Building an Accurate Tamiya
Heinkel He 219A-7/R2

by Andreas Duda

Tamiya's 1/48 scale Heinkel He 219A-7 is available online from Squadron

Inspired by Randy Lutz' report on his Tamiya 1/48 scale He 219A-7 "Uhu", I took some pictures of my very old model, build just at the release-date, when no aftermarket sets were on the horizon.

But I was able to correct the very few mistakes or shortcomings based on gaps in the research during the planning of the kit. If somebody is out there, who has not finished his Heinkel yet, I hope this report will give some assistance.

Above is a side view. You can see, where the "T"-wires of the two aerials are meeting the top of the fuselage.

Below is the parts list page out of the 1944 He 219 A-7 manual. You can see the wiring of the aerials: first the starboard "T", then the port "T".

The remains of He 219 A "L1+??" can be seen in the photos below. This was one of the few aircraft that found its way to the "Nachtjagdgruppe 10". As if it were not interesting enough, this "Uhu" has got a so called "Liegeplatz-Tarnung" (Airfield-Hiding-Camo) of RLM 83 dark-green sprayed over the RLM 75/76 camouflage. There are some areas of the lower side, which are painted RLM 22. And: the spinners are vice-versa RLM 21 white with a RLM 22 black spiral. Hm, I had to build this particular aircraft.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Here are some of the shortcomings of the kit: I did new propellor blades (the kit-blades are too narrow at their outer 1/3) in resin. The spinner is too long, I cut 1,5 mm off it's end and sanded the correct - more rounded form in shape. I did a new front-wheel with no spokes in resin. And: The small lid just under the front windscreen is ONLY on the port side present. It covers the aux-power-supply connection for the Heinkel. You have to fill putty into the engraving on the starboard-side.

Two hints for the bottom-side: Heinkel He 219 often had painted exhaust-areas in heat-resistant dark paint (very dark gray). And if you like to build your "Uhu" with "Schräge Musik" (oblique-firing weapons), do not forget to drill the case ejection port (both MK 108 ejected their cases through this central port).

The engine-nacelles are too long. You have to shorten them about 3,5 mm! And something Tamiya did not discover: On the upper-sides of the wings are the exhausts of the wing-heating system (which runs with aircraft-fuel), yesss!

The warm-air heating-system with "Kärcher-Öfen" in both wings, as drawen in the 1944 parts-list. You can see the air-intakes, the warm-air outlets (numbers 5 and 19 respectively) and the exhaust-pipes (numbers 9-11 and 23-25 respectively).

And if you are asking for that sole air-intake in the leading edge of the starboard horizontal stabilizer: Yes, you are right, there was a third "Kärcher" in the Heinkel He 219. The tail of the "Uhu" was defrosted with warm air, too. Tamiya did noted the air-intake but did not discover the exhaust of the heating-system. Murphy ruels. The exhaust is on the port side (the pipe is numbered 18 and 19 in the 1944 part-list-drawing).
 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

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The air-intakes for the DB 603 engines are too big and too squared-off - short: wrong shaped. I did new ones in resin.

Murphy again, Mr. Tamiya. The Heinkel engineers did aerodynamical total symmetrical tail-control-surfaces. Therefore the pushers for the trim-tabs are located vice-versa (horizontal) respectively are located on the same (left) side of the control-surface (vertical)!

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Last but not least: If you are building a "Uhu" with oblique weapons in the back, you have to have a gun sight for these cannons in the cockpit. Yes, a second "Reflexvisier" (Revi). It was installed in the cockpit-roof.

The Revi itself was located behind the pilots head-protection and projects the aiming-signs on a pane of glass just in front of the pilots head. If you are not sure, if a Heinkel He 219 had oblique weapons installed, look for this item in the cockpit-roof (click thumbnail at right for larger image).

Now, as you know for what you have to look for, you will discover it . . .

I hope I have given some assistance on the way to a little better Tamiya "Uhu".

Happy modelling from Berlin!

German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2 Aircraft of the Aces 20 Author: Jerry Scutts Illustrator: John Weal US Price: $19.95 UK Price: £12.99 Publisher: Osprey Publishing Publish Date:  June 5, 1998 Details: 96 pages; ISBN: 1855327147 Shop Buy it from Osprey Publishing

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2005 by Andreas Duda
Page Created 01 December, 2005
Last Updated 02 December, 2005

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