DONE @p.3 +++ 1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2 of KG51 'Edelweiss', 1946

[Dizzyfugu]

Where are the main undercarriage going.  In the tail booms?

Maybe one HUGE wheel in that massive bay under the fuselage, with a small nosewheel and outriggers under the 'booms'?   

You mean the twin-tracked arrangement with three outriggers? 

[Dizzyfugu]

...and in the meantime (slightly fast-forward, the intake duct PSR took a while...  ), more progress and focus on smaller aspects.

Cockpit is about to be closed, and the clear nose cone - from a Trumpeter Il-28, trimmed down and the nose tip diameter adapted to it - has been fitted. Changes the look dramatically, too! Does not look much like an F7U anymore, does it? 


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2 (What-if/kitbashing) -  WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The defensive armament consists of a pair of remote-controlled barbettes, left over from an 1:100 VEB Plasticart Tu-20 bomber. They are perfect in shape and size for twin MG 131 stations. One goes in a dorsal position directly behind the cockpit and in front of the bomb bay bulkhead, into the "gap" where the spurious twin MK 103 goes on the P.1099B:


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2 (What-if/kitbashing) -  WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The other one goes in a ventral position behind the bomb bay, which received large doors now, and the landing gear has also been fitted. As explained above, the landing gear became a mix from both donor kits. For the main landing gear the F7U's struts were used together with P.1099 main wheels (they simply look more retro), while the front wheel strut comes from the P.1099 kit but was extended with the F7U's attachment point for its twin front wheels – a single wheel would have looked quite wimpy under the rather massive hull, and I did not want the F7U's massive nose-up stance.


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2 (What-if/kitbashing) -  WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A look inside of the bomb bay, which will take a pair off SC 500 bombs in tandem - from 1:72 Academy Fw 190 kits, gothere with their shackles. Bomb bay and landing gear were painted with Tamiya XF-22 "RLM(02) Grey".


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2 (What-if/kitbashing) -  WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2 (What-if/kitbashing) -  WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some antennae and a pitot will be added, and then painting the thing can start...

[PR19_Kit]

A REAL 'Bits Box Special' there Thomas.   

[zenrat]

You make it look easy...

[Dizzyfugu]

You make it look easy...

Thanska a lot, I take that as a compliment.    Well, I had some years to think about it, but the idea to use the P.1099 nose section is relatively new - and I am amazed how good it fits and looks. But the PSR stuff is ...advanced. Nevertheless, the "blending quality" turned ot to be very good (wait for the painting phase pics!) and the overall impression is very good, strong Luft '46 vibes, and little "Cutlass travesty". 

[kitbasher]

I always feel the Revel P.1099 offers up lots of whiffery possibilities.  The one I'm frequently tempted to scalorama one into a 1/144 alternative (a sort of late civil Luft '46) early 1950s B737.

Lufthansa, of course.

[Rick Lowe]

 

[Dizzyfugu]

True to my motto: "weird aircraft require rather simple paint schemes", I settled upon a typical "German" daytime paint scheme. Something really simple. In the end I got inspiration from Ju 188 and Do 217 bombers and ended up with classic uniform RLM 76 underneath (ModelMaster 4786) and a uniform RLM 75 (ModelMaster 4785) upper surface, onto which I originally planned to add dark green (RLM 82) mottling. But when I was faced with the all-grey top side I switched to RLM02 mottles because I found the dark green to have too little contrast and the upper surfaces too dark in general. But first, the basic RLM 75 and 76 basis received a black ink washing and some panel shading:


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2; ,9K+BP ("Gelbe Berta", s/n 391186)' of II./KG51 'Edelweiss', Deutsche Luftwaffe; Aachen, Merzbrück airfield, mid-1946 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2; ,9K+BP ("Gelbe Berta", s/n 391186)' of II./KG51 'Edelweiss', Deutsche Luftwaffe; Aachen, Merzbrück airfield, mid-1946 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Only with paint on the hull I was now able to control thze surface quality of the PSR work, and I am amazed how well the air intakes and the new ducts blend into everything. It looks really good! 


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2; ,9K+BP ("Gelbe Berta", s/n 391186)' of II./KG51 'Edelweiss', Deutsche Luftwaffe; Aachen, Merzbrück airfield, mid-1946 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Gondor]

I have a Luft46 flying wing that I should try and finish at some point. I have to find it first and then have the mojo to work on it.

[zenrat]

You make it look easy...

Thanks a a lot, I take that as a compliment.  ...

That's how it was meant mate.  You have a good eye for a kitbash.

[Dizzyfugu]

That's how it was meant mate.  You have a good eye for a kitbash.

Thank you, once more! 

[Dizzyfugu]

The basic RLM 75 and 76 basis received a black ink washing and some panel shading, then the decals were applied. The position of the fuselage markings caused some headaches: while there was ample space for them underneath the cockpit this forward position would be untypical for a German WWII aircraft – even the Me 163 had its national markings and the tactical code placed on the rear fuselage. Since the F7U body offers little vertical space, I placed code and Iron Cross at the base of the twin fins. Revell went a similar way with their Arado E.555 model in fictional markings, even though they omitted the crosses altogether and added a small hyphen, what IMHO makes little sense. Beyond the core markings I added a KG51 squadron badge from an Italeri Me 410 sheet and some stencils/walkway borders on the wings and the fuselage.


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2; ,9K+BP ("Gelbe Berta", s/n 391186)' of II./KG51 'Edelweiss', Deutsche Luftwaffe; Aachen, Merzbrück airfield, mid-1946 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Lippisch-Messerschmitt Me 351 A-2; ,9K+BP ("Gelbe Berta", s/n 391186)' of II./KG51 'Edelweiss', Deutsche Luftwaffe; Aachen, Merzbrück airfield, mid-1946 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The tactical code is "authentic" and consists of black and yellow single DIN font letters from TL Modellbau; '9K' is KG51's unit code, the 'B' denotes the individual aircraft code, and 'P' as well as the aircraft code letter's yellow color indicate that it is allocated to 6. Staffel, at the same time also part of II. Group of KG 51.

With the decals/markings in place I added the RLM02 mottles (I used Revell 45, which is a tad lighter than "real" RLM02, for the sake of better contrast - even though it turned out weaker than expected, but I left it that way because it looks interesting and not "wrong") around them, as if the aircraft had been delivered in the simple grey/grey scheme and then post-camouflaged in the unit's field workshop.

Some matt varnish and small detail painting like position lights, then we can move to the photo booth.

[PR19_Kit]

I love the concept of a Whiff model with 'authentic' codes.   

[Rick Lowe]

I love the concept of a Whiff model with 'authentic' codes.   

Yup. 

Looks good, Thomas. Nice work on the intakes, and you're right that they blend in well.

[Old Wombat]

That's looking pretty good!