Heinkel He 219 A-7 Uhu

The photos represent a plastic model of the He 219 A-7 Uhu two-seater night fighter aircraft produced by the German Heinkel plant. The model was made in 1:48 scale. The Tamiya kit was probably used for the construction. I took the photos at the 12th International Festival of Plastic Reduction Models Bytom 2015.

The plane was equipped with a pressurized cabin, radar and a retractable front wheel, which was new at the time. The A-7 version also had a friend or foe identification system. The Uhu (eagle owl) was equipped with three pairs of cannons. One pair is mounted in the wings beside the fuselage, the other on the bottom of the fuselage, and the third on the top. The third pair was aimed upwards (the so-called Schräge Musik system) so that it could fire at enemy planes from below.

The first combat flight of the fighter took place on the night of June 12, 1943. Production was discontinued in May 1944. 268 copies were produced, not counting the prototypes.

Some technical data (applies to A-7/R2 version):

• Propulsion: two 12-cylinder engines with 1,324 kW (1,800 HP) each,
• Length: 16.34 m (53.6 ft),
• Wingspan: 18.5 m (60.7 ft),
• Height: 4.1 m (13.45 ft),
• Empty weight: 8345 kg (18398 lb),
• Takeoff weight: 15100 kg (33,290 lb),
• Rate of climb: 600 m/min (1969 fpm),
• Max speed: 585 km/h (364 mph),
• Range: 1850 km (1150 mi),
• Service ceiling: 9800 m (32,150 ft).

Sources:

• https://www.mojehobby.pl/products/Heinkel-He219-A-7-UHU-2378931.html
• http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/14645/126/Heinkel-ne-219-Uhu
• https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_219

14 Aug 2017