Two Dragon 1/48 Messerschmitt 262b-1a
Red 10 and 6 were captured by the Allied and photographed while evaluated before being scrapped. Some data suggest that Red 6 had RLM 75 painted on upper wing surfaces instead of the RLM 82 presented here.
Dragon's kit is a challenge to build. Number 10 had resin additions from the Verlinden kit that included cockpit, wheels and slats. Number 6 had scratch made slats and extended flaps and separated elevators to add dynamics to the model.
Very nice.
Contrary to Hex-spurtz Mythology masquerading as "fact", these airplanes were never used operationally. According to my friend the late Jorg Czypionka, the last living pilot of Kommando Welter, the night fighting Me-262 unit, Kurt Welter collected them and every other Me-262 he could lay hands on in order to trade them to the Allies in return for good treatment of his men. Those "operational" photos are of the airplanes on the field up in Schleswig Holstein where Kommando Welter retreated to, and the "Luftwaffe personnel" around them are actually Royal Army troops playing "tourist" with them after capture. The Kommando Welter Me-262s are the source of all surviving Me-262s. They turned them over to the Allies, taught Allied pilots to fly them so they could be taken to England and the US. As to using them, Jorg pointed out that they were a "Wilde Sau" unit and had no radar operators who could have made them operational.
Operational or not, these are great models made from a not-so-great kit. Kudos to you Rafi!
Very interesting research and insights, Tom. It is the British Army, BTW, not the Royal Army. There are complex historical reasons for this, relating to how regiments were raised historically. Not all of Royal origin.
Thank you Tom,
Thank you for the insight. I read (I think in Eric Brown's memories) that the Luftwaffe ground staff in Schleswig Holstein were the original staff that maintained the aircraft and were prisoners. They instructed the British experts in return to better prison and release conditions.
The rear compartment is very small and operational status of the aircraft would be hard to achieve even if the War continued.
Those were the guys from Kommando Welter. While they were helping the Brits, Welter bribed a POW camp commander to let his guys come, stay three days then get released with proper paperwork. When September came and the job was done, the British were all apologetic about the Germans having to go to POW camp. As Jorg said, "We all showed them our paperwork and walked off the base!" Unfortunately, Welter was killed in a car accident in 1948 when he was traveling down a country road and a farmer pulled his horses and wagon out of a side pasture at the wrong moment.
Beautiful looking aircraft
Thank you George
Excellent models out of the challenging Dragon kits, Rafi!
Thank you Spiros!
Superb result on both, Rafi @blackmopane
Great achievement on the mottling effect,
Thank you John!
Your paintwork is always impressive and frankly very much inspiring, Rafi!
Thank you Felix!
Two lovely examples of this early jet.
Thank you George.
That’s not an easy kit and you did two! Well done, Rafi.
Thank you John!
Those are both great-looking models. The paintwork and weathering is fantastic.
Thank you Greg!
The paint job is amazing. I'm always impressed by folks who can master that camo scheme.
Thank you Dan.
Those are two excellent builds!
A+ and A+ for both!
Thank you John.
Well done on both - paintwork is superb!
Thank you Chas!
Great airbrushing, and overall finish, Rafi. These are both really nice models.
Thank you Colin.
Superb !
Thank you Tarantino!