In Box Review of Revell 1/69th Scale
German V-2 Ballistic Missile With Trailer
Kit no. H560:250
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1972
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1972
HISTORY:
The V-2 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 2, "Retribution Weapon 2"), technical name Aggregat 4 (A4), was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile.
The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Germany as a "vengeance weapon", assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings against German cities.
The V-2 rocket also became the first man-made object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line with the vertical launch of MW 18014 on 20 June 1944.
Research into military use of long range rockets began when the studies of graduate student Wernher von Braun attracted the attention of the German Army.
A series of prototypes culminated in the A-4, which went to war as the V-2. Beginning in September 1944, over 3,000 V-2's were launched by the German Wehrmacht against Allied targets, first London and later Antwerp and Liège.
According to a 2011 BBC documentary, the attacks from V-2's resulted in the deaths of an estimated 9,000 civilians and military personnel, and a further 12,000 forced laborers and concentration camp prisoners died as a result of their forced participation in the production of the weapons.
As Germany collapsed, teams from the Allied forces—the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union—raced to capture key German manufacturing sites and technology.
Wernher von Braun and over 100 key V-2 personnel surrendered to the Americans. Eventually, many of the original V-2 team ended up working at the Redstone Arsenal.
The US also captured enough V-2 hardware to build approximately 80 of the missiles. The Soviets gained possession of the V-2 manufacturing facilities after the war, re-established V-2 production, and moved it to the Soviet Union.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Single-stage ballistic missile
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1944–1952
Used by: German Army
Post-war: United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union
Designer: Peenemünde Army Research Center
Manufacturer: Mittelwerk GmbH
Unit cost: 100,000 RM January 1944, 50,000 RM March 1945
Produced: 16 March 1942 – 1945 (Germany)
Some assembled post-war Specifications:
Mass: 12,500 kg (27,600 lb)
Length: 14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Diameter: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Warhead: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb); Amatol (explosive weight: 910 kg)
Detonation mechanism: Impact
Wingspan: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Propellant: 3,810 kg (8,400 lb) 75% ethanol, 25% water &4,910 kg (10,820 lb) liquid oxygen
Operational range: 320 km (200 mi)
Flight altitude: 88 km (55 mi) maximum altitude on long-range trajectory, 206 km (128 mi) maximum altitude if launched vertically
Maximum Speed: 5,760 km/h (3,580 mph)
At impact: 2,880 km/h (1,790 mph)
Guidance system: Gyroscopes to determine direction, Müller-type pendulous gyroscopic accelerometer for engine cutoff on most production rockets.
Launch platform: Mobile (Meillerwagen)
The V-2 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 2, "Retribution Weapon 2"), technical name Aggregat 4 (A4), was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile.
The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Germany as a "vengeance weapon", assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings against German cities.
The V-2 rocket also became the first man-made object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line with the vertical launch of MW 18014 on 20 June 1944.
Research into military use of long range rockets began when the studies of graduate student Wernher von Braun attracted the attention of the German Army.
A series of prototypes culminated in the A-4, which went to war as the V-2. Beginning in September 1944, over 3,000 V-2's were launched by the German Wehrmacht against Allied targets, first London and later Antwerp and Liège.
According to a 2011 BBC documentary, the attacks from V-2's resulted in the deaths of an estimated 9,000 civilians and military personnel, and a further 12,000 forced laborers and concentration camp prisoners died as a result of their forced participation in the production of the weapons.
As Germany collapsed, teams from the Allied forces—the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union—raced to capture key German manufacturing sites and technology.
Wernher von Braun and over 100 key V-2 personnel surrendered to the Americans. Eventually, many of the original V-2 team ended up working at the Redstone Arsenal.
The US also captured enough V-2 hardware to build approximately 80 of the missiles. The Soviets gained possession of the V-2 manufacturing facilities after the war, re-established V-2 production, and moved it to the Soviet Union.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Single-stage ballistic missile
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1944–1952
Used by: German Army
Post-war: United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union
Designer: Peenemünde Army Research Center
Manufacturer: Mittelwerk GmbH
Unit cost: 100,000 RM January 1944, 50,000 RM March 1945
Produced: 16 March 1942 – 1945 (Germany)
Some assembled post-war Specifications:
Mass: 12,500 kg (27,600 lb)
Length: 14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Diameter: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Warhead: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb); Amatol (explosive weight: 910 kg)
Detonation mechanism: Impact
Wingspan: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Propellant: 3,810 kg (8,400 lb) 75% ethanol, 25% water &4,910 kg (10,820 lb) liquid oxygen
Operational range: 320 km (200 mi)
Flight altitude: 88 km (55 mi) maximum altitude on long-range trajectory, 206 km (128 mi) maximum altitude if launched vertically
Maximum Speed: 5,760 km/h (3,580 mph)
At impact: 2,880 km/h (1,790 mph)
Guidance system: Gyroscopes to determine direction, Müller-type pendulous gyroscopic accelerometer for engine cutoff on most production rockets.
Launch platform: Mobile (Meillerwagen)
THE KIT:
Revell is an old prolific model company that at the time of this kit's release was based in Venice, CA. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art has a color photo of the missile, it's trailer and the crew figures made up.
The missile is in a wave pattern of green, brown and light grey. The trailer is overall medium-grey. The figures wear field-grey uniforms.
One side panel has 4 color walk-around type photos of the trailer made up and a list of the kit's features: Movable tow bar, hydraulic struts, tower control tank, air bottles, supply tank. tool box, spare tire, control valve and handle, flip-up work platforms, elevating brackets, movable missile clamps, handrails, ladder and movable transporter wheels.
Revell is an old prolific model company that at the time of this kit's release was based in Venice, CA. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art has a color photo of the missile, it's trailer and the crew figures made up.
The missile is in a wave pattern of green, brown and light grey. The trailer is overall medium-grey. The figures wear field-grey uniforms.
One side panel has 4 color walk-around type photos of the trailer made up and a list of the kit's features: Movable tow bar, hydraulic struts, tower control tank, air bottles, supply tank. tool box, spare tire, control valve and handle, flip-up work platforms, elevating brackets, movable missile clamps, handrails, ladder and movable transporter wheels.
The other side panel has a color cut away illustration of the missile showing its interior: the nose cone warhead, oxygen tank, guidance system, alcohol tank, fuel pump, fuel line, directional vanes and combustion chamber.
Next is a color illustration of the rotating tower base pad and the 3 technician figures.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
Most of what's in the box has come loose from the trees and some assembly has been done to the oxygen and alcohol tanks.
There are partial medium-grey trees. Four of them.
The 1st medium-grey tree holds the missile etc. (5 parts)
Most of what's in the box has come loose from the trees and some assembly has been done to the oxygen and alcohol tanks.
There are partial medium-grey trees. Four of them.
The 1st medium-grey tree holds the missile etc. (5 parts)
The 2nd medium-grey tree holds the tower base parts etc. (14 parts)
The 3rd medium-grey tree holds the transporter frame and parts, ladder etc. (22 parts)
The 4th medium-grey tree holds: transporter wheels, grab handles, scaffolding etc. (74 parts)
Loose medium-grey parts are: the technician figures (kneeling guy has a nasty SINK MARK in his chest), a transporter wheel, missile's nose cone, assembled oxygen and alcohol tanks, missile's fins, tower base plate and more grab handles etc. (26 parts)
The figures have poor anatomy. They look thin and unfed.
The figures have poor anatomy. They look thin and unfed.
This model is almost 50 years old and has great detail for a model of this age.
Recommended.