1:48 Messerschmitt Me P.1101

The real subject

The Messerschmitt Me P.1101 was a German experimental jet aircraft from the end of the Second World War. It remained at the stage of a partly built prototype and never flew. It had a short fuselage with an air intake opening in the nose, the cockpit set above it and a single jet engine housed inside the fuselage. Its most striking feature was the swept wing, whose sweep angle could be reset on the ground into several positions, so that the machine could be used to measure the effect of sweep on an aircraft's behavior.

Why the real subject is interesting

The partly built prototype was found at the end of the war at the facility in Oberammergau and taken to the United States. Work on it there provided the basis for the Bell X-5 research aircraft, which could already change the sweep of its wing in flight. The P.1101 is therefore often named among the forerunners of variable-geometry aircraft. For a modeler it is a typical representative of the German projects of the last months of the war: an unusual shape, a short history and a machine that never reached series production.

Building and painting

• Try the parts dry before gluing and plan the joints in advance; on a small aircraft the fuselage seams are conspicuous.
• The cockpit set high above the nose is clearly visible, so it pays to give its equipment some attention.
• Since the aircraft never flew, the color schemes are projected ones; follow the instructions in the kit.
• The manufacturer gives the box contents, the parts count and the recommended sequence in the instructions.

Who it is for

For modelers interested in the aircraft projects of the end of the Second World War and in unfinished prototypes. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Paints, glue and filler are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.