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Mistel 3B - Die Führungsmaschine ...

built by Christian Jakl (1:48)

 
 
Mistel 3B - Die Führungsmaschine
A radical project was suggested during early January 1945. It was the so called super long range reconnaissance project "Führungsmaschine". The Mistel concept was used here consisting of the long range destroyer Ju 88 H-4 and a Fw 190 A-8 fighter on top of it.

The Ju 88 H-4 was a development of the H-1 long range reconnaissance aircraft and the H-2, a destroyer aircraft that were to have been both used in the Battle of the Bay of Biscay during 1943-44. The H-2 had much in common with the Ju 88 G-1 as for instance the BMW 801D power plants, six MG 151 -20 cannons and external fuel tanks to give it a range of 5000 km and with a speed of 550km/h at 6000m. In addition the aircraft carried the FuG 200 Hohentwiel radar in the nose. The aircraft was ideally suited to protect returning U-boats. In June 1943, 20 aircraft were ordered in addition to the prototype under construction.

On November 2. the first H-1 prototype flew and at the end of March 1944 five H-1’s flew with 3. (F)/123. Three were held in reserve. By July only two were left. Only one H-2 was completed by Junkers in Merseburg. The Ju 88 H-3 was to become a reconnaissance aircraft equipped with a FuG 200 radar. The aircraft never went beyond the design stage. The Mistel 3B was to consist of Fw 190 A-6 or A-8 and a Ju 88H-4. The H-4 was to receive a SHI 3500D warhead with a "Splittereinlage" (fragmentation liner). 130 of the Mistel 3B were ordered but there were difficulties with warhead production. There were also problems with the long range requirements for "Operation Eisenhammer".

The Führungsmaschine “Pathfinder” which was needed for "Operation Eisenhammer" and other long range operations was a further development of the Mistel 3B. The Ju 88 H-4 retained its three man crew and the ETC 504 for two 900 l disposable fuel tanks. One MG 131 was in the rear turret. One Telefunken FuG 240 Berlin radar was installed in the long, bulbous nose of the aircraft. KG 200 ordered 50 of these combinations during February of 1945. In this combination the fighter flew protection for the long range reconnaissance aircraft, and was not used as a trigger to explode a warhead.
 
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The Model

In 1/48 scale there has only been Paragon design that has devoted themselves to this unusual project. Unfortunately this firm does not exist anymore. Certainly there are modelers who are against displaying anything that did not fly or at least flew only in the prototype stage. They also believe why bother with the so called Luftwaffe 46 projects, that only reached the blueprint stage. This argument cannot be entirely applied to the Mistel 3B project. The Fw 190 with the "Doppelreiter" wing tanks was built and actually flew. The project was in an advanced state of completion but was never really finished. The construction of the model was really not very difficult since the Paragon conversion set does not contain many parts. There are the crooked nose, two parts to lengthen the fuselage and the third landing gear and wheel and a few parts for the cockpit.

A good basis for the conversion would be the Ju-88 G6 by Dragon. In front and behind the wing the fuselage has to be carefully separated. Then the two resin parts are fitted. As A reference I would recommend Classic Publications "Mistel- German Composite Aircraft and Operations 1942-45". The Fw 190 gets a couple of fuel tanks. Since 2006 there is a version of this aircraft available with "Doppelreitertanks" from Dragon. The rest was routine just like building a normal kit out of the box. The camouflage was representative of the time. . The call letters of the Mistel 3B could not be determined, and that is why I concentrated on Fw 190 because there a photo of the test version is available. The one with the yellow ring on the nose.


Conclusion

The Mistels were something special, even though only a few of them were actually built. As models they all look good. Dragon continues to issue many of these in kit form and in 1/48 scale. It would be great if models of actual operational Mistels would appear. This up to this point could only be done with conversions and kit bashing.
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Mistel 3B - Die Führungsmaschine ...

 
  Model built by Christian Jakl, photos taken by Wolfram Bradac  
     
 
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MISTEL - German Composite Aircraft and Operations 1942-1945
Books / References:
 

MISTEL - German Composite Aircraft and
Operations 1942-1945

by Robert Forsyth , Eddie J. Creek , Stephen Ransom
 
Classic Publications has been selling this book titled "Mistel- German Composite Aircraft and Operations 1942-45" for a while now. In the 288 pages you will find all the information necessary to build an accurate model of a Mistel. Countless original photos, projects, color profiles, technical drawings, eyewitness accounts and background information allow the reader always to discover something new. I can say with certainty that this is the best book on the Mistel ever published. The authors have assembled a complete record of the Mistel and the reader does get the feeling that nothing has been left out.

published by Classic Publications, ISBN: 1-90322309-1
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
  meet the modeler      
 

Christian Jakl

     
         
  I was born in Vienna in 1971 and now I live in the middle of the mountains in the Tyrol district. I am in marketing and my specialty is graphic design and layout. Ships, planes and automobiles is how it started and now I have taken up aircraft models only. I concentrate on the German and Soviet air force. My favorite mode of display are dioramas in 1/48 scale. Here I can let my imagination run wild and can produce many of parts. Experimentation and the use of new techniques are foremost on my mind. I also combine stock kits with other add on’s and try out new tools. There is always a lot to learn.

It is not all that important to me if a detail is no exactly in the right spot; the final product has to look right. If somebody stands in front of my model and is enthused then I did my job right. The only problem I have is the time factor and in this I probably not alone. I wish everybody a lot of fun with this page and hope that critiques and comments are forthcoming.
  Christian Jakl  
         
  Email:      
         
 
 
 
 
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This page:  GALLERY: Mistel 3B - Die Führungsmaschine (1:48) - built by Christian Jakl
was last modified on: Oct 22, 2006
The URL of the page is: http://www.rlm.at/cont/gal08_e.htm

Translation into English by Werner Stocker (Ft. Myers, FL USA).

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