ManCave Modeler presents...
Heinkel HE162 Salamander
Cyberhobby, 1/48 scale

The Plane
The Heinkel He162 was a single-seat jet-powered fighter flown by the Luftwaffe in WWII.
Known as the Volksjager or "People’s Fighter", the He162 was fast owing to the fact it was made primarily of wood.
The concept behind the He162 was to create a cheap, mass-produced “throw away fighter” to counter the superiority of Allied fighters and bombers that were wreaking havoc on Germany.
A requirement for such a fighter was issued in September 1944, and within 90 days of the Heinkel design being selected, the company had a prototype in the air on 6 December 1944.
Deliveries of the first He162 aircraft to an operational unit, I./JG 1, occurred in February 1945, with the first combat taking place in mid-April.
It was an effective aircraft, but it suffered from production teething issues and a lack of experienced pilots.
Specifications:
Maximum speed:
  559.23 mph (900 km/h)
Range:
  606 miles (975 km)
Maiden flight:
  Jun 06, 1944
Length:
  29' 8" (9.05 m)
Wingspan:
  23' 7" (7.19 m)
Armament:
  2 × 20 mm MG 151/20
  OR 2 × 30 mm MK 108
The Kit
A nice little kit of a unique aircraft under Dragon's Cyberhobby label.
It comes molded in the usual gray and comes with a small sheet of Photo Etch with some engine and cockpit details which is not the usual brass but a white metal, possibly stainless or nickel silver. It also includes parts for a "V" tailplane configuration should you choose to use model a different version.
It can be built with or without the included Jet Engine and has hinges for the Jet engine cover as part of the PE set which work but but I found slightly difficult to assemble. There are also plastic parts if you choose not to use them
The engine has some decent detail , but I also added a lot of pipes and hoses to the jet engine using photos of an actual engine
For the Seat Belts, I ordered a set of PE Buckles from my distributor and made them out of flat dental floss.
the aircraft was painted wit Model master RLM colors and clear coated with Alclad Semi-Matte

Note: this kit comes with a politically correct decal set that excludes the swastikas for the tail.
You'll need to get an aftermarket swastika set if you wish to add this detail.

I'll be curious to compare the Tamiya version of the same aircraft


 
     

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Last Updated October 25,2017