JACH 1:72 HEINKEL HE-176
'INBOX Review'

 

Reviewer: Johan De Wolf (rec.models.scale)   

Kit Details

History

The Heinkel 176 originates as a 1935 proposal for the development of a rocket powered interceptor of high flying bombers, and eventually led to the Me 163. Although there had been a few rocket aircraft before it these where all solid state rockets. The He 176 was the first aircraft to be powered by liquid fuels. The advantage of liquid fuels is that the power of the rocket can be easier regulated. It was planned to install a von Braun engine in the machine but it proved too big, so instead a Walter engine was fitted. The 176 was a tiny machine. There was just enough space for a pilot in a reclined position. The wings had the same planform as on the later He 178 and the under carriage was also very much like that of the 178. The first test hops with limited fuel where made in March ’39. The first official flight took place on June 20 with Erich Warsitz at the controls. Although the test flight was a success, Udet prohibited any further flights as he deemed rocket power too dangerous. The ban was lifted and reinstated twice, but the He 176 apparently managed to make some 40 flights. The machine was over weight and under powered and never achieved the performance that was hoped for. Finally in late 1939 came the order to terminate all further work on the 176, and concentrate on combat aircraft as the war had started. The prototype was stored at the Heinkel factory for a few years but was eventually moved to the Reichs museum in Berlin. Here it was destroyed in 1944 during a bombing raid. 

The kit

In the small end-opening box you will find; two small light grey sprues, one crystal clear sprue, an etched brass fret and an A4-size instruction leaflet. The plastic parts are all sharply formed with very fine surface detail. The clear parts are of very high quality, but I would have liked to see them packed in a separate bag. Luckily in my kit the brass fret had not scratched the clear parts. The instructions include a short history, a parts location diagram, 5 clear construction drawings and a colour scheme.  As the 176 carried no markings whatsoever, there are no decals with this kit.

Accuracy

Span and length are both spot on. Comparing the model with the only known picture of the He 176, the kit seems to capture the cigar like lines of the original very well. All the other details have been also nicely reproduced.

Construction 

As usual it starts with the cockpit. It is very detailed for this scale, and I can’t think of anything that needs to be added here. The wings do have a location tab but fit is better when these are removed. A host of tiny etched parts is used to detail the outside of the machine and finally the landing gear is installed. Note that the He 176 was a tail dragger, and that the fixed nose gear was only used on the ground for taxiing tests and moving the machine around. It would probably have been removed for test flights. 

Painting

Painting details are given throughout the instructions. The colours are only given in generic terms. The colour scheme shows the machine as it looked during flight testing at Penemünde in 1939. I have my doubts about the wings and tail being RLM 02. From the photograph I can’t really tell if the wings where painted and the tail looks lighter than RLM 02, although the gear legs do have the same light colour. 

Conclusion

There have been several kits of the He 176 before in resin, vacuform and even a short run injection molded one. Few of them where accurate though, the exception being the RS models resin kit. This new Jach kit is very accurate, nicely detailed and easier to build than a resin. So if you want the historically important He 176 in your collection this is definitely the kit to go for.

References

 

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