In-Box-Review of the Tamiya 1/48th Scale Me-262 Fighter Jet","Messerschmitt Me-262 A-1a
in 1/48th Scale
(Tamiya #61087)

Ever since Tamiya returned to releasing kits of WW II aircraft in 1/48th scale a few years ago, an up to date Me-262 has been on many Luftwaffe fans wish list. The Trimaster (a.k.a. DML, a.k.a. Italarei) effort of a number of years ago was more detailed than the Monogram kit of the late 70’s, but suffered from serious fit problems and more of them hit the wall during construction than were actually built. This kit follows the earlier release of the Jabo version of the Me-262 A-2a and has the four cannon fighter armament without bomb racks or bombs. The current release does not include the towing Kettenkrad of the Jabo version, but makes up for that by being sold at a slightly lower price.

The kit is boxed with each tree of parts separately wrapped. Parts are flash free with finely engraved panel lines and crisp detailing. A metal nose weight in the form of the nose wheel compartment will simplify the task of keeping the model sitting properly. Parts are provided to give the modeler the option of opening the nose weapon bay. Optional R4M 55mm air-to-air rockets and racks are provided as well as “Wikingerschiff” W.Gr 21 tubes, racks, and rockets to be mounted under the nose of the airplane. Tamiya missed the boat a bit by not providing the option of dropping the wing slats and flaps. This can be readily done with a little minor surgery and Verlinden and Cutting Edge have both come out with resin sets for this purpose if you are not interested in reworking the parts yourself.

Clear parts are of good quality and reasonably thin. One useful innovation is that the front windscreen is continuously molded with the fuselage immediately in front of it, thus avoiding the difficulty of making a smooth joint with the clear windscreen. The instructions are well done, informative, and easy to follow with excellent break down of parts and explanation of differences in the three featured aircraft. Also included is a set of 1/48 drawings and a sheet with a history of the Me-262’s development. Decal seatbelts are provided, as are decal instrument faces. The decals are well done and appear to be reasonably thin. Small markings and stencils are crisply printed, perfectly registered and legible. Markings and color schemes are provided for three aircraft including the mount of the great experten Heinz Bar who finished the war with 221 victories including 16 flying the Me-262. There are many aftermarket decal sheets available for the 262 so have at it if none of these tickle your fancy. If this kit is anything like previous efforts by Tamiya, it should be a joy to build. I look forward to it greatly!