Tamiya 1/48 Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a Aicraft Model Kit

This variation of the great Tamiya 1/48 Me262 kit lets you finish the plane in the fighter format that Galland had wanted from the start. Great nose detail and more.

The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe ("Swallow") was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. Compared with Allied fighters of its day, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor, it was much faster and better armed. One of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during World War II the Me 262 was used in a variety of roles, including light bomber, reconnaissance and even experimental night fighter versions.

Me 262 pilots claimed a total of 542 Allied kills(although higher claims are sometimes made)against the loss of only about 100 Me 262s in the air.The Allies countered its potential effectiveness in the air by relentlessly attacking the aircraft on the ground and while they were taking off or landing. Maintenance problems and a lack of fuel during the deteriorating late-war situation also reduced the effectiveness of the aircraft as a fighting force. In the end, the Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war as a result of its late introduction and the consequently small numbers that were deployed in operational service.The Me 262 influenced the designs of post-war aircraft such as the North American F-86 Sabre and Boeing B-47 Stratojet.

Decal Options:

Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a

Wehrmacht Luftwaffe (German Air Force 1935-1945)

• 3./EJG 2 Red 13+ / W.Nr.110559 (Obstlt. Heinz Bär)
  March 1945 World War 2 - Lechfeld
  RLM74 RLM75 RLM76 RLM23
• 3./JG 7 1 <<+ (Maj. Rudolph Sinner)
  March 1945 World War 2 - Brandanburg-Briest
  RLM82 RLM83 RLM76
• 9./JG 7 3 + l/ W.Nr.500071 (Hans-Guido Mutke)
  April 1945 World War 2 - Fürstendfeldbruck
  RLM82 RLM83 RLM76
• JV 44 Red S / W.Nr.110556 (Uffz. Johann-Karl Muller)
  March 1945 World War 2 - Brandenburg-Briest
  RLM82 RLM83 RLM76