Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun - 1:48 Eduard ProfiPACK

[Julien]

Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun
1:48 Eduard ProfiPACK

The Taifun was designed to fulfil a requirement for a four seat sports & recreation aircraft for a competition in 1934 called the 4th Challenge International de Tourisme in Warsaw. The four challenges between 1929 and 1934 were major events in pre war Europe. The M37 as it was known at the time did not win but it had good handling, a good landing and take off performance; and extremely low fuel consumption. The later would mark the aircraft out as a popular choice for record breaking attempts. The aircraft would go on to set endurance records. The Taifun (German for Typhoon) name was given to the aircraft by Elly Beinhorn a well known pilot. She named her own aircraft this and the name stuck.

The newly forming Luftwaffe would take the aircraft on as a personal aircraft, and liaison aircraft. Soon after the start of the War production moved to France. After WWII SNCAN would continue to produce the aircraft as the Nord 1000 Pingouin. Once stocks of the original German Argus engines were exhausted a Renault 6Q11 engine was used. The French Air Force would go on to use the aircraft in much the same roles as the Luftwaffe did.


The Kit
The Bf 108 was first released by Eduard back in 2002, and has been periodically re-released since this. This latest boxing is a ProfiPack one featuring 5 decal options, a sheet of photo etch parts, and masks. The moulds seem to have held up fairly well, though there is a hint of flash creeping onto the smaller parts. There are two main sprues for the aircraft, and a slightly smaller sprue for all the small parts.

Construction starts conventionally with the cockpit. The modeller first faces a choice of whether to build a standard four seat configuration, or three seats with an extended range fuel tank. The seats are added to the cockpit floor along with the rudder pedals and control columns. PE seat belts are provided for all seats in the cabin. Additional PE parts are provided for the cockpit side walls which are then attached to the main cockpit. The rear bulkhead is then attached, which incorporates the rear seat cushion.

Next up the kit supplies a complete engine. Slightly strange as the instructions make no mention of opening up the engine panels, but the option is there. The main engine block is put together and then the eight individual cylinders are added. Intake parts are added along with other parts for the engine. Bearers then hold the engine onto the firewall.

Once the engine and cockpit are completed they can be added into the main fuselage which is closed up. The instrument panel and coaming are assembled and added. The kit supplies a new PE panel along with all of the associated control levers. Once the main fuselage is closed the tailplanes and rudder are added. Next up is the main wings. These are of conventional one part lower and left/right uppers.

Once the main airframe is complete the undercarriage is made up and added. The wheels are conventional left and right construction and they are added to the single part legs. Masks are supplied in this kit for the wheels. PE brake lines are added along with the gear doors. The single part tail wheel is added. PE hinges are added for the control surfaces and pitot tubes are added. The engine front along with the propeller and hub are then added. The last part to be added is the single part canopy. The canopy is clear and free from defects. As this is the profipack boxing a full set of canopy mask is provided.

Decals
The decal sheet provides 5 sets of markings for the diverse users of the aircraft.

• KG+EM Sonderkommando Blaich, Lybya 1942.
• WL+IQBR, non standard RLM24/RLM65 scheme, France 1940.
• WL+IAWI, German pre-war camo, Germany 1939.
• BK+ZS, RLM74/75/76 Fighter Scheme, Hungary 1942-44.
• NF+MS Winter camo applied over normal scheme, Eastern Front 1942-43.

Conclusion
This is still a great kit from Eduard. This boxing includes the PE and mask extras as well as some great decal options. Highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of

[Artie]

Got one of these kts....it's an absolute gem. I'm planning to build mine as a Legion Condor one, in overall blue.....

Cheers...

[Erik Leijdens]

Have this one and the older profipack boxing too. I noticed that in this one the instruction booklet is way smaller then the first profipack release. And the mask sheet lacks some mask for the framing of the canopy.

Erik

[Julien]

The instructions although smaller are still good, the kit is not that complex it requires a massive set of instruction. I think the early masks used to contain interior and exterior masks. They just include the exterior ones now.