Bachem Ba 349a Natter
“What-If” & Bachem Natter Detail Set

Brengun, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Mark Davies

Sword's 1/72 scale Ki 44 Shoki is available online from Squadron.com

I reviewed Brengun’s original release of the Ba 349 Natter here on HyperScale in July 2012. At the time, I gave some historical background and made a direct comparison with Heller’s kit of the same subject.

My main conclusions were that Brengun’s kit was “... an improvement over the Heller kit in terms of accuracy, with the added advantages of better detail and decals. The choice of horizontal stabilisers adds interest as well.

 It is a pity that there are no rockets for the nose battery as these could easily have been made of resin.  There is no plexiglass nosecone for the rocket battery either.

 This is Brengun’s first effort at an injection-moulded kit, and it is a good one. I definitely recommend it.”

Contents

This is a re-box of Brengun's Ba 349 with additional what if decals. It comes in an end-opening box with digital artwork of a supposed Japanese Natter on its front. The instructions have a parts map and use a diagrammatic format that is easy to follow. There are no written instructions, but then none are required, so simple is this kit.

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Paint colours are in Czech and English, and cross-referenced to RLM codes where applicable. The painting and decal guide consists of colour plans on the rear of the box. The parts come enclosed in a zip-lock bag, with the clear and PE parts are further enclosed in a small bag of their own.

This is a typical Czech limited run kit. To compare it to a better-known brand I would say it is about on par with say Special Hobby. It has cleanly moulded parts with fine surface detail. Parts break down is conventional. The sprue gates are narrow, and there is just a hint of flash in places, but this a minor issue. The clear parts will benefit from a polish and coat of Future. A small good quality PE Fret completes the parts tally.

The Airframe

Assembly of the kit is straightforward. It starts with the cockpit interior that includes seat, PE belts, control column, rudder bar, instrument panel, floor, and rear bulkhead. However, not much is visible through the canopy’s small clear panels. 

The exhaust and rocket battery fit within the fuselage before closing the two halves. Describing it as a rocket battery is wrong however, because there are no rockets.  Instead, the kit has a plastic disc with indentations to represent the empty rocket tubes. I think that Brengun could have made this disc as PE brass item with holes, rather than as a plastic part with indentations.  I think that mould limitations may have prevented the kit from having a plastic disc with rocket heads. Resin would be ideal to use for this, and Brengun have experience with this medium. What a pity it is that they chose not to. The jettisonable nosecone that covered the rocket heads s is also missing from the kit. My references show the Natter often displayed without the nose cap but with a full load of rockets, and less frequently without rockets in the tubes. I think most modellers would prefer to have an armed machine to display.

The tiny wings fit with a simple butt joint to the fuselage. Two sizes of horizontal stabiliser are supplied; although the larger of the two stabilisers applies to one test colour scheme provided in the first boxing, but is not indicated for use here. Nevertheless, since the review boxing deals with imaginary subjects the large tail could just as easily be used if you wish. The horizontal stabiliser fits on top of the base of the fin, after which the remainder of the fin fits in place.

The four booster rockets come in two pairs with separate exhaust nozzles. The exhaust nozzles are in two parts to enable them to have hollowed out centres.  A one-piece canopy and PE ring & bead sight completes the airframe assembly. The kit also provides a wooden trestle to sit the completed model on. This is not a gimmick but based on photos of the real thing.

Overall, I think this should be a simple and enjoyable kit to build.

Marking Options

The kit offers four colour scheme options. Personally, I dislike what if releases of kits; whether or not crusty middle-aged conservatism is to blame I cannot say.  In part, I feel that they have the potential to be misleading, as there will be both younger and less knowledgeable modellers who could buy what if boxings not realising that they portray imaginary subjects.  At least Brengun have “What If” in bold writing on the box-art, so they are being up front. The options cover one Japanese, two Czechoslovak, one Israeli and two German options.  One advantage of this boxing’s decals is that includes swastikas, but I note there are no C-Stoff or T-Stoff stencils.

I realise that what if scenarios have no rules, but I guess at least the Luftwaffe ’46 and Japanese versions have a degree of conceptual plausibility, whilst the Czechoslovak markings are presumably an unabashed pitch to Brengun’s domestic market. Anyone who knows me would confirm that I am one of the least-PC people around. This said; I think that some may find the Israeli decal option slightly distasteful, given that the Natter is a distinctly NAZI subject given that the Natter was SS-sponsored and to be flown by SS pilots. This seems to me somehow different to Israel’s actual use of Avia S.199s which might be used as a counter argument. As it happens, in Brengun’s what if box-top scenario, a single Natter was delivered to Israel with their S.199’s. Not that it matters from a modelling viewpoint; but I was just a little surprised at the inclusion of Israeli markings.

Detail Set

Brengun’s detail set addresses the kit’s cockpit interior, main engine and rocket pack. It consists of a combination of resin and PE pieces along with a clear instrument film, all packed in cellophane bags stapled to a card header. The Instructions use a simple diagrammatic format and are easy to understand.

The cockpit detail consists of raised slatted seat bottom, an instrument panel with clear film, and rudder bar (the standard kit includes seat belts). I see little value in this additional detail however, unless you cut the one-piece kit canopy to display it open.

To my mind, the most beneficial part of the detail set is the rocket packs. These consist of resin rocket motors that fix to PE mounting brackets. These are a definite improvement over the kit parts. There is also a main engine nozzle that again improves on the kit offering; in particular by providing the thrust defectors that presumably controlled the Natter until it was travelling fast enough for its aerodynamic controls to be effective.

This is a worthwhile detail set to improve the appearance of Bregun’s Natter, and I should think that it could be readily adapted to suit Heller’s too. It is just a pity that Brengun did not take this opportunity to provide the nose rocket battery in resin too. Priced at 75% of the kit's cost may make some hesitate buying it.

Brengun’s kit of the Ba 349 Natter remains the best to date in 1/72 scale. Personally, I see little value in what if boxings, but they obviously aid in selling kits as several companies pursue this practice.

The detail set gives a worthwhile improvement to the Natter’s main engine and rocket pack. The value of the additional cockpit detail that it provides will only be realised if you cut open the one-piece canopy. It is comparatively expensive when compared to the kit's price however.

I recommend both the kit and detail set, but personally prefer the original Natter boxing.

Thanks to Brengun for the review sample.

Review Text & Blue Background Images Copyright © 2013 by Mark Davies
Page Created 22 April, 2013
Last updated 22 April, 2013

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