Forces of Valor 85033
Messerschmitt Me 262A Diecast Model
Luftwaffe Kommando Nowotny, White 8, Walter Nowotny, Achmer, Germany, 1944 |
| 1:72 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Messerschmitt Me 262A | | 5.75" | | 6.75" |
On September 26,1944, Walter Nowotny was appointed CO of Kommando Nowotny, the world's first jet fighter unit, based at Achmer and Hesepe. Kommando Nowotny became operational on the 3rd of October and claimed their first kill, a B-24, on October 7th. Nowotny began the practice of using prop-driven conventional fighters as cover against the roaming Allied fighters during the takeoffs and landings of the Me 262. The Me 262 was especially vulnerable as the turbojet's relatively low thrust resulted in slow acceleration. It took some time for the jet to get up the speed. But once there, no Allied aircraft could touch it. Adolf Galland, Luftwaffe General of Fighters, visited Achmer for an inspection. Nowotny was going to give Galland his pilot's flight reports. A flight of B-17 bombers was reported, so the unit took off, about six jets in the first wave, then another. The Fw 190Ds were waiting on the runway cover their return of the jets. Galland was in the operations shack, monitoring the pilot's radio transmissions. Several bombers were called out shot down, and Nowotny radioed that he was approaching. The flight leader on the ground, Hans Dortenmann, requested permission to take off to assist, but Nowotny said no, to wait. The defensive ant-aircraft battery opened fire on a few P-51 Mustangs that approached the field, but they were chased away. The jets were coming in. One Me 262 had been shot down, and Nowotny reported an engine failure before making a garbled transmission referring to "burning". Galland watched Nowi's approach, heard the sound of a jet engine, and saw his Me 262 A-a1 (W.Nr. 110 400) "White 8" dive vertically out of the clouds and crash at Epe, 2.5 kilometers east of Hesepe. The explosions rocked the air, and only a column of black smoke rose from behind the trees. The wreckage was Nowotny's plane. After sifting through it, the only salvageable things found were his left hand and pieces of his Diamonds decoration. The unit was disbanded shortly after Nowotny's death. It had claimed 22 aircraft with a loss of 26 Me 262s, eight of which were due to accidents and mechanical failures.
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 2003-2025 The Flying Mule, Inc.
Forces of Valor's 1:72 scale Me 262 is a beautifully executed replica featuring fine details that are usually seen only in higher priced models. The landing gear's metal struts are constructed as complete subassemblies, and structural detail can be seen inside the wheel wells. Mounted on a solid metal wing, the engine nacelles feature turbo fan and exhaust details. The access panel at the front of the model is removable, revealing structural details and four highly detailed 30mm cannons (an unusual addition in this scale). The nose has four cannon ports with shell casing vents, and the metal fuselage features multiple antenna below and a dorsal-mounted ADF antenna.
© Copyright 2003-2019 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Unimax "Forces of Valor" range presents affordable, ready-made diecast models of military aicraft.
Unimax "Forces of Valor" 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.
- Fixed display stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
- Detailed pilots and crew members.
- Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.
© Copyright 2003-2025 The Flying Mule, Inc.
