Heinkel He-113 Mittlesee

[sequoiaranger]

OK, catch it quickly, as the "Italianesqueness" will disappear somewhat when I Germanize it. The yellow in the "351" decal is OK--I will overspray that with white, and the other numbers with RLM 65 Hellblau very soon. I just think it looks "cool" in Italian livery.

 

You can see the large sand filter in this view.

Here's what the hapless Allied aircrew will see just before....!



And here is another pic:



The German one will have underwing drop tanks, and changes to paint and markings.

[GTX]

 

[Tophe]

beautiful...

[NARSES2]

beautiful...

I'd like to concur with the honourable gentleman 

[sideshowbob9]

beautiful...

I'd like to concur with the honourable gentleman 

As would I! 

[sequoiaranger]

SideshowBob, Tophe, NARSES2, GTX--thanks.  The Regia Aeronautica sure could have used them! The Macchi 202/205 (Folgore/Veltro) series of single-engined fighters were excellent aircraft, but poor manufacturing and maintenance policies kept those worthy fighters from making much of a difference for the R.A. Better they have the He-113's!!

Almost a shame to Germanize it, but the backstory INSISTS. Heinkel FINALLY gets a single-engined fighter into the Luftwaffe!

Of course, in the RW, Heinkel had the He-219 night-fighter (twin-engined, though) and the dubious He-162 jet (for the RLM to grant Heinkel a fighter contract showed how DESPERATE the Luftwaffe was in the waning days of WW II.)

[tanktastic43]

Bellissima! 

tt43.

[James]

beautiful...

I'd like to concur with the honourable gentleman 

As would I! 

And me! 

[sequoiaranger]

OK--here is the "finished" product. The first pic is comparable to the "Italian" pic a few posts below, and shows some of the color changes and markings. I have an "ace" wreath (normally put on tail) inside the oversized leadership chevron. The famous JG 27 "Leopard over Afrika" emblem in in the nose, and the black-outline national markings are evident:



Next is a slight under-view showing off the ventral scoop, drop tanks, and the sand filter.



The blue background is a little too "fuzzy" (being a blanket), so I propped the He-113 up on a box so it didn't sink into the fabric. Maybe I should paint the box blue, too!



Now here is a comparison between an actual He-100 and "my" He-113. The He-100 is decidedly smaller, but I deliberately put it up front to give a forced perspective that makes their two sizes somewhat equal. You can see the same proportions in both aircraft. This is what I was trying to achieve.



Since I was a boy of 16 or so, I have always wanted to do a "Desert He-113", despite the dichotomy of an aircraft with cooling problems in Northern Europe brought to the desert. "My" He-113 has solved those problems, of course, and now equipped with more fuel, horsepower, cooling, and armament, it becomes the "ideal" fighter.

[Taiidantomcat]

Nice work

[PACOPEPE]

Very nice Craig; specially the italian version. Beautiful both, and very original.

All the best
Fran

[sequoiaranger]

"You" haven't seen this Bobcat, methinks, but it is an old build, based on the Grumman F5F/G50. It is the only carrier-borne twin-engined fighter in the war.

See:  http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=4096

Ostensibly from the US Aircraft carrier "Layfayette", made from the French liner Normandie that was abandoned in NY harbor by the French when WWII started, it kicks a$$ in the Med. See:

http://www.combinedfleet.com/furashita/lafaye_f.htm

for details. Anyway, "my guy" in "my" Heinkel 113 gets jumped by one of the Lafayette's Bobcats over the Med and succumbs:



If you're asking why the Bobcat has its wheels down, it did so to bleed off speed and tighten its turn (yeah, right!).  

Taiid 'n Paco--thanks!

[NARSES2]

Beautifull   

[sotoolslinger]

Absolutely stunning build

[sequoiaranger]

Sotool and Nars--thanks.

It's nice I can show pictures that don't reveal the "issues" I have with the model.

Re-iterating, my strong inner desire for contest-contender builds has waned, and I "allow" myself some errata and imperfections in the name of enjoyment and concept gratification. In the case of the He-113, I got too far "out of sequence" to repair something I should have seen and ameliorated much earlier (I am usually pretty meticulous along those lines-dunno what happened). I guess the JMN within me was blinded and afflicted with Parkinson's when I reached that stage!

Nonetheless, I am quite satisfied with "B+" work, and pleased to be adding another aircraft to my stable of He-100 derivatives, with whom I hold quite an affection. It's possible I might do a "stock" He-100D of the kind the Germans actually used for their propaganda (with the knife-through-Churchill's-hat motif), just to "complete" the collection.