Bronco 1/35th scale Fieseler Fi 103 RE-3 Piloted Flying Bomb
This is the Bronco1/35th scale Fieseler Fi 103 RE-3 (Reichenberg) Piloted Flying Bomb
Trainer that I built straight from the box a year or so ago. It's a strange scale to do an aircraft in but it's something different and is a really good fitting kit that was fun to build. Like the Me 163, the Fi 103R's pilots had to posses (as stated by Bill K) “Gold-plated yarbles” In theory, the Fi -103R's mission was for the piloted bomb to be delivered to the target by modified He 111 bombers that would carry one or two Reichenbergs beneath its wings, releasing them close to the target. The pilots would then acquire and point the aircraft towards a specific target and start a diving attack run. Shortly before impact, the pilot was to jettison the cockpit canopy and bail out and parachute to safety. However, because of the proximity of the pulsejet's intake to the cockpit the chances of a pilot surviving this protocol were less than 1%. Sorry about the crummy photos.
Wow, never seen one like this before! Ever see the film Operation Crossbow? They had a V1 with a single cockpit in it in that movie, but the bit on the front? Is that for a bomb aimer or what?
This was the trainer version of the R3, so the front position was for the flight instructor. Bronco makes all three versions of this flying bomb; the V-1, 103-R4 single seater, and this one. if you buy the R-4 kit, you can swap out the front pilot section on the r-3 and replace it with the warhead section on the R-4. The skid rail can also be changed out no problem...pretty cool
So they made a two-seater version, too? Wicked. Very nice job on the model. How big is it? V1 was a really small craft.
I'm not sure that this version was ever seriously tested as a pilot trainer but I think that they did find one of these lying around after the war. Since all three of Bronco kits are in 1/35 they are pretty good sized; about 11 inches long and 7 inches wide at the wings.
Here are the specs on the real thing: Length: 8 m (26.24 ft) Wingspan: 5.72 m (18.76 ft) Loaded weight: 2,250 kg (4,960 lb) Power plant: 1 × Argus As 014 pulse jet, 350 kgf (770 lbf)
Performance: Max speed: 800 km/h (500 mph (in diving flight) Cruise speed: 650 km/h (400 mph)
Range: 330 km (205 miles)
gorgeous paintwork