PM Model's 1/72 Lippisch P.13 |  | Overview The Lippisch P.13a, on which research first began in 1943 by Alexander M. Lippisch, the creator of the Me 163 Komet, was designed as a delta wing plane without a tail. It had the ability to fly at supersonic speeds and it was found to meet the needs of the Luftwaffe. This model, which would use refined coal as fuel, had no landing gear, instead using landing skids. The pilot sat in a vertical stabilizer. Experiments on supersonic speeds carried out in a wind tunnel started in May 1944, and a glider model was made called the DM-1 (Darmstadt-München 1). The DM-1 was taken to the USA after the war without even having been flown. After the wind tunnel experiments had been carried out, the first ever delta wing jet plane, the Convair XF-92A, was made using the results of the experiments and was flown on September 18, 1948. The Kit  PM Model's kit of the P.13a is extremely simple, which is understandable considering how simple the original shape was. The kit comes molded in a gray plastic that has a slightly pebbly texture to it. In addition to this single sprue there is an additional sprue of clear parts. The panel lines are recessed throughout, and while generally appear decent, they do have problems around the control surfaces. A decal sheet is also included to finish out the model.
 Construction is both simple and straightforward. The cockpit consists of nothing more than a seat and a control stick, with the bottom of the seat molded into the top of the upper wing half. The wing is split into an upper and lower half that includes the front intake. The vertical fin is also split into halves, this time a right and a left. The completed vertical fin fits on top of the upper wing and surrounds the cockpit. The final assembly step is to add the canopy, and the model is finished and ready for paint.
Camouflage for this aircraft is completely conjectural, as none were built. The decal sheet provides a full set of numbers in both red and yellow, as well as a complete set of national markings. A few stencils are also included. Finally, for displaying your finished model, a wheeled cart is included as well. Conclusion This is a very simple model that will provide a nice result out of the box. As the kit itself is simple, I would recommend using some of the time you save during the building process to detail up the cockpit, as it will be fairly visible. My thanks to Squadron for the review sample. | 
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