1:32 Fieseler Fi103 A/B V-1

The Fieseler Fi 103 V-1 in 1:32 scale

A kit of the Fieseler Fi 103 unmanned missile, which history recorded under the designation V-1, in the A and B versions. The large 1:32 scale gives even such a small real subject a reasonable size and room for surface detail.

The real subject

The Fi 103 was an unmanned flying bomb powered by a pulsejet engine housed in a tube above the rear fuselage. It was that engine which gave it the characteristic interrupted sound by which it could be heard before it could be seen. Its course and range were held by a simple control system set before launch, so the machine aimed at a large area, not at a particular point. The wing had a thin rectangular shape and the whole structure was subordinated to being producible quickly and cheaply.

What the large scale brings

The real subject measured over eight meters and had a span of roughly five and a half meters; in 1:32 scale that works out as a model around 26 cm long with a span of about 17 cm. The model therefore photographs well and will stand more detailed work on the surface without taking up as much space in a display case as an aircraft of the same scale.

Building and painting tips

• The kit is supplied unassembled and unpainted.
• Cut the parts off with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the remainder carefully.
• Wash and degrease the surface before painting, otherwise the coat tears on the smooth areas.
• The engine tube and the fuselage are smooth, large surfaces on which every unevenness shows; it pays to sand them in several steps.
• The color scheme and the markings are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Paints, glue and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.