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

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks, everyone! 

[chrisonord]

I am liking this Thomas, seriously 

[Dizzyfugu]

No photo session for the Me 351 yet. Busy, and it's quite hot here at the moment... 

However, I already started another kitbashing build to keep me busy. Mojo is flowing, I have to take this chance. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Yeah, good news: photo session has been completed, but that was the quick part. Now comes the dreaded editing phase...    But we get there!

[Dizzyfugu]

Editing! 

[Dizzyfugu]

Early teaser... 


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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[NARSES2]

  

[Dizzyfugu]

Here we go! Was a long Sunday afternoon, and the shooting yielded more "retro" pics than expected. 


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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
The Me 351 was developed in response to a competition organized by the RLM for a new jet-powered bomber that could carry a bomb load of 1 ton internally within a combat radius of 1.000km at the speed of 1.000km/h, the so-called "1.000 x 1.000 x 1.000" or "3 x 1.000" program. Development of what would become the Me 351 can be traced back to 1937 and the work of the German aeronautical engineer Alexander Lippisch and the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS). Initially an experimental program that drew upon traditional glider designs while integrating various new innovations such as the rocket engine, the development ran into organizational issues until Lippisch and his team were transferred to Messerschmitt in January 1939. Plans for a propeller-powered intermediary aircraft were quickly dropped in favour of proceeding directly to rocket and later to jet propulsion. One of the designs that went into service was the Me 163 Komet point-defense interceptor across Germany in 1944, but in parallel other aircraft were under development, too.

The Me 351 started out as Messerschmidt's development project P.1113, a jet-powered multi-purpose aircraft as a replacement for the ill-fated Me 210/410. Lippisch's design team opted for an unconventional tailless configuration, together with swept wings. This decision was heavily influenced by aerodynamic data undertaken by the German Arado and Messerschmitt companies. The Messerschmitt P.1110 and P.1112 projects of similar configuration were other contemporary projects that made use of the aerodynamic discoveries.


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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


P.1113 featured broad chord, low aspect ratio swept wings, with tall twin wing-mounted tail fins either side of a short fuselage, with circular air intakes for two engines in the wing roots. Overall, the aircraft appeared rather stocky and compact. The cockpit, which was pressurized, was situated well forward to provide good visibility for the pilot, and in a back-to-back tandem seat a second crewman, a navigator/radio operator/gunner, found place under a mutual hood. The flat fuselage held a large bomb bay, large enough to carry a single SC 1800 bomb or a pair of SC 1000 bombs in tandem, flanked by fuel cells and the ducts for the aircraft's powerplant, a pair of Heinkel-Hirth S11 axial-flow jet engines.

There were no flaps, but the wings carried large slats to improve low-speed handling Both pitch and roll control was provided by elevons, and these were furthermore split in two halves that also acted as air brakes and spoilers. The aircraft was provisioned with all-hydraulic flight controls; these provided artificial feedback so the pilot could feel aerodynamic forces acting on the aircraft. The hydraulic system operated at 3000 psi, and the system should prove to be not ready for front-line service and experienced a high level of unreliability. Allegedly, this was at least partially due to many components having been intended for lower pressure hydraulic systems, resulting in a high rate of failure and thus exacerbating overall unreliability.


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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


When the RLM's "3 x 1000" bomber request was issued several companies, including Heinkel and Focke-Wulf, responded with more or less futuristic designs to meet the stringent performance demands, and Messerschmidt submitted a P.1113 derivative that would exceed the 2.000 km range requirement, though knowing that the requested top speed of 1.000 km/h would not be met because the new S11 engine was promising and running, but its early production forms would simply not offer enough thrust for a light bomber design.

However, due to the pressing situation the RLM accepted the proposal, ordered the construction of a prototype and even already assigned the production of a pre-series version of the aircraft that was now officially designated Me 351. For the intended initial bomber role, the P.1113 underwent some modifications: The original solid nose gave way to a clear nose tip with a flat lower pane to accommodate a LotFe bomb sight which was connected with the cockpit through a periscopic connection so that the pilot could use it to drop bombs from high altitude, the aircraft's primary modus operandi. However, the clear nose also offered the pilot an excellent downward field of view, valuable for low-level flight, ground attacks and taxiing. To take advantage of the arrangement the pilot's field of view was further improved through a split dashboard. The second major change was the addition of defensive armament, because the Luftwaffe dod not want to rely alone on the aircraft's high speed and altitude. An original pair of fixed MK 108 30 mm multi-purpose guns in the lower nose, to be used offense- and defensively, was augmented by a pair of remote-controlled FDL 131Z barbettes which carried a pair of heavy 13 mm MG 131 machine guns each. One barbette was mounted directly behind the cockpit, in front of the bomb bay, while the other one was in a ventral position behind the bomb bay. The barbettes were linked and optically aimed by the second crewman, who faced rearward. They covered almost the whole rear 180° hemisphere behind the aircraft, only the Me 351's fins created relatively small blind spots.

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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


On 29 September 1945, the first prototype, dubbed "V1" but effectively already built to pre-production A-0 specs, performed its maiden flight, and it quickly became clear that the aircraft was underpowered as well as quite unstable and structurally not rigid enough. However, it showed potential, bevause the Me 351 V1 attained during flight tests a maximum speed of 625 mph (1,058 km/h) in a shallow dive. These issues could be mended, though, with a stronger airframe that was also enlarged to fit more fuel inside of the fuselage, above the bomb bay, as well as better maintenance access via additional panels and the introduction of the enhanced Heinkel-Hirth 109-011 B engine (the V1's initial  HeS 109-011 A only provided 12.7 kN/2866.5 lbf thrust at 11000 RPM, which was barely enough to get the aircraft off of the ground at MTOW).
This new powerplant still did not provide enough thrust to propel the Me 351 A-1 beyond 1.000 km/h at level flight, but it was a major step ahead and allowed secure take-off with the full intended 1.000 kg bomb load and enough fuel to cover the 1.000 km combat radius without RATO units. Stability was improved through fillets added in front of each fin on the wings, and the fin's bases, which extended underneath the wings and held the main landing gear, were increased in vertical area, too, what considerably improved the aircraft's flight characteristics.


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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Serial production was quickly ramped up and the first A-1 and A-2 bombers (both primarily differed through their HeS 109-011 engine variants, the A-2 was the true serial production model and only twenty A-1s with the 011 B that provided only 14.7 kN/3307 lbf thrust) reached West front units in April 1946. The new bombers were immediately thrown into action, primarily attacking approaching Allied units in France and Belgium, in an attempt to interrupt supply lines,  but also executing bomb raids over the Channel in Southern UK, esp. against London and the Channel ports.

Being only produced in limited numbers and under a worsening situation, the Me 351's impact was low, though. However, in service, the Me 351 turned out to be surprisingly stable weapons platform, relatively maneuverable, and quite sturdy with the strengthened airframe. Furthermore, pilots gave particular praise for its high roll rate, which was as good as or even better than most production jets at the time, despite the aircraft's bulk. Early on, it was discovered that the Me 351 would gyrate after experiencing a stall, tumbling towards the ground. Initially this was experienced as a major flaw, and several aircraft were lost, but one panicking pilot who had let go of the control stick to reach with both hands for the crew cabin's hatch, was surprised to find his aircraft promptly self-correcting and stabilizing again. It was determined that normal recovery procedures did not apply to the tailless Me 351 and similar designs, a conclusion that was later confirmed via wind tunnel testing.


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) 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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Beyond the basic Me 351 A bomber, other variants were envisioned but never realized. The planned B variant would have been a single-seat Pulkzerstörer/heavy fighter with a heavy, forward-firing cannon armament (a pair of heavy 55 mm MK 214 autoguns plus a pair of 20 mm MG 151/20 machine cannon in the lower nose, the bomb bay was filled with an auxiliary tank and a retractable pannier with unguided R4M air-to-air rockets; the defensive gun barbettes were omitted). The C version was a night fighter which retained the bomber's nose section for a crew of two but had a solid thimble radome for a FuG 240 radar with a rotating dish antenna instead of the clear nose cone. Armament consisted of four powerful MK 103 30 mm autocannon in the lower nose and two fixed MK 108 as Schräge Musik behind the cockpit, but again no remote-controlled gun barbettes. The bomb bay was filled with an auxiliary tank, too, but no rocket pannier was carried.

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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


General characteristics:
        Crew: two (pilot/navigator)
        Length: 11.77 m (38 ft 6 ¾ in)
        Wingspan: 12.1 m (39 ft 8 in)
        Height: 4.65 m (15 ft 2 ½ in)
        Wing area: 46.1 m2 (496 sq ft)
        Empty weight: 18,210 lb (8,260 kg)
        Gross weight: 26,840 lb (12,174 kg)
        Max takeoff weight: 31,643 lb (14,353 kg)

Powerplant:
      2× Heinkel-Hirth 109-011 C jet engine with 16.7 kN (3,748 lbf) thrust each

Performance:
          Maximum speed: 910 km/h (560 mph, 490 kn) at 11,800 m (38,700 ft)
          Range: 2,500 km (1,600 mi, 1,300 nmi)
          Service ceiling: 13,500 m (44,300 ft)

Armament:
        2× 30 mm (1.18") MK 108 autocannon in lower front fuselage with 100 RPG
        4× 13 mm 0.5" (13 mm) MG 131 machine guns in two FDL 131Z turrets with 200 RPG
        Bomb bay for a total internal ordnance of 2.000 kg (4,405 lb)


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) 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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


I am quite proud of the build - and "mission accomplished": a Luft '46 F7U that hardly look like one anymore. 

[NARSES2]

Bloody marvelous     

[chrisonord]

WOW     

[zenrat]

Very good Dizz.

 

[Old Wombat]

Nice job, Dizzy! Well done!   

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot, gentlebeings! 

[PR19_Kit]

Absolutely LOVE it Thomas! 

It looks so 'Indiana Jones' that it SHOULD have been considered for a part in one of the films. 

[Dizzyfugu]

It looks so 'Indiana Jones' that it SHOULD have been considered for a part in one of the films. 

LOL, but I admit that I got these vibes, too, during photo editing.