The Hansa jet was developed as a small business and transport jet by Hamburger Flugzeugbau in West-Germany. Some other companies were also involved in manufacturing. The design had forward swept wings and wing tip fuel tanks. Accommodation was for up to usually 10 passengers and 2 GE CJ610 engines were installed at rear mounted nacelles. First flight was April 1964. The type was not a big success, with only 47 jets built with the West-German Luftwaffe being the largest customer. 

Wing span was 14,49 m including tanks; length overall 16,61 m. Cruise speed was about 825 km/hr with a range of 2,000 km.

For many years there was only a rudimentary Airmodel vacuform 1/72 kit. But in 2018 an injection moulded kit was released by Amodel as kit #72238. It has about 130 parts in soft grey plastic in 7 sprues, a clear sprue with 16 transparant parts, some 24 small etched metal parts and nicely paint masks for the windows and wind shield. 

There are no part numbers, you will need to look at the parts layout drawing.

(It is noted that the kit was also released by the Amodel sisterbrand SOVA-M #72014 as an ECM jet).

The kit has some parts that are unused, these are probably for other releases of slightly different versions like the ECM version. 

There is no cabin interior but not a lot is seen anyway, the cockpit though is nicely detailed. Cockpit detailing can be done after fuselage closure.

You only get in this kit release decals for 1 Luftwaffe Hansa jet coded 16+06. The scheme is printed on a separate coloured paper sheet. 

On first glance, the decals look good....

However, unfortunately the cheatlines have an incorrect too light blue colour. I guess that Amodel looked at the museum aircraft at Berlin Gatow but this is a re-painted aircraft. Looking at old photos of operational Hansa Jets of the Luftwaffe it is clearly seen that the cheatlines should be a darker blue RAL 5010 : 

I scanned the kit decals with my scanner, imported it into a graphics program and set the lines darker blue. I had this file printed by a Third Party decal print shop on clear decal sheet. 

Assembly was started. Fit is generally OK. 

The cabin windows were set first in each fuselage halve. This will help setting these, thus BEFORE closing up the fuselage. The windows do not fit perfectly but good enough. Take care when removing them from the clear sprue. 

After set and pressing in the fuselage halves, glueing with thin cement and adequate drying, I sanded the outside window area and than re-polished the windows clear with polishing paste. (You can also use tooth paste).

The floor aft of the door bulkhead opening was extended a bit. On the inside joint areas, some bits of sprue were set to get stronger joints.  

The fuselage was closed up. Ensure a good alignment as good as possible. These kind of aircraft models are notorious for their top fuselage seams. 

I now detailed the cockpit, with many etched metal parts. All was painted light grey with blue seat cushions and added seat belts from painted tape. A decal provides the instrument panel correctly with a black panel cover.  

At the wing the ailerons and flaps were enscribed a bit deeper. The wing lower and upper parts were joined.
 
The engine nacelles

Putty was applied while still the major assemblies not joined. Sanding was done. Pay attention to the fuselage spine, ensure a smooth surface and do not damage the clear wind screen. 

The wing halves were mated with the fuselage. There should be a  considerable wing dihedral of about 4 degrees, ensure symmetry and strong joints for which there is enough glue surface! Some putty was obviously needed at the wing-fuselage joints. In front of the windscreen 2 small stubs were made from card and a few blade antennas on the fuselage belly. 

Mask off all the windows and the wind screen with the supplied masking set, very nice that it is provided by Amodel! It saves a lot of masking time. Than a base coat was airbrushed with Revell Aqua 75 steingrau acrylic to check for any flaws and to get an even base coat.  

The model would be finished in a scheme for a Luftwaffe Hansa jet (but with improved cheatlines). I saw many variations on Luftwaffe Hansa jet schemes. Some with bright orange panels will be applied as this would give some extra colour to the model. 

A base mat white paint was airbrushed now with Revell Aqua 05. After a good coverage, gloss white paint was airbrushed with my favourite Gunze Sangyo H1 gloss white. 

Masking was done, and than followed the lighter grey lower wing and stabilizer areas. I could not check the exact colour but settled with FS36440 which is gull grey (and corresponds with indicated Humbrol 166 enamel). Gunze Sangyo H325 acrylic was airbrushed.  

The leading edges also needed mat black paint, so again a lot of masking with tape and tissue and than airbrusing Revell Aqua 08 schwarz. The rudder and outside of the wing tip tanks were masked and airbrushed orange with Gunze Sangyo H14 orange. 

The model got now the decals, with my new printed corrected darker blue cheat lines. At the engine nacelle stubs, some trimming of the cheat lines was needed. The kit decals are quite thin so slide these off the wetted backing paper.   

On the doors additional white decals were set which are found on the kit sheet. I had some trouble to align the black wing walkway decals and how these should be set is unclear. Each was cut as there is a wing fence. 

The smaller bits like the landing gear and antennas were installed. The exact installment of the main gear is a bit unclear, I drilled the wheel notches a bit larger and set the wheels slightly tilted. The leading edge lights #94+95 are nicely provided in the kit but needed trimming was well to fit. 

Some aircraft have a long antenna on stacks below the fuselage. Removing these from the sprues proved to be quite difficult, several broke. Some antennas were made thinner, thus from scrap with thin card. The etched metal wind screen wipers #P2 in the kit were painted black and installed. I did not use the 10 etch metal static dischargers #P3 but made these from flexible bits of black EZ line (or use bits of  stretched sprue or fishing wire). Two transparant anti-collision lights #92+97 were set and got a clear red Tamiya paint. The lights #93+96 in the wing tip tanks needed trimming to fit. 

The 2 pitot parts #76 to be set on the cockpit top were cut a bit smaller. A longer pitot tube was set on the vertical tail fairing made from a metal needle.

Finally, a gloss varnish coat was airbrushed and that completed this model. 

WEST-GERMANY

   

The West-German Luftwaffe operated some 20 HFB-320 Hansa Jets of which some 10 had an ECM role.

For more information about the Luftwaffe look at my Alpha jet page here...
 

   
         

     ... in a scenery