Fliegerhorst Resins 1/48th Scale BV-155C By Allan Wanta

History

The first prototype was designated BV 155 V1, and flew for the first time Sept 1, 1944. Tests with the V1 showed that the outboard radiators were not sufficiently effective in providing cooling, especially at high angles of attack. The intakes on the next prototype were enlarged and under slung beneath the wing rather than placed over it. However, the enlarged radiators caused a center of gravity problem, which required moving the pressurized cockpit forward. The Blohm und Voss team took this opportunity to replace the original Bf 109G canopy with an aft-sliding all-round vision canopy, and the rear fuselage decking was cut down. This in turn required that a larger rudder be fitted. The ventral radiator bath was also enlarged.

All these changes were incorporated into the BV 155 V2, which flew for the first time on February 8, 1945. This was the first genuine B series aircraft. The Blohm und Voss team was still not satisfied with the design, and before the V-2 began its flight trials they proposed that the engine be switched to the DB 603U having the larger mechanically-driven supercharger of the DB 603E. The DB 603U promised a power of 1660 hp for takeoff and 1430 hp at 49,000 feet. The ventral turbo-supercharger was retained. The Technical Amt decided to accept this proposal, and abandoned all work on the BV 155B in favor of the revised design, which was designated BV 155C.

The BV 155C was quite different in appearance from the BV-155B. The clumsy wing-mounted radiators of the BV-155B were eliminated, and the main landing gear leg attachment points were moved inboard to retract inwards. The cooling was provided by a large frontal radiator a la Tempest. A wooden mockup was built to test component placement, but no construction of an actual proto-type was ever started.

The Kit

When you go looking for a kit to build, whether it's and old favorite or perhaps a aircraft that you've always wished you'd have scratch built it's wonderful to note that, you're not alone! Don't ask me why, but last year I did a Google search for one of my favorite aircraft, the Blohm und Voss BV-155, and something caught my eye, Fliegerhorst Models,…Hmmmm. Roughly translated from Deutsch is 'Aircraft Hanger'. I decided to take a look and try to decrypt German, using my rudimentary Junior High school German. It's a young company, new to me anyway, offering a limited number of hand cast resin 1/48th scale kits, one of which was a BV-155C version. Now Arba in the U.K. has a 1/48th scale BV-155B resin, but this was the proposed C version, of which a wooden mockup was made late in the war.

I must say, I've got this thing for aircraft with a chin. Don't ask me why, I like the Boeing JSF X-32,..Or the Hawker Typhoon/Tempest, that chin just adds character to an aircraft, and it makes aerodynamic sense too. Now, I've finally found a 1/48th scale kit of the BV-155C, I was beside myself with excitement, and I ordered it straight from the Fatherland. Delivery was fast and well packaged in a lightweight cardboard box, instructions are very basic and hand drawn, but you don't really need anything more elaborate for this kit.

A couple bags with all the bits are in the box, most are well cast, and some parts such as the elevators, rudder and ailerons are separate items so they can be posed in more realistic positions which are a nice touch. Also a nice item is wire reinforced landing gear struts, so this heavy beast won't end up on its belly after a while on the shelf. And it is going to be heavy, a solid cast one piece fuselage, solid three piece wing assemble all total must weight 1 pound, that's weight not price (for you Brits out there). Tires are cast as weighted, again as we say in the States, but as with most cottage kits, no decals are included. No matter as this is actually a Luft'46 aircraft and can be painted or outfitted anyway you like, a great source for information is the old Monogram Close-up of the BV-155, it shows a three view drawing and description of standard Luftwaffe camouflage for this type, would it have ever made it to production.

The kit is a super detailers dream, lots of things can be done to excite certain areas that have limited detail, one area I accentuated were the landing gear doors and landing flaps, which were nothing more than slabs. Another area is the cockpit, very basic floor, no sidewall detail, but it does have a nice seat and control panel for a start.

Getting into the kit, all the major parts fit very well, that chin radiator fits nicely to the fuselage, you have the option of the radiator louvers open or closed, they're closed on mine. The wing is a three part affair, one center section with under fuselage, and the two outer panels. Mind you the outer panels have a good bit of dihedral to them; a resin guide is enclosed in the kit to make sure you put in the correct amount. An issue cropped up with the ailerons and extended ailerons, both of which fit nicely into place, but the edges that they fit to are flat. So if you were to pose them in a more realistic position other than flying straight and level, a big gap appears either above the wing or below the wing depending on the orientation of the aileron. It was a bit dicey but it manages to look alright if a small amount of motion is depicted in the surfaces, but not too much. The solution is to put a bevel in the wing recesses that the ailerons fit into, not too tough, but time consuming.

With the wings attached and affixed to the main fuselage the elevators are assembled with little fanfare, keeping them 90 degrees to the fuselage is tricky, but no more so than any other kit with a butted joint, all in all it's nice to have the option of positioning the surfaces.

With every kit I make, it's nice to try something new as far as construction technique. In this kit a couple things are new for me, one is the use of correction fluid, you know the white stuff in a bottle to correct a misprinted typographical error? I was dubious at first, but it's a great little helper for those seams and gaps that need filling. Spread it on, wait a few minutes, then sand lightly. Other than some super gap-filling glue, this was the only filler used on this kit. The next little ditty I picked up on is painting stencils, Eduards Luftwaffe aircraft markings, instead of the usual water applied decals. In the end, they took a bit more time to apply, but there wasn't the need to gloss coat the surface before applying the transfers, or the clear coat over them to seal them in. With careful application and positioning, they look very realistic and I'll hope to use them more often on future projects.

Try some new construction techniques on your next project, it helps to try new things, and if they don't pan out, you'll be no worse for the attempt, it's called coloring outside the lines (kinda like trying a vacuform kit).

Conclusion

So the last bit is the Testor's dull coat over all, and there you have it, one large BV-155C, ready to go. Now mind you, the products that come out of this company are well done, but many smaller details need to be added to make this a winning entry but it well worth the effort as it's doubtful we'll see a 155C anywhere else. Thank you Fliegerhorst Resins for finally coming to the rescue. The Fun-O-Meter looks like an 8.5, level of construction was 7 for difficulty, and the Cool factor is as always a 10.