Part 2: The Build

One thing I noticed when I started work was that Dragon, in the time since I had built several of the DML 1/144th jet fighter models in the early 1990s, had changed their styrene formula. It was easier to work with than in the past, but somewhat more brittle. Some of the more delicate parts were broken on the sprues (mainly landing gear struts) but I'm not sure if it was a defect in manufacturing or just from my own mishandling. As my usual habit is to assemble from sub-assemblies, I started with the most important part of the conversion: the extended wing components. Luckily, parts B1, B2 and B3 all have indicators as to where to cut them for the fitting of parts F1 and F2. I cut them further outboard and after fitting the three together, I used an emery board to sand them down to the proper length and alignment. I think this worked very well. The instructions called for weight to be added to the leading edge bays (B4 - B7) but I didn't have anything on hand that would fit. Because I wanted to have a quick build (and because previous builders expressed problems they had with Pfeils that wanted to sit on their tails), I omitted both engines and tried to pack as much weight in the forward fuselage as I could. For this I used Pinewood Derby weight wedges - three long ones stacked in the forward cowling and another small piece installed in behind the pilot's seat, forward of the main landing gear. The cockpit and landing gear took up a lot of time in my build. I added a pilot figure from an ancient Airfix Bristol Bulldog, and I had to cut and reposition the legs above the knee to have it fit to my satisfaction. Because of the shape of the pilot figure, I had to forgo using the control yoke and the chair's armrests. I had no confidence that I could safely cut the gun sight (E3) and not lose it in the process! Overall the fit was typical for a modern kit. Fussy, and demanding of test-fitting and precision on installation, but not overly difficult per se. The more care is put into the effort; the less painful things tend to be. As said, the landing gear assembly got to be a challenge but once it was all in place, it looked right. I would have liked it if the instructions had said what parts MA7 & MA8 were and what colors they were supposed to be. I think I got them in the right spot, but left them unpainted. The wheel wells, most of the cockpit and most of the landing gear hardware got a hand-mixed paint substituting for RLM Gray 02. I used Testors Gloss Black, Semi Gloss Black and Gloss White to synthesize it. The only real problem I had with the general assembly was the aft part of the wing where it met the fuselage. I had to do some careful shaving of both the wing and the fuselage halves to make it dovetail into place. Fitting the nose gear doors was also tougher than it needed to be. The tail planes and propellers weren't bad work, though. The opaque styrene parts are molded in light gray, supposedly FS36375. I didn't have a paint match on hand for it, so on the canopy frame and the rear radiator efflux scoops I used the closest Light Gray I had, which, judging by the photos, wasn't close at all. The other "major" aspect of this kit that separates it from other Dragon Pfeils is the pair of camera ports on the plane's belly. These are replicated by brass disks. The placement of these is another unsolved mystery. The kit tells you that they belong one behind the other between the wing flaps. I found other information sources that said otherwise. On mine, I used a diagram from a Russian publication on the Do335 (that is hosted as an e-book on the website (wunderwaffe.narod.ru) as a guide: the forward camera port is more forward and offset to starboard, the aft one is about the same place as in the Dragon placement but offset to port. As I can't find decent information on whether the ports were covered or just glass, I left mine unpainted pending a better answer. As the editors had expressed their admiration for the "broken clouds" camouflage scheme (dapples of RLM Purple Gray 75 over light gray) I decided to keep the scheme, but my feeling was that a "What If?" plane deserved a "What If?" markings set. (The markings scheme Dragon puts forth doesn't claim to be rooted in history either.) As "Warplanes of the Third Reich" mentioned that the planes would have been built in Vienna had the War continued, I came up with the plan - further inspired by a commonly seen picture of a SAAB Safir trainer… Back story is that the subject of my model was captured by the Allies and stored in France after hostilities ended. When the State Treaty between the Allies and Austria was signed in the early 1950s, the long-winged Pfeils were returned to Austria as part of a defense recompensation package. They would be assigned as "surveillance" planes, befitting the purely defensive stance of the Luftstreitkrafte. Rushed back into service with fresh Day-Glo paint on the prop bosses, cowling and airfoil tips, they would still sport Luftwaffe camouflage - but Austrian roundels where the German crosses had been. The anti-glare panel and propeller blades were painted in Gunze Mr. Metalcolor Dark Iron, and I happen to like the effect. I stippled the camouflage pattern freehand, using Testors Model Master Acrylic RLM 75. It wouldn't surprise me if somebody invented decals or stencils to mimic the effect without all the work, though. The "WE" decal on the fuselage is from the kit's sheet, and I had no problems with it. The roundel decals came from an old ESCI aftermarket sheet (Italeri? Could you please update and re-issue these?); the serials and nose slogan/name came from MicroAce 1/144th jet model kits. As for "Lori", I have a cousin by that name, and dubbing this particular model by that name is my private joke. The finished model, with the extended wings, is surprisingly large for a WW2 fighter - bigger than many bombers! It combines the typical looks of a plane of its era with something more modern - and something futuristic at the same time. Again, this kit straddles the line between an actual historical piece and a speculative model, so if you're expecting to recreate specific machine, this kit might disappoint you. If, however, you need something different and unique to fill out an otherwise pedestrian set of Luftwaffe planes, this might be the kit for you. Recommended to experienced, advanced modelers. Thanks to IPMS/USA and Dragon USA for my sample kit, to wunderwaffe.narod.ru and Mike Driskill for valuable technical information, and to Great Smoky Mountain Hobbies and David Lakin for vital supplies on this build.

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