Messerschmitt P. 1101 1:32 Das Werk 32002

Plastic model airplane to assemble: Messerschmitt P.1101 1:32 Das Werk 32002

The Messerschmitt P.1101 model kit in 1:32 scale from Das Werk is a unique offering for aviation enthusiasts and history buffs of World War II. This plastic model depicts the German experimental jet fighter that was part of the Jägernotprogramm, aimed at creating advanced aircraft capable of countering the growing air superiority of the Allies.

Model features:

• Scale: 1:32
• Product number: DW32002
• Highly detailed static model
• Includes various wing and tail sections
• Removable He S011 engine and landing gear
• Mk108 with interior details
• Includes Ruhrstahl X-4 missiles

History of the Messerschmitt P.1101:

The Messerschmitt P.1101 was an innovative jet fighter project that stood out for its pioneering use of variable-sweep wings. This groundbreaking design allowed for the adjustment of the wing angle for different speeds, aimed at improving performance in both subsonic and supersonic flight. Although the construction of the prototype began in 1944, it was not completed due to the end of the war in 1945. The unfinished fuselage was later seized by American forces and transported to the United States, where it influenced the design of the Bell X-5, the first aircraft to successfully implement variable-sweep wing technology.

The P.1101 project was part of the emergency fighter program from July 15, 1944, which sought to create a second generation of jet fighters for the Third Reich. A distinctive feature of the P.1101 prototype was the ability to change the wing sweep angle before flight, which was later developed in subsequent variable-sweep aircraft such as the Bell X-5 and Grumman XF10F Jaguar.

Design and development:

In just nine days from the release of the design specification, the Messerschmitt design office, led by Dr. Woldemar Voigt, developed the preliminary design of the P.1101. The aircraft was to have a short and wide fuselage, a tricycle landing gear, and mid-mounted wings with an internal sweep of 40 degrees at the fuselage and a shallower 26 degrees outward. A single HeS 011 jet engine was to be mounted internally in the fuselage, with two rounded air intakes on either side of the cockpit. The high tail had a V configuration and was mounted on a tapering boom that extended above and beyond the engine exhaust, while the cockpit was mounted at the front, with a canopy integrated into the fuselage and forming part of the rounded nose of the aircraft.

By the end of August 1944, the design evolved into a more streamlined form, with an elongated and tapered fuselage and a conical nose added in front of the cockpit. The composite wing was abandoned, adapting the outer wing of the Me 262. Proposals also included a combination of a pulse jet engine and a rocket, the P.1101L.

Production prototype:

The P.1101 V1 prototype was made of duralumin, retaining the outer wing section of the Me 262 but with larger slots. The wing sweep angle could be adjusted on the ground from 30 to 45 degrees, intended solely for testing. The fuselage air intakes from the initial designs were replaced with a single nose intake, and the cockpit canopy became a bubble design, providing better visibility. The prototype was equipped with a non-operational Heinkel He S 011 engine, but due to the unavailability of this engine, a Jumo 004B was installed for testing.

Post-war:

By the time the Oberammergau complex was discovered by an American infantry unit on April 29, 1945, the V1 prototype was about 80% complete. The fuselage was removed from a nearby tunnel where it had been hidden, and all related documents were confiscated. The prototype was later transported to the United States, where some of its design features were used by Bell as the basis for the Bell X-5.

Assembly and painting kit. Does not include paints or glue. For assembly, separately sold modeling tools are needed (including cutters, files, tweezers), paints, brushes, and plastic model glue (e.g., Tamiya Extra Thin Cement). The photo shows a professionally assembled and painted model.