He-162 W Sea Salamander

[Alvis 3.14159]

Faced with roving allied aircraft shooting up their airfields, the Luftwaffe tried many ways to disperse their planes. Heinkel, always up to the challenge of making a plane they weren't asked to make, modified their He-162 into a seaplane. With the planing hull overlapping where the guns normally would be mounted, two podded guns were added alongside the cockpit section, and lifting hooks were incorporated into the aircraft should the Kriegsmarine decide they wanted to have it as a ship-based plane (assuming the Kriegsmarine would exist any more as an ocean-going force was wild optimism on the part of the Heinkel designers, but hey...you never know, right?)
The already tested "V Tail" was the most logical choice, as it allowed clearance from any spray thrown up from the fuselage. Tip floats were added to ensure stability.





One test squadron was fielded, but a spring squall sank them all before they could be tested in combat.

Models used: Dragon he-162, float from an Airfix 1/72 Ju-52. The top of the float was cut off, the he-162 dropped right in like it was made for it. A small amount of putty and it was done! The gun  pods are from a something..maybe a Bf-109, I forget. I a, also not 100% sure, but I think the tip floats came from a Kingfisher, the old 1/48 Monogram kit. The water is a model railroad product, by Faller. It's a sheet of ripply plastic, that I painted clear blue and chopped out an opening in the shape of the He-162W.

Alvis Pi

[Andrew Gorman]

C'est tres cool!

[GTX]

 

[tanktastic43]

 . 'nuff said!

tt43.

[Tophe]

Delicious! That explains the position above for the jet!

[Pablo1965]

Oh! my God, this things make me feel jealous...Why did`t I think first?
Great!
Thanks

[Maverick]

Brilliant stuff Alvis.  As always a joy to behold.

Regards,

Mav

[dumaniac]

oh yes - great idea - I just added to my to-do-list

what scale is this please

really nice

[sandiego89]

Great idea. Love anything that floats.

[comrade harps]

Great idea nicely executed. The fuselage shape and the jet on top certainly make the He-162 a good candidate for the role.

[beowulf]

nice one......that works a treat 

[Taiidantomcat]

Excellent! 

[matrixone]

Neat idea, with the V tail and engine placement the He 162 looks like it was designed from the start to be a seaplane!

Matrixone

[sotoolslinger]

 

[NARSES2]

Gorgeous