Fifer54 Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 (edited) Late on parade again, but i thought I'd torture some plastic in the shape of a Bv141 as kitted by Airfix in 1/72.Here it is. I will report as and when I have something to report. I've always like this aircraft. I built one many, many years ago back in my youth(!) and enjoyed the build, masking the canopy is the only difficult bit............. (Are those Famous Last Words??!!) Edited November 29, 2010 by MadNurseGaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Looking forward to seeing this one coming together. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted November 3, 2010 Author Share Posted November 3, 2010 Well, I've made a start with a bit of putting together some sub-assemblies and painting on the sprue. Masking the transparencies has been a major task in this build, made worse by cutting lumps out of my fingertips with the scalpel! so there we are........ Doesn't the interior look bare! But I've not found any pictures of Bv141 cockpits.....yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 (edited) Go to www.aircraftwalkaround.hobbyvista.com-bv141/bv141 theres some great stuff there. Martin Edited November 4, 2010 by martin hale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted November 4, 2010 Author Share Posted November 4, 2010 Thanks for that link, Martin. A quick shufti shows some interesting pictures and diagrams, and some interior detail that Airfix leaves out, but the main impression I get is that the aircraft actually is quite bare inside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 Pretty freaky looking thing! Did it ever fly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz greenwood Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 Yes it did fly it was in competition with Fw-189 (which eventually won the competition). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted November 5, 2010 Author Share Posted November 5, 2010 Yes, ten (I think) were built, it was a private venture to meet a Luftwaffe specification for a short-range tactical reconnaissance aircraft. It first flew in 1938 and proved completely airworthy, with very few problems arising during testing at the Luftwaffe's Erprobungsstelle at Rechlin- Nazi Germany's A&AEE. Itwas planned to form an operational evaluation unit on the Russian front, but the plan never reached fruition and all development was discontinued in 1942. The aircraft was a "failure" due more to Luftwaffe distrust of its unorthodox layout than to any shortcomings in the design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalkeEins Posted November 5, 2010 Share Posted November 5, 2010 (edited) Here's it's successful introduction into service and operational successes heralded in an edition of 'Der Adler', May 1942 http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2010/07/der-...-11-bv-141.html German mag Jet&Prop did a two-part article in 2004 Edited November 5, 2010 by FalkeEins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted November 5, 2010 Author Share Posted November 5, 2010 What superb photos, FalkeEins! Thank you for those. I just hope I can create an interior to resemble them! Although I don't know if I can do it justice. I'll 'ave a go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dahut Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 Always liked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 A good choice Gaz, the Bv141 has always appealed to me too. One early prototype has a paticularly 'charm'!! Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted November 9, 2010 Author Share Posted November 9, 2010 Made a little progress on this. I've added some internal detail to the cockpit: It's a bulkhead and the couch for the bomb-aimer/gunner/observer. Should liven up the cockpit a bit! The seat area doesn't really look as patchy as the photo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 I'm liking this build, so much so in fact, that I can see this kit joining the stash in the very near future. Looking forward to the next update; keep it up Gaz. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalkeEins Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 yes, me too.. but what are the canopy/clear parts like... hopefully not as bad as those on the Airfix Fw 189 ..there is a pic of this area of the cockpit if I can find it somwhere. FWIW most of the engine instruments were on the inner engine cowling face (ie outside the cockpit..) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraxinus Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 watching with interest ........its in the loft insulation (old & new boxed forms!!) interesting plane which was disliked by the conventional senior Luftwaffe hierarchy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Graham Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 There's a few "stories" around here. It was not a private venture but one of the two approved final competitors in the competition. The A series handled well (perhaps to some people's surprise) but the much heavier pre-production B series was less satisfactory. Apart from this, the main disadvantage of the type was the need for the powerful BMW engine, already in great demand for the more important Fw190 and Do217, amongst others. There must also be some doubt whether the type would have proved handy in the short rough field environment where the lighter Fw189 shone. Interestingly, there is a end-of-war photo of one of these carrying codes (Stammkennzeichen) outside the known range of the B-series. Were there more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David J Ross Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 I don't know if this is of any use but there is an article on the building of the HiPM 1/48th kit here... http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/axis/luft/yong141.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted November 10, 2010 Author Share Posted November 10, 2010 yes, me too.. but what are the canopy/clear parts like... hopefully not as bad as those on the Airfix Fw 189 ..there is a pic of this area of the cockpit if I can find it somwhere. FWIW most of the engine instruments were on the inner engine cowling face (ie outside the cockpit..) The clear parts are a PITA! Thick, not very clear, ill-defined framing (and lots of it!), I have covered them completely in masking tape and am now cutting out gaps in the masking for the frames (in between mopping up the blood where the scalpel has sliced my fingers). It's many years since I built the Airfix Fw189, and I've only ever built one of those, and I don't remember what the glazing on it was like, but the Bv141 is Airfix glazing at its worst! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraxinus Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 in between mopping up the blood where the scalpel has sliced my fingers). It's many years since I built the Airfix Fw189, and I've only ever built one of those,and I don't remember what the glazing on it was like, but the Bv141 is Airfix glazing at its worst! Ouch....medics!! stretcher bearers!! ...man down The FW189 is one of my favourite Airfix kits, I have here the original box art version pattern no 267 original series 2 the front nose canopy is heavy & thick , the rear gun positions canopies not so bad...the re released copy is in the loft & too cold to venture up there!!! crikey its 1 am!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JP Vieira Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 Very interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 Gaz, thanks to your build this kit joined the stash this afternoon. I said it wouldn't be long before it happened. I shall be following your build even more closely now; no pressure or anything! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyG Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 I had one of these kits when I was a lad (a loooong time ago), I remember buying it because it just looked so odd. No idea what happened to it but for some bizarre reason I still have the front canopy. Nothing else, just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 (edited) I have a good number of images of the BV-141, including internal drawings and photographs which appear to be from official manuals. Too much to post here, and it's not mine to post, but happy to forward it to anyone who needs it. If I remember where I downloaded this from, I'll post a link, Cheers, Bill. Edit: As soon as I posted that, I found the link! Edited November 12, 2010 by Heraldcoupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted November 12, 2010 Author Share Posted November 12, 2010 Thanks for that link, Bill, those illustrations will help with cabin detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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