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Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 - 1:72 Airfix


Paul A H

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Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6

1:72 Airfix

 

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With almost 34,000 examples constructed over a 10 year period, the Messerschmitt BF 109 is one of the most widely produced aircraft in history and it saw active service in every theatre in which German armed forces were engaged. Designed in the mid-1930s, the Bf 109 shared a similar configuration to the Spitfire, deploying monocoque construction and V12 engine, albeit an inverted V with fuel injection rather than a carburettor. Initially designed as a lightweight interceptor, like many types the Bf 109 evolved beyond its original brief into a bomber escort, fighter bomber, night fighter and reconnaissance platform.

The Bf 109-G series, colloquially known as the Gustav, was first produced in 1942. The airframe and wing were extensively modified to accommodate a more powerful engine, greater internal fuel capacity and additional armour. In contrast to early 109s, which were powered by engines delivering less than 700hp, some of the later Gustavs could output almost 2000hp with water injection and high performance superchargers. The Gustav series accounted for a dizzying array of sub-variants, some of which featured a larger tail of wooden construction. Odd number suffixed aircraft had pressurised cockpits for high altitude operation, Erla Haube clear view canopy with clear rear head armour, underwing points for tanks, cannon or rockets and larger main wheels resulting in square fairings on the inner upper wings to accommodate them.

 

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I believe Airfix's Bf 109G-6 dates back to 2009, and as such is one of the earlier kits released under Hornby's ownership. The kit bears all the hallmarks of that particular era, with a low part count and broad, deep panel lines. Those hoping that this would be a re-tooling of the aforementioned kit will be disappointed, as the plastic is exactly the same as that provided in the original release. The kit is part of Airfix's series 2 range, which means it arrives in a top opening box with the kind of lovely artwork that we have come to expect from the Margate firm. Inside the box are three sprues of grey plastic and a single, small clear sprue. There are just 41 parts in total, which is quite low when you consider that the more recent 'Emil' in the same scale is made up of 64 parts.

 

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Out of the box the kit is cleanly moulded and the plastic has a slightly matt finish to it. The cockpit is extremely spartan, being comprised of a seat, pilot and nothing else. There is no instrument panel, no control column and no sidewall detail. This is in stark contrast to the Emil, as that kit was very nicely detailed, despite being part of the series 1 range. The instructions recommend that the propeller be joined to the fuselage at the same time that the fuselage halves are joined, but I would recommend leaving this step until the end as it will make painting more difficult otherwise.

The bulges for the 13mm MG 131s on the upper fuselage in front of the cockpit are inaccurate as they are represented by a single large bulge rather than two separate bulges. The wings follow the usual format for a model of this type, with a single span lower wing and separate port and starboard upper wings. Flaps and control surfaces are moulded in place, but some basic structural details have been moulded onto the roof of the main landing gear bays. The horizontals stabilisers are moulded as solid parts, as is the rudder.

 

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As with other recent Airfix kits, there are different parts provided for you to use if you wish to pose your model with landing gear up or down. The landing gear legs provided for the latter option are moulded in place with the bay doors, which is a plus point for strength and ease of assembly, but a negative point in terms of detail. A drop tank and two under wing gun pods are provided, along with a choice of canopies, including the Erla Haube canopy. Both are moulded in one piece, but this is no great loss given the lack of internal detail.

 

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Two decal options are provided:

 

  • Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6, flown by Ofw. Alfred Surau, 9./JG3, Bad Wörishofen, Germany, September 1943. This aircraft is finished in RLM 76 with RLM 74 and RLM 75 upper surfaces and a yellow spinner and lower nose;
  • Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6, Fliegerkompanie 7, Swiss Air Force, 1945. This aircraft is finished in the same scheme as that above, but without the yellow areas and with attractive red and white Swiss markings.

 

The decal sheet is crisply printed by Cartograf and features a small range of stencils but no swastikas.

 

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Conclusion
This isn't the most detailed nor the most accurate Gustav on the market. It also lacks finesse in terms of the overall finish. All-in-all, there isn't much here to tempt the serious modeller. Having said that, this is probably one of the cheapest Gustavs around, which is a nod to its intended market. Perhaps the best thing about the kit is that it shows how far Airfix have come in the last five or six years.

 

Recommended.

 

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Review sample courtesy of

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I rather like this kit. Cheap & cheerful. Easy build & attractive colour options. Tempted me to buy 5 altogether!! I've now got one each of the Italian,Finnish & German options from the earlier release plus these two.

Allan

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  • 2 weeks later...

Odd to see this has been repopped so quickly. On release it was rightly panned and Airfix haven't improved anything, which makes it pretty much the worst of their releases in the last five years.

I'd prefer the AZ Model or, if you are really on a budget, the Academy kits.

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  • 2 years later...

I've just completed the first release of this (with the Finnish decal scheme).  While the kit does have all the 'features' described above, plus some questionable shaping around the nose, it does build quickly and fits well which I think shouldn't be overlooked.

 

It's a good introductory kit and it's also a good choice for a quick project to keep enthusiasm going between bigger or more complex projects.

 

Maybe this kit is not for a demanding modeller, but

it's not without its attractions.

 

Edited by 3DStewart
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Nice review! 

I thought "re-tool" at first, but clearly it is the same as the previous issue.  That said, it looks okay on the sprues to me.
For reasons that are hard to enunciate, I prefer the E-series planes over the G-series planes.  So for me, this seems a good purchase, because the accuracy and detail glitches would not be deal-breakers.

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