1/72 Luftwaffe night fighters

This 1/72nd scale kit focuses on the early days of the German Night Fighter Air Force, when the German command initially did not consider dedicated air defence fighters a priority. The protection of the Reich was to rest primarily on anti-aircraft artillery. However, extensive night raids by the British Air Force showed that heavy flak alone could notto reliably protect ground targets, leading to the creation of specialized night fighter units and the development of new tactics.

As there were no machines designed specifically for night combat at the time, the Luftwaffe initially deployed conventional fighter types in dark livery. An example is the Bf 109E-4 used by the Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1). A specially modified Dornier Do 17 bomber, the Do 17Z-10 Kauz II, was also used for long-range interdiction of British bombers, including operations over British territory. This machine carried an infrared searchlight to help locate targets in the night sky.

The kit also commemorates the less common deployment of the Fw 189 A-1 as a night fighter after special modifications. Documented modifications included the installation of the FuG 212 radar and the addition of the MG 151 cannon designed to fire forward and obliquely upward, increasing the chances of a successful attack on the bomber at night.

The package does not include the paint or adhesives needed for assembly.