Initial impressions:

Dragon Me 262A-1a/U4

• Some flash on parts
• Some sink marks – particularly lower rear port fuselage half
• Rubber tyres to be replaced with True Details wheel set
• Detailed gun bay but gun cover panel fit is poor
• Etched metal seatbelts included
• Instrument panel needs to be painted
• Requires lead weights in nose to prevent tail sitting
• Fit of parts is OK, but port fuselage is a bit warped

Tamiya Me 262A-1a

• Kit includes detailed gun bay and alternative open/closed gun bay covers
• No seatbelts included
• Decals for instrument panel
• Kit includes white metal nose gear bay to prevent tail sitting
• Fit of parts looks to be very good

Hobby Boss Me 262A-1a/U3

• Kit is a mix of Me 232A-1a/U3 (interim recon version) and Me 262A-5 (projected production recon version)
• Me 262A-1a/U3: some were armed with a single MK 108 canon in nose with projecting blast tube and this is included on fuselage parts
• Me 262A-5: was to be armed with two MK 108 canon in lower nose gun ports are moulded on fuselage halves and instructions have you add the MK 108s
• Camera ports under nose are solid and incorrect shape. These could be covers that were intended for the Me 262A-5
• Kit has internal parts for rear fuselage and open access panel
• Main compass
• Radio boxes and mounting frame
• Oxygen bottles and mounting frame
• Basic camera bay detail
• No seatbelts included
• Decals for instrument panel
• Kit includes white metal nose gear bay to prevent tail sitting
• Fit of parts looks to be very good

Bring them on - I'm tuned in @michaelt

Nice! I ‘m working around the Tamiya kit also (amongst other builds). I also have in the stash the Dragon (Trimaster) kit and it’s reissue under Revell label. Not a bad kit but Tamiya has the edge there. If you don’t mind I’ll be following your WIP adventures Michael ;-).
Here’s a pic of my ongoing 262

G'day Pedro,
I'll be interested to see how yours goes together too.
Are you droping the leading edge slats?

Hobby Boss

Oddly, Hobby Boss provides tabs on both sides of the cockpit tub that slot into raised slots on the fuselage sides. These are unnecessary as the forward and aft bulkheads to which the tub is attached will suffice to keep it in place.
I removed both tabs (easy) and slots (more difficult).
As noted above, the kit includes gun ports either side of the nose that are not correct for the Me 262A-1a/U3, so I glued some plastic rod in the ports and then sanded and filled them.
The Classic Publications book has a photo of the camera ports of the actual aircraft I'm modelling so I modified the parts and added clear acetate windows.
I added after-market seatbelts to the seat.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Hey Michael, yes I am.
Using the long OOP set from Cutting Edge. It’s a good resin but the area where it goes makes it a very fiddly work. Got a bit bogged because of it, but will push forward to see it completed.
Looking with interest at your HB kit. So far you’ve pointed several inaccuracies in it that I was not at all aware.

And this is number 4.

It is the Dragon kit and was built back in 2005 (how long ago?!).

I came 2nd in the "Open Aircraft - Medium (1/36 to 1/71) Enhanced" category at the Australian Model Expo (Melbourne, 2005). That is the only time any of my builds have placed.

I've just re-read my build comments and will have to look out for those issues on this kit.

(see http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/%7Egmturner/aircraft/me262a2/me262a2.htm)

At least I haven't forgotten the nose weights this time.

1 attached image. Click to enlarge.