Corgi Aviation Archive Collector Series AA35709
Messerschmitt Me 262B Diecast Model
Luftwaffe 10./NJG 11, Red 10 , Kurt Welter, April 1945 | Limited Edition
983
Pieces Worldwide |
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| 1:72 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Messerschmitt Me 262B | | 5.75" | | 6.75" |
As the Allied air forces finally began to exert their authority in the skies above Germany during 1944, fighter pilots began to report the appearance of a strange new Luftwaffe aircraft, which appeared to have no propellers, yet possessed incredible performance. Finally committed to combat in August 1944, the Germans unleashed the fearsome Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) against USAAF bomber formations, which were virtually defenceless against their high speed attacks. As the world’s first operational jet fighter, the Me 262 was a significant leap forward in aviation technology and was not only capable of attaining speeds more than 100mph faster than the latest Allied fighters, but was also extremely heavily armed. Described by celebrated British test pilot Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown as the most formidable aircraft of the Second World War, the Allies were extremely fortunate that large numbers of Messerschmitt Me 262s could not be hurled against the attacking bomber streams, as their losses would have been significant. As it was, the tide of war had already turned in favour of the Allies and starved of aircraft, fuel and replacement pilots, the Luftwaffe were slowly being strangled into submission.
Oberleutnant Kurt Welter joined the fledgling Luftwaffe in 1934 and after qualifying as a pilot, began a long career as a flying instructor - it was not until the summer of 1943 that he transferred to an operational fighter unit and began flying interceptor missions against Allied air forces. An extremely capable pilot, Welter began claiming victories almost as soon as he became operational, although Allied aerial supremacy dictated that there would always be plenty of opportunities to hone his skills.
Welter would become notorious as a hunter of RAF Mosquito night intruders, which began mounting ‘light night’ strike raids against targets around Berlin in an attempt to demoralise the population of the city. As one of the most capable aircraft of the war, the De Havilland Mosquito was fast and manoeuvrable, able to deliver a similar bomb load to that of a USAAF B-17 and posed a serious threat to the Luftwaffe. Determined to halt this Mosquito menace, Welter was given command of a dedicated nightfighter unit, equipped with the new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, which was more than capable of catching the elusive British intruders, when serviceable. Welter claimed the first night victory of a jet powered fighter in December 1944 and went on to record a total of 63 combat victories, from just 93 missions flown. Although his victory claims have been challenged by historians over the years, his tally included no less than 33 night intruder Mosquitos.
Designed to meet Adolph Hitler's vision of a high-speed, light-payload ground attack bomber, the Me 262 was first flown on April 18, 1941. As the world's first operational jet aircraft, development of the 262 was dominated by confusion, with Hitler envisioning a bomber and designers envisioning a jet fighter. Capable of outpacing the P-51 Mustang by 120 miles per hour, the 262 was clearly the best fighter plane to serve in WWII but was too late to help the Luftwaffe. Its specialized maintenance requirements and fuel shortages, coupled with aggressive Allied ground attacks prevented it from having any serious impact on the outcome of the war. © Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
Corgi's 1:72 scale Me 262s feature highly detailed inlet and exhaust nacelles. Four cannon ports are detailed on the upper side of the nose with associated shell-casing ejection ports molded underneath. When configured for ground display, exceptional detail can also be seen inside the wheel wells. Corgi's 262 series includes the single-seat A-model and the two-seat B-model. A hand painted pilot figure wearing the typical German fighter pilot uniform, with black leather helmet and jacket, completes this model.
© Copyright 2003-2017 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Corgi "Aviation Archive" range presents highly-detailed, ready-made diecast models of military and civilian aircraft. The vast Aviation Archive range has become the standard by which all other diecast airplane ranges are judged. Each Corgi model is based on a specific aircraft from an important historical or modern era of flight, and has been authentically detailed from original documents and archival library material. Famous airplanes and aviators from both military and commercial airline aviation are all honored.
Corgi "Aviation Archive" diecast airplanes feature:
- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
- Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear with rotating wheels.
- Poseable presention stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
- Many limited editions with numbered certificate of authenticity.
- Detailed, hand-painted pilot and crew member figures.
- Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.
- Selected interchangeable features such as speed-brakes, opened canopies and access panels.
- Selected moving parts such as gun turrets, control surfaces and swing-wings.
© Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
