Heinkel He-162A-2 Volksjäger – 1./JG1, Demuth, Luftwaffe

Superbly accurate 1/72 scale model from Altaya of the Heinkel He 162 A-2 Volksjäger (Salamander) Werk-Nr.120074 of 1st group/Jagd-Geschwader 1, as flown by 1st Lieutenant Demuth (15 aerial victories, though not with the He 162) based at Leck/Holsten, Germany in early 1945.

Perfect accompaniment to the Corgi range of 1/72 WW2 fighters. Has to be seen to be appreciated. Complete with optional undercarriage positions and stand in a sealed plastic blister. This is the only known diecast model of the He-162 (the Oxford model is the same casting but without lowered undercarriage) and an essential part of any collection.

The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger (German: “People’s Fighter”) was a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft fielded by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Designed and built quickly, and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft, the He 162 was nevertheless the fastest of the first generation of Axis and Allied jets. Volksjäger was the Reich Air Ministry’s official name for the government design program competition that the He 162 design won. Other names given to the plane include Salamander, which was the codename of its construction program, and Spatz (“Sparrow”), which was the name given to the plane by Heinkel.