1/32 Bachem Ba 349 V Natter

Description

This is an injection-plastic airliner model kit.

An all-new kit of the Ba349 Natter. A “point-defense interceptor” (“manned anti-aircraft missile” would be a more apt description) the Natter was designed to be launched vertically into a passing bomber formation, and upon reaching altitude the pilot would fire a barrage of explosive rockets (mounted in the nose directly in front of him!) into the bombers before descending to a lower altitude when he would bail out and descend by parachute. The liquid-fueled rocket engine in the tail was also designed to come down on a parachute so it could be reused, while the rest of the wooden airframe would crash into the ground. While tested several times without a pilot, there was only one manned launch which ended when the Natter went out of control, killing the pilot. While the actual aircraft was a poorly-constructed deathtrap, fortunately the same cannot be said of this kit, which has excellent surface detail with resin and photoetched detail parts. Decals are provided for three prototypes, including “23”, the aforementioned manned test.