Luftwaffe Me/Ha 200, June 1963

[nönöbär]

Luftwaffe Me/Ha 200, June 1963

The plane

For the newly founded Bundesluftwaffe in 1955, various kind of aircraft were needed. One of those was a jet-trainer that could also be used in the role as a light ground attack aircraft. The initially chosen aircraft were American T33, but an additional type was required soon. The favourite was the Fouga CM.170R ,,Magister", but an alternative came up on the horizon.

While many of the high ranking staff personal of the Ministry of defences severed in the WW2 German Luftwaffe, they still had connections to former German aircraft designers.
One of them, Willy Messerschmitt was now working in Spain, where he had designed a light jet trainers / ground attack aircraft, the HA-200.

First flown in 1955, the aircraft had a simply but quite robust design. In early 1961, the Luftwaffe mad comparison tests between the HA-200 and the Fouga Magista and while both aircraft performed almost identical, the HA-200 was chosen as the new jet trainer aircraft for the Luftwaffe.

For political reasons, Germany could not buy Spanish build aircraft n the 1960s, therefore, the aircraft was build by Messerschmitt in the newly constructed aircraft factory in Manching, the planes were now called "Messerschmitt Me 200".

Production run until 1967, a total of 243 aircraft were build that were in service of the Luftwaffe until the late 1970s. While initially used as training aircraft, they planes were more and mre used as light ground attack planes while the training of jet pilots was moved to the USA.

By 1979, all Me-200 were taken out of active service, some of them were sold to North African states like Algeria, a few were sold to private pilots or flight clubs.

The model shows a Me-200 in June 1963.










The model

The model is a 1/72 scale Special Hobby Hispano Aviación HA-200 kit. Build OOB, I only added a different colour scheme. Air brushed with Revell Aqua Colour, decals were taken form the original kit and the spare parts box.

[zenrat]

Very good.  Nice job.
My congratulations to your Engineer.

[Weaver]

Nice model, and kinda makes sense too: after all, the Germans got their G3 rifle by way of the Spanish CETME...

[PR19_Kit]

That looks so RIGHT somehow. Well done indeed.