1/72 HE-111 H-2 or H-3?

[aphilla]

Hi,

 

new to this forum.  And new to aircraft modeling.  Well, I did some decades ago, but am returning to it now.  Have done armor and ship models over the years.  Getting back to airplane modeling makes me realize how different it is!

 

Anyway, I'm starting with some BoB subjects.  I'd like to do an HE-111 H-2 or H-3 using a mix of the airfix H-6 and P-2.  I think all I need from the P-2 kit really is the spinner and propellers.  I don't have a great book on HE-111s.  So, two questions:

- anyone have a recommendation for a great book on the HE-111, hopefully inexpensive, for modeling?

- has anyone else tried to build one of these from the airfix kits?

 

Thanks,

-a

 

[Graham Boak]

You will also need the ventral position without the gun in the nose, certainly for the H-2.  It is said that the H-3 also lacked this, certainly the ones delivered to Romania did, but references differ and a lot of photos with this gun are captioned as being H-3.

 

I can't recommend a good cheap book.  Fairly cheap ones do exist, but the ones in my collection are fairly dated so probably not available.  Look on Hannants page for what is currently available.

[Jure Miljevic]

Some of the H-3 had also been armed with 20-mm MG FF cannon in the nose and fixed MG 17 machine gun in the tail cone, but so equipped aircraft were not very common during Battle of Britain period. As far as books are concerned, I am in a similar position as Graham. From purely modeller's point of view Heinkel He-111 book in Japanese from Aero Detail series is among the most informative ones, but it is probably long out of print. Another more recent interesting publication, although more historically oriented, would be French Aero Journal special edition on He 111. It was not very expensive when published some two years ago, but I do not know about the going price these days. However, on Deutsche Luftwaffe website here one can download original Luftwaffe manuals for He 111 (and other types) in PDF format for free. There are in German, of course, but they include very useful sketches, drawings and photos. Cheers

Jure

[aphilla]

@Jure: thanks for that link.  I had done all sorts of searches for online sources and hadn't come up with much.  That's a great site to know about!

 

@Graham: thanks.  I mispoke a bit in my original post.  The Airfix H-6 kits comes with all the parts of the P-2 kit except the frame that has the early engines - it also has the spinner cone and the plate it is glued to, but the propellers themselves are on another sprue.  So there is lots of material to work with.  The configuration is as you say.

 

You get the internal bomb racks in the kit but no bombs.  Anyone know where I can get 1/72 bombs to fill up those racks?
 

Thanks

Phil

 

[Graham Boak]

If it doesn't have the engine cowlings then you will need those, as the air intake is on opposite sides on these two engines.  I suspect (not having the two kits) that the easiest way to do an H-2 is to use the H cowlings and leave all else the same.  If that is right, then that's probably true for the H-3 too, with the qualfications as before.  I expect that the H-6 will have a heavier defensive armament.

 

I don't know good sources for the smaller interior bombs except other kits, such as the Airfix Do.17Z or the (begging your pardon) Roden He.111B.

[72modeler]

There is also Kagero V3, He-111, and V8, He-111 pt. 2, but they may be OOP- I'm pretty sure you can find copies either on Amazon or that auction site that begins with an e. Kagero also does the He-111 in their Top Drawings series, which is also readily available from those same two sources. I concur that the Aero Details monograph is the best overall reference, but hard to find and VERY pricey. Surprised Mushroom Models Publications have not done the He-111 yet.

Mike

 

I  have a very worn but still often referred to original copy of William Green's Warplanes of the Third Reich, which I think many would agree was the 'Bible' for Luftwaffe modelers back in the day- still a very good overall reference work, especially for detail differences between variants as well as technical details. 

 

Always liked the variants that had the 20mm MGFF cannon in the nose- very purposeful-looking Heinkel!

[nicholas mayhew]

here are my He111 notes

i model in 1/32 only, so have no idea about other scales, but the info should be useful if you do not have any ref material of your own

i would suggest getting to Kagero TopDrawings volumes on the He111, because sometimes it's just easier to see stuff?

 

if you like BoB, then I would strongly consider looking at the Luftwaffe Crash Archive series of books - they detail every enemy aircraft that was shot down over UK in WWII (epic huh?) - and are especially useful in identifying the armament carried because our clever intel chaps would catalogue all the guns found in crashes etc

 

PM me if you want anything specific - I know a fair bit about 111s if you are into accuracy / want to make a specific bird

 

He111 Variants

P-1

- 8 x SC250 internal bomb bay

- solid ventral gondola front

P-2

- 8 x SC250 internal bomb bay

- solid ventral gondola front

- new radio: FuG IIIaU then later FuG X

- P-2 onward mounted 2 MG15 at the waist and a fifth crewman

- 

P-3

- dual control trainer

P-4

- external PVC 1006 bomb racks, or 1 external and 1 internal

- glazed ventral gondola front + MG

- dorsal gondola w folding close down section on some models

- added 3 Mg15s

- sometimes had either or both the forward facing MG15s replaced with 20mm MGFF

H-1

- internal SC250 bomb bay

- Jumo 211A engine 

- early engine cowling: lower and smaller oil cooler intake on top of the engine nacelle and a shorter supercharger intake which does not run the length of the cowling above the exhausts

- solid ventral gondola front

H-2

- internal SC250 bomb bay

- solid ventral gondola front

- later engine cowl

H-3

- internal SC250 bomb bay; sometimes combo

- ventral gondola: some solid, some glazed + MG

- had the 5 MG15 and one MG17 fit of the P-4

- the two extra 15s were waist mounted 

- some had a second A-stand mounted MG15 mounted above the nose gun 

- sometimes had either or both the forward facing MG15s replaced with 20mm MGFF

- tail cone MG on some models

H-4

- external PVC 1006 bomb racks; sometimes combo

- glazed front ventral gondola + MG / MGFF

- dorsal gondola w folding close down section on some models 

- sometimes had either or both the forward facing MG15s replaced with 20mm MGFF

- some had a second A-stand (front gondola) mounted MG15 mounted above the nose gun 

- tail cone MG on some models

H-5

- revised ventral gondola shape

- external PVC 1006 racks or combo with ETC2000 bomb rack (ETC port, PVC starboard)

- dorsal gondola w folding close down section on some models

- tail cone MG on some models

H-6

- H-6 early: VDM props, pointy spinners

- H-6 late: VS11 props, fat spinners

- revised ventral gondola shape

- external PVC 1006 racks or combo with ETC1000 bomb rack (ETC port, PVC starboard)

- later models just 2 ETC2000 racks

- dorsal gondola w folding close down section on some models

- tail cone MG on some models

 

 

Build notes (refers to 1/32 revell kits):

P-1: per P box

P-2: per P box

P-4: PVC racks per H boxing but need new ventral gondola / dorsal gondola cover (no current aftermarket exists)

H-1: spinner and props, ventral gondola from P box + CMK conversion

H-2: spinner and props, ventral gondola from P box (early only - late needs new ventral gondola)

H-3: spinner and props, ventral gondola from P box (early only - late needs new ventral gondola; no current aftermarket exists)

H-4: spinner and props from P box but need new ventral gondola (no current aftermarket exists)

H-5: as for H-4

H-6: per H box

 

[Chuck1945]

The Airfix H-6 kit adds Sprue frame F that has the wider chord props, spinners, and all the engine parts for the Jumo engined H series. The narrow chord props from the P-2 kit are also in the H-6 kit, but the spinners are on the same frame (E) as are the DB engine parts that the H-6 kits omits. I haven’t checked to see if the H spinners will fit the narrow chord P props.

 

Unless you really want an early H series He 111, I would simply opt to build the Airfix P-2 kit since that version was still in widespread use during the BoB, if you must have the H, see if you can the just the correct P Sprue from Airfix...

[aphilla]

Thanks, guys.

 

I bought one of each.  I plan to make the H kit into an early version of the H.  I will make copies of the spinners from the P-kit to do that, and then pick the right parts for a -2 or a -3.  I will build the P-2 straight from the box also.  Why build just one when you can build two?  🙂

 

[Graham Boak]

You may well be intending to do both kits in standard 1940 70/71, but there is an opportunity to do either in an earlier scheme, not widely covered in the references (if ever referred to directly) using the earlier 61/62/63 colours but in a slightly simplified pattern.  This can be seen on at least one example of a P - possibly on others used for a propaganda film with the false "Geschwader Luetzow"  - and also on H-3s delivered to Romania.  Colour photos of the latter exist.