Tag Archives: messerschmitt

My Other Car’s Also Tiny

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The Fiat 500 was small car, even by 1950s European standards. However, you could go even smaller.

The Messerschmitt KR200 ‘Kabinenroller’ (literally ‘scooter with cabin’) measured just 111 inches long and 48 inches wide, and was powered by a tiny 191cc single cylinder engine.

Despite making less than 10bhp, the KR200 could reach 56mph, thanks to a combination of low weight and excellent aerodynamics, which wasn’t far behind ‘normal’ cars of the time.

It was successful too, as post-war Europe (particularly an almost flattened Germany) needed simple cheap transportation to remobilise the population. There was even a ‘Kabrio Limousine’ version with a folding fabric roof, as pictured here by monstermatou of Flickr.

Monster’s wonderful Model Team recreation of the Messerschmitt KR200 captures the ’50s ‘Kabinenroller’ beautifully, and yet it’s been built using only the parts found within the official LEGO 10271 Fiat 500 set.

There’s a raising canopy, opening engine cover, plus a detailed interior and engine too, and there’s lots more to see of Monster’s brilliant bubble car B-Model at his photostream. Click the link above to turn your Fiat 500 into something even smaller!

Three Little Birds

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Lego Grumman F4F Wildcat

It’s been a while since we posted a historic warplane here at The Lego Car Blog, so in rectification today we’ve got three! First up (above) is JBIronWorks’ beautiful blue Grumman F4F Wildcat and accompanying diorama. There’s more to see on Flickr by clicking here.

Lego Supermarine Spitfire

The second of today’s trio of Word War 2 fighters comes from Daniel Siskind, who has constructed a brilliant mini-figure scale replica of the legendary Supermarine Spitfire. Daniel’s version pictured here is a Mark V in desert camouflage and there’s lots more too see at his photostream – click the link above to make the trip.

Lego Messerschmitt BF-109

The final creation in today’s threesome, representing the Axis Powers – and the nemesis of the Spitfire above, is the formidable Messerschmitt BF-109. This stunning recreation of the famous fighter has been built by Flickr’s Lennart C, and you can see more of his model by clicking here.

Like a Cat Outta Hell…

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z 109

The Elves have just returned from a dawn raid on MOCpages. They swooped out of the sun to scoop up two models of classic WWII fighter aircraft. First up is c bigboy99899’s Bf 109. As he says, this was one of the first truly modern fighter aircraft of its era, with its all metal, stressed skin construction and closed cockpit. The Bf 109 was incredibly successful, with somewhere around 34,000 being built, which is a bigger production run than many of the cars that we feature here. Examples were used by airforces all over the world, with the Spanish retiring their last example in 1965. Click this link to see more of this Bf 109, plus a pair of LDD versions in alternative colour schemes.

Early in the Second World War, the Bf 109 easily outclassed many of the aeroplanes flown by the Allies, especially the carrier based Sea Gladiators and Martlets (Wildcats) of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm. This was also true in the Pacific, where the famous Zero could outmanoeuvre anything in the sky. Pilots such as the RN’s Eric “Winkle” Brown had to use cunning and tactics to stay alive. Things changed when Grumman produced the Hellcat, with vastly upgraded performance. Jim McDonough normally builds ships but is building a whole squadron of Hellcats (and another of Avengers) to put on the deck of his next creation. This epic project is going to be an impressive sight when it’s finished. Click this link to Jim’s MOCpages to see more of his aeroplanes and ships.

z Hellcat

Before we go, if you’ve some spare time, click this link to BBC Radio 4’s website and listen to the stories and music of Capt. Eric “Winkle” Brown on Desert Island Discs. It’s classic edition of the programme with a man who has lived a life of real adventure. The Lego Car Blog writers also hope to be buying their latest sports car when they get to the age of 95!

Jet Set

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Lego Messerschmitt Me 262

Being a car blog we best know the Messerschmitt company for stuff like this, but first and foremost they were an aviation manufacturer. This particular aircraft is probably the peak of the company’s achievements; The world’s first operational jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 262.

The 262 arrived too late in the Second World War to have an affect on its outcome, but it did change the course of aviation for ever, instantly making conventionally powered fighters obsolete. Today several examples of the 262 survive in museums, but sadly none that we know of are airworthy. We’ll make do with this one then, a wonderful recreation of the Luftwaffe’s finest aircraft by MOCpages’ Henrik Jensen. You can see more of the 262 and his other historic aircraft at the link.

218

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Lego Messerschmitt Bf 109K

Germany’s Messerschmitt 109 was the top World War 2 fighter until the Spitfire became the dominant force in aerial combat. Built by the same company that would later go on to manufacture weird bubble cars the 109 was hugely successful in the skies over Europe, and much of the rest of the world. Being on the losing side has meant the Messerschmitt has perhaps slipped from the public conscious when compared to its Allied rivals, but the 109’s pilots were no less skilled or brave than those flying the Allies’ Spitfires, Hurricanes or Mustangs. Daniel Siskind has built two versions of the famous German fighter (hence the title), and you can see more of them and his other military builds on Flickr.

Wings

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Lego Seaplane Curtiss SeagullWhilst we are primarily a car blog, as defined by our imaginative title, we do occasionally like to poke an exploratory tentacle into the world of planes. Today we bring you two of the best recently uploaded to the interweb, representing both sides in the Second World War, and utilising markedly different technologies.

First up (above) is this beautiful Curtiss Seagull, built only between 1935 and 1940, but used extensively throughout the war aboard US warships as observation, scout and training aircraft. JBIronWorks has recreated the aircraft wonderfully, and landed it at a lovely tropical beach. See more on Flickr via the link above.

Second, and representing Germany, is the world’s first jet powered fighter; the Messerschmitt ME 262. Entering service in 1944 the Messerschmitt had, perhaps thankfully, only a brief operational history that ended with the conflict in 1945. It had proved a formidable (and deadly) opponent and influenced aircraft design long after the war. Flickr user LegoUli recreates what is arguably the first aircraft of the modern era, and you can see more of his Lego version along with his other wartime creations at his photostream here.

Lego Messerschmitt ME 262

On the second day of Christmas…

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…the elves have brought to me; two LEGO tigers.

The Lego Car Blog elves are back to work, and have found two very different German Tigers posted over Christmas. First up is Dan The Man’s beautiful Messerschmitt TG500 Tiger…

Messerschmitt Tiger

Tiger No.1

…Followed by Sariel’s working 1/33 Tiger Tank.

Tiger Tank
Tiger No.2

We tried to get a Siegfreid and Roy joke in this somewhere but failed – feel free to add one in the comments if you have one!