Concept Spacecraft

Sänger-Bredt "Silverbird" (1938)

Sanger-Bredt Silverbird - Sharkit - 1

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SCALE: 1/72

INITIAL RELEASE: 2004

MEDIUM: Resin

RARITY: (2)

 

Sanger-Bredt Silverbird - Sharkit - 2   Sanger-Bredt Silverbird - Sharkit - 3

Sanger-Bredt Silverbird - Sharkit - 4

 

Sanger-Bredt Silverbird - Sharkit - 5

 

Sanger-Bredt Silverbird - Sharkit - 6

Sanger-Bredt "Silverbird" on a Suborbital Bomb Run

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ABOUT THE DESIGN

ABOUT THE KIT

In the mid-1930s, Germany's Dr. Eugene Sänger's articles on rocket-powered aircraft earned him the funds necessary to seriously develop plans for a hypersonic bomber capable of striking targets anywhere in the world.  The centerpiece of his work was the "Silverbird," a 92-foot-long rocket-plane designed to be propelled down a long monorail track by a rocket-powered booster, then fly into space where it would "skip" across the outer atmosphere (like a stone skipping over water) before delivering its atomic payload and then gliding home.

Although funding for Sänger's promising research was pulled following Germany's invasion of Russia in 1941, his "skip-glide" concept led directly to the design of America's aborted X-20 "Dyna-Soar" of the 1950s.

This massive 1/72-scale kit could be built in either the in-flight (wheels up) or landed (wheels down) configuration.  It also came with a cockpit well and removable hatch.  In addition, modelers could purchase a vacuformed "booster" and resin engine module to build their own launch rail diorama -- assuming they had three-plus feet in which to display it!

Released in 2004, this all-resin model is still available from Sharkit at http://renax.club.fr/sharkit/Sanger/sanger.htm.

 

 

Sanger-Bredt Silverbird - Sharkit - Box Art

Original Box Art

 

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1900-1930

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