Corgi’s 1:72 scale German Heinkel He-111H-16 Medium Bomber with Fi 103 (Doodlebug) – A1+HK, 2./Kampfgeschwader 53, Air Launch V-1 Flying Bomb Unit, Late 1944
Year after year, the Heinkel He-111 medium bomber is one of the most popular aircraft in the Corgi Aviation Archive stable. Its sleek lines, handsomely applied paint schemes and wonderful attention to detail helps to explain way we sell out of this model almost as soon as we get them in stock.
This June, the latest entrant in the Heinkel line up is this He-111H-16, which is armed with a Fi 103 (Doodlebug), better known as a V-1 Flying Bomb (AA33716). A similar model was released way back in 2005 and instantly became one of the most sought after Heinkels ever to take wing, and now garners exceptionally high prices in many of the the after markets.
The newest Heinkel (AA33716) was operated by Legion Condor and wrought vengeance upon the Allied Armies following the invasion of Europe. Just one week after the D-Day landings and the successful Allied invasion of enemy occupied Europe, the Germans were determined to show that the war was far from over and launched the first of their V-1 Flying Bombs against Southern England. Described as their first “Vengeance Weapon”, these pulse jet powered unmanned flying bombs emitted a distinctive sound from the intermittently firing engine and quickly became known as “Doodlebugs”, with the indiscriminate nature of their targeting spreading panic amongst the British population. At its peak, more than 100 V-1s were hurled against England from their launch sites on the French and Dutch coasts, however, although they spread panic amongst the population, the range of these attacks was restricted to southern English counties.
In an attempt to extend the range of these attacks, a specialist bombing unit was formed and equipped with modified versions of Heinkel He-111H bombers, which could carry a Doodlebug slung beneath the starboard wing, between the wing root and the engine. With an electric connection running from the bomber to the V-1s engine, the optimum delivery method was for the Heinkel to reach a height of approximately 2,000 feet, before entering a shallow dive to reach a launch speed of 150mph. This was the speed needed for the V-1 to fly and once reached, the pulse jet engine was remotely fired, allowed to run for a few seconds, then released, with the parent aircraft diving away for a low level return to base. Many factors would then come into play and dictate where the V-1 fell, such as heading, wind direction and performance of the rather basic jet engine.
Look for Corgi’s rendition of its newest Heinkel He-111 to land some time in June.