The LeO 451, at 307 mph, was the fastest medium bomber during the opening phases of the Second World War, outpacing the 1940 operational versions of the German Schnellbomber types - the Dornier Do 17Z (255 mph), Heinkel He 111E (261 mph) and Junkers Ju 88A (292 mph). The 451 relied on speed to evade attack with most defenders being forced to chase from the rear where the LeO's 20 mm dorsal cannon could be put to good effect. Unfortunately, only 54 of the 222 LeO 451 that had been ordered were ready for combat when the Battle of France began on 10 May 1940. Production ramped up dramatically and the type was used in operations against both the Germans and the Italians. While the Italian targets with little fighter defense and no radar offered little resistance, the experiences against the lethal German fighters and Flak were much different.

These 3D printed models require no assembly but compare favorably with injection molded kits and exceed the detail of most comparable resin and white metal models by a good measure. Photography of these little gems is a challenge for our equipment and limited skills but check out the well proportioned models including the detailed canopy, engines, wings, twin tail assembly and the 20 mm dorsal cannon!

Although the surfaces are not perfectly smooth (3D printing is done in layers), the plastic used can be sanded and painted much the same way you would handle resin or styrene. The landing gear is represented in the retracted, in-flight position on these models but it should be fairly straight forward to add photo etch parts for a very convincing "gear down" rendition, perfect for an air base diorama.

NOTE: While we currently maintain limited inventories of most items, some items may be "printed on demand", which usually requires 10-15 business days from order to shipment.