Here''s a review of Dragon's 1/72 scale kit of the Heinkel He 219 B-1. The "Uhu" is the favorite of many Luftwaffe builders and here's a new one to add to the collection...

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Thanks Jean-Luc.
Andy

I know this review has been up for some time, just curious if anyone has built this kit? Is the image of the decal accurate, does it not come with Swastikas?

thanks

Looks like the usual Dragon policy of not including swastikas in their aircraft kits.
Here you can view scans of the instructions: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10056598
But then, I have no idea what the decals number twelve are supposed to be. Sort of looks like politically correct swastika replacements, they're instructed to be placed righ on the rudders, but then they're only for one of the marking options...

They're stealth swastikas. Two swipes with a razor knife while they're on the decal sheet, and a fiddly postitioning job later, you have your swastikas without Dragon having broken EU law.

But it's so much easier to use aftermarket.

So what exactly is the case with Swastikas? I find some kits have them, some don't. Some have them on seperate sheet, or in a seperated section on the decal sheet. Some show the diamond on the box art, but they are included in the kit.

They're illegal in the EU. Those separate sheets or the ones off to the side of the decal sheet are left out of kits destined to be shipped there. I would assume the kits that have one included on the decal sheet in the kit will have a separate sheet for EU versions, or simply not be shipped there.

Given the availability of aftermarket decals I've always just considered the lack (or not) in the kit as a non-issue.

To be exact, Swastikas are not illegal in EU, just some countries like Germany and Hungary. There have been proposals for a EU-wide ban, but they've been dropped.

I've seen those too. Some manufacturers have swastikas on box art but have multi-part decals or none at all. Some don't show the markings on the boxes, but include full decals. At least Hasegawa and Eduard seem to have sheets with full swastikas on the side for easy removal when sold in Germany for example.

Talking of swastikas, I've heard stories from fellow modelers buying WW2 luftwaffe kits from German webstores and upon opening the boxes, finding the decal sheets censored with a black marker pen. Made a mental note of that: "don't buy Luftwaffe kits including swastika decals from Germany."

Sorry, going a bit OT here...

Something that has always bothered me is this swastika thing. If you look back the swastika was associated with Native Americans and Indians (of the sub continent) among others. It was of course the German use of it that has sullied it's position.

Even so, I think it would be time for the EU or any other organization to come to terms with history. I put swastikas on my WW2 German aircraft, that in no way condones the atrocities committed by the maniacs running the Third Reich!!

To be historically accurate shouldn't be viewed as an endorsement of genocide or any other misbegotten ideas!! Just my two cents. Russell

Oh, I thought the ban had gone through. I would suspect then, that model companies often take the easy way out and just don't include them if the kit might be sold in those countries.

But since it's trivially easy to get them from aftermarket it's really no bother.

Hi there

I've put the case to our contacts at Dragon for some time that they should consider including Swastikas for historical accuracy, even if only in "sliced" form for the modeller to assemble, but it doesn't look like happening. As Jessie says, luckily aftermarket decals are easily obtainable.

All the best

Rowan