1/72 Mach 2 BLOHM und VOSS BV142 long-range reconnaissance aircraft 1940

[adey m]

I do not usually post builds in progress as I am concerned that I might mess up somewhere during the build or just lose interest in it, which has happened to me a few times. However, this build is currently on my workbench and has reached the painting stage. I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenging build, I already have two large MACH 2 kits under my belt so to speak so I knew what sort of a challenge it would be and because of the unusual and fascinating look of this aircraft it has been an exciting build too.

 

I built a number of German subjects in my younger days, the largest of which was the old 1960s Revell FW200 Condor, but until recently I had none in my current collection. I have been put off by the prospect of brush-painting mottled camouflage schemes for too long and I recently built a FROG Ta152 which did a lot for my confidence.

 

However, I really like larger multi-engined aircraft and there were very few in service with the wartime Luftwaffe which have been available as injection moulded kits. Revell have done some interesting subjects in recent years but I am always drawn to the unusual types.

 

The attractive 1930s Blohm und Voss Ha139 seaplanes have always been of interest to me but it was not until recent years that I discovered that a landplane version of these was also built, the BV 142.

 

 

The Ha139s were catapulted in mid Atlantic from special ships and carried mail between Europe and America. They were powered by diesel engines.

 

The three Ha139 seaplanes were pressed into Luftwaffe service during the war and one of them had military equipment and a glazed nose and armament installed, and this one is available as a MACH 2 kit.

 

 

This kit depicts the V3 which was fitted with a magnetic degaussing ring for mine sweeping duties.

 

Four BV 142s were built as mailplanes and these were also acquired by the Luftwaffe when war started. These were powered by BMW radial engines. Two of them, V1 and V2 were converted for long-range maritime patrol duties with a glazed nose, gun turrets and a bomb bay. These are also produced in kit form by MACH 2 and it is one of these that I am currently building.

 

 

One of the four BV 142 landplanes

 

My friend Didier Palix the man behind MACH 2 kindly brought one over for me from his home in France to IPMS Modelworld at Telford where I collected it from him. He is a friendly, modest man with a genuine passion for modelling subjects that other manufacturers will not, which is the main reason why he started MACH 2.

 

 

Here she is in all her ' beauty ' on the attractive boxing.

 

 

The box opened to reveal its limited-run injection moulded contents. You could describe the kit as being a rather like a vacform one which is moulded in thicker plastic with parts that you do not have to cut out but still require a fair amount of cleaning up. As I have experience already of building large MACH 2 kits I nearly closed the box and buried it away in the loft. But I was drawn to the fascinating subject.

 

Anyway, I must get some sleep so I will see you again soon.

Edited July 28, 2018 by adey m

[bbudde]

Oh, I'm in for that double supersonic masochism. Forget the clear parts (as usual you never can make them transparent and shiny. Even with future) .

P.S. Mach2 = very unique and interesting subjects with a more than worse implemantation in short run for a high prize. I don't understand, how they can survive and not going bankruptcy by now. Cheers

 

[adey m]

On 16/07/2018 at 23:57, bbudde said:

Oh, I'm in for that double supersonic masochism. Forget the clear parts (as usual you never can make them transparent and shiny. Even with future) .

P.S. Mach2 = very unique and interesting subjects with a more than worse implemantation in short run for a high prize. I don't understand, how they can survive and not going bankruptcy by now. Cheers

 

Welcome aboard bbudde.

 

I hope to surprise you with what can be done with the MACH 2 transparencies.

 

 

This is my MACH 2 Atlantic with the transparencies from the kit. I will describe how to clean and polish them up.

 

regards,  adey

Edited July 18, 2018 by adey m

[adey m]

 

BV 142 V1 or V2. This photo shows the fabric-covered outer wings.

 

 

The sum total of all the instructions that you get with this model.

 

 

I have found the MACH 2 decals to be of a very good quality in the past. Swastikas are also included. I must admit to being a little disappointed when I opened the box to find the kit moulded in white plastic as all the examples I have peeped inside in the past have been moulded in a sort of olive green coloured plastic.  Surface detail is nicely restrained with fine recessed panel lines.

 

 

Nicely detailed BMW radial engines but they will require some patience in cleaning up. I made it a mission of mine that I would try and use as much of the original kit parts as possible. As you can see the sprue attachments for the parts are quite thick and a good sharp pair of snips or wire cutters are a good idea.

 

 

All the parts? that you might be able to make out in this photo have been used on my model.

 

 

Cleaning up the wing halves.

 

 

I have already cut away the opening in the lower fuselage half for access to the dorsal gun turret. There are too many portholes for this version so I blanked off quite a number of them.

 

 

Undersurface of the starboard wing during glueing together showing the nicely detailed wheel well. The twin main wheels were uncovered when they were retracted and they also protruded slightly from the nacelle. I will clean up the leading and trailing edges when the glue has set.

 

Okay folks, that is all for now, I need to get the vacuum cleaner to suck up all the bits of white plastic that have pinged all over the place during the cleaning up of the parts.

 

 

 

Edited July 18, 2018 by adey m

[amblypygid]

An interesting subject, you've got me hooked.

[bbudde]

15 hours ago, adey m said:

This is my Mach2 Atlantic with the transparencies from the kit. I will describe how to clean and polish them up.

That looks great. I don't know, how you did that on that. I don't mean to be rude on your friends trade, but I have this one and an Arado 232 in my stash. It stays in the attic for 20 years now, since  I watched at it for a closer look after buying it.  So my respect for your encouragement on that one. I'm very keen to see, how you tackle the brittle clear parts again. Cheers and a good start on this one.

Edited July 17, 2018 by bbudde

[adey m]

7 hours ago, amblypygid said:

An interesting subject, you've got me hooked.

Welcome aboard to you too Chris.

[JWM]

Hi, recently I've bough this kit also together with Arado 232. Apprently Mach 2 made some now run of them, they were unavailable for long time.

So I am looking with interest how it will go. I am intending to convert for solid nose version, as she was used  for routine transport filights.

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

[bbudde]

Just a link:

http://www.luftarchiv.de/index.htm?/flugzeuge/blohm-voss/bv142.htm

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2016/04/blohm-voss-bv-142-daily-ebay-photo-find.html

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/germany/aircrafts-2/bv142/bv-142-on-the-ground/

 

Edited July 18, 2018 by bbudde

[corsaircorp]

Hello Adey...

Mach 2 or fonderie...

Weird Subject...

And you mastering these bits of styrene...

I'm in if you Don't mind...

I will try to stay quiet !!

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

[JWM]

Small correction - what I bought is BV 139, the main difference is in Diesel engines of the latests.

Regards

J-W

 

[Brandy]

2 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

 

I will try to stay quiet !!

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

Good luck CC! 🤣 

This looks very interesting as I just love seeing kits modelled and not just built. Beer and popcorn in hand. Carry on Sir!

 

Ian

[Darby]

The diversity of subject draws me in.

[adey m]

 

I found this on the web as it illustrates well the limited run nature of the MACH 2 injection mouldings. I see that the parts are moulded sharper than on my example so it is probably an early moulding. MACH 2 kits certainly do sell as I have seen with my own eyes when the new Argosy was flying off their stand at Scalemodelworld in 2015, but the problem is not many then get completed or even started. A number end up being resold on the pre-owned market. They are certainly not for the faint hearted, but if you stick with them they do build up into interesting models with a character of their own.

 

 

These are your typical MACH 2 transparencies which to start with are not that transparent and this is what puts a lot of modellers off. The plastic is thick and the raised framework is overscale. But do not be put off by this, the plastic that MACH 2 use is actually of a good quality, it is not brittle like some people believe and because of this they will stand up to some good sanding and polishing. The nose gun transparency has five frames moulded onto it when it should only have four but that did not bother me because all of the framework on everything is going to be sanded away. The dorsal gun turret transparency has the gun slot in the centre of it which would have been a real problem for the gunner when trying to aim and operate it with the breech stuck up his nose. So this was one of the bits that I did not use as I had a suitable replacement in my spares which must have come from an Italeri Dornier 217.

 

 

So here we have the stuff which I use to make the transparencies transparent. Firstly I sanded away all the heavy raised window frames. Then I polished out the scratches with various fine sanding sponges. Then I applied T-CUT car paintwork restorer cream to a soft cloth and rubbed it over the inside and outside of the clear parts. T-CUT is cream with mild abrasive qualities. Then I buff it away with another soft cloth and they do polish up quite nicely. There was a few little blemishes in the plastic which I could do nothing about but they are only minor.

 

 

The transparencies have had a good sanding down. One of the nicely detailed BMW engines has been installed into one of the horizontally split cowlings. I hope I have remembered to have the BMW badge to the bottom of the engine .........................

 

 

Here is what the ' clear ' parts looked like after I had sanded away the frames. Time for a stiff drink I think .............................

 

 

And here they are after being polished. The dorsal gunner's tub has had a cushion installed.

 

 

I assembled the wings, tailplane and fins first to get a feel for the plastic and the fit of the parts and I must say I was pleasantly surprised how well everything matched up together. The four engines have been cleaned up and one of them has been glued into one half of an engine cowling so that I can work out how the propeller is going to be installed so that it clears the cowling and spins round. I have cleaned up one of the propellers and glued the main wheels together.

 

I was now at the stage to construct the cabin and cockpit interior. I will need to find some pictures of the interior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[adey m]

13 hours ago, JWM said:

Hi, recently I've bough this kit also together with Arado 232. Apprently Mach 2 made some now run of them, they were unavailable for long time.

So I am looking with interest how it will go. I am intending to convert for solid nose version, as she was used  for routine transport filights.

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

Hi Jerzy, I think that the solid nosed version would look really good in Luftwaffe colours and quite attractive too without the ugly gun turrets and long glazed nose. Two of those unmodified versions were used as transports during the Norwegian invasion in 1940.

 

regards,  adey

[JWM]

Hi,

some suggestions:

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/27862259@N02/5924085504/

http://www.airwar.ru/image/idop/sww2/ha139/

for example:

This is about 139 but 142 may be similar

J-W

 

 

[adey m]

Hi Jerzy, I did actually use this photograph as reference for my build. There was no right hand side panel on my version to allow access to the nose. 

 

I wonder if the tall lever in the centre of the consul was to release from the catapult ?

 

regards,  adey

[JWM]

29 minutes ago, adey m said:

I wonder if the tall lever in the centre of the consul was to release from the catapult ?

 

I do not know. Do you wnt to make it functional?

Ok, if it for catapult it can be absent on wheel variant.

In link to Flickr page there is photo taken deeper from fuselage with some view on it

Regards

J-W

 

[ColinChipmunkfan]

Never seen a Mach2 kit or the landplane version of the aeroplane so will be following this with interest if you don't mind

[Sgt.Squarehead]

You don't see one of those every day.....Following with interest. 

[adey m]

10 hours ago, JWM said:

I do not know. Do you wnt to make it functional?

Ok, if it for catapult it can be absent on wheel variant.

In link to Flickr page there is photo taken deeper from fuselage with some view on it

Regards

J-W

 

I have included it in my model, it can be the parking brake lever if we like.................  but too late to make it functional now

 

regards,  adey

[adey m]

8 hours ago, ColinChipmunkfan said:

Never seen a Mach2 kit or the landplane version of the aeroplane so will be following this with interest if you don't mind 

Come aboard Colin and join the party

 

regards,  adey

Edited July 19, 2018 by adey m

[Sgt.Squarehead]

1 hour ago, adey m said:

but too late to make it functional now

I'm pretty sure you could still get it launched.....Probably only once though! 

 

Hope it doesn't come to that though. 

[adey m]

So now it is time to build the cabin and cockpit

 

 

Here is a good photo of the pilots' flying panel in a Ha139 floatplane, This arrangement would probably have been the same for the unmodified BV 142s which were used as transports and which Jerzy is wanting to build. The version I am building though has access to the observers position in the nose on the right hand side of the cockpit so only has the one pilot on the left.

 

 

 

I found these two photos of the flight cabin inside a Ha 139. On the left is the radio operator and navigators table, the two pilots in front and then the flight engineer on the right.

It looks like the second pilot was also the navigator. Cosy is the word I think for this flight deck ...............

 

 

I also found this cutaway of a Ha 139. Note the Blohm und Voss patented tubular wing spar which also contained fuel.

 

 

Scratchbuilt engineers consul and flying panel.

 

 

My interior is underway here. Radio equipment and table, flight engineers consul, pilots centre consul and scratchbuilt flying panel, control column from spares, and observers floor and cushion in nose. I had to shorten the observers floor in the nose as it extended too far forward and over the under nose window.

Two sturdy centre section bulkheads either side of the bomb bay will provide strength where the wings are attached and help with fuselage alignment. Note the lack of alignment pins so I attached plastic card tabs along the fuselage halves edges to help with alignment and provide more surface area for glue.

 

 

Here we can see the tailwheel compartment and the openings to the dorsal gun turret which I cut open. Note the big ejector pin excess plastic tabs that require removing from areas of the fuselages and wings interiors.

 

.

 

In this earlier view I was trying out the fit of the internal bulkheads and floors by taping the fuselage halves together. I have assembled one of the engines to work out how I was going to install the propeller and allow it to rotate. The sanded-down but unpolished cockpit, nose and ventral gunners gondola transparencies and the assembled tail plane are also shown. I have also opened up the hatch in the cabin roof so that the cabin interior will be visible on the completed model.

 

So the interior is built and now we can move onto the painting stage.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 19, 2018 by adey m

[ColinChipmunkfan]

Impressive interior scratchbuilding going on here!