Heinkel He-113 Mittlesee

[sequoiaranger]

>It will be a large fighter!<

Not so large. The size of my He-113M (39 ft wingspan, 33 ft length) is very much like an American P-40, P-51, or British Hawker Hurricane, and nearly exactly the same general dimensions as the He-280 jet fighter (1942). I realize the He-280 was a twin-engined fighter, but still "small" for a twin (and one of the main reasons that the He-280 had twin-engines is the early state of jet horsepower). The Bf-110 and/or P-38 twin-engined fighters were much bigger overall. The main German single-seat fighters of the war (Me-109, He-100, and Fw-190A) tended to be very small (AND short-ranged), but the Fw-190D version had the same length as my He-113 (but shorter wingspan). The Hawker Typhoon and Tempest single-engined fighters are larger than my He-113, as are many other contemporaries. My He-113 is SUPPOSED to be slightly larger than its parent He-100 so it has more room for fuel and armament. The He-100 did not have much room for anything, though it was a "hot rod" in the sky for its day.

>(and a great model)<

There is hope!

[CAO 700]

Thank you for all these explainations. It could be a more powerfull fighter than the He.100. Your idea is very interesting!

[Taiidantomcat]

impressive work!

[sequoiaranger]

Having wrestled the vac-form He-280 wing to the mat, I have now attached it to my Nanzan-ized fuselage. The head-on view demonstrates the "w" form of the He-100 I was trying to preserve. Without the bent brass rod insert (incidentally, acquired from a toilet tank repair kit) and bends in the He-280 wing that wouldn't have been possible.



This other view shows the PSR and disparate, fractured fuselage parts needed to make He-113 fuselage work. I cut back the nose and added a larger spinner base (Stuka). Otherwise the "enlarged" He-100 would have had merely a He-100-sized spinner and look too "dinky" (not the toys, of which I had dozens in my youth, but "diminutive"). I blanked off the port-side engine intake of the  DB601 clone engine that the Nanzan had--I will put in a supercharger scoop on the starboard side, a la the likewise-Jumo-engined Fw-190D, but with an extended desert filter.  Shaping up nicely!




PS--I may have some trouble with wing fillets. I had originally thought of installing the MPM He-100 trailing-edge fillets, but they won't work here, methinks, and I will also need some leading-edge fillet, as the He-280 wing is placed slightly in back of where the original Nanzan wing starts. But hey, that's MY problem to solve!

[sequoiaranger]

I made a "dust filter" from a clear rod wrapped with brass mesh (brash?), an Armatek aftermarket machine-gun bipod, and a ventilation scoop from an RAF Rescue Craft.



The idea of the clear rod was that one might be able to "see through" the filter screen. Didn't work in practice, but then again, if a "giant" like me could see thorough the pores of the filter mesh, then it isn't keeping dust out!! The supercharger  scoop will attach to the starboard side of the nacelle, but I'll hold off cementing on the dust filter until after painting.



I have some "wing fillet issues" to resolve, most likely with super-glue and some thin stock. The leading edge fillet needs to be done before I attach the above scoop setup, so I have room to file/sandpaper if necessary.

[later edit: Later....scrapped THAT filter and made a thicker and shorter one. The iconic "Afrika" emblem wouldn't fit on the nose if the thin, extended filter were there. I like the new one better anyway. No need for a pic now, but when the model is done it will be on the starboard side of the nose.]

[sequoiaranger]

The "backstory" of my whif aircraft is that they were first owned by the Italians, then traded to the covetous Germans in North Africa, three Heinkels for five Bf-109's, and that the Italian camo remains with some German field alterations. The "fun" of this, modelwise, is that I get to decorate the plane TWICE, once in Italian camo/markings, and once in German. The top of the following picture has the Italian camo as it was applied for the CAI raids on Britain from Belgium. That will be my basis for the Italian camo. Then I will "Germanize" it to make it look like the famous painting of "Black 8" shown below, doctored to look like what my He-113 will resemble when done.

That is, the red-brown will stay on the wings and top fuselage, but be overpainted "Sandgelb" and "Dunkelgrun"where the circular Italian fasces were, and some RLM 65 will find its way onto the side fuselage with the distinctive German crisp cut-line, overspraying the red-brown and tan, but leaving the dark green to resemble standard Luftwaffe desert camo. I may "allow" the under-camo to be faintly seen throughout, though that goes against Teutonic "thoroughness", but I want the former Italian ownership obvious to the beholder. The tail will have the normal Italian white cross "overpainted", and probably an "ace" emblem with kill markings will appear there. The JG 27 "Afrika" emblem will go on the nose. I am debating whether to put a similar "8" on the fuselage side for the recognition value, or go with a leadership chevron for my "ace". The underside will be the Italian light-gray, except where the underside fasces went which will be RLM 65.

For "our" benefit, I will paint and decal the He-113M in full Italian livery, photograph it, then overpaint with "German" paint and German markings and photograph THAT!



I'm off on a road trip to get a "mountain fix" and see the kids (grown), and will check back in later this month.

[sequoiaranger]

For the local IPMS meeting, I white-glue-dabbed various parts together (forgive the wobbly wheels) to show the progress and look of my He-113. In the pics below, the "new" plane is compared to my "Real World", long-ago-completed He-100 V8 (the short-winged, speed record-breaking plane of 1939). I sought to keep the "look" as much as possible, considering that my He-113 is larger and more capable (except in speed). Keeping a Heinkel wing, Heinkel turtledeck, Heinkel landing gear covers, and Heinkel canopy helps to keep the spirit of the He-100. I think it looks like a "big brother", kind of like a Seversky P-35 and its successor, the Republic P-47. Don't you?



** this first view shows off the desert filter on the "Jumo" side of the engine nacelle.



**From this angle, the He-113 resembles slightly the Hawker Typhoon with the flattened-W wing, chin radiator, bubble canopy, and wide-spread projecting guns. My He-113 will have its 20mm cannon projecting, but only slightly (like the Bf-109E).



Cheers!  

[rickshaw]

Very nice.  Filter though, looks a little large.  How does it compare to the ones on Bf109s which served in the Med?

[sequoiaranger]

>Filter though, looks a little large.  How does it compare to the ones on Bf109s which served in the Med?<

The Bf-109's in the desert had a different, smaller engine (as did the Italian in-line engined aircraft) with a smaller supercharger intake, and therefore a smaller desert sand filter.

"My" He-113 has the same engine as the Fw-190D's. No "D" models were used in the desert, so there are no photos with which to compare, but if you look at pictures of the nose of the "D"s, the supercharger intake seems MASSIVE (and is on the opposite side of the cowl).



So I am just extending the already-large intake with a similar-diameter filter.

>Very nice.<

Thanks. Wait'll I get 'er painted!!  

[Tophe]

Your 113 is very beautiful. Belated congratulations

[sequoiaranger]

I like the tri-color camo scheme. I am SHOCKED, however,    that the red-brown I used looks so RED! The color is "RLM 26 Braun", but where did the "Brown" go?? I may have to re-think and re-paint, as the "red" looks too vibrant. Looks like pimentos and green peppers were spilled on the plane. Hmm.



Still, I like the camouflage EFFECT of the spotty mottle.

Here is a comparison between my "RLM 26" as used on the model, and a bottle of "Insignia Red":



The one on the left sure looks BRAUN to me!

[Tophe]

It is not your fault but the camera's, I guess. On my Corel PhotoPaint software, there is a function Adjust Color to correct wrong cameras. And your camo turns perfect, with actual brown:

[sequoiaranger]

You're right, Tophe. Thanks. It was the camera/photo that made the "Braun" look so "Rot". On the actual model, in daylight, it looks better.

I am now thinking that the wide white fuselage band typically found on African-Italian aircraft (as a theatre marking--and not yet on my model) could be used for an "innovative" new black-outline Balkenkruez. Depending on the white tail cross, maybe a black-outline swastika might appear there, too. "We" know they were used eventually, so maybe the "traded" He-113's were the FIRST to use them!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Scrue convention!!

[sideshowbob9]

Looking pretty damn good!

Scrue convention!!

Depending on the type of screw involved, that could be either a really interesting event or a really boring one! Where is said convention taking place? 

[sequoiaranger]

>Depending on the type of screw involved, that could be either a really interesting event or a really boring one! Where is said convention taking place?<

The National Fastener Foundation is sponsoring a convention in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which will discuss such things as pitch, taper, various types of fastener heads, and penetration. Maybe it was this last subject that got you excited?? Could be "fasten"-ating! 

PS--I have the Italian markings on the He-113 as we speak. I have a few things to adjust and temporarily affix, then I will post a pic or two of the result (knowing that it will change to Germanesque camo and markings before it is all done).