1:48 Messerschmitt P.1101

What the machine was

The Messerschmitt P.1101 was built in the last year of the Second World War as an experimental machine for measuring the effect of wing sweep. The fuselage was short and ended at the front in an intake for the engine air, the cockpit sat above it and the jet engine was housed inside the fuselage. On the ground the wing could be reset to several sweep angles. The prototype was never finished and the aircraft never got into the air.

How it differs from an ordinary wartime kit

A model of an unfinished machine puts the modeler in front of different work than a model of a production aircraft. There is no rich photographic record from service and no settled color scheme, so the build follows the manufacturer's documentation and the finish is a proposal. The shape, on the other hand, has no parallel: the short fuselage, the high-set cockpit and the massive swept wing make the finished model a striking piece in the display case that holds its own even among better-known types.

On the build

• Dry-fit the parts and plan the seams on the short fuselage in advance, as they are right out in the open here.
• Choose the wing sweep angle according to the instructions and check that both halves sit symmetrically before gluing.
• Prepare the cockpit before you close up the fuselage; once it is glued there will be no access to it.
• The number of parts, the contents of the package and the recommended sequence are given by the manufacturer in the instructions.

Who it is for

For modelers interested in German aviation projects of the end of the war and in the beginnings of variable-geometry aircraft. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted, so the builder has all of the work ahead. Paints, glue and filler are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.