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Hi Guys, Once again I'm off course with a build or seven, now shunted onto another project. This one is Project Perry, because out very own Wunwinglow is involved (again!) Recently I made a Mistel using the Revell Me-262 and He-162 kits with a pile of 3D printed parts and laser cut acrylic sheet by Tim. I made it as if it was a field conversion of a battered old fighter with the nose from a different aircraft. This time I'm surmising the production plants would be up to speed and churning out the flying bombs on the standard production lines. So all buttoned up, gun ports closed, no undercarriage and stripped of all non-essentials. And because its a fly and forget, none of that tedious filling and sanding regular fighter types received. So I needed a fully riveted airframe. Three guesses? Obviously the Trumpeter kit. And the pilot aircraft for this combo? The new Junkers EF-126 from Das Werk. So all I needed was a quick call to Tim and I picked up the parts a couple of days later. Please read on as nothing is ever that simple and there are some items in the photos that need explaining. I managed to lose one of the acrylic plates for the side of the launch dolly so I laminated some plastic sheet. Simple stuff. New Mistel by Bruce Crosby, on Flickr A day's work. New Mistel by Bruce Crosby, on Flickr On the original version, there's a huge step at the rear. We just copied the 1/48 Dragon kit, scaled it up and then I realised that as usual, Dragon hadn't actually done any research. So a day after building the dolly, I carefully took it apart again. The good thing about superglue is you can break the bond easily if you know what to do with it. Then I started hacking lumps out of the 3D printed axle and rear body piece. Superglue residue everywhere, nothing that can't be shifted. Line scribed for the new dolly height. Untitled by Bruce Crosby, on Flickr With a chop, chop here and a chop, chop there...….. Untitled by Bruce Crosby, on Flickr Old scratch building techniques: make one important part fit and everything else oversize, then trim afterwards. The laser cut acrylic sides were ditched as they are a swine to cut without that bloody laser! Once again laminates of good old plasticard Untitled by Bruce Crosby, on Flickr Untitled by Bruce Crosby, on Flickr Lots of cursing and swearing (superglued my fingers to the model, we've all been there!) I ended up with the chassis together but lots of raised edges. All part of the plan, if I had cut to exact size, something would definitely been undersized, that's the way it goes. Untitled by Bruce Crosby, on Flickr And after attacking it with Infini Zebra 100 grit sanding sticks, the raised bits are all smoothed down. I've got it sitting with a few smears of Mr White Putty on a few areas where the plasticard laminations can be seen, this photo taken before I applied the putty. Untitled by Bruce Crosby, on Flickr So love it or loathe it, that's where I am at the moment. Regards, Bruce Crosby

A few years ago I met the radio operator of this plane, and he explained to me that it was an airbase-creation of a Boeing manufactured front spliced onto a Vega manufactured rear, which gave the ship a definite permanent upward pitch, since Boeing's manufacturing techniques resulted in an overall lighter airframe then Vega's. So they named it "The Ruptured Duck". He told me about the deadly air attack by a group of Me-262's, and I think I found the record of it: https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrEwNayQyNb58oAFgUPxQt.;_ylc=X1MDMjExNDcwMDU1OQRfcgMyBGZyA3locy1hdmFzdC1icndzcjAwMQRncHJpZAMzZ3kzQ0pBa1NBeXFMX2N2TVpnQm5BBG5fcnNsdAMwBG5fc3VnZwMwBG9yaWdpbgNzZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDMARxc3RybAMzNwRxdWVyeQNCb2VpbmclMjBCLTE3JTIwTWFudWZhY3R1cmVyJTIwcGxhbnRzBHRfc3RtcAMxNTI5MDM3Nzk0?p=Boeing+B-17+Manufacturer+plants&fr2=sb-top&hspart=avast&hsimp=yhs-brwsr001&type=osf01s1 He told me about the experience of the emergency landing described near the end of page 2 of the linked document. The plane's hydraulics were shot out, so with no brakes they crashed right through some buildings and stuff surrounding the airfield! I found the description of the Me's to be particularly interesting. If I read the '262's description correctly, It looks like they could see no rivet pattern whatsoever: "It had swept back wings with a jet engine mounted on each wing. Its skin was so smooth that it looked like it had been sandpapered." "There wasn't a rivet to be seen."

First one - Revells Me-262, hard to put together but with very nice overall shape. http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/article.php?aid=3136 MiG-3 from Trumpeter, fast to build, with no minor inaccuracies. http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=69046&hl= P-40B bulit for the 10th anniversary (paiting with X as code letter) of one of Polish forums. Shape problems and shallow cockpit, but comes together nicely. http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/article.php?aid=3202 A little bit of resin - Silver Wings Fiat CR.32. Hard kit, especially wing struts mounting is horrible, but I'm very happy to have it on my shelf. http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/article.php?aid=3221 Next one was P-47. Hasegawa created nice kit. Simple to build with no bigger problems. http://air-workshop.blogspot.com/2017/11/hasegawa-p-47-whooo-132.html Last one was another Hasegawa. Raiden is a splendid kit, putting it together is as fun as building Tamiyas planes. http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=70989&hl=

Revells new night Schwalbe. Unfortunately it is not a "shake and bake" kit. Panels near the radiooperator seat requires work to fit into cockpit sides. All plastic parts needs a little bit of cleaning before gluing, not everything fits nice. Instrument panel should be lower to not interfere with front part of canopy. Clear parts must be polished because of nasty bubbles on the surface. Fortunately kit is a very nice (some say best) representation of Me-262. Additions: - Eduard interior and seatbelts. Mask for canopy. - Master FuG 218 Radar - Montex masks for Trumpeter kit (i don't recommend, size of numbers is wrong) I added some cables here and there and riveted surface. Pitot tube is made form syringe needles. I used Tamiya paints, Gunze Gun Chrome and C08 Silver, Alclad on droptanks, MIG rigging for antenna wire, oil paints and Tamiya weathering master set.

I have been digging around for an oddball project in order to participate. I ran across the Sukhoi Su-9 from 1946. I thought it was a Soviet Me-262. Nope! It is a different aircraft. Albeit obviously strongly influenced by the Me-262. Now I'm digging about for Soviet eval Me-262's. :-)

Howdy Gang, I'm thinking about building a postwar Me-262. I found a well done profile. I like it, but I think it is inaccurate. Is anyone aware of a blue Soviet Me-262? I'm sure the green profile is closer to the truth. Thanks! Brent