DFS-230 WWII Romania and Italy

The DFS 230 was a German military glider. It was developed in 1933 by the German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug) under the direction of chief designer Hans Jacobs. In addition to the pilot, the glider could carry nine men, who sat packed closely together on a narrow bench in the center of the fuselage. Access to the cramped interior was provided by a single side door. The passenger seated at the front could operate the glider’s only armament—a machine gun. Designed for offensive operations, the aircraft was intended to land directly at its target; to this end, it was equipped with a braking parachute. This allowed the glider to approach its objective in a steep, 80-degree dive and land within 20 meters of the target point. It had a payload capacity of up to 1,200 kg.
The glider played a significant role in operations such as the assault on Fort Eben-Emael, the airborne invasion of Crete, the campaigns in North Africa, the rescue of Benito Mussolini, and the attack on Tito’s headquarters. Most notably, however, it was used on the Eastern Front to resupply encircled troops—for instance, in the Demyansk and Kholm pockets, at Stalingrad, and in the resupply of the defenders of the "Fortress of Budapest." Although production ceased in 1943, the type remained in service until the end of the war; for example, it was still being used to deliver supplies to Berlin and Breslau as late as May 1945. Plastic model kit

• Includes photo-etched parts
• DFS 230A, No. 7, 1st Air Corps, Transport Group 109, Buzău Airfield, Royal Romanian Air Force, Romania 1944
• DFS 230A, No. 11, 1st Air Corps, Transport Group 109, Piešťany Airfield, Royal Romanian Air Force, Slovakia 1945
• DFS 230A, Serial Number 399, Reggia Aeronautica, 1st Nucleo Addestramento Volo Senza Motore (Training Unit for Motorless Flight), Cameri, Italy, June 1943

Scale 1:72

unbuilt / unpainted

Paint and glue not included