Ju188 Nightfighter & He219 Bomber

[GreenDragon]

Here's the box top pic for a bit of cross-kitting that will hopefully result in a nightfighter Ju188 and a bomber version of the He219.

This is the first of several builds I have planned including chopping up a Heyford and a V-44 based on either a Herc or C-160 (or a bit of both!).

Paul Harrison

Edited August 27, 2010 by GreenDragon

[The wooksta V2.0]

There were cockpit mock ups for a Ju 188 nightfighter but it never got very far. As for the He 219, I'd go for a torpedo fighter version which I'm pretty sure was one of the original proposals for the type before it was adopted as a nightfighter.

[GreenDragon]

Hi Wooksta, they are both going to be Anime inspired, the Ju188 similar to a plane in Skycrawlers and the He219 hopefully similar to a jet bomber design in Wings Of Honneamise. Did some chopping up today and naturally cut it in the wrong place and will have to splodge more putty on than intended! Hadn't thought of a torpedo He219 version, might well have to nick that idea!

Paul Harrison

[GreenDragon]

Needed the front fuselage stretched a bit so cut it on a panel line, also cut off the rear part of the gondola I but shouldnt have! Design will be changed a bit as a result.

Wings assembled then I clipped off the ends, will scribe new ailerons later. Painted cockpit RLM 66.

Needed better propeller parts to make a contra-prop so had to raid another kit.

The Do335 will also donate it's flame damper exhausts as the the ones from the He219 are moulded integrally with it's wing. Might need to find some engines/tail booms from a P-38 too.

Paul Harrison

[Mark M]

cool your mad!!!!

[TaiidanTomcat]

Can't wait to see more!

[ChancerUK]

Havent seen those Matchbox kits since I was a lad. remember building the 188. Intresting project. looking forward to seeing more progress pics.

[woody37]

That 188 was the first kit I ever made when I was about 5 years old ! (I remember because it was my mums first day back at work after making me and lil sis !!!!!) I still remember not knowing how to put the decals on, so I cut them out and glued them in place with the backing paper still on. Those were the days without the internet for learning !!!! Not that I could read at that age anyway !!!!!!

This should be fun.

[GreenDragon]

Thanks everyone, I'm proudly mad as a box of frogs! I never made the Ju188 when I was little, wanted one but never saw it in the shops. I got this one off ebay as a kind of nostalgic trip to a kit I didn't have back then but rather than the stated "mint in box" it was half built and some parts missing so it went into chop it to bits What If pile!

No pic today but I have sourced an engine cowling that might look right from a Matchbox Tempest (Bristol Centaurus). The Ju188 kit's main wheels are very basic so I raided an Italeri Do217K for some detailed looking ones.

Still can't find any P-38 engine nacelles, just some old cut off Airfix booms so the plan has changed again and I think I'll be commandeering a Do18 rear fuselage to make new tailbooms. The lack of P-38 engine nacelles means I'm probably going to use Airfix Phantom intakes (from a blown up Israeli jet) to make some kind of wing radiators to try covering the flat face where the Ju188 engines should be though I may change these to weapons pods or cannon mounts. Nose gear will be either from a Frog/Revell Ar234 or a twin wheel unit from a Hasegawa MiG25.

This one seems to be more of a Frankenstein stitch-up job than I intended!

Paul Harrison

[The wooksta V2.0]

If you've still got the remains of that Matchbox Tempest fuselage/tailplanes, I'll glady take them off your hands. They'll go nicely towards another Hawker Furious* at some point in the future.

*Furious recipe = Matchbox Tempest fuselage, canopy & tailplanes, PM Sea Fury wing (modified), resin RR Eagle plus radiator scoop & Aeroclub Wyvern prop & Sea Fury u/c. It looks mean. Built one a few years back after some inspiration when playing with bits.

[GreenDragon]

Sorry Lee, it's been built as the RAF version with the chin intake nose. If it ever takes a header of the shelf I'll give you a shout!

Paul Harrison

[GreenDragon]

Here are some more progress pics. Lost the rear bulkhead so made a new one adding some panels and a radar screen.

Added a side console, an instrument panel and a new control column made from scrap.

Close up of new control yolk/column.

Gave it some paint (RLM66 and black).

Centaurus cowling in place.

Basic layout showing a fuselage stretch of about 50mm.

Wings glued on.

Contra-Prop made from Do335 props with a 3mm spacer in between.

And finally two pics of the tail booms glued on (made from Do18 tail and plasticard).

Have done more on this but no pics done yet, also done some preliminary drawings for turning the He219 into a jet bomber.

Paul Harrison

Edited August 21, 2010 by GreenDragon

[TaiidanTomcat]

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[GreenDragon]

That's what inspired it Taiidan! The Rostock Corporation Senryu from Skycrawlers. I've had to change a lot though, the tail fins wont be joined as I went a bit wonky with one of the booms! Serves me right for using the Mk.1 eyeball instead of measuring stuff. I think they used a Ju288 as the base for it but the Huma kit is £35 so I went with the cheap Matchbox Ju188 option. I won't be having wing radiators either, that area's getting guns.

Paul Harrison

[TaiidanTomcat]

That's what inspired it Taiidan! The Rostock Corporation Senryu from Skycrawlers. I've had to change a lot though, the tail fins wont be joined as I went a bit wonky with one of the booms! Serves me right for using the Mk.1 eyeball instead of measuring stuff. I think they used a Ju288 as the base for it but the Huma kit is £35 so I went with the cheap Matchbox Ju188 option. I won't be having wing radiators either, that area's getting guns.

Paul Harrison

That is so cool! Loved that plane from the minute I saw it! I like the idea of gun placement instead of radiators. I was hoping to build one someday myself but I could not figure those booms out! A very elegant solution Paul, and fine cutting to make it look so good.

[GreenDragon]

Thanks, glad you like it so far.

Cockpit done and I cut up some old sprue for the fuse stretch.

Used a couple of F-4 Phantom noses to cover the old engine mount areas, a couple of bits of drop tank for the small engine intakes and a couple of plasticard strips to aid the fuselage stretch.

Two Millipt pics before and after sanding and also added a piece of Airfix Il-28 under the cockpit floor to fill the gaping hole with something avionic-y.

Since these pics I've done all the sanding down on the booms, added new rudders made from Matchbox A-10 rudders and started filling in the fuselage stretch with sprue and Plasticard. Need to add a LOT of nose weight to counter the heavy tail, bit worried the landing gear will collapse though!

Paul Harrison

[CPNGROATS]

What an inspired build...though I am reminded of the 1960's pop hit, "The Monster Mash"...." my monster from it's slab began to rise....and suddenly, to my suprise, it did the Mash it did the Monster Mash..."

further.........".Egore, you impetuious dumb boy...!!!"

So, "Model Mash" Cheers;

ggc

[Hypnobear]

Nice progress so far, looks a very German design, but all those kits youre ripping up!!!

[GreenDragon]

Like The Monster Mash CPNGROATS, got to have a listen every Hallowe'en!

Nakajima, the kits are mostly old stuff I've had around for years, the Ju188 came very cheap off ebay and was already part built with some bits missing though the seller claimed it was mint in box! The only full kits raided are the Do335 for it's props and the He219 (got two off ebay very cheap by accident plus the donor which I started in the 70's) for radar parts. The Centaurus engine was in the spares box as I'd built the kit with the chin intake nose, F-4E Phantom noses (Airfix & Esci) were in the spares box as were the P-38 bits, Italeri Do217 main wheels and the Do 18 rear fuselage was left over from a GB over on What If Modeler last year. Build thread here. http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,23284.0.html

Some more progress pics, rudders on and plasticard sheet for the stretch.

The flame dampers working right for the Centaurus engine so I made some box shaped ones from cut down Airfix P-38 parts.

Tailplanes and flame dampers fitted plus fuselage sanding done.

Had to put the main gear on to try sorting the center of gravity/nose weight problem, it's very tail heavy. Also made another intake for cooling the engine. No pics yet.

Paul Harrison

Edited August 27, 2010 by GreenDragon

[Col.]

Fantastic work there so far Paul and certainly has an air of a late-war German paper project that made it to metal

[Deon]

I gotta funny feeling this is going to be excellent

[ChancerUK]

Shaping up realy well, a most impressive conversion/combination. Enjoying the progress pics.

[AnonymousDFB1]

I'm liking it

[GreenDragon]

Cheers everyone! Here's a couple more progress pics.

I was going to have a full nose gear well but I've had to stuff lead in everywhere I can think of to stop the tail sitting so Ive gone for a mostly shut well with only one door open when on the ground.

And this is after most of the PSR done.

Gear door will be cut down from a Revell 1/48th F-14A Tomcat. Nose gear will be from a Hasegawa MiG 25 Foxbat with wheels from a Frog something-or-other (maybe a Hellcat?).

Paul Harrison

[GreenDragon]

No proper primer around so blatted it with some Games Workshop rattle can Chaos Black, got to think of a paint sheme now. Looks too German to be anything else though! May do something Anime-ish.

Paul Harrison