Soviet Messerschmitt P-1111 - TsAGI 1946

[McGreig]

Taking advantage of the extension, I've actually managed to complete a quick build more or less according to plan!

This is the PM kit of the Messerschmitt P-1111 built straight from the box apart from the addition of some cockpit and undercarriage details.

There aren't very many build pictures because there really isn't that much to build!

[McGreig]

The background to the build is my belief, which I think that I've mentioned before, that, while Luftwaffe '46 is all very well, none of the various projects would have turned the tide of the war - they would simply have been captured and tested by the Allies just like virtually every other German aircraft.

The Soviet Union in particular devoted a substantial effort to testing and assimilating advanced German projects, building and flight-testing the DFS-346 and several Junkers projects which hadn't made it off the drawing board before Germany's collapse and seriously considering putting the Me-262 into production.

[McGreig]

A lot of the testing was carried out or supervised by TsAGI - the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute.

So here we gave the Messerschmitt P-1111, captured intact in late 1946 just before the final collapse of the Reich. Red stars have been painted over the German crosses and the aircraft has been transported to TsAGI for examination and flight testing.

[Weaver]

Nice paint job! 

What's the thinking behind the underside colours?

[McGreig]

What's the thinking behind the underside colours?

I believe (if I've followed the Great Luftwaffe Colour Debate properly ) that, late in the war, German aircraft were painted as sub assemblies, possibly due to dispersed production, and that undersurfaces were often left natural metal, or just had, say, the wing leading edges painted. I've assumed that, on my P-1111, the flaps and ailerons were painted before they were fixed to the wing, which has been left mostly in natural aluminium (or, if it turns out that the P-1111 had a wooden wing, left in aluminium primer ).

[Green Dragon]

Jobs a good'un McGreig!  
Far as I can remember the underside metal parts were given a clear protective coating as it was cheaper and more readily available than most paints late in the war.

Paul Harrison

[Weaver]

What's the thinking behind the underside colours?

I believe (if I've followed the Great Luftwaffe Colour Debate properly ) that, late in the war, German aircraft were painted as sub assemblies, possibly due to dispersed production, and that undersurfaces were often left natural metal, or just had, say, the wing leading edges painted. I've assumed that, on my P-1111, the flaps and ailerons were painted before they were fixed to the wing, which has been left mostly in natural aluminium (or, if it turns out that the P-1111 had a wooden wing, left in aluminium primer ).

I see - cheers, that's interesting. I don't know what the P-1111's wings were supposed to be made of either, but an alloy core with plywood leading edges and control surfaces would be a reasonable proposition.

[dumaniac]

McGrieg

love the top camo - nice job

[NARSES2]

Like that 

[GTX]

Very nice!

Regards,

Greg

[Taiidantomcat]

Well done comrade!