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Preview

Meteor Productions has supplied the following information on decal releases for Trumepter's 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Me 262:

Three new 1/32 Me 262 decal sets are coming from Cutting Edge Modelworks in a few weeks! These sheets are specifically fitted to the new Trumpeter 262 kit; please note that decals simply blown up from 1/48 scale will not fit your Trumpeter model well.

CED32070 Stormbirds Part 1 (see title image)

Me 262 A-2a, White 3, Ofhr. Hans-Guido Mutke, 9./JG 7, Prague, 1945, currently in Deutsches Museum; Me 262 A-1a, Green 4 (Black Bar + Bar), Major Theodor Weissenberger, Kommodore, JG 7, Kaltenkirchen, January 1945; Me 262 A-1a, Yellow 7, Ofw Heinz Arnold & Lt Fritz Muller, 11./JG 7, Prague, Spring 1945, currently restored and on display at the US National Air & Space Museum.

USD$12.99

CED32071 Stormbirds Part 2

Me 262 A-1a, Yellow 3, 9./KG(J) 54, Spring 1945; Me 262 A-1a, White 14, 3./EJG 2, Lechfeld; Me 262 A-1a, White 7, Ofw Hermann Buchner, Kdo Nowotny, Nov 1944, Lechfeld; Me 262 A-1a, White 3, Gen Adolf Galland (& Franz Stigler), Verbandsführer, JV 44; Me 262 A-2a, Black X, Fj.Ofw. Hans-Robert Fröhlich, I./KG 51 & Gefechtsverband Hogeback, Currently at AWM, Canberra.

USD$12.99

CED32072 Stormbirds Part 3

Me 262 S7, VI + AL, W.Nr. 130012, Eprobungskommando 262, Lechfeld, Summer 1944; Me 262 A-2a, Black 711, Hans Fay (test pilot), W.Nr. 111711, Schwäbisch Hall, March 1945, & Wright Field, 1946; Me 262 A-1a, White 17, III./EJG 2, Lechfeld, 1945; Me 262 A-1a, B3 + Green BC, Ofw Friedrich Gentsch, 7./KG (J) 54, Neuberg, March 1945.

USD$12.99

Notes on specific aircraft:

First, we’ve paid extremely close attention to the shape, size, and color of the artwork for the decal sheets. We’re very confident our decals are correct. HOWEVER, the precise colors and in some cases the color schemes are much more difficult to deduce from (frequently) small, grainy photos.

White 3, W.Nr. 500071:

This jet has usually been portrayed with natural metal wing undersides. This is not correct. The original Swiss equipment capture report states the undersides were painted “whitish gray (Nr. 76).” Additionally, this jet has 76 wing undersides currently in the Deutsches Museum, where it went after return from Switzerland. The Germans put quite a bit of effort into their restoration, and in fact the plane wore its original paint well after it went to the museum.

In addition, on the right side fuselage just in front of the windscreen there is a painted area that generally corresponds to the size and common location of a JG 7 badge. To be clear, this area WAS overpainted when the jet went to Switzerland and NO badge was visible. However, you can use a JG 7 crest off the decal sheet to hand paint over to represent the general appearance of a badge formerly painted in this area. Again: there was no badge in this area when the plane went to Switzerland and no badge is in this position currently. This is just a suggestion on how to hand paint this area to represent what can easily be seen in photos.

Green 4 (Black Bar + Bar), W.Nr. 111002:

This is Weissenberger’s jet. Only one photo is known to exist and it’s been published in numerous sources. This is a severe problem because some of the copy photos are really terrible. Good prints of the photo clearly show a white outline to the green 4. It’s also difficult to decipher the shape of the JG 7 badge in the bad prints. Better prints show the badge to have a highly non-standard shape and arrangement. Finally, even the better prints of this photo do not show the W.Nr. on the fin clearly. Some have argued there was no number even painted there, but you can see something is painted there; if not the W.Nr., what? We provide the W.Nr. in a common style so you can decide for yourself.

Determining the precise camouflage is a huge problem due to the poor quality of even the better photo prints. Ken Merrick, who I respect highly, believes the topside fuselage camouflage was a very tight mottle. This is certainly reasonable. You will need to look at the photo yourself to decide exactly how you want to paint your model.

Yellow 7, W.Nr. 500491:

This is the jet in the National Air & Space Museum and was the subject of an extremely careful restoration. Our markings match the NASM scheme. You should note that the tiny kill markings on the rear fuselage belonged to Heinz Arnold, who was killed in another aircraft. The jet went to Fritz Muller, and it’s not clear whether Arnold’s kills were overpainted at that time or not.

Yellow 3, (9./KG(J) 54):

You will note the shape of the “3” is different on our decal than some of the artists’ renditions of this jet from over the years. We closely examined the photo of this plane in the postwar boneyard published in Brett Green’s book, and matched our decal to the photo. That same photo nicely shows that the topside camouflage paint was rather thinly applied over the metal and the putty along the rivet lines is clearly visible through the paint. This will make a really killer model! Finally, please note that the nose tip of this jet is not visible in photos. We’ve shown a plain yellow nose cap, as this was consistent with unit practice. One published profile shows an elaborate yellow/black/white nose cap, but frankly there is no more proof of this than anything else—the nose can’t be seen! You can decide for yourself how you want to paint it.

White 14 (3./EJG 2):

The photo of this jet appears to show a dark nose, but it is almost certainly the shadow of a tree making it look dark.

White 3 (Galland)

Notwithstanding the conjecture that’s appeared on the internet recently about this plane, a photo of it appears in Held’s book captioned as Galland’s jet. Dana Potts (you guys know him as “Smudge”) asked Gen Galland personally a few years ago how his jet was marked the day he was shot down. Galland told him that it was “White 3” with no other markings on the plane. This description is certainly consistent with the photo published in Held’s book. While it is certainly conjecture whether this particular “White 3” was really Galland’s jet since the photo is too indistinct to see whether the pilot has a cigar in his mouth, it is no greater conjecture that many, many other photos reputed to be the mounts of other pilots. If you don’t believe it, you have lots of other subjects to choose from!

Black X, W.Nr. 500200:

Any question you might have about this jet is more than adequately answered in Brett Green’s Me 262 book. Buy it!

Black 711, W.Nr. 111711:

There were both color and B/W movie films taken of this jet after Messerschmitt test pilot Hans Fey surrendered it in March 1945. There are quite a few B/W still photos from that same period, and many more from the period after it went to Wright Field for flight test. From a very close evaluation of these photos were able to identify many small “711” stencils on the airframe, and a bunch of tiny “58” stencils (presumably a construction sequence serial) all around the airframe. The color photos confirm the putty was a fairly light gray, although it shows up rather dark in B/W photos. The fin base fairing was in a primer of approximately RLM 02 color; although whether it was technically 02 would be anybody’s guess. The nose gear door also had an unusual stencil.

White 17, W.Nr. 110956:

Again, there are a number of rather good B/W and color photos of this jet. One remaining point of contention is the color of the nose, which appears to be either natural metal or some unusual darkish gray. Paint it as you wish. Also, the left engine nacelle apparently had a different nozzle mounted at some point. While the intake for the left nacelle is clearly natural metal and the nozzle is often portrayed natural metal in artists’ interpretations, the color photo clearly shows the nozzle was 76 with a darker camouflage color mottled along the top edge. HOWEVER, other photos taken in a different location at a different time show what appears to be a natural metal nozzle on the left nacelle. Therefore, you have a choice of how to paint your model.

Have fun with your hobby!

Good luck and good modeling!

Dave

Thanks to Cutting Edge Modelworks for the preview information and images

Text and Images Copyright © 2005 by Meteor Productions
This Page Created on 30 September, 2005
Last updated 30 September, 2005

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