In Box Review of DML Dragon 1/48th Scale
German Bachem Ba-349D "Natter"
w/Launch Tower
Master Series no. 5547
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $42.35 at Kit Linx and one place in Europe on the web. Copyright of kit is 2006.
I paid $41.95 for my kit at my local hobby shop back then.
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $42.35 at Kit Linx and one place in Europe on the web. Copyright of kit is 2006.
I paid $41.95 for my kit at my local hobby shop back then.
HISTORY:
The Bachem Ba 349 Natter (English: Colubrid, grass-snake[ was a World War II German point-defence rocket-powered interceptor, which was to be used in a very similar way to a manned surface-to-air missile.
After a vertical take-off, which eliminated the need for airfields, most of the flight to the Allied bombers was to be controlled by an autopilot. The primary role of the relatively untrained pilot was to aim the aircraft at its target bomber and fire its armament of rockets.
The pilot and the fuselage containing the rocket-motor would then land using separate parachutes, while the nose section was disposable. The only manned vertical take-off flight on 1 March 1945 ended in the death of the test pilot, Lothar Sieber.
In 1943 Luftwaffe air superiority was being challenged by the Allies over the Reich and radical innovations were required to overcome the crisis. Surface-to-air missiles appeared to be a promising approach to counter the Allied strategic bombing offensive; a variety of projects were started, but invariably problems with the guidance and homing systems prevented any of these from attaining operational status.
Providing the missile with a pilot, who could operate a weapon during the brief terminal approach phase, offered a solution. Submissions for a simple target defence interceptor were requested by the Luftwaffe in early 1944 under the umbrella of the "Emergency Fighter Program".
A number of simple designs were proposed, including the Heinkel P.1077 Julia, in which the pilot lay prone (on his stomach), to reduce the frontal area. The Julia was the front-runner for the contract.
The initial plan was to launch the aircraft vertically, but this concept was later changed to a conventional horizontal take-off from a tricycle-wheeled trolley, similar to that used by the first eight prototypes of the Arado Ar 234 jet reconnaissance bomber
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Rocket-powered interceptor
Manufacturer: Bachem Werke GmbH
Designer: Erich Bachem
First flight: 1 March 1945
Primary users: Luftwaffe Schutzstaffel
Number built: 36
The Bachem Ba 349 Natter (English: Colubrid, grass-snake[ was a World War II German point-defence rocket-powered interceptor, which was to be used in a very similar way to a manned surface-to-air missile.
After a vertical take-off, which eliminated the need for airfields, most of the flight to the Allied bombers was to be controlled by an autopilot. The primary role of the relatively untrained pilot was to aim the aircraft at its target bomber and fire its armament of rockets.
The pilot and the fuselage containing the rocket-motor would then land using separate parachutes, while the nose section was disposable. The only manned vertical take-off flight on 1 March 1945 ended in the death of the test pilot, Lothar Sieber.
In 1943 Luftwaffe air superiority was being challenged by the Allies over the Reich and radical innovations were required to overcome the crisis. Surface-to-air missiles appeared to be a promising approach to counter the Allied strategic bombing offensive; a variety of projects were started, but invariably problems with the guidance and homing systems prevented any of these from attaining operational status.
Providing the missile with a pilot, who could operate a weapon during the brief terminal approach phase, offered a solution. Submissions for a simple target defence interceptor were requested by the Luftwaffe in early 1944 under the umbrella of the "Emergency Fighter Program".
A number of simple designs were proposed, including the Heinkel P.1077 Julia, in which the pilot lay prone (on his stomach), to reduce the frontal area. The Julia was the front-runner for the contract.
The initial plan was to launch the aircraft vertically, but this concept was later changed to a conventional horizontal take-off from a tricycle-wheeled trolley, similar to that used by the first eight prototypes of the Arado Ar 234 jet reconnaissance bomber
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Rocket-powered interceptor
Manufacturer: Bachem Werke GmbH
Designer: Erich Bachem
First flight: 1 March 1945
Primary users: Luftwaffe Schutzstaffel
Number built: 36
THE KIT:
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. It is a large box, but if they had made it a inch longer to 17 1/2" for the largest long tree to fit the box could have also been 4" narrower.
The box art shows 2 Natter's set up on their launch towers. Both are the unmanned version, with cockpits paneled over. Each is overall all yellow. The nearest one has diagonal blue stripes on the wings, and 4 red rocket motors held by black bands and the German words on its elevators of:
Fund bei Kommandantur Truppenübungsplatz Heuberg melden. Tel Stetten am Kalten Markt 222
Belohnung!
This translates to:
Finding announce to commander's office Truppenübungsplatz Heuberg. Tel. Stetten in the cold market 222
Reward!
The second Natter just has 2 red fuselage bands on it.
One side panel has color illustrations of the 3 choices of schemes you can opt for one of to make:
DML Dragon is a prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. It is a large box, but if they had made it a inch longer to 17 1/2" for the largest long tree to fit the box could have also been 4" narrower.
The box art shows 2 Natter's set up on their launch towers. Both are the unmanned version, with cockpits paneled over. Each is overall all yellow. The nearest one has diagonal blue stripes on the wings, and 4 red rocket motors held by black bands and the German words on its elevators of:
Fund bei Kommandantur Truppenübungsplatz Heuberg melden. Tel Stetten am Kalten Markt 222
Belohnung!
This translates to:
Finding announce to commander's office Truppenübungsplatz Heuberg. Tel. Stetten in the cold market 222
Reward!
The second Natter just has 2 red fuselage bands on it.
One side panel has color illustrations of the 3 choices of schemes you can opt for one of to make:
1. The box art scheme. (already described above)
2. A Nattter in a base of white with a violet squiggle pattern and a red 2 on one wing and a red 3 on the other. It has a black nose cap and rocket motors. It is a piloted version with cockpit canopy.
3. A Natter that is all black with a white circle on one wing and a white square on the other and no nose cone. It also is a piloted version.
Next is a illustration of the decal sheet in the kit. Followed by: Kit not suitable for children under 3 due to sharp parts. A warning to not use paint or glue near an open flame and to be in a well ventilated room while using them. Kit is intended for modellers over 10, in multiple languages, including English.
The copyright of the kit is given as 2006, with DML Dragon's street address in Hong Kong, China and the kit was made there.
2. A Nattter in a base of white with a violet squiggle pattern and a red 2 on one wing and a red 3 on the other. It has a black nose cap and rocket motors. It is a piloted version with cockpit canopy.
3. A Natter that is all black with a white circle on one wing and a white square on the other and no nose cone. It also is a piloted version.
Next is a illustration of the decal sheet in the kit. Followed by: Kit not suitable for children under 3 due to sharp parts. A warning to not use paint or glue near an open flame and to be in a well ventilated room while using them. Kit is intended for modellers over 10, in multiple languages, including English.
The copyright of the kit is given as 2006, with DML Dragon's street address in Hong Kong, China and the kit was made there.
The other side panel has 4 black and white illustrations of features of the kit: Newly tooled solid canopy cover to make the unmanned version. Clear parts for canopy and nose of the manned version. Includes PE details, such as ladders, brackets and pulleys. Launch tower recreated in realistic full detail. Magnificent structure modeled in plastic and PE parts.
There is another box art as well of the manned version that I have included in the review.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 14 medium-grey trees, a medium-grey loose solid cockpit cover part, the decal sheet, brass PE fret and a length of white string, each in sealed clear cello bags, inside a large cello bag that is taped to a card and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 1/4" x 10 1/4" page format.
Page 1 has a black and white repeat of the box art, next to the parts trees illustrations. One part on the letter B tree is blued-out as being excess and not needed to complete the model.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of Mr. Color and Model Master brands of hobby paints, in multiple languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 has the first assembly step.
Page 3 through 7 give a balance of a total of 9 assembly steps for the Natter and crew figures.
Page 8 and the top of page 9 gives a total of 4 assembly steps for the launch tower. Oddly, these steps are numbered 4, 5, 6 and 7.
The bottom of page 9 has painting and marking instructions and a 3-view of the box art scheme of the Natter with the purple stripes on the wings (already described above).
Page 10 has 3-view's of the other 2 schemes shown on the side panel (also, already described above).
All are with unidentified units, Germany 1944.
The bottom of page 10 has Dragon's office address in Austria, a repeat of the copyright date 2006 and decal application instructions in 6 languages, including English.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the rudder, elevators, rockets, nose cone etc. (34 parts)
This kit contains 14 medium-grey trees, a medium-grey loose solid cockpit cover part, the decal sheet, brass PE fret and a length of white string, each in sealed clear cello bags, inside a large cello bag that is taped to a card and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 1/4" x 10 1/4" page format.
Page 1 has a black and white repeat of the box art, next to the parts trees illustrations. One part on the letter B tree is blued-out as being excess and not needed to complete the model.
Page 2 begins with CAUTIONS over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of Mr. Color and Model Master brands of hobby paints, in multiple languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 has the first assembly step.
Page 3 through 7 give a balance of a total of 9 assembly steps for the Natter and crew figures.
Page 8 and the top of page 9 gives a total of 4 assembly steps for the launch tower. Oddly, these steps are numbered 4, 5, 6 and 7.
The bottom of page 9 has painting and marking instructions and a 3-view of the box art scheme of the Natter with the purple stripes on the wings (already described above).
Page 10 has 3-view's of the other 2 schemes shown on the side panel (also, already described above).
All are with unidentified units, Germany 1944.
The bottom of page 10 has Dragon's office address in Austria, a repeat of the copyright date 2006 and decal application instructions in 6 languages, including English.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the rudder, elevators, rockets, nose cone etc. (34 parts)
Medium-grey letter B tree holds the crewmen etc. (29 parts) One part is excess as mentioned earlier.
Strangely, there are 4 medium-grey trees all labeled as being letter C in the parts trees illustrations.
The smallest tree holds the solid cockpit cover (1 part)
The smallest tree holds the solid cockpit cover (1 part)
There are 4 identical 2nd medium-grey C trees. They hold wedge shaped tower scaffolding etc. (7 parts each)
There are 2 identical 3rd medium-grey C trees that hold more scaffolding parts on them (12 parts each)
There are 4 identical 4th medium-gray C trees. Each with just one long scaffolding part.
Medium-grey letter D tree holds even more scaffolding parts (19 parts)
Clear letter E tree holds the cockpit transparencies and nose cone (3 parts)
The brass PE fret holds: ladders and scaffolding members (24 parts)
The length of white string and the decal sheet complete the kit contents.
The length of white string and the decal sheet complete the kit contents.
This is a neat, ready to build diorama scene with lots of detail. It is not for the novice modeler, however, and not a weekend build project.
Highly recommended to skilled modelers.
Highly recommended to skilled modelers.