One of the few remaining "salvageable"
sample of the secret stash of model kits my "old man" stored between the nook
and crannies of the overhead book shelves, this Machbox 1:72 scale Messerschmitt ME-110
survived decades of mishandling by a "boy" who regarded it more as a toy rather a
static model piece. Never got for myself a Nazi warplane kit when I was a kid simply because movies and
television strongly implied that those hyper-motivated Aryan armies are the
villains of an armageddonic event called World War II (WWII), and some of
their “wonder” aircrafts for a toddly ignorant simpleton mind looks like disproportional
flying greenhouses, when your young you are impressionistic and during those
times I still though that Rudolph is one of Santa Clause’s "Eight" regular reindeers as
this is what is often heard on radio. Moving on to "21st century" online
books and tele-documentary, many war historians acknowledges that Nazi German
aircraft Design during the war while many are impractically eccentric, some did
make it in the category of innovative and ground-breaking, to the artfully
inclined; they are visually exotic.
In the carton-box where my mother
indiscriminately packed all my models in when I entered college is where this 1:72 scale
ME110 was re-discovered; only the fuselage was intact; most of the small
exterior parts like the landing gears and propeller blades where missing and had to be “scratch-built” from scrap
materials, its not painted as to emphasize
the original “Machbox” two-color “parts spruce” for the kit and to avoid
replacing the stock decals; I however
did some touch-up painting to hide excess glue stains and to give it some crude
weathering effect of a real warplane in field action. Also known as the “BF-110” for which “BF” means (by
Wikipedia, I will probably not recall this) “Bayerrische Flugzengwerke” (Bavarian Aircraft
Works), later on the company was acquired by Messerschmitt.
The German ME-110
is one in the line of twin-engined
multi-crewed type warplanes introduced in the mid 1930’s who's primary mission
was to be a “long range bomber escort fighter”. In the “Battle of Britain” the aircraft failed to
demonstrate its multi -crew, two engine and large-caliber armaments advantage
as it was grossly out-maneuvered by British Spitfires and Hurricane fighters. Despite
the performance flaws realized after the cross-channel air campaign the Me-110
was kept into service up to the end of the War because its replacement aircraft
cannot keep up with the demand, although the Me-110 fell short in the aspect of
air superiority warfare for which it is intended to become, the plane’s
configuration because of its weapons, ordinance and crew capacity did proved to
very well suited for ground-support and as a night-fighter.
The Messerschmitt ME-110 saw commendable action in the role troop support in North
Africa, as night fighter-interceptors during allied bombing raids
in Germany and
during the early phases of “Operation Barbarossa” (Germany’s
surprise attack to conquer the Soviet Union) the 110 had
been well suited in disrupting Russian mechanized defense formations. Coincidentally in May of 1941, “Rudolf”, not the reindeer;
but “Rudolf Hess” Nazi Germany’s Vice Fuhrer disillusioned by the constant
German defeat against the nation of “shopkeepers” flew an ME -110 alone to
“Scotland” without “Hitler’s” approval in the hopes of brokering peace terms
with the British, he was promptly arrested
and imprisoned up to the end of the war, he faced the “Nuremberg court”
and was sentenced to life incarceration. The ME-110 was also used during WWII
by the air forces of Hungary, Italy and Romania.
"In the carton-box where my mother indiscriminately packed all my models in when I entered college is where this 1:72 scale ME110 was re-discovered; only the fuselage was intact; most of the small exterior parts like the landing gears and propeller blades where missing"
A 1:72 scale "Messerschmitt ME-110" with a 1:72 scale "Hawker Hurricane", both are "Lesney Machbox" model kits.
PS Disclaimer : The scenes and objects depicted in this blog are mainly for the blog author’s personal opinion and artistic expression only and not meant to claim absolute authoritative presentation of actual events and people that often the inspiration for the subjects featured in this site.
