This is a beautiful kit. The detail is amazing and the parts fit together very well. Other then a few minor points as regards the instructions this is well worth the money and it's big.
From Wikipedia"
The He 111P incorporated the updated Daimler-Benz DB 601A-1
water cooled engine and featured a newly designed nose section,
including an asymmetric Ikaria nose mounting for an MG 15 machine gun
that replaced the 'stepped' cockpit with a roomier and aerodynamically
favourable glazed "dome" over the front of the aircraft. This new
"bullet" smooth glazed nose was first tested out on the He 111 V8 in
January 1938. These improvements allowed the aircraft to reach 475 km/h
(295 mph) at 5,000 m (16,400 ft) and a cruise speed of 370 km/h (230
mph), although a full bombload reduced this figure to 300 km/h (190
mph). The design was implemented in 1937 because pilot reports indicated problems with visibility.
The pilot's seat could actually be elevated, with the pilot's eyes
above the level of the upper glazing, complete with a small pivoted
windscreen panel, to get the pilot's head above the level of the top of
the "glass tunnel" for a better forward view for takeoffs and landings.
One of Heinkel's rivals, Junkers, built 40 He 111Ps at Dessau. On 8 October 1938, the Junkers Central Administration commented:
Two aircraft were able to be inspected on 6th October in Bernburg. Apparent are the externally poor, less carefully designed components at various locations, especially at the junction between the empennage and the rear fuselage. All parts have an impression of being very weak; especially when one is used to taking a long look at Junkers' designs, one cannot dispel a feeling of uncertainty. The visible flexing in the wing must also be very high. The left and right powerplants are interchangeable. Each motor has an exhaust-gas heater on one side, but it is not connected to the fuselage since it is probable that as a result of incorrect air feed, the warm air in the fuselage is not free of carbon monoxide (CO). The fuselage is not subdivided into individual segments, but is attached over its entire length, after completion, to the wing centre section. Outboard of the powerplants, the wings are attached by universal joints. The latter can in no way be satisfactory and have been the cause of several failures.
The new design was powered by the DB 601 Ba engine with 1,175 PS and reduced the length of the aircraft by 1.1 m (3.6 ft).
The He 111P's DB601 powerplant exhaust pipes had a second outlet on
the top of the engine which pumped hot air back into the aircraft to
warm crews.
It was designated as P-0, and the first production lines reached their
units in Fall 1938. In May 1939, the P-1 and P-2 went into service
with improved radio equipment. The P-1 variant was produced with two DB
601Aa powerplants of 1,150 hp (860 kW). The fuel tanks had the added
innovation of self-sealing fuel tanks to protect them from enemy fire.
The Nose department itself was now fully glazed and the "stepped up"
cockpit was dispensed with. The P-1 was powered by a DB 601Aa engine and
given a semi-retractable tail wheel to decrease drag.
Armament consisted of a MG 15 mounted in the Ikaria A Stand mount in
the nose, and a sliding hood for the fuselage's dorsal B-Stand position.
Installation of upgraded FuG III radio communication devices were also
made and a new ESAC-250/III vertical bomb magazine was added. The
overall takeoff weight was now 13,300 kg (29,321 lb).
The
P-2, like the later P-4, was given stronger armour and two MG 15
machine guns in "waist" mounts on either side of the fuselage and two
external bomb racks. Radio communications consisted of FuG IIIaU radios and the DB601 A-1 replaced the 601Aa powerplants. The Lotfernrohr 7
bombsights, which became the standard bombsight for German bombers,
were also fitted to the P-2. The P-2 was also given "field equipment
sets", to upgrade the weak defensive armament to four or five MG 15
machine guns. The P-2 had its bomb capacity raised to 4 ESA-250/IX vertical magazines.
The P-2 thus had an empty weight of 6,202 kg (13,272 lb), a loaded
weight increased to 12,570 kg (27,712 lb) and a maximum range of 2,100
km (1,305 mi).
The
P-3 was powered with the same DB601A-1 engines. The aircraft was also
designed to take off with a land catapult (KL-12). A towing hook was
added to the fuselage under the cockpit for the cable. Just eight
examples were produced, all without bomb equipment.
The P-4 contained many changes from the P-2 and P-3. The jettisonable
loads were capable of considerable variation. Two external SC 1800 kg
(3,960 lb) bombs; two LMA air-dropped anti-shipping mines; one SC 1,800
kg plus four SC 250 kg; or one SC 2,500 kg external bomb could be
carried on a ETC Rüstsatz rack. Depending on the load variation, a 835 L
fuel and 120 L oil tank could be added in place of the internal bomb
bay. The armament consisted of three defensive MG 15 machine guns. But these were not sufficient, so a further six MG 15s and one MG 17 machine gun
was added. The radio communications were standard FuG X(10), Peil G V
direction finding and FuBI radio devices. Because of the increase in
defensive firepower, the crew numbers increased from four to five. The
empty weight of the P-4 increased to 6,775 kg (14,936 lb), and the full
takeoff weight increased to 13,500 kg (29,762 lb) owing to the
mentioned alterations.
The P-5 was powered by the DB601A. The variant was mostly used as a
trainer and at least 24 production variants were produced before
production ceased. The P-5 was alleged to have been fitted with PVC bomb racks, which cannot be confirmed. The P-5 was fitted with meteorological equipment, and was used in Luftwaffe weather units. Many of the He 111 Ps served during the Polish Campaign. With the Junkers Ju 88 experiencing technical difficulties, the He 111 and the Do 17 formed the backbone of the Kampfwaffe. On 1 September 1939, Luftwaffe records indicate the Heinkel strength at 705 (along with 533 Dorniers).
The
P-6 variant was the last production model of the He 111 P series. In
1940, the RLM abandoned further production of the P series in favour of
the H versions, mostly because the P-series' Daimler-Benz engines were
sorely needed for Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighter production. The remaining P-6s were redesignated P-6/R2s and used as heavy glider tugs. The most notable difference with previous variants was the upgraded DB 601N powerplants.
The P-7 variant's history is unclear. German archives do not produce any reliable information for this variant, if it existed. The P-8 was said to have been similar to the H-5 fitted with dual controls. Its existence cannot be established. The P-9 was produced as an export variant for the Hungarian Air Force. Due to the lack of DB 601E engines, the line was terminated in Summer 1940.
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