Horten/Gotha 229 - Naked

[JoeRugby]

Greetings!

FIRST: a big shout out to Mark/Gawonii for his "In the Buff" for the inspiration on this  http://www.swannysmodels.com/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1318358499/0
and to Martin/Malepo for a great deal on the kit!  Both of these guys are over at Swanny's Forums.

I don't think there was a version of the 229 as a two seater ever produced.  My simple internet research does not say anything specific about the airframes recovered during Operation Paperclip other than there is one survivor over in Maryland at the Smithonian facility.

The 229 was a wooden winged welded engine/pit "pod" construction.  It had a tubular steel frame.

So here is my humble attempt, the PM kit/victim in 1/72

I have cut away one section of wing to show a fuel cell.  Styrene rod will be laid over this to represent the framing.  For the fuel cell I used the section of wing I cut out, bulked up with stock styrene and then sanded/polishe to shape.  The panel lines are modifications of line drawings for a single seat 229 day fighter found on line.

The cockpit has been "tubbed" and will be getting the fiddly bits soon.  This will include a radar scope.  The single piece transparency on this kit was excellent!  It is crystal clear and catches the shape that is peculiar to the 229.

On the left hand exhaust you can see the modification that will be made to both.  It is rolled metal sheet.  I will also be adding it to the intakes with some other modifications.

I will be showing it in production, hence the wooden panels.  I am also going to open one of the engine bays and take off a leading edge to show the ribs.

[RussC]

Big 229 fan here, Joe. Welcome.
 
Looks real good so far, I used that PM Turkish kit several times as both 229 and for 1/144th Horten Bombers, its a challenge. Looks like you are building up proper engines instead of the blanking piece that prevents a look-through with a little exhaust cone on it.

[JoeRugby]

Hey Russ...just what you said...the kit parts are elementary at the best.

[RussC]

One picture in the first post and the only picture in the second one are just a photobucket missing or removed photo error sign. Your user picture or "avatar is a photo missing sign too.
 
Check the permissions on the pictures, should be set for "all" and also paste the path to the photo vs the actual file. One picture showed up so its probably a small problem or omission.

[Green Dragon]

The trainer and nightfighter were on the production line at Gotha but both were pretty much just the steel tube structure. Parts and supplies for around twenty aircraft, mostly single seat pre-production fighters, were in the factory when it was captured. December's Flypast says the V3 is going to be restored in the States.

Paul Harrison

[JoeRugby]

Cool!  There was a recent NOVA that a mock up was made to test the "stealth" characteristics...turns out that it tested to be quite stealthy.

Would love to see one airborne!

[RussC]

Same here as to seeing one fly again, like Northrop folks got a N9M back into airworthiness. There is an outfit of former and current Boeing engineers in Washington State building brand new Me-262 A's and B's. If you can build a Schwalbe then a Nurfluegel is even easier. The real trick is getting someone with the chones to strap in and fly it! The last fellow who tried that died by being thrown from a crashed 229 into a tree.
 
Still not seeing your photos, Joe.

[NARSES2]

Now this will be interesting

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Evenin' Joe
Good to see you here... Cannot see the pics that you've posted yet, because I'm at work and pics wont load. I'll check-it-out in the morning.

Will keep dipping-in to this thread as-and-when.

Ian