in to the locator section where its supposed to sit, its worse :S

So off we go to the choping block, replacing it with the same size of stretching sprue tube. It took me 2 hours to get everything in place and the right length, a lot longer than I thought it would, partially it was trying to find the same length and thickness of sprue.

When its put into place, theres no gap, once its in place and glued it'll be a much better look to it, as you can see without the glue, its all wobly and it almost fell over in this shot

The upper portion of this section is fixed today, tomorrow the lower thicker part!

Thanks guys for checking it out and commenting much appreciated

 

[vikingBerserker]

Well done!

 

[A4K]

With Dave on that!

 

[Wayne Little]

Good stuff Igor, seem to recall the box fuselage went together well but some work was necessary to get the wings to fit just right...

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Good little mod Igor.

 

[woody]

Nice choice and start Igor.

 

[N4521U]

I saw a photo of one of these for the first time about a year ago, I thought it looked like something out of Buck Rogers.

Great choice.

 

[Wayne Little]

Buck Rogers Starfighters are cool!