Monogram 1/48 Me-262
First headline post after a short hiatus from modeling. Earlier this year I read about Flying Heritage Collection's Me-262 restoration that will be flying soon with the original style (but not completely original as the guts have been remanufactured with modern materials, but to original specs) Jumo 004 engines! Made me want to dig mine out and go to work!
The kit is pretty nice and typical of Monogram kits of the late seventies/early eighties. There's just enough cockpit there to be interesting without being a chore and the fit is pretty decent. (I used no filler on this one.) It was my first time having a go at the mottled camouflage on the side. From references I saw, it seemed as it had a feathered demarcation between the splintered upper two colors and the grey on the bottom. Then appears someone on the line went crazy with a spray gun bringing the bottom color on the sides at random. I may go back and spray in some spots though as it seems like I kept the grey too heavy near the top. I did have a good time on it though. Makes for a quick build!
very nice
Good work...can't go wrong the 'old' Monogram stuff.
The FHC Me-262 is the only original one that can fly, since the AF didn't cut the main spar when they gave the airframe to the A&P School at Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California, in the early 50s. Ed Maloney saved it in 1958 when the school was closed as the airport was being closed to make way for the I-5 freeway and taken to Planes of Fame. It's one of the Me-262s saved by Kurt Welter, commander of Kommando Welter, the Me-262 Wilde Sau unit, to trade with the Allies in return for good treatment of his men. The Monogram kit was done directly off that airplane
Ed's sale of the airplane to Paul Allen basically financed all the new construction and expansion of the museum.
I am kind of torn about it flying, as there are several fine replicas so one can get the "feel" of what a 262 was like in the air and I would hate to see anything bad happen to it. The 004 wasn't known for its durability and with the engines that far apart I'd imagine flying on one would be a little hairy. Hopefully the modern materials will greatly extend overhaul time and increase reliability, although it's still going to behave (and most importantly sound) like a 004 with its slow spool up time. That said, there is something to seeing something perform as intended and know that it's the real deal! Nice little tidbit on the history of the Monogram kit as well! Kinda cool to know the plane that inspired me to build the model was the exact plane the kit was modeled after!
Nice work Josh, have it in the stash, glad to here it's a decent build.
🙂 ... Greetings ... 🙂 :
Always glad too see a MONOGRAM model. Very nice work on the camouflage scheme, thanks for sharing the photos.
Very nice build of a great Monogram kit!