Introduction

The Me 262 was mans introduction to the age of jet aircraft, being the first jet fighter and seeing service in the last years of World War 2. The Me 262 was so different to the prop aircraft of the time, that a two seat trainer aircraft was required to convert pilots from the propeller driven aircraft of the time to the new experience of jet powered flight. My limited knowledge of this aircraft and the research that I did resulted in me coming to the conclusion that fact and fiction has become very mixed up regarding the Swallow. It is known that a number of 2 seat variants of the Me 262 existed, and that an even smaller number were further converted to perform the role of a night fighter; however numbers differ wildly, and when it comes to having seen combat as a night fighter, pick a side. A number of 2 seat versions of the Me 262 were captured by Allied forces, and a 2 seat night fighter version still exists in South Africa.
This 2 seat version of the Me 262 adds another alternate 262 to the Hobby Boss range.

Contents

The model is packaged in a cardboard tray with a card lid, and this should provide adequate protection for the model within. Inside the box individually packaged for the most part, you will find;

• 9 grey sprues
• 2 clear sprues
• 1 white metal casting
• A decal sheet
• An instruction fold out sheet
• Glossy painting and decal application guide
• Promotional sheet

Review

First impressions
On first opening the box I was very impressed with the packaging of this product, all of the sprues except one is individually packaged in a plastic bag; the canopy parts are sealed inside separate bags and wrapped with foam before having been packed with one of the sprues, all in all a good job Hobby Boss. The sprues and their parts are free of any obvious blemishes, and there is no flash present. The sprue connection points are of a reasonable size and not excessive in number, however the connection points are a mix of butted and attached to mating surfaces, and so regardless of which camp you fall into on this subject you will need to tackle both options.

Cockpit
This area of the model looks to be very well thought out. Detail looks pleasing even though I cannot vouch for the accuracy, with the only obvious omission being the lack of seat harnesses which do appear to be moulded on the seats judging by the instructions, but have not been reproduced on the seats themselves. Decals have been provided for the consoles of the model, but they will be difficult to use unless you remove the raised detail on the parts themselves.

Weapons Bay
The MGs or should that more accurately be cannons in the model have been nicely reproduced, there is plenty of detail in this area should you decide to take the option of having the bay open. The model could be further enhanced by the addition of metal barrels from one of the aftermarket companies; that is not to say that the model barrels are poor, they will need to be drilled to improve.

Undercarriage
The various parts that go into the undercarriage of this model should look acceptable, but the addition of some brake lines on the landing gear legs is an easy improvement. The front wheel bay has been supplied as either a plastic or metal part, the metal option being to prevent the model being a tail sitter. Perhaps most surprisingly is the fact that Hobby Boss does not mention the metal part as an alternative and does not even include it on in the parts map inside the instructions. The front wheel has 2 options as regards wheel pattern, but I have no knowledge of what the different patterns indicate. The main wheel bay looks as if it will be a really nice area of the model when complete and Hobby Boss has put in a lot of effort here.

Fuselage
The fuselage is a two piece moulding with the exception of the nose cone and access panels. Rib detail has been replicated throughout their length and the majority of the tail. Hobby Boss has provided a lot of detail parts behind the cockpit, which I believe cannot be seen for the most part, but it is there if you have a wish or need to make it visible.

Engine Nacelles
The under slung engines of the Me 262 also have rib detail on the interior faces, with the intakes and exhausts areas of the engine being nicely replicated; there is not however a full engine supplied for either side.

Wings and Control Surfaces
The lower half of the wings is supplied as a single moulding, which should mean the wing alignment will be correct. Neither the tail or wings has separate control surfaces, which is a shame, but the wings do have a very nice profile. The rudder is provided as a separate parts but is designed to be attached inline.

Canopy
The clear parts for the canopy can be depicted open or closed, I am pleased to say, as it allows you to see the detail and effort you may have put into the cockpit. The clear parts are also very thin, which cuts down any distortion to an acceptable level.

Weapons
In addition to the four cannons in the nose Hobby Boss has supplied some external stores. The items provided are two very nicely done drop tanks with separate pylons, two banks of rockets, one for the underside of each wing and what I believe are takeoff assist rockets; however I am sure someone will correct me on that.

Finishing options
Hobby Boss has provided two finishing options for the model, which are;

• Germany, III/EJG 2,1 (W.NR.170014)
• Germany, I/KG(J)54,B3 SH(W.NR.170075)

I cannot vouch for the authenticity of either of these aircraft, but the second option has a white lightning bolt on both sides of the aircraft, these should make the finish eye catching. Hobby Boss has included swastikas with this kit, they are supplied split in two halves and are not shown on the decal location sheet, this should avoid upsetting anyone who is offended by this symbol. The location of this symbol on the model is indicated by a white outlined square.

Instructions
The instruction sheet is a little compact at the beginning, due to Hobby Boss putting about 12 steps into 2, but most should not have any trouble following them.

Conclusion

This is another very nice addition to the Hobby Boss line of Me 262 kits. There is enough detail to satisfy most, while keeping the model easily buildable. For the more adventurous modeller is has enough detail to get them started and improve upon. This model is perhaps one where I would look at the addition of resin wheels, not because there is anything really wrong with the kit offerings, but because resin wheels would be weighted and do away with a joint seam around the circumference of the tyre. The addition of some turned brass barrels for the cannons would lift the weapons bay and cut out the difficulty of drilling out the plastic barrels. The only other addition I would make is to obtain or make seat harnesses. As such I have no concerns about recommending this model.

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