WARLORD 1:72 DFS STUMMEL HABICHT & BLOHM & VOSS BV 40
'INBOX Review'

 

Reviewer: Johan De Wolf (rec.models.scale)   

Kit Detail

History

Designed at the DFS (Deutschen forschungsanstalt für segelflug, German research institute for unpowered flight) in 1936 the Habicht (Hawk) was to be capable of dives up to end velocity. It was a very clean glider with gull wings and a span of 13.6m. It had an open cockpit. During test flights a maximum speed of 450km/h was clocked during dives. A lot of future Luftwaffe pilots got their first taste of flying on these gliders. During the war two new versions where developed with 8 and 6m wing span and where named Stummel Habicht (clipped hawk). Both these versions had a straight wing. These gliders where used to train pilots that would be flying the radical Me 163 Komet. For a long time the Habicht was the only German glider that was fully acrobatic. No example survived the war intact but, in 1987 a replica was flown for the first time. Since then a second airworthy machine has been built.

The mounting and unrelenting harassment of allied heavy bombers was becoming an ever bigger problem for the German war industry. Because of the heavy defences of these bombers, attacks with traditional fighter aircraft resulted in rising losses. Several design projects where started to find new ways of dealing with this problem. One of them was the Blohm & Voss Bv 40. The Bv 40 started life as project P186. This project was to result in a ramming fighter. After teaming up with another design team studying the same concept, chief engineer Dr. Vogt of B&V came to the conclusion that a ram-proof wing would be too heavy to make a ramming aircraft practical. Instead the P186 now would be a heavily armed and armoured attack glider. To make it a as small as possible target, the pilot would be in a prone position. The aircraft would be made of non strategic materials and was to be armed with 2 MK 108 cannons. A Me 109 would tow it up to above the enemy bomber formations, and release it at a safe distance. The glider would then make a high speed head-on attack run. In the autumn of 1943 a mock-up of the P 186 was shown to the RLM and construction of a pre series was started. In December 1943 the  RLM ordered 6 prototypes and assigned the Bv 40 designation. To save weight the first 4 machines (V1,2,4 and 5, the V3 was to be used for static load testing) had lighter armour and only one cannon built in. By February ’44 the total number ordered had risen to 20 machines. The V1 to V5 where coded PN+UC  to PN+UF. The first flight took place on 6 may 1944 towed by a Me 110. In total 19 test flights where made before the project was cancelled in august ’44. The V1 and V4 crash landed during tests, but the V1 could be repaired. In October the remaining 14 machines, some still under construction, where destroyed during an allied bombing raid. 

The Kit

Warlord is actually the same firm as WK-Models. Inside the floppy box you’ll find one bagged dark grey sprue containing all the parts of this double kit. The decals and vacuform canopies (no reserves) are floating around lose. Therefore it is no wonder that the tiny canopy of the Habicht had gone missing from my kit. It is a typical short run kit, meaning a bit of flash and sprue gates in awkward places. The parts are sharply molded though and surface detail is finely engraved. The Habicht can be built in both the 6 and the 8m version. The small decal sheet is of good quality. Due to the sensitivity of these markings the swastikas have been separated into 4 parts. The canopies are well defined and very clear. One A4-size sheet contains on one side the technical data, a construction diagram and a color scheme for the Habicht. On the other side the same is available for the Bv 40. Text is provided in English and German.

Accuracy

The dimensions of both models are within a 1mm margin, which is good enough for me. The outlines of the models compare very well with photographs. Compared to the Habicht’s graceful looks, the squat and square lines of the Bv 40 look rather ungainly. The kits are a bit simple though, and adding some extra detail will surely enhance their looks.

Construction

As is usual with short run kits, the parts need to be cleaned up a bit first. For the smaller parts this will be a quite delicate job. The Habicht is made up out of all of 12 parts, so construction should be a doddle. However there is a seat for the interior but nothing to fix it to. It will be easy to make a floor though and at the same time you can add a stick and a small instrument panel. The bracing struts for the tail plane are better replaced by some Contrail strut. A small tail skid and a pitot have to be added as well. Separate wings for both the 6m and the 8m version are provided. The Bv 40 has 19 parts. The interior is kinda bare with just a floor with cushion and an instrument panel, but little can be seen through the small windows. Some dry fitting and careful sanding will result in a good fit of the wing. Other outside details are the take off gear, the gun blisters and protection brackets for the wings. The nose of the kit is devoid of detail. I will add the compass fairing and the mechanism for the tow cable.

 Colours and decals

No colours are given for the interiors but RLM 02 grey will be a good guess. The Habicht is finished in a cream colour with blue bands on the wing root and tail planes. The vertical tail has a red band with a white circle on which the black swastika is placed. The circle and swastika are provided as decal. It carried no registration. The  Bv 40 had a RLM 71 dark green top side with a Blue RLM 65 under side. Decals are provided for the first prototype coded PN+UA.

Conclusion

Although the box gives you the impression of containing a 1/48 scale kit it is actually 1/72. I don’t know if the 1/48 version was ever released. In any case this kit contains two very interesting kits that will probably be never released by the mainstream kit makers. Next to each other the two gliders provide a nice comparison of the graceful pre-war design and the desperate design dictated by war necessity. Both are a welcome addition to any Luftwaffe collection.

References

 

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