Messerschmitt Me 262 A/B
1/18 scale Preview

21st Century Toys

Previewed by Mike Braun

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Here are photos of the first production parts in the US for the 21st Century Toys 1/18 scale Messerschmitt Me 262 A and B.

I will be building and detailing this big bird for the IPMS Nationals in Orange County.

To start, the parts are actually injected styrene (as opposed to the semi-translucent ABS-type plastic of the earlier 1/32 21C kits) and of very high quality. The clear parts and EXTREMLEY clear and as close to Hasegawa/Tamiya as you can get.

The overall fit and finish is very high quality and very close to mainstream model quality.

The panel lines are very "in-scale" and sized properly for 1/18.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

The overall shape of the wings and fuselage is very, very good (as compared to the photo of the 1/48 Tamiya fuselage next to the 21C fuselage). The only shape issue I could find is the rudder is too squared off and doesn't taper enough from top to bottom. (see photo of comparison of the 21C rudder to the Tamiya rudder) This should be easy to fix with a sanding stick, CA glue, and some sheet plastic.

The wings are very well done with flap and slats that can be posed, along with all the other flying surfaces. The slats are especially nice, looking and working just like the real thing.

The cockpit is very nicely appointed and accurate. It can be made into a real winner with some minor bits, wiring and tubing. The 2-seat B cockpit/radar operator station is just as nice.

The gun bay is a thing of beauty. Many separate parts make up a very well detailed and correct representation of the quad 30mm cannon. Gun bay doors can be positioned open or closed.

The unique Me 262 wheel wells are nicely detailed and correct. Although the gear is retractable it really doesn't detract much from the overall accuracy compared to the real thing.

The engine nacelles are made up of over 10 parts each and capture the look well.

The main and nose gear are adequate and are strong enough to support this large subject.

Some pieces of the gear had to sacrifice a little accuracy for strength and to allow retraction.

One minor disappointment is the main wheels. The hubs appear to be too large causing the tires to look too small and misshaped. This could be easily addressed by the aftermarket.

All the small radio masts and antenna are included, along with the FuG 218 radar dipoles.

Also included is a pair of crewmen, a set of drop tanks, bombs, and a pair of RATO pods to mount under the fuselage.

By far, this is the best offering from 21st Century yet.

These models will be released as pre-assembled and painted collectibles. They should look very impressive!

Keep an eye out on HyperScale for more information about release dates and availability.

Thanks to 21st Century Toys for the sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2007 by Mike Braun
Page Created 07 February, 2007
Last updated 24 December, 2007

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