Blohm und Voss BV 138 by Supermodel

1/72 scale
Kit no. 10-017
Retail: $150.00 (As re-issued Revell kits)
Decals: Three versions – all Luftwaffe
Comments: Raised panel lines, complete flight deck with pilot, co-pilot and radar operator, movable fore and aft machine gun turrets

History

The Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache (Sea Dragon) was a trim-motor flying boat which became the primary seaborne long-range maritime patrol and naval reconnaissance aircraft of the Luftwaffe during WWII, surpassing even the more well known Focke Wulf Fw 200 Condor. Designed before the war by Richard Vogt, under Hamburger Flugzeugbau and known as the Ha 138 it had quite unusual design features for the type: a twin boom tail unit, short hull, and a trimotor engine configuration. Due to its hull-fuselage it was nicknamed “Der Fliegende Holzschuh” (“the Flying Clog”) and development was protracted due to multiple redesigns and engine issues.

After the first prototype flew on July 15, 1937, instabilities were identified which necessitated a redesign of the hull and tail booms to improve both hydrodynamic and aerodynamic properties. The first production aircraft, designated BV 138A-1, flew for the first time in April 1940, by which point Germany was at war with multiple neighboring nations. By December 1940, it has been introduced as a military naval reconnaissance aircraft by the Luftwaffe. Despite concerns as to its structural strength, which was improved over time, it was adapted into various roles, including as a radar-equipped anti-shipping aircraft, an austere troop transport, and as an airborne aerial countermeasure to naval mines.

WITH THE BRITISH NAVY AT KIEL. MAY 1945, ACTIVITIES AND PERSONALITIES AT KIEL. (A 29084) Lieut Cdr (A) W Dobson RNVR, attached to the Advanced Naval Party at Kiel, inspecting a captured German Blohm and Voss seaplane. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205160368

The definitive version, the BV 138C-1 deployed as an aerial countermeasure to Allied naval mines, was introduced into service in March 1941. For naval reconnaissance, some aircraft carried FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band maritime search radar sets; this enabled the type to be effectively used to conduct anti-shipping missions. Dependent upon the mission role and equipment fitted, the crew could comprise as many as six personnel. A total of 297 BV 138s were built between 1938 and 1943. The BV 138 was surprisingly rugged in service, notably during operations off Norway, where early Sea Hurricanes were unable to shoot it down.

Development

In 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, Blohm & Voss shipbuilders in Hamburg were suffering from a lack of orders, and started to diversify by creating an aviation division, the Hamburger Flugzeugbau. The company started as a subcontractor for the manufacture of Junkers Ju 52 subassemblies to gain experience. Later the company was entrusted to produce famous designs from Dornier, Focke-Wulf, Heinkel, Junkers, and Messerschmitt. Under the trio formed by Dipl-Ing Max Andreae, experienced aviator Robert Schröck and designer Reinhold Mewes from Heinkel, the company soon presented its first in-house product, the HA 135, a conventional biplane trainer powered by a BMW-Bramo Sh 14A.

Six of these trainers were built and sold to the German Air sports association. The Blohm brothers were unhappy with Mewes and set out to recruit Richard Vogt, working at Kawasaki at the time. In May 1934 Hans Amtmann from Junkers joined this team, bringing his knowledge of seaplanes. Together they designed the ambitious Ha 139 long-range seaplane mail carrier, with four engines and two floats. It was designed to be flown from a giant catapult mounted on Friesenland (one of four Lufthansa catapult ships built to assist large Dornier Do 18 flying boats in Atlantic crossings) in order to depart with passengers’ mail during its transatlantic trips, the first such service to be offered in the world. Three were used by the Deutsche Lufthansa and four HA 142 were purchased as land variants.

The company was renamed Abteilung Flugzeugbau der Schiffswerft Blohm & Voss to avoid confusion, RLM code BV. With orders piling up in 1939, another factory was built on the shores of the river Elbe, at Finkenwerder, in addition to the Wenzendorf Aircraft Factory. The BV 138 was originally designated as Ha 138 and became the company’s first flying boat, a natural fit to apply knowledge in maritime environment and light boats construction practices. Trials were conducted on the Elbe, which was ideal for seaplanes.

Blohm & Voss would have many diverse aircraft manufactured over the years such as the BV 222 Wiking and BV 238 prototype, the world’s largest aircraft, or the famous asymmetric BV 141 tactical reconnaissance aircraft which saw production in limited numbers. The irony is that the BV-138 would soon become the company’s best seller. The plan was to build it at Finkenwerder but due to design delays, the BV 138 ended up being subcontracted out to Weser Flugzeugbau. Finkenwerder survived the massive Allied bombing of Hamburg.

There were three gun positions on the aircraft, including an enclosed powered gun turret armed with a single MG 151/20 autocannon on the bow. Due to the fields of fire being obstructed by the tail, especially the horizontal stabilizer, the defensive gun positions on the stern comprised one gun position low on the fuselage and a second one higher up, just aft of the central engine. The gun position behind the central engine, which could see over the horizontal stabilizer, was a fully open Scarff ring-like emplacement which originally mounted a 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun, although most aircraft had a 13 mm MG 131 heavy machine gun. The lower gun position at the rear fuselage fired below the horizontal stabilizer. It too was left open and equipped with a machine gun on early aircraft, however, most later versions mounted an enclosed powered turret similar to the one on the bow.

During the invasion of Norway in April 1940, two of the pre-production aircraft were pressed into service as troop transports. By December of that year, the BV 138 had been declared operational in the long-range reconnaissance role. The first unit to be equipped with the type being based in Western France. In addition to its use in the maritime reconnaissance role, several aircraft were specially adapted to sweep naval mines; designated BV 138MS, this role necessitated the deletion of all conventional armaments and the installation of a large (roughly 40 feet (12 m) diameter) dural hoop mounted horizontally under the wings, powered by an auxiliary motor generating an electric field which detonated magnetic mines. Early built aircraft often had issued related to insufficient structural strength.

The Kit

Supermodel’s Blohm und Voss BV 138 is injection molded in grey plastic and consists of 144 parts, including 15 clear parts for the windscreen, machine gun turrets, and various fuselage windows. All parts may not be used, depending on the version modelers choose to build, one of which, the BV 138 MS, involves the installation of a large de-gaussing ring (the dural hoop referred to above) for the detection of naval mines. The kit bears raised panel lines throughout.

Two more crewmen, gunners, are provided for the forward machine gun turret as well as an aft machine gun position sans turret. The kit features a separately mounted elevator and rudders for the twin boom tail assembly, as well as separately mounted ailerons for each wing. There is an option for three 250 kg bombs to be mounted under the starboard wing between the fuselage and the engine nacelle, and the kit includes a beaching dolly, an assembly consisting of 12 parts.

Of special note is the option to build the mine-sweeping version, the BV 138 MS. This includes not only the large, four-part degaussing ring but also a separate antenna array beneath each wing, the deletion of the rear machine gun turret, and the retention of the forward turret but the deletion of its machine gun, plus two additional nose antennae.

Markings

While the kit includes markings for three different versions, no details are provided for any of them. The instructions do not acknowlegdge the decals at all, but Supermodel provided color schematics for each version on the bottom of the kit box. Two of the versions appear to be painted in a splinter camouflage pattern of RLM 67 and RLM 70 Schwarzgrun (Black Green). For some reason RLM 67 is missing from many Luftwaffe and RLM paint tables, but it was one of a number of shades of Olivgrun (Olive Green) employed by the Luftwaffe during WWII, and can be seen here: https://hangar47.com/messerschmitt-p-1101/

The third version appears in a splinter camouflage scheme of German Camouflage Red-Brown (Humbrol 160) and possibly RLM 76b (Gray Green) or even RLM 02 — it is difficult to tell given the faded colors on the kit box. All versions have Hellblau under surfaces.

Conclusion

This is an intriguing kit for its tri-engine configuration as well as its reputation as one of the more successful of Germany’s wartime maritime patrol aircraft. Highly recommended.

References

• www.naval-aviation.com
• wikipedia.org