Best 1/72 He111: Airfix or Hasegawa?

[Procopius]

Hullo chaps, a quick question for you all: which 1/72 He111 is more accurate in shape abd detail, Hasegawa's, or Airfix's?

[72modeler]

Procopius,

 

I guess it might depend upon which version you want to build. Hasegawa has done the He-111P,  H-6, and H-18 IIRC, and Airfix has done a new-tool He-111P and He-111H-6. I have the Hasegawa kits and the Airfix H-6, and they are both very well-detailed and accurate. I think the Airfix kit has a better cockpit and the nose transparencies aren't as fiddly to assemble- either  will be lots of fun to mask! I would think the Airfix kit is cheaper by far, and the He-111P would be most representative of a BoB Heinkel. You might want to wait for one of our BM'ers who have built either/both for a more detailed answer; the reviews I have read for both makers give them high marks- you might want to do a search for kit reviews for other opinions. Me, I'm hoping somebody does the H-20 as a new-tool some day!

Mike

[Sturmovik]

@Procopius if you choose to go for the Hase Heinkel, try looking for the Revell boxing of the kit, it'll be much cheaper.

[Seahawk]

The Hasegawa/Revell kit is moulded in better quality plastic but (Hasegawa at least) costs a lot more.  It also, unusually, came in for a lot of stick for overdone panel lines (yes, still talking Hasegawa) - "unusually" in that Hasegawa kits don't normally have that problem and also in that the "experts" actually raised their voices to criticise a Hasegawa product!  The main disadvantage I can think of for the Airfix kit is a lot of tedious trimming away of small amounts of flash but that goes for many, if not most, Hornby-era Airfix kits.

[Procopius]

(In the interests of full disclosure, I should mention I have the Hasegawa He111P/H KG55 boxing currently and previously built an He111P by them.)

[Sturmovik]

Well then, the only way to settle this is by buying the Airfix version and making a parallel build. Extra points if you make a video build of it, I'd gladly subscribe to your YouTube channel if you decide to do it.

[Bish]

I bult the Hase 111Z a few years back and will be doing the Airfix P in a couple of months, so i am keen to see how it compares. From what i can see in the box, the Airfix kit is very well detailed and first impression is that its at least a match for the Hase kit. Not that it can be seen, but the Airfix comes with the rear compartment, the Hase kit was almost bare in that area.

[Procopius]

2 hours ago, Sturmovik said:

Well then, the only way to settle this is by buying the Airfix version and making a parallel build. Extra points if you make a video build of it, I'd gladly subscribe to your YouTube channel if you decide to do it.

I'm not sure the modelling world is ready for the torrent of obscenity that flows freely from my lips while I build.

[Sturmovik]

21 minutes ago, Procopius said:

I'm not sure the modelling world is ready for the torrent of obscenity that flows freely from my lips while I build.

Record yourself, and on the video editor mute the footage and add music. Easy peasy.

[dalea]

Got both. The Airfix  one screamed  "Build  me!" The Revell /Hasegawa one didn't. Have so far resisted temptation.

[fernandocouto]

11 hours ago, 72modeler said:

Me, I'm hoping somebody does the H-20 as a new-tool some day!

With new H-20 we may get an H-22. Only Italeri released these versions with a new dorsal turret, and a V-1 from DML mould. Can I convert a turret from Do217?

 

Cannot remember whether they were same. HDL131 maybe.

[72modeler]

41 minutes ago, fernandocouto said:

With new H-20 we may get an H-22. Only Italeri released these versions with a new dorsal turret, and a V-1 from DML mould. Can I convert a turret from Do217?

 

Cannot remember whether they were same. HDL131 maybe.

I think they are the same. I forgot I have the Italeri H-22- I will check. Thanks for the information!

Mike

[Jure Miljevic]

Not quite the same. Compared to Do 217 turret He 111's had a few extra frames and transparent panels added. Also, one has to pay attention to revised nose transparencies on late He 111. Mike, can you please check this one too, while you are at it? My Italeri He 111 H-22 kit is buried deep down under a load of boxes. Cheers

Jure

[mike romeo]

Procopius / Edward,

 

I built the Airfix P and thoroughly enjoyed it; whereas the Airfix Do17Z put me off coz the interior in particular looked super fiddly, the He111P did not - and so it proved during the build.  

 

In general, the fit was very straightforward.  I can't remember removing flash being a chore, but dry fit everything first (we all do that all the time anyway, don't we?).

 

Things to watch for:

 

Engine nacelle fit to the wing.  This was ok but not super precise.  Unusually for me, I googled pics of restored examples and their fit looked similarly pony.  However, to avoid accuracy looking like sloppy modelling, some filler may be required here.

 

The fuselage side windows did not fit well.  It wasn't just paint interfering with the fit as they looked too thick and didn't match the fuse contour.  Perhaps I misidentified the right pieces.  Oh, and you can see the outer side of the bomb racks through the windows, so remember to paint those pieces.....

 

The worst fit was the ventral gondola.  This fitted fine without the forward glazed bit missing, but not when it was added.  Some careful dry fitting and precision trimming would be advised here to save subsequent filling and sanding.

 

.....And I would advise use of a canopy masking set unless you have a very steady hand!

 

Re accuracy, I can only say it looks good and I haven't read any adverse reviews in this regard.

 

Panel lines?  Typical post-Hornby, I'd say.  Doesn't bother me, as a brush painter, but I'd advise subtlety in any panel line washes you apply.

 

Whew, that's a long post!  Sounds as if I hated the kit, doesn't it?  Au contraire, Blackadder; I have naught but fond memories of building it, and I bought an H-6 boxing subsequently.  Hope they do an H-22!

 

I hope some of that is useful, and I will watch with interest your subsequent '111 build, whatever the manufacturer.

 

Regards

 

Martin

[MrB17]

Built two Hasegawa H-6’s and the Airfix P. The tolerances on the Airfix kit are very tight, care with dry fitting and a quick pass with 400 sandpaper is all that is required. The forward part of the gondola is a bit more fiddle and sand, also the fuselage windows were extremely tight, the best thing is to sand the edges of the window, they then fit flush. Very accurate in shape and outline, as Airfix used Lidar to scan the real aircraft. Hasegawa fits nicely, panel lines a bit heavy, but looks ok painted. I have another Airfix P destined to be Hungarian. And another Hasegawa H-6 torpedo equipped. The He-111 is a beautifully designed aircraft, and is a big favourite of mine. Have fun above all else.

Cheers,

Jeff

[72modeler]

15 hours ago, Jure Miljevic said:

Not quite the same. Compared to Do 217 turret He 111's had a few extra frames and transparent panels added. Also, one has to pay attention to revised nose transparencies on late He 111. Mike, can you please check this one too, while you are at it? My Italeri He 111 H-22 kit is buried deep down under a load of boxes. Cheers

Jure

Jure,

 

I pulled my Italeri He-111H-22 and my Italeri D0-217K-3 kits and they each have the identical MG-131 15mm power turret transparency. In William Green's Warbirds of the Third Reich, in the general arrangement drawings of each type, they appear to be the same, but the model number of each turret isn't given. On the D0-217K, the turret is recessed more than on the He-111H.  I found written references that stated the turret in both  the He-111H-20/22 and D0217E/K was the DL-131. Does this help?

Mike

[Jure Miljevic]

Hello Mike

Thank you for checking kit parts for me. However, Italeri kit turret is probably a good match for early turrets only, like this one:

Early frameless turret, but with added protruding plate to counter-balance machine-gun drag(?):

He 111 H-20 and H-22 versions had been equipped with more heavily framed DL 131/1C turrets:

So, to adapt Italeri part to match the latest He 111 version's turret slight rework is needed. Or perhaps there is AM replacement available? Fernandocouto, if everything else fails, you can always build He 111 H-16u, which retained earlier B-Stand dorsal gun position:

Cheers

Jure

[FatFlyHalf]

I'm in the throes of making a mess of some wonderful plastic issued by Airfix in the guise of an He 111P.

I'd go for the Airfix kit for preference (having also built the Revell) as it's nicely detailed, is reasonably easy to put together and (apart from the glass nose) is a dream of a kit.

I always struggle with the canopies on large Luftwaffe WWII aircraft. 

Far too much glass.  So I'd advise masking the glazing to make life (a little) easier.

[72modeler]

Thanks for posting the photos, Jure- I have saved them for future reference. Glad I could help. I seem to recall a couple of very good close-up photos of the turret in an old Aero Detail monograph- IIRC it was a three-volume series that had assorted closeup and detail photos of various aircraft taken by the Luftwaffe photographers.

Mike

[gingerbob]

53 minutes ago, FatFlyHalf said:

I always struggle with the canopies on large Luftwaffe WWII aircraft. 

Far too much glass.

 

It isn't so much the glass, as all the frames on it!

[FatFlyHalf]

17 hours ago, gingerbob said:

 

It isn't so much the glass, as all the frames on it!

AH!  Now you tell me.  That's where I've been going wrong all these years.🤨

Must try harder.... must try harder....

[Graham Boak]

Just for completeness, Airfix also released an H-20 with the dorsal turret.  Of course this was 1960something.  So everyone was looking for long open transparencies... Modellers don't t change much.

[Seahawk]

Also for completeness, at least 1 Heinkel He 111H-22 had an odd, convex balloon canopy, almost like that on the Hudson, over the EDL-131 turret: ISTR a photo in an old Modell-Fan.