DONE +++ 1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1, 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104; Germany, 1944

Dizzyfugu · August 05, 2021, 01:25:12 AM

The kit and its assembly:
This is a déjà vu build: I already did a "Germanized" Ki-46 in 2015, it was an Airfix Ki-46-II outfitted with DB 601s from a Bf 110 as a pre-series Gotha Go 146 A-0, an aircraft that (naturally) never existed but appeared plausible, since German military hardware including aircraft had been evaluated by Japanese forces. And why should this exchange not have worked the other way around, too? However, as I built this modified Dinah for the first time, I already thought that the basic idea had more potential than just one model, and the streamlined Ki-46-III just lent itself for an updated, later version. Here's the ancestor:

1:72 Gotha Go 146 A-0 (license-built Ki-46II 'Dinah'), aircraft '5F+EL' of 3(f.)/14. Aufklärungsgruppe, Deutsche Luftwaffe; Froid-Chapelle (France), summer 1940 (Whif/Airfix kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

This B-2 variant of the Go 146 was based on the LS Models/ARII Ki-46-III. Like the Airfix kit (its molds are from 1965, and that's just what the kit feels, looks and builds like...), it's a rather vintage offering, but it is in many aspects markedly ahead, with fine surfaces, recessed details, 3D engines and clear parts that actually fit into their intended places. The LS Models kit's 10 years less of age are recognizable, and there are three boxings around with different versions of the aircraft (a Ki-46-II, a -III and a trainer with a raised tutor cockpit), differing in small extra sprues for the respective fuselage parts, but they all share a common sprue with the clear parts for all three versions.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The Ki-46-III kit was taken OOB, with just some minor mods. The most obvious change concerns the engines: they were transplanted from a Bilek Me 210, together with the underwing radiators outside of the nacelles. The Me 210, even though it's from 1997, is a rather mediocre model with some dubious solutions, therefore earmarked for a conversion and ready to donor some body parts... The engine switch was insofar easy because the Ki-46 kit comes with completely separate parts for the engines and their fairings which also contain the main landing gear wells.
Because of this "clean" basis I decided to cut the nacelles out from the Me 210 and attach them to the Ki-46 wings, so that the DB 603 engines would have perfect attachment points. While this was a bigger overall surgery stunt than on the earlier Airfix Dinah, this was easier than expected and resulted in a cleaner solution that also underlines the Ki-46's clean and slender shape. The modified nacelles were much smaller than the Dinah's, though. The main wheels were replaced with slightly smaller and narrower ones from the scrap box.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Inside of the cockpit, I implanted a dashboard. In the rear cabin the seat was reversed and moved further forward. In the cabin's rear a scratched targeting scope/weapon control column for the FDSL 131 installation was added. Since I left the single-part canopies (which are quite thick but very clear) closed I outfitted the model with a crew. The Ki-46 III kit comes with a pair of figures, but they are very small (H0 scale, at best!) and look goofy, so that I exchanged them with Matchbox WWII pilots, which had their legs bent and their bottoms cut away to make them fit into the tight fuselage and under the canopies.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Unfortunately, the Me 210 kit had already donated its machine gun barbettes (they had gone onto an upgraded Heinkel He 115 floatplane), so that I scratched them for the Go 146. WWII bombs became the fairings, some leftover landing gear struts were used as gun barrels, and round styrene bases were used as mounts that also lift the fairings slightly off the hull. The barbettes as such look a little superficial on the slender Dinah, but they are a nice, typically German detail, über-complicated for this type of fast aircraft that probably would have more benefited from leaving them away altogether to save weight and drag.
The (typically German) 300 l drop tanks come from Hobby Boss Bf 109s and each received four short attachment struts, made from styrene profile material, so that they could be stuck under the inner wings.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Painting and markings:
This was more complicated than expected. I wanted to apply a plausible, late German WWII livery with typical colors, but finding something that would be suited for high-altitude operations and not copy anything I had already done turned out to be challenging.

The paint scheme would be very light, with only low-contrast camouflage added on top. Therefore, the basis became an overall coat with RLM 76 (I used Tamiya XF-23, Light Blue, which is an excellent option). Inspired by He 177 bombers I found in literature, large blotches of a rather obscure and uncommon tone, RLM 77 "Hellgrau" were added to the flanks of fuselage, fin and engine nacelles. RLM 77 is/was a very light grey, and it was primarily used for markings like code letters on night fighters and not for camouflage. AFAIK it would later become the RAL 7035 (Lichtgrau) tone that still exists today. Humbrol 196 would have been an authentic option, but to keep the contrast to the underlying RLM 76 low I rather used XF-19 (Sky Grey) and extended the blotches under the fuselage and the nacelles, for a semi-wraparound scheme.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Then came the upper surfaces, everything was painted with brushes and without masks, with an intentional uneven finish. The wings and stabilizers were to receive a slightly darker camouflage in the form of RLM 02 and 75 splotches (with Tamiya XF-22 and XF-XX as proxies) over the uniform RLM 76 base, so that the aircraft's outlines would be broken up from above. However, after first tests I found this did not look convincing, the RLM 76 was very prominent and bluish, so that I rather gave the upper wings and the spine a semi-translucent but continuous coat of paint, with the underlying RLM 76 just showing through here and there – much better. At this stage I added the decals (see below), but now found the upper surfaces to look too uniform and somewhat dark, so that, as a final measure, I added a meander pattern with RLM 77 (again XF-19) to the wings. This not only looked good and very "German", it lightened the cammo and also helped to break the aircraft's lines up. Some light panel shading to the uniform undersides, black ink and grinded graphite were used for weathering, but the effects are very soft.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Interior surfaces (cockpit and landing gear wells) became late-war style RAL 7021 Schwarzgrau (Humbrol 67), the landing gear struts were painted in RLM 02, this time Revell 45 was used. The propeller blades were painted in a very dark mix of green and black, the spinners became black with simple white spirals – the only detail with a high contrast on this aircraft.

The markings of this aircraft are minimal. Balkenkreuz markings only consisting of outlines were used, another typical late-war practice and for a low-visibility look/effect. They were taken from an Academy Fw 190 D. On the fuselage, the gun barbettes caused some headaches, because they take up a lot of space and made the application of a standard Luftwaffe code almost impossible. Consequently, the fuselage Balkenkreuze were placed ahead of the barbettes, partly disrupted by the observer's lower side windows, while the tactical code became separated by the guns. At starboard the code even had to be reversed - not correct, but a pragmatic solution.
The model/aircraft belongs to a fictional unit, its code "P3" in front of the fuselage Balkenkreuz has no real-world reference and was executed in small letters, a typical late WWII measure. This part of the code was done with small, black 2 mm letters. A fictional unit badge, depicting a running greyhound, was added under the cockpit. It actually belongs to a German tank unit.
The "KN" part of the code, including the Ks on the nose, came from an Airfix Ju 87 B sheet. As an aircraft belonging to the 5th squadron within the unit's 2nd group, the 4th letter in the code became "N", while the 3rd letter "K" denotes the individual aircraft. The color code associated with a 5th squadron was red, incorporated on the aircraft as a thin red outline around the individual aircraft letter (another late-war low-contrast measure). To provide a little visual excitement, small red Ks were added to the nose, too, to make thew aircraft easy to identify when parked at the flight line.
Since this aircraft would operate over the Western front from German home ground, no further ID/theatre markings like fuselage or wing bands or wingtips in yellow or white, etc. were added. This, together with the lack of visible red as squadron code, results in a rather dry look, but that's intentional.
After some exhaust and oil stains with graphite and Tamiya "Smoke", a coat of acrylic matt varnish finally sealed the model and a wire antenna, made from heated sprue material, was added.

Beauty pics and background following soon.

NARSES2 · August 05, 2021, 05:39:56 AM

Oh that looks good.

I've recently read that Germany tried to negotiate a licence to manufacture the Ki-46, but that it proved impossible to settle a deal in the end.

buzzbomb · August 06, 2021, 04:42:36 PM

Another swift and efficient build.
Very nicely done Dizzy. I can see it fitting quite well in the Luftwaffe

Tophe · August 06, 2021, 11:21:55 PM

I love the new version! Thanks for the enjoyment, what a beauty!

zenrat · August 07, 2021, 05:16:24 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on August 05, 2021, 05:39:56 AM
Oh that looks good.

I've recently read that Germany tried to negotiate a licence to manufacture the Ki-46, but that it proved impossible to settle a deal in the end.

You didn't read it here did you? I wouldn't believe a word this individual writes if I were you...

PR19_Kit · August 07, 2021, 05:51:37 AM

Quote from: zenrat on August 07, 2021, 05:16:24 AM

You didn't read it here did you? I wouldn't believe a word this individual writes if I were you...

Heavens, his name is the LOWEST on the Internet, talks a total load of rubbish most of the time!

Tophe · August 07, 2021, 05:57:01 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 07, 2021, 05:51:37 AM
talks a total load of rubbish most of the time!

Is dream a synonym of rubbish?

Dizzyfugu · August 08, 2021, 10:59:43 PM

Photo session finished and initial editing done, but there's still a lot left to do...

Dizzyfugu · August 09, 2021, 03:31:32 AM

With some delay, the story behind the Gotha Go 146 B:

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some background:
The Gotha 146 was a fast reconnaissance aircraft that was used throughout WWII by the German Luftwaffe, and one of the results of a mutual technology exchange program with Japan. The Go 146 was actually a license-built, but modified variant of the excellent Mitsubishi Ki-46. The latter type's career started in late 1937, when the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force issued a specification to Mitsubishi for a long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft to replace the Mitsubishi Ki-15. The specification demanded an endurance of six hours and sufficient speed to evade interception by any fighter in existence or development at that time, but otherwise did not constrain the design by a team led by Tomio Kubo.

The resulting design was a twin-engine, low-winged monoplane with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. It had a small diameter oval fuselage with the pilot and observer situated in individual cockpits separated by a large fuel tank. The engines, two Mitsubishi Ha-26 radials, were housed in close-fitting cowlings to reduce drag and improve pilot view.

The first prototype aircraft, flew in November 1939 from the Mitsubishi factory at Kakamigahara, Gifu. Tests showed that the Ki-46 was underpowered and slower than required, only reaching 540 km/h (336 mph) rather than the specified 600 km/h (373 mph), but, otherwise, the aircraft tests were successful. As the type was still faster than the Army's latest fighter, the Nakajima Ki-43, as well as the Navy's new A6M2, an initial production batch was ordered. To solve the performance problems, Mitsubishi switched to Ha-102 engines, which were Ha-26s fitted with a two-stage supercharger, while increasing fuel capacity and reducing empty weight. This became the Ki-46-II, and this type was also demonstrated to German officials who immediately noticed its potential.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Knowing that the German Luftwaffe lacked this specialized, fast type of aircraft (German reconnaissance aircraft of that time were either slow artillery observation types, or variants of bombers or heavy fighters), the RLM immediately asked for a batch of airframe kits to adapt it to the European theatre and test its capabilities. Seven engine-less airframe kits were delivered to Germany in early 1940. In the meantime, with the help of blueprints and other documentations, an alternative engine installation had been devised: the "Germanized" aircraft was to be powered by liquid-cooled DB 601 engines, which delivered more power than the Ha-102 and offered improved aerodynamics, despite the necessity to add radiators under the outer wings. Many stock parts from the contemporary Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter were incorporated, so that the development time was very short, and the commonality of mechanical parts eased logistics and maintenance.

In May 1940 the first batch of the Gotha 146 A-0 pre-production aircraft (which had officially been described as a further development of a four seat, twin-engine transport aircraft from the 1930s to cloud its origins and mission) was ready. They were immediately transferred to the Western Front for field tests, and the specialized Go 146 became quickly popular among its crews. It was fast, agile and easy to fly – almost on par with state-of-the-art fighters like the Bf 109. During the test phase in summer 1940 the Go 146 proved to be slightly faster than its Japanese Ki-46 ancestor, and with a top speed of more than 375 mph (600 km/h) it was hard to intercept by any British or French fighter of the time. The results were so convincing that the type was ordered into serial production, and from October 1940 on the Go 146 A-1 was produced in limited numbers at the Gothaer Waggonfabrik in Thuringia. Even though production only ran at small scale, it was continuous, and the Go 146 was steadily developed further, including the change of the nose section that came with the Ki-46-III, stronger engines and an improved defensive armament.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

This evolution led to the Go 146 B, which had the traditional stepped windshield replaced with a smooth, curved, glazed panel extended over the pilot's seat. It not only gave a more aerodynamic nose profile, the re-shaped nose also offered room for an extra fuel tank. The space between the two crewmen, connected with a crawl tunnel, held another fuel tank, the radio equipment (a Sprechfunkgerät FuG 16 ZY and a FuG 25a ,,Erstling" IFF beacon), as well as a compartment for up to three cameras with several ventral windows, which could take Rb ("Reihenbildner" = serial picture device) 20/30, 50/30 and 75/30 devices that could be mounted in different combinations and angles as needed.
Power came now from a pair of new Daimler-Benz DB 603A liquid-cooled piston engines, which offered 1,290 kW (1,750 hp) each for take-off. Since the engine mounts had to be re-designed for the DB603s (the Go 146 A had used adapters to attach its shorter DB 601s to the original Ha-102 radials' hardpoints), German engineers used the opportunity to redesign the complete engine nacelles. As a result, their diameter and "wet" surface was reduced, so much that the landing gear had to be modified, too. It now rotated 90° upon retraction, so that the main wheels were lying in shallow wells within the wing structure. Beyond better aerodynamics, structural measures saved almost 250 kg (550 lb).

Instead of the Go 146 A's single 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun in the observer's cabin, facing rearwards, the defensive armament was improved and consisted of a pair of 13 mm (0.51 in) MG 131 machine guns, firing rearward from FDSL 131/1B remotely-operated barbettes, one per side. This rather complex installation had become possible (and in part necessary) due to a center of gravity shift from the modified engines and their empennage. The weapons were aimed by the rear crewman through a periscope that covered both the upper and lower rear hemisphere. The control unit had a rotating transverse crossbar with a sideways-pivoting handgun-style grip and trigger at its center, "forked" at its forward pivoting end to fit around the crossbar, with the upper fork extended beyond the rotating crossbar to mount the gunsight. This unique aiming and control scheme rotated the crossbar axially, when the handgrip was elevated or depressed, to aim the guns vertically by rotating both turrets together, and a sideways movement of the handgrip would pivot either one of the guns outwards from the fuselage-mounted turrets for diagonal firing. The guns were electrically fired, and an electrical contact breaker prevented the gunner from shooting off the aircraft's tailplane. When not in use, the guns would return to a neutral position that would allow to fire directly backwards with both guns.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Furthermore, plumbed hardpoints were added to the inner wings, just inside of the engines. These could carry a 300 l drop tank each for an extended range and loiter time. Single bombs of up to 250 kg or racks with four 50 kg bombs each were theoretically possible too, but the aircraft lacked any bomb aiming support. Crew protection was slightly improved, too, but the airframe was overall kept as light as possible. Despite these efforts, however, MTOW rose to 6,500 kg (14,317 lb), but this was still relatively light in comparison with the similar contemporary Me 410 multi-purpose aircraft, which weighed more than 9 tons and was powered by similar engines. Consequently, and thanks to its clean lines, the G 146 B had a top speed of almost 700 km/h (434 mph) at ideal altitude and the aircraft retained its excellent handling, even though its structure was rather fragile and could not take much stress and punishment.

Two versions of the Go 146 B were produced, steadily but only at a low rate because the aircraft received, due to its highly specialized role and limited offensive capabilities, only a low priority. The B-1 was the main variant and kept the A version's standard wing, a total of 54 were produced between 1943 and 1945. Additionally, the B-2 was produced between late 1943 and early 1944 as a dedicated high altitude photo reconnaissance aircraft. This sub-variant had an extended wingspan of 16.00 m (52 ft 5 in) instead of the standard 14.70 m (48 ft 2¾ in) and an improved oxygen system, even though the cabin was not pressurized. Its maximum service ceiling was almost 12.000 m (39.305 ft), with a maximum speed of 415 mph (668 km/h), a cruise speed of 250 mph (400 km/h) and a range of 3,200 km (1,987 nmi). Only twelve of these machines were produced and put into service, primarily for flights over Southern Great Britain. When the Arado Ar 234 became available from September 1944 on, though, this new, jet-powered type immediately replaced the Go 146 B-2 because it offered even better performance. Therefore, the B-3, a planned version with a fully pressurized cabin and an even bigger wingspan of 19.00 m, never left the drawing board.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Furthermore, the RLM had idea to convert the fast Go 146 into a fighter amd even a night fighter in mid-1944 as the "C" series. But these plans were not executed because the light airframe could hardly be adapted to heavy weapons or equipment like a radar set, and it was unsuited for vigorous dogfighting. The type's poor climbing rate made it ineffective as an interceptor, too. There were, nevertheless, tests with at least one Go 146 B-1 that carried four Werfer-Granate 21 rocket launchers under the outer wings, as a fast bomber interceptor esp. against the high-flying B-29, which was expected to appear over continental Europe soon. But this kind of weaponry never reached frontline units and the Go 146 was never operated as a fighter of any kind.
There were, however, other uses: in 1944 the Go 146 was enlisted as a fast liaison aircraft for the RLM (Ministry of Aviation) in Berlin. Stripped off of any armament and cameras and outfitted with two passenger seats in the rear cabin, at least one Go 146 B (with the confirmed registration "ST+ZA", others in similar configuration may have existed, too) was operated by the RLM's Zentralabteilung (central command) from Tempelhof airfield for top brass officials between Luftwaffe locations on German terrain. ST+ZA's fate after January 1945 is uncertain, though.

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Specifications:
Crew: two (pilot and observer)
Length: 11.00 m (36 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 14.70 m (48 ft 2¾ in)
Height: 3.88 m (12 ft 8¾ in)
Wing area: 32.0 m² (344 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,830 kg (8,436 lb)
Loaded weight: 5,661 kg (12,480 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 6,500 kg (14,317 lb)

Powerplant:
2× Daimler-Benz DB 603A V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engines, rated at:
- 1,290 kW (1,750 hp) each for take-off
- 1,360 kW (1,850 PS) at 2,100 m (6,890 ft)
- 1,195 kW (1,625 PS) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft)
- 1,162 kW (1580 PS) combat power at 2500 rpm at sea level

Performance:
Maximum speed: 695 km/h (377 knots, 430 mph) at 5,800 m (19,000 ft)
Cruise speed: 450 km/h (245 knots, 280 mph)
Range: 2,800 km (1,522 nmi, 1,740 mi) with internal fuel
Service ceiling: 11,250 m (36,850 ft)
Wing loading: 157.8 kg/m² (32.3 lb/ft²)
Climb rate: 14.7 m/sec (2,900 feet per minute)
Climb to 8,000 m (26,250 ft): 15 min 20 sec

Armament:
2× 13 mm (0.51 in) defensive MG 131 machine guns with 500 RPG, each firing rearward from FDSL 131/1B remote-operated turret, one per side
2× underwing hardpoints under the inner wings for 250 kg (550 lb) each, typically occupied by 300 l drop tanks

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Gotha Go 146 B-1 (license-built Ki-46 III 'Dinah'); aircraft 'P3+KN' of II(F)/FAG 104 (5. Staffel, 2. Gruppe, Fernaufklärergruppe 104), Deutsche Luftwaffe; Biblis (Hessia, near Mannheim), late 1944 (Whif/ARII kit conversion) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Well, an exotic what-if idea, but I really like how this conversion turned out, even though the livery evolved in a different way from what I had initially in mind. The Ki-46 was already an elegant aircraft, especially the Ki-46-III with its teardrop-shaped nose section. But, with the smaller, streamlined inline engines instead of the radials, this iteration looks even better and faster. It reminds a little of the D.H. Hornet? The gun barbettes are a nice "German" detail, and the makeshift high-altitude paint scheme adds to the obscure impression of the model. A really nice sister ship for the Go 146 A-0 build from 2015.

Tophe · August 09, 2021, 04:12:43 AM

NARSES2 · August 09, 2021, 06:39:01 AM

Quote from: zenrat on August 07, 2021, 05:16:24 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on August 05, 2021, 05:39:56 AM
Oh that looks good.

I've recently read that Germany tried to negotiate a licence to manufacture the Ki-46, but that it proved impossible to settle a deal in the end.

You didn't read it here did you? I wouldn't believe a word this individual writes if I were you...

Nope a much more reputable source

NARSES2 · August 09, 2021, 06:39:23 AM

Looking good Dizzy

Old Wombat · August 09, 2021, 07:09:41 AM

Nice!

Any bets on how long it takes your Ukrainian fan-boys to pick it up?

DogfighterZen · August 09, 2021, 04:12:00 PM

Dizzyfugu · August 09, 2021, 11:33:09 PM

Quote from: Old Wombat on August 09, 2021, 07:09:41 AM
Nice!

Any bets on how long it takes your Ukrainian fan-boys to pick it up?

Glad you like it. But I doubt that it attracts the Ukrainian alternate history club.