{"product_id":"special-hobby-72321-heinkel-he-178-v-1-first-world-jet-1-72-plastic-model-aircraft-kit","title":"Special Hobby 72321 Heinkel He 178 V-1 First World Jet — 1:72 Plastic model aircraft kit","description":"\u003cp\u003eManufacturer: Special Hobby\n\u003cbr\u003eKit number: 100-SH72321 \/ SPH72321\n\u003cbr\u003eAircraft: Heinkel He 178 V-1\n\u003cbr\u003eScale: 1:72\n\u003cbr\u003eBarcode \/ EAN: 8594071084950\n\u003cbr\u003eKit type: Injection-moulded plastic with photo-etched detail\n\u003cbr\u003eCountry of manufacture: Czech Republic\n\u003cbr\u003eOriginal release: 2015\n\u003cbr\u003eManufacturer and kit history\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSpecial Hobby is a Czech model manufacturer particularly noted for unusual aircraft, prototypes and less commonly kitted variants. This particular He 178 has an interesting lineage: Special Hobby states that the model was originally issued under its Condor range, subsequently sold out for a long period, and then returned in a new Special Hobby boxing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe current kit is catalogue number 100-SH72321 and was added to the catalogue in 2015.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit is quite small but has more detail than many simple 1:72 experimental-aircraft kits.\n\u003cbr\u003eKit contents\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe current Special Hobby boxing contains:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    One main plastic sprue\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Injection-moulded grey plastic components\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Clear injection-moulded cockpit\/canopy component\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Photo-etched detail fret\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Decals\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Assembly instructions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe manufacturer\/distributor specifically describes the kit as containing one sprue of plastic parts, a clear cockpit and a sheet of etched parts. Paint and adhesive are not included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe photo-etch is a particularly useful addition for a model this small, allowing finer details than would be practical in conventional injection moulding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit represents the V-1 prototype, so there is no armament or operational equipment to complicate the build. The emphasis is instead on the unusual streamlined fuselage, cockpit and pioneering jet engine installation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model's small size makes it an excellent companion to other early-jet prototypes. At 1:72 the completed aircraft is only roughly 10.4 cm long, with a wingspan of about 10 cm.\n\u003cbr\u003eWhat to check in a second-hand example\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you're buying an older boxing, I would check particularly for:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Main plastic sprue\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Clear canopy\/cockpit part\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Photo-etched fret\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Decals\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Instructions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe photo-etched fret is important because replacing it can be considerably more difficult than replacing ordinary plastic parts.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe full-size Heinkel He 178 V-1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Heinkel He 178 V-1 occupies a unique position in aviation history: it was the world's first aircraft to fly solely under jet power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft was developed by Heinkel as an experimental project to demonstrate the feasibility of the jet engine developed by Hans von Ohain and his team.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe prototype's first flight took place on 27 August 1939, only days before the outbreak of the Second World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft used the Heinkel-Hirth HeS 3b turbojet, mounted inside the fuselage with the intake at the nose. This arrangement produced the very distinctive appearance represented by the model.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 178 was essentially a technology demonstrator rather than a production aircraft. It was not armed and never entered operational service.\n\u003cbr\u003eDevelopment and significance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe project began after Ernst Heinkel became interested in the work of Hans von Ohain, who was developing a gas-turbine engine suitable for aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe early HeS 1 engine was tested on the ground in 1937. It was hydrogen-fuelled and demonstrated that the basic concept could work. Von Ohain subsequently developed the more practical HeS 3, which used liquid fuel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe He 178 airframe was designed specifically around the new propulsion system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts construction was unusual for a pioneering jet: the fuselage was metal, while the wings were primarily wooden. The cockpit was positioned ahead of the wing and the single engine was buried within the fuselage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe prototype demonstrated that a turbojet could successfully propel an aircraft in flight, but Heinkel's subsequent military proposals did not immediately result in a production aircraft based directly on the He 178.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe technology nevertheless contributed to the rapid development of German jet aircraft, ultimately leading to aircraft such as the Heinkel He 280.\n\u003cbr\u003eAircraft specifications\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePublished specifications for the He 178 V-1 include approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Crew: 1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Engine: Heinkel-Hirth HeS 3b turbojet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Maximum speed: approximately 598–650 km\/h, depending on the source and measurement\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Length: 7.48 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Wingspan: 7.20 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Height: 2.10 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Armament: none\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Role: experimental aircraft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSpecial Hobby's published specifications give the length as 7.48 m, wingspan 7.2 m, height 2.1 m, maximum speed 598 km\/h, and range approximately 200 km.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt 1:72 scale, those dimensions produce a model approximately 10.4 cm long and 10 cm across the wings.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Special Hobby","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57509849629052,"sku":"Specialhobby-72321","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0432\/8584\/0033\/files\/DEC9ED3A-505E-42AA-86A4-962F41133A2A.jpg?v=1790579276","url":"https:\/\/sussex-model-centre.co.uk\/products\/special-hobby-72321-heinkel-he-178-v-1-first-world-jet-1-72-plastic-model-aircraft-kit","provider":"Sussex Model Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}