1/72 Heinkel He 178 V-1 First World Jet

The Heinkel He 178 went down in aviation history as the world’s first aircraft to take off solely on jet (turbine) power. Its historic maiden flight took place at the end of August 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, and marked a major technological milestone – proving the concept that a jet engine could serve as a viable means of propulsion for an aircraft, rather than merely a laboratory experiment. The aircraft was developed as a private initiative by Heinkel and was built primarily as an experimental and validation aircraft to test the viability of a completely new propulsion concept. Although the He 178 was never deployed in combat and remained more of a pioneering prototype, its significance for the further development of jet aviation is undeniable.

For model-makers, the He 178 is an exceptionally attractive subject precisely because of its status as the ‘first jet aircraft’. It is a type that is unconventional in both size and shape, and in any collection focusing on the early days of the jet era, it stands out as one of the key milestones. It will be particularly appreciated by those interested in aviation history and technological breakthroughs who wish to have an aircraft with a genuine ‘first’ to its name in their display cabinet.

This Special Hobby kit in 1:72 scale is a glue-up model. It contains one sprue of plastic parts, supplemented by a clear injection-moulded cockpit and a sheet of etched (photo-etched) parts, which allow for finer detailing. The 1:72 scale is popular for historical aircraft due to the reasonable balance between the model’s size and the level of detail, whilst also allowing it to be easily incorporated into a wider collection. The pack does not contain the paints or adhesives required for assembly.