1/48 Tamiya Messerschmitt Me-262 A-1a

by Tate Whitesell

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For my first ever submission to ARC this is the 1/48 Me-262 by Tamiya built straight out of the box.  I can't say enough good things about this kit.  The fit is terrific and the entire kit needed minimal filler and sanding.  The front undercarriage bay comes cast in metal so there is no need to add your own weights to the nose to prevent tailsitting.  As this first operational jet fighter arrived late in the war and had a relatively short service life, I kept the wear and weathering to a minimum.

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The model was painted using both Tamiya acrylics and Model Master enamels.  Some of the kit decals reacted poorly to Solvaset so I had to finish the project with markings from the spares box.  The result is not entirely historically accurate but still looks legit to most viewers not familiar with the 262.  This won't be the last one of these kits I will make so no worries, I'll get it right next time.

Though I didn't display it, this kit comes with the option of open gun bays to display the four Mk108 30mm cannons in the nose.  I highly recommend this kit to both beginner and advanced modeler alike.   The end result looks great on any shelf or desk.

Tate

Photos and text © by Tate Whitesell