Blohm & Voss BV P.197 by Cape Hobby
1/72 scale
Kit No. CHG 014
Price: $35.00
Decals: One version
Comments: Cast resin with engraved panel lines and vacuform canopies and white metal detail parts for the cockpit and landing gear; aftermarket decals strongly recommended
History
In the Summer of 1944, the RLM issued a specification for a second-generation jet fighter that would be a follow-on to the Messerschmitt Me 262 which was then entering service. It would primarily be employed as an interceptor against Allied bomber formations, with a single pilot and powered by twin turbojet engines — and it had to perform well at high altitude.
Blohm & Voss, under the leadership of chief engineer Richard Vogt, designed a conventional, compact design, aerodynamically refined with swept wings positioned low on the fuselage, and powered by either BMW 003 or Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines. The Jumo 004 in particular promised between 1.800 and 2,000 lbs. of thrust, which would provide superior performance at altitude. Two intakes below the cockpit and near the wing root would feed the jet engines.
The turbojets were to be mounted side by side in the rear fuselage, a departure from the wing-mounted engine nacelles of the Me 262 and Heinkel He 280 designs. The vertical tail fin, like the wing, was swept back, with the tailplane mounted atop the fin and rudder. Armament was to be either four 30mm Mk 103 cannon (similar to the Me 262) or two Mk 103 cannon with two 20mm MG 151/20 cannon in the nose.
As designed, the P.197 was smaller and lighter than the Me 262; it was 29.5 feet long compared to the Me 262’s 34 ft. 9 inches; the P.197’s wingspan was 36.4 feet compared to the Me 262’s 41.5 feet; and the P.197’s gross weight was 12,855 lbs. compared to 14,272 lbs. for the Me 262. Coming in at over 1,400 lbs. lighter than the Me 262 with a comparable powerplant, the P. 197 was expected to have a superior power-to-weight ratio and significantly higher top speed — estimates were at least 620 mph, nearly 60 mph faster than Messerschmitt’s jet. Blohm and Voss anticipated the need for a pressurized cockpit as well as an ejection seat since the service ceiling was to have been a little over 40,000 feet.
The P.197 design was ready for construction of the prototype by August 1944, but as was often the case with the most impressive innovations in Nazi Germany, it was destined never to see Luftwaffe service due to a curious lack on interest on the part of the RLM. Yet another potentially great combat aircraft was stillborn due to a combination of lack of vision, dwindling resources, and internal Air Ministry politics.
The Kit
Cape Hobby and Gift’s Blohm & Voss Bv P.197 is actually an original Antares Models mold, manufactured in Argentina. It consists of 19 tan cast resin parts, eight white metal parts for the landing gear, main instrument panel, and control yoke, and two vacuform canopies — it is always nice to have a spare. The resin parts are crisply molded with minimal flash.
The kit does not appear to have any provision for building it with the landing gear up, so modelers wishing to show the kit in flight will have to be prepared to do some puttying and sanding around the gear doors. If it is built with the gear down, the white metal parts may need some straightening. With relatively few major components, the kit should not present many headaches, but of course the devil is in the details, or rather the actual building of the kit.
The instructions do not provide any guidance as to a paint scheme, since the illustrations do not show a camouflage scheme of any kind. They do however suggest the colors, RM 74/75 on the upper surfaces and RLM 76 Light Blue on the under surfaces, with mottling (mentioned in text but not illustrated) on the fuselage sides and rudder.
Markings
The kit markings look quite good but unfortunately were attached to a translucent foolscap sheet with rather too strong an adhesive. The result was that the finish of most of the markings were clearly damaged as I tried to gently separate the decal sheet from the foolscap cover. Swastikas are included but are treated rather uniquely — the individual markings appear to be stencilled swastikas, not readily identifiable as such because they are broken up into nine individual unconnected sections, while remaining part of the same decal.
Modelers will either have to painstakingly paint the missing black sections to connnect up the separated segments of each marking, or possibly cut each decal into nine pieces and position them accordingly. both of them are divided into nine individual parts which will have to be moved adjacent one another and properly aligned. For all these reasons, aftermarket decals are strongly recommended.
Conclusion
This is an interesting Luft ’46 kit of a would-be second generation jet fighter that seems to have been poised to outperform the Me 262. Highly recommended.
References
- www.militaryfactory.com
- military.wikia.org