The He 162 grew out of an emergency programme launched as Germany lost control of its skies. In September 1944 the Luftwaffe called for a small jet fighter that could be built quickly with limited strategic materials. Heinkel's answer reached its first flight in December, an extraordinarily compressed development schedule. The result was strikingly unlike the larger Me 262: one engine perched above a compact fuselage, a high wing and twin fins standing clear of the exhaust.
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The A-2 carried two 20 mm MG 151 cannon and used a BMW 003 turbojet. Wood was incorporated into the structure to reduce dependence on scarce light alloys, while an ejection seat helped address the danger of escaping past the engine installation. Those modern-looking solutions did not make the aircraft simple to fly. Hurried development brought structural and handling problems, and the programme's hope of quickly producing an easy fighter ran up against the realities of jet operations.
Deliveries began during the final months of the war, with JG 1 operating the type around Leck in northern Germany. Its opportunity for combat was brief, and the RAF Museum notes that its claimed victories were unconfirmed. Building an A-2 is therefore a chance to explore a very specific moment in aviation history: advanced jet features, resource shortages and extreme haste combined in an aircraft that arrived too late to change the outcome.
Sources and accuracy
Tamiya 61097 original instruction manual; RAF Museum: Heinkel He 162A-2; RAF Museum individual history of W.Nr. 120227
These are the kit manufacturer’s paint recommendations. Follow the exact instruction diagrams for placement, marking choices and mixes. They are separate from the historical palettes below.
Build This Aircraft
These 20 colors are listed in Tamiya’s He 162A-2 assembly manual. AS-5, AS-23 and AS-24 start selected for the exterior scheme; AS-12 starts unchecked for a different marking or finish. Follow the manual’s aircraft options and color placement.
Select any tools you need to add them with your paint selection.
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Paints and supplies sold separately. Prices and availability update from each product.
Historical Paint Schemes
Choose a documented aircraft or vehicle finish, then a paint system. These researched alternatives are separate from the instruction list above.
Each pack is its own shopping list. Choose one paint system; selections stay separate. Out-of-stock items remain visible but cannot be added. There is no bundle discount.
Exterior scheme colors only. Check the diagrams for pattern and placement. Interior, crew, small details and decals are not included unless a pack explicitly says so. Model paints are manufacturer-intended reproductions or labeled approximations, not independently measured exact historical matches.
Sources and accuracy
Tools for this build
Practical suggestions for assembling and finishing this kit. Buy only what you need; nothing here is added automatically.
As the situation became more desperate for the German forces near the end of WWII, a call was made for a new inexpensive jet fighter that would be simple to produce and fly. In the amazingly short span of 3 months from drawing board to first flight of the prototype, Heinkel produced the small, sporty-looking He162. The lightweight fighter featured mainly wooden construction and was powered by a BMW003 turbojet, which made it the fastest jet fighter of WWII with its 838km/h top speed. Reaching combat units in late March 1945, the little fighter managed to record some combat successes despite the acute fuel and parts shortage.
High-quality assembly kit display model of the He162 A-2 "Salamander" jet fighter. _x0098_ _x0085_Length: 205mm, Width: 149mm _x0098_ _x0085_Top-mounted BMW003 turbojet engine with parts for opened and closed engine bay covers to allow full display of internal details. _x0098_ _x0085_Special dolly included to display the engine separate from the aircraft. _x0098_ _x0085_Canopy can be posed in the open or closed positions, and the ejector seat is removeable. _x0098_ _x0085_Includes 1 pilot figure and 4 types of markings. Ã_x0083_ ¯ ¼ _x0088_Images below show prototype.Ã_x0083_ ¯ ¼ _x0089_
