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In-Box Review
172
BLOHM & VOSS Bv 155B V1 “Karavanken”

by: Peter Allen [ FLITZER ]

BACKGROUND

The design first saw light of day as the Messerschmitt Me 155, proposed as a potential ship-borne interceptor for the planned aircraft carrier “Graf Zeppelin”. It was based on many parts from the Bf109 to ease production and keep costs down.
After the “Graf Zeppelin” project was shelved, it remerged with suitable amendments as a fast single seat bomber, then as a high altitude interceptor.
Due to heavy commitments, Messerschmitt was ordered to hand over the design to Blohm & Voss, were R. Vogt and his team did a major re-think and produced the first prototype the Bv 155 V1 which first flew in Sept. ‘44.
The British carried out tests after the war.

THINGS OF NOTE

COLOUR ERROR: Cockpit colour indicated as Humbrol 73 (Matt Wine).
Should be RLM 66 Dark Grey-Black/grey.

PLASTIC PARTS

Special Hobby kits used to be moulded in a hard light grey plastic with injection lugs always in places you didn’t need them such as the cockpit area. Therefore they usually needed quite a bit of grinding and sanding before anything “delicate” could be done. If this kit of the Bv 155 and the Fw 187 (companion in box review) are anything to go by, it’s not quite as bad as it was. Now moulded in a softer mid-grey plastic, the lugs are still evident, but much smaller and easier to deal with if they get in the way.

The kit has 3 sprues holding a total of 45 parts. Detail is good but delicate, maybe too delicate and might fill in during painting, so a little re-scribing may be necessary.

RESIN PARTS

A total of 7 parts come with the kit for intake meshes and cockpit details. Look good.

CLEAR PARTS

Vac canopy plus spare. Good frame detail.But only average clarity.

DECALS

Decals for one aircraft only.

INSTRUCTIONS

9 A5 pages of clearly illustrated background, parts list, instructions and camouflage painting and markings diagrams.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall it looks like it will make up into a nice model. Good for the experienced but not too difficult for modelers trying a first time build using mixed materials.
The cockpit detail is good OOB
SUMMARY
  CANOPY:50%
  RESIN PARTS:70%
  DECALS:60%
Percentage Rating
70%
  Scale: 1:72
  Mfg. ID: SH72072
  Suggested Retail: UK GBP 14.
  PUBLISHED: Feb 17, 2004
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 72.42%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 84.65%

About Peter Allen (flitzer)
FROM: ENGLAND - NORTH WEST, UNITED KINGDOM

Greetings to all. My real name is Peter Allen and I have recently returned to UK from working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a creative director in an advertising agency. My home town is Wigan in the north of England. I’m married to Emily, a Polish lass who tolerates my modelling well. I’ve wor...

Copyright ©2021 text by Peter Allen [ FLITZER ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.


   
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