NEW AND IN VIEW
FROG Me.262A. Red Series
Following rapidly on the heels of the Buccaneer comes the Frog version of the 262 'Sturmvogel' Once more a Frog release is like the curates egg... good in parts'
The kit is reasonably correct to outline and true dimensions, and is in fact closer than many recent issues, and shows possibilities of being a very good kit, but on close examination and assembly faults show up. The first noticable error is the shape of the nose. This is a most distinctive feature of the 262, and in the case of the Frog kit, it droops rather sadly. Experiments showed this can be more or less corrected by two saw cuts, one just forward of the nosewheel recess and one about 1 cm further back, cut below and 2/3rds up to the nose top, the nose section lifted gently , and two plastic strips glued in the slots to hold the nose up. .. file and sand to smooth.
The wing is a poor fit and needs considerably filling at the roots, and the leading edge of the centre section is square' '. The engine nacelles are not quite correct in profile and the openings too small. The only way a true correction can be made is to increase their length with plasticard inserts and open up the intake and exhaust. Unless this is done they cannot be opened up to the correct diameter, but careful sanding will produce some improvement. Cockpit detail is limited to a poorish seat and horrid figure. The canopy is clear and correct profile, but too narrow across the base.
Box art is fair although the colour schemes shown can only be used as a guide. Markings and pattern correct but colour way out. Decals as usual with Frog are good.
A.M.L.K.
The IPMS magazine, AUGUST, 1972. Vol. 9 No. 8
Model Enthusiast
W.R. Mathews
Stormy petrel and pirate
The latest pair from Frog to l/72nd scale provide interesting contrast, comprising yet another kit of that somewhat angular Stormy Petrel (or Sturmvogel), the Messerschmitt Me 262, and a kit of that bulbously curvacious pirate, the Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S Mk 2. Although perhaps not to be dismissed out of hand as a reasonably competent kit offering little or no improvement over the many kits of this epoch-marking WW II warplane already available, Frog's Me 262 leaves us with the distinct impression of a kit consciously designed down to a price. It is generally accurate in outline apart from the turbojet nacelles, the forward portions of which taper too sharply, and detail is fairly well handled, but the fit of the component parts. . . ! Of late there have been many Frog kits that suffer poor component fit, some of them very poor indeed, and the Me 262 may be included among this company's least adequate offerings from this aspect. There are immense gaps along the joints of the wing sections, and the fit of the fuselage and engine nacelles to the wings is extremely poor. The wing section itself is decidedly odd! All in all, we feel sure that Frog can do better than this. A saving grace is perhaps the decal sheet which is excellent, providing markings for an Me 262A-la of 3./JG 7 and for an Me 262A-2a of I/KG 51, and the colour scheme drawing included in the box art is very good indeed, but we would have preferred to see a better-quality, more carefully-manufactured kit at a marginally higher price.
Whereas another Me 262 kit will undoubtedly be considered superfluous by many modellers, a Buccaneer S Mk 2 kit, despite its faults, is very welcome indeed, for nobody could suggest that there is a surfeit of kits of the latter. Faults Frog's Buccaneer kit certainly has a plenty, but it also possesses its virtues. It is accurate in outline and what little surface detail there is — and there is little surface detail on the Buccaneer as anyone that has inspected the full-scale aeroplane will testify — is neatly reproduced. Cockpit detail is spartan, but the all-drawing style instruction sheet is satisfactory. Wisely, it indicates the distribution of weight necessary to ensure that the model sits correctly on its undercarriage. The least said about component fit the better. It suffices to say that once we had overcome the problem of getting the tail halves to fit correctly we were left with ugly gaps around their joints, and similar gaps were all too apparent at the base of the fin and at the points where the wing outer sections join the centre section. This is also a "see-thru" model, there being no bulkhead of any sort in the engine nacelles, an undesirable feature thought to have become as extinct as the Dodo. The canopy, incidentally, is slightly too wide at its aft end, and quite a few choice expletives accompanied the task of getting this to fit properly. Frog is to be commended on its enterprise in adding this aircraft type to its range, but we deprecate the slipshod manufacturing standards that it displays.
Air Enthusiast 1972-10 vol.03 no.04
KIT COMMENT
TWO POPULAR LUFTWAFFE AIRCRAFT MODELLED BY FROG
MESSERSCHMITT Me 262 AND HEINKEL He 111 RELEASED
Models of Luftwaffe aircraft are always popular particularly in the United States. Sales of Bf 109s are double anything else released by kit manufacturers and other well known types such as the Fw 190 come a close second. Two models on the periphery of popularity are the He 111 and Me 262, one because it was the best-known German medium bomber and the other as it was the first operational jet fighter in the world. Frog have long wanted to expand their range to include more Luftwaffe aircraft and now with the release of these two new models have provided us with kits that are a little more accurate than their contemporaries but could still do with some improvement.
The Airfix Me 262 was produced about ten years ago and has long needed something of greater accuracy to replace it. The later Revell model was much better but lacked some refinements, particularly regarding the cockpit canopy and internal detail.
The Frog offering provides this this but although a high standard in outline accuracy has been achieved the mouldings and fit of several components leave something to be desired.
Viewed from above there appears to be no problem but if the kit is stuck together without adding body putty the undersides of the wings and engine nacelles are not so good. Any discerning model maker will overcome the badly fitting parts in a few minutes by adding filler but the fact remains that more attention should have been given to these components.
Apart from this criticism there is little to fault the model. It has, in the main, been delicately treated as far as panel lines go, the cockpit canopy is excellent and the nose and tail cones in the jets have been added satisfactorily. There's no detail in the cockpit apart from a pilot's seat but at least the armoured head rest has been provided so that externally, the model looks complete.
The Me 262 undercarriage is a good one. The angle of the main legs has been achieved correctly so has the thickness and weight of the main wheels. We cut off the bulbous ends to the undercarriage legs over which the wheels are supposed to clip as these do not help in the final appearance of the model. The two bombs provided in the kit looked rather poor at first glance and were replaced by spares taken from another model.
As usual Frog's decal sheet is first rate. Two aircraft are featured, the first being an Me 262A-la belonging to III/JG7 when based at Kaltenkir-chen/Holstein in February 1945 and the other an Me 262A -2a of 1/KG51 operating from Achmer in the same period. The box art is good, the instruction sheet easy to understand. In fact the whole constructional work in this kit was a simple task and places the model amongst the few which can be recommended for the beginner to plastic aircraft kit modelling.
Should the beginner want to make the model he should take one word of warning in that a large amount of added weight is needed in the nose to keep the model on its undercarriage. The whole forward part of the model needs filling with lead and plasticine. Alternatively Frog have provided parts so that the undercarriage can be placed in the 'up* position.
AWKWARD UNDERCARRIAGE
Modellers can produce either a Heinkel He 111 H-l or the H-6 model from the larger of the two recent Frog releases. Whereas the Me 262 was simple to construct, the bomber is a little more difficult. It too has its problems as far as accuracy goes, particularly in the undercarriage, fin and rudder and front gunner's cupola.
It is pleasing to note that Frog have provided us with the more popular of the He 111 series. The Airfix model is of the H-20 sporting a dorsal turret and very difficult to convert into the version having the long canopy with the upper gunner's position partially exposed. At least we can be happy in that both companies have different variants ©n the market and it seems to us that a little cross kitting would not go amiss.
Although generally accurate in outline, the shape of the He 111's fin and rudder appears to be too rounded. A study of available photographs indicates that this component was more pointed than that supplied in the kit and at the same time is possibly too shallow in height. Although difficult to correct, this feature is completely overshadowed by the obviously inaccurate undercarriage. It seems that original plans must have been consulted of the aircraft in the air as the oleo legs are extended in such a way that the aircraft is a full quarter inch higher off the ground than it should be.
We made up our sample using the undercarriage provided in the kit but there seems to be no reason why the legs from the Airfix model could not be substituted given time and patience to get them to fit correctly.
The detail in the cockpit is excellent. This is lacking in the Airfix model and because of the amount of glazing much can be seen from outside. Frog have provided all we need here but again one of the components needs a certain amount of modification. This is the nose gun position. Being too small and slightly too rounded it is difficult to modify but looking through the spares box the idea of using a B-29 side cupola comes to mind as a suitable alternative.
Two versions of the He 111 are provided in the Frog model. The most attractive to the modeller is possibly the H-6 which was used as an anti-shipping torpedo bomber in both the Mediterranean and against the Arctic convoys. Parts are provided for this or an aircraft of the well-known H-l variant used by most Staffeln during the Battle of Britain period. For the latter the decal sheet features an aircraft operated by II Gruppe/KG55 based at Villacoublay in 1940 whilst the torpedo bomber is represented by markings for 5 Staffel/II Gruppe/KG26 'Lowen' which operated in the Mediterranean during 1942. Providing the model maker is prepared to spend some time in slightly changing the various inaccurate parts on this He 111 there is no reason why he should not end up with a really first class model. It is true that the Frog offering is slightly less accurate in outline than the Airfix model but at least we can be pleased in the fact that it is now possible to make the H-l, H-6 and H-20 variants in 1:72nd scale.
Aviation News Vol 1 Num 7 18 - 31 August 1972
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