Trains and Boats and Planes – another update

So this is both an update on my long-running ‘trains and boats and planes’ saga as well as a potted review of a new 3D modl by Butlers: the Heinkel HE 111.

BPM’s 1:200 scale HE111 over the Sea of Azov (escorted by a Revell FW190 and Zvezda ME109 – both 1:144)

If we;ve discussed this before, you’ll know I favour going one or more scales down for air support … for 15mm/1:100, I prefer 1:144 fighters and fighter/dive bombers, 1:200 bombers and transports, smaller for very large plans and airships (my TB3 Bomber is approx 1:250 IIRC). To me, it both looks less clumsy than uniform scaling and nods to the very different time and distance scales that the Air Arms are running to.

I know some of you won’t agree, so I won’t press the point.

Zvezda came close to my thinking with the aesthetics of Art of Tactic (1:72 figues; 1:100 vehicles; 1:144 fighters; 1:200 bombers … tiny boats and trains*)

Zvezda’a JU52s have been very handy, and for a light bomber, their JU88 was a bit bland but sill useful. But what I’ve really wanted was a Heinkel HE111 … it’s somehow the WW2 Axis bomber.

Butlers Printed Models have filled that gap, with a Heinkel in, as always, a wide variety of scales – and this is my experience of the 1:200 model

Much though I was looking forward to it, however, I have to admit I didn’t really take to this one. Planes like this are very ’rounded’ so I’m not really convinced that the plastic layering type of 3D printing is really appropriate for this sort of model. There are no windows as such, of course, it’s just a solid piece (that pretty much goes with the territory – but isn’t really my thing, nevertheless). The model comes as 5 parts – a single piece for most of the plane + separate engines each of 2 pieces. The engine pieces are badly sized and don’t really fit together.

Additionally, like the Zvezda JU88s, it is a very bland piece – if you want MGs, propellers, undercarriage, antennae etc. you’ll have to make your own. Needless to say, there are no decals with it – so, as supplied, I really do mean bland,

In the end, I’m fairly comfortable with the appearance of my HE111 – but that’s after a lot of filing, drilling, filling and fitting (so a long old slog) …

The picture from BPM’s website which doesn’t show that the engines are separate + some of the extra stages I think are necessay

On decals/livery, first, an apology to Luftwaffe buffs … the appearanc and markings are just generic, from what I had in my box of tricks … I have not represented a particular squadron or theatre. Second, whilst fellow enthusiasts might generally think my aversion to printing striations is a bit fussy, I’d add a caveat: fixing decals to rough surfaces isn’t always straightforward – so in this case I’d like to go as smooth as possible!

As you can see, I didn’t manage to get a completely smooth surface (although the camera does tend to accentuate the problem). The paint doesn’t adhere too well either!

(Yesthatphil’s BPM HE111)

On balance, therefore, I’d have much preferred this was a Zvezda model (!) … it would have gone together in minutes, wouldn’t have needed filling and at least would have had undercarriage, props and decals.

Useful if you need a small scale Heinkel, but larger than 1:200, I’d have thought the lack of detail would become increasingly unattractive. So unless it meets a specific need, I’d not really recommend this one.

1:200 scale BMP Heinkel: in dispersal with a couple of Zvezda JU88s and, nearby, a JU52)

All images are copyright Yesthatphil, so asking or acknowledging would be appropriate (wink)

(Not Quite Bundesarchiv)

*so I don’t like the figures and vehicles being different, and wouldn’t go with the tiny boats and trains – but I suspect for Zvezda it was a case of fitting symbolic models to the size of their grid!