I'll paraphrase from the kit instructions for this one.

"Very little is known about the German nuclear weapons program in WWII. In 1939, the 'Uranium Project' had been established to investigate the possibility of using nuclear reactions for military use. Allied attacks on 'heavy water' production facilities in Norway and the inability to solve some technical problems until near the end of the war did not help matters.

It has been claimed that a group of scientists were able to test some sort of nuclear device in Thuringia, Eastern Germany, in March of 1945. Based on this claim, a German device would have been smaller and less potent than that developed in the US. .

To carry this weapon, a V-1 would have been suited for this task. As the weapon would have been heavy, all the components of the V-1 were enlarged, and this includes a larger Argus pulse-jet engine. Carried by an He-177 or Arado 555, the missile's maximum range would have been about 450 mines at a speed of 330 mph.

Molded in a brownish tan resin, the kit is not very complex. The most work would be in removing the resin pour stubs and then piecing together the three part fuselage and two part engine.

Detail level is really quite good with well engraved panel lines. I'm not really sure if the nose is supposed to be completely symmetrical or not, but my copy is a tad lop-sided and the somewhat crudely done assembly drawing does show the underside to have a rather large indentation. About all the builder will have to do is to place a nose spike using a pin or other piece of metal.

No markings are provided and with only 11 parts, the drawings provided are more than adequate.

A most unusual model and something that will surely be a neat addition to any Luft '46 collection. As it is 1/72 scale, one could rig up a really neat diorama using the Revell AG 1/72 He-177 or Arado 555.

October 2006

My thanks to Cape Hobby & Gift for providing the preview kit. Get this kit direct.