Miniwing 1/144 Fieseler Fi-103 / V-1
By Matt Bittner
The Kit
The Miniwing 1/144 Fi-103 consists of four parts for the rocket (main fuselage/rocket, the two wings and the two horizontal tail pieces) and nine pieces for the carrying trolley. There are no decals so assembly should be quick. The instructions contain profile for two separate V-1s, one RLM 75 over RLM 76, and the other the same, but the RLM 75 is applied in "squiggles" over the RLM 75.
Glue the wings to the body, the horizontal tail pieces to the body and you have one 1/144 V-1 rocket. Glue the nine pieces together for the trolley and you have something to put the V-1 on. Now you're finished with assembly and you can start painting. Nothing could be simpler (and yet it'll still take Matt nine months to complete. Ed.).
Conclusion
If you're looking for a quick build in 1/144, it doesn't get any quicker than the Miniwings Fi-103 / V-1. Probably an hour or two for assembly, and another hour for painting and you're finished. Me, I plan on making it into the first Loon that was released from the USS Cusk, so I'll have to modify the engine a little, along with the engine stand at the front of the engine. I'll also eventually build the launching mechanism and rails that was on the Cursk, so if anyone can help me out with pictures and drawings I would be most appreciative (email me via the masthead).
My thanks to Miniwing for the review kit.