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It was nice to finally open again Revell Germany´s rectangular blue box. I had built this model twice in the past, both times I ended up with a mess instead of a plastic model (the second time I ended with melted plastic because I used too much glue on my weight in the nose), but this time I got a fully assembled aircraft without much trouble. Time has not been kind to the model, the moulds are worn, resulting in a lot of flash, particularly in the lower nose assembly. Instructions forget to mention to open holes for the lower antennae and the circular one over the fuselage. I was able to open the hole for the circular one, but the lower one won´t be present on this model. Tomorrow I´ll try to begin and finish painting it, so I can decal it the next day.

Bf.109G-14 ProfiPACK (82118) 1:48 Eduard The G variant of the 109, colloquially known as the Gustav was one of the primary fighters available to the Luftwaffe during the closing years of WWII, and saw extensive active service, all the while being upgraded to combat the increasing Allied superiority in the air. Happily for the Allies, the supply of experienced pilots was fast running out, so as good as the upgrades were, they couldn't make an appreciable difference to the outcome. The G-14 was brought into service at a crucial time for the Axis forces, as the Allies pushed inland from the beachhead at Normandy, and it had an improved water injection system that gave the engine extra performance, plus the new clear-vision Erla-Haube canopy as standard. It was also an attempt to standardise the design to ease the job of construction, which had become decentralised due to the ferocity of the bombardment of the industrial areas by the Allied bombers at that stage of the war. As a result, few sub-variants were made of the G-14 even though over 5,000 were built, with command fighters and high-altitude variants the main exceptions, but the U4 had a high powered 30mm MK108 cannon fitted through the engine and firing through the centre of the prop. The Kit The 109G has been fairly comprehensively retooled by Eduard from their original, and while this is a new variant some of the sprues date back to the re-tool after issues with the original kit were found. The five-digit product code is a clue to this do-over. The ProfiPACK offers additional decal options as well as other upgrades to the basic kit, and alongside the four sprues of grey styrene you will find one of clear, a sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE), a sheet of pre-cut yellow kabuki tape masks, two decal sheets and the usual Eduard colour instruction booklet printed on glossy paper. There are a lot of these new Gs out there amongst everyone's stashes by now, so most of us are familiar with the fine surface detail and dainty riveting on the outer skin, and the level of detail that has been crammed into this excellent tooling. There are also tons of aftermarket parts available from Eduard for those that want to add even more detail to their models, from engine, cockpits, to wheels, bronze gear legs and flying surfaces. The world really is your oyster when it comes to how much you want to throw at your build, but for many the included PE will be more than adequate. It's all up to you! Predictably the build starts with the cockpit, which has a number of PE controls added to the floor, and a full set of PE instruments that are ready to add to the painted cockpit, as well as the fuel line part that is supplied on the clear sprue because it has a glass section as it runs through the cockpit to allow the pilot easy access for checking if there's fuel getting to the engine. A choice of humps between the pilots knees cater for the cannon fitted U4 sub-variants, and a full set of painted crew belts are supplied on the PE fret, plus rudder pedals for good measure. More PE is attached to the cockpit sidewalls, and with all that glued and painted you can close up the fuselage around it, not forgetting the retractable tail wheel used in one of the decal options, with a spinner back-plate fitted to the front of the fuselage, and the exhaust stubs with their slide-moulded hollow tips inserted from inside into their slots. The nose cannon insert, supercharger intake and cannon bulges in front of the windscreen fit into their respective areas, and a set of flame deflectors made from PE are added over the exhaust stacks to prevent blinding the pilot in low light flying. The G-14 had a couple of options for the tail fin, with the increased use of non-strategic wood, so the fin base is moulded to the fuselage, while the tip is one of two separate choices, with a straight rudder hinge, or the more familiar cranked hinge-line. The fixed tail wheel for four of the decal options is fitted to a recess under the tail at this point too. The wings are full span underneath, and depending on your decal choice you may need to open up some holes for a centre-line rack and on the port wing for the forward-raked antenna carried by most decal options. The wheel bay sides are modular and mate with the inner surface of the upper wings to give an excellent level of detail once finished. A small pair of rectangular panel lines are scribed into the fuselage just in front of the windscreen using a PE template that is provided on the sheet, and a pair of teardrop masks are supplied for the wingtip lights, which are moulded into the wing, but can easily be replaced by cutting out the area and fitting some clear acrylic sheet of a suitable thickness, then sanding it to shape and polishing it back to clarity. A depression depicting the bulb can be drilled in the clear part before gluing to further enhance the look if you feel minded. Separate leading-edge slats, ailerons and flaps are supplied, with the latter fitting around the radiator bays under the wing, which have PE grilles front and rear. A scrap diagram shows the correct orientation of the parts to ensure that both layers align correctly as per the real thing. The narrow-track landing gear consists of a single strut with moulded-in oleo scissor, a captive cover that glues against it, and the two-part tyre with separate hubs on each side. A choice of radial or smooth tread is offered with no decal options suggested for each, so check your references, or just make a random choice. The legs fit to scokets in the wheel bays, and horn balances are fitted to the ailerons, the antennae under the wing are added, and a small PE access panel is glued under the fuselage behind the wing trailing edge. Before fitting the canopy, the clear gunsight must be partially painted and fitted to the top of the instrument panel, and a pair of PE grab handles are attached to the inside of the windscreen, which should be partially painted RLM66 inside or outside before the exterior colours. The canopy opener also has PE parts added plus the pilot's head armour and an aerial on the rear, with a PE retaining wire included for posing the canopy open. A manual starter handle is also present in case you wanted to show your G-14 in a more candid pose on the ground. The prop is a single part and is sandwiched by the back plate and spinner before being inserted into the hole in the front of the fuselage. Two styles of additional fuel tank are supplied, one with a flat bottom edge for ground clearance, and the other with a smoother exterior. These fit on a rack that sits on the centreline for two of the markings options, a rudder trim actuator is fitted to three of the options, and a small twig antennae is fitted to all options with a tiny circular base, both of which are made of PE. Markings Decals are printed in Czechia and have good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The main markings are carried on the larger sheet, while the stencils are on the smaller one. Stencils are drawn on a separate page of the instructions to reduce repetition and clutter, and each marking option has a page all to itself to cut down on confusion and give the modeller good sized diagrams to follow. From the box you can build one of these five options: Bf 109G-14/U4, flown by Hptm. E. Hartmann, 4./ JG 52, Csór, Hungary, October 1944 Bf 109G-14/U4, W. Nr. 512382, flown by Lt. H. Schlick, 4./ JG 77, Schönwalde, Germany, November 1944 Bf 109G-14, W. Nr. 464380, flown by Magg. M. Bellagambi, CO of 5 Squadriglia, o2 Gruppo Caccia, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Osoppo, Italy, March 1945 Bf109G-14, flown by Oblt. R. Schlegel, CO of 10./ JG 4, Jüterbog – Damm, Germany, March 1945 Bf 109G-14, W. Nr. 464534, EJG 2, Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, May 1945 The masks (not pictured) cover the armoured glass in the pilot's head armour, the wheel hubs and of course the canopy, with the curved part having frame-hugging masks that need filling in the compound curved areas with scrap tape or liquid mask. These are a great time-saver and the fit of them is usually spot-on. Conclusion These are superb kits from Eduard, and they are priced well, considering the detail and markings options included. They don't bother with novelties such as magnets to hold cowlings in place, but if you should perchance want to show off your engine, you can get a superbly detailed resin one separately and those that don't want to show off their engines don't have to pay for parts they aren't going to use. The G is my personal favourite, so I'm more than happy to see another one from Eduard. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I remember when I first built Academy´s Bf 109E-3 in 1:48, that the tailplane struts were molded too long and the forward bulkhead had to be trimmed quite a lot to allow for a good fit between the fuselage and the wing. Both issues were solved, the first one by cutting the struts in half and the second one doing what I did above. When I bought Hobbycraft´s Ha 1112 "Buchón" with decals for the BoB movie, it also came with too long struts, which had to be cut in half and trimmed. After that, I made the connection between both companies. Some months ago, I was checking kit´s instructions, and I came across Hasegawa´s Bf 109E instructions, and they were the same as the ones that came with the Academy kit, and I assume the same with the Hobbycraft kit. TL.DR, my question is, who copied who? And if Hasegawa got copied, does that mean the Hasegawa Bf 109E tailplanes struts are too long and it´s a factory defect? If its a factory defect, I´ll go and buy the Airfix kit or the Pegasus Hobbies one. I hope you guys can help me with this question.

First aircraft I built after coming back to scale modelling. It was brush painted with Revell acrylics 45/39/40/49 (RLM 02/71/70/65), the pattern masked with common masking tape and the paint ridges sanded down as best as I could with a 1000 grit sandpaper. Note: I currently have four models, this one, two Fw 190A-5s, and an A-4B/P, none of them with their seams filled. I´ll try to use CA for my fifth model. Edit: I forgot to add that I had to cut and trim the tailplanes struts because they were molded too long. The Academy kit looks the same as the Hasegawa Emil kits, I don´t know if the latter has the same issue (I´ll make a topic about that later).

Well, one thing I've figured out about myself is that making a new WIP thread is what should help me get cracking with this... My studies are trying to keep me away from modelling, but I'm not ready to pause with it just yet... Let me quickly introduce you to this little Italeri's kit. Two A4-sized sprues, one with clear bits and a disappointingly small decal sheet... I'll also use that big left-over sheet from Bf-110 I made a short while ago... The idea for finished model right now is to make it quite asymmetrical, with port side having exposed DB-603 engine (to be scratch built, having done two DB-601 for Bf-110 should prove helpful), flap, aileron and slats in landing position, radiator cowling flaps opened fully as well, while starboard side should be clean, just to show this bird's (what I consider) beautiful lines. Of course, this being a conversion, one - two actually - obvious things that need to be taken care of are wings - outer halves of 'em need to be swept forward to begin with (I haven't a clue why 210 has swept back wings in the first place, I guess Germans decided to experiment a bit with aerodynamic effects of that, maybe they needed to regulate center of gravity). Luckily, studying a number of technical drawing revealed that I should be able to use those outer sections, just rotating them around a specific point should prove enough. Fuselage shouldn't require too many changes, 210 A-1 has elongated fuselage in the first place, so that doesn't require any work, just a bit of rescribing should do the trick... This kit isn't very detailed (if I got it right, this should be a rebox of an old kit, from the early nineties), not that it matters since I'll be glad to add a few of my own, but fit looks good for now... ... though a few places seem to require a bit of filler (left and middle picture). Italeri have got intake cross-section right (right picture), it's a circle as it should be, I think Revell got that wrong on all of their models of 210 and 410, both 72nd and 48th scale, with an elliptical cross-section. A bit of work down under as well, other than filling I'll also open up wheel wells, aforementioned radiator flaps, stuff like that... These two were developed at the same time, one was given a second chance, mostly in Africa if I got it right, the one I aim to change didn't, it just wasn't a good war-plane. A lot of similarities between them (length, wingspan, cockpit position, same engine family), obviously... This picture shows the major differences between 210 and 410, wings being the biggest on of course... ... and this paint scheme is the main reason why I chose to convert it... Hopefully, it should like a bit like this in the end... Love the way engines stick out of wings... I'll be using whatever pictures I can to get the details right, like this Aires wheel well... ... as well as number of impressive build stories, like this one... http://www.modelersalliance.com/forum/chukw/147807-me410-all-the-way ... and some reviews of bigger scale models... http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234949148-messerschmitt-me410a-1-hornisse-148/?hl=%2Bmesserschmitt+%2B210 Some of you may have noticed a cutting mat that wasn't there while Bf-110 was on the bench, got it today as well as Humbrol filler and a nice little model of Rogožarski IK-3 "Belgrade Defender", a bird that tried to keep the Luftwaffe busy once bombing of Belgrade started... Unfortunately, Royal Yugoslav Air Force only had 12 of them, 6 weren't operational as it was still tested, but still our pilots took down 11 Bf-109 in fights in April '41, 3 of which were taken by Sgt. Dušan Vujčić, whose IK-3 I'll be making once it gets its turn... For those interested in it, IK-3 was reported to be an overall improvement on Hawker Hurricane and more maneuverable than Bf-109 (pilots of 51st Fighter group were in charge of experimental work and RYAF had both Hurricane and 109 in its air fleet), but it had poorer rate of climb than 109 and it was slower as well (difference in engine power)... Got all my tools and paints on the mat once I got it, it's not a large set, though you can see that I got myself a good number of new stuff (all of that during Bf-110 build) on the right... During this build, I'll buy a wheel riveter (store was out of them today) and an airbrush for the final paint job and that should be enough for the next couple of builds as well... Back to Me-410, I hope to get some real work done during the weekend, however I expect this to be a slow-starter, since I'm a bit busy with some faculty stuff... Anyway, I hope this was enough for an intro post, I'm looking forward to this build as well as all of your comments... Cheers!

Just received my pre-order copy of this booklet: Yep, that's a 2€ coin there. The subtitle says "Messerschmitt Bf 109 G in the Finnish Air Force" and that sums up nicely what this book is all about! Larger than A4- format, 400 pages, 479 b/w- and 6 original colour photos, 24 colour plates by Karolina Holda and Thierry Dekker, 32 line drawings in 1:72 and 1:48 scales. All the plane histories, kills and losses... What am I doing writing all this, I should go reading! Available in Finnish, of course from here http://www.koalakustannus.fi/kirjat/kirja.php?id_prd=233 V-P

Hello fellow Modellers! This is my Heller 1:72 model of the little bangladeshi trainer with additional details. Decals are Letraset, Verlinden rub ons, from Fujimi MiG-21 and archive. Started on January 07, 2002, Finished on June 29, 2002. This Magister was built by Messerschmitt in Munich-Riem. It´s so a Me 170! It was AA-283 in the Luftwaffe, then it went to Austria as 4D-YD and was refurbished and sold to Bangladesh 1989. It´s there a IA for students now. It´s trainer yellow, international orange and red dayglo. I hope you like it! Cheers!

After much anticipation the AMG 1/72 scale Jumo engined Bf 109s are finally available. Over the years I have considered and even tried many alternatives for an acceptable 109 A through D, including modifying the Heller kit, grafting the Heller nose on a Tamiya E, Grafting the DB Products nose on a Tamiya E, learning to live with the Heller kit and finally, waiting for a good kit to come along. I've read a number of reviews of the AMG model online, none of them glowing. One of the best assessments comes from our own Woody, which I will reprint here: "I've had one of these for some time now. While the initial viewing makes it look very good, it has issues. As far as the shape goes it is very good. Nice scribing and most of the small parts are done well. Photo etch and masks included and all of the parts for all of the variants are apparently included in all of the kits. However... there's no canopy framing and the engineering of the wing is preposterous. The wing does not for the most part break on panel lines. The wing root is split up the middle, cleaning up this seam will most likely take out the fairings that cover the spar bolts requiring their replacement. At the trailing edge of the wing root are rather wonky keys on the lower surface of the fuselage that are supposed to slot into openings on the lower wing panel. They don't fit. Then there's the join at the trailing edge. Most 109 kits I have seen the lower wing panels aft edge is at the flap/aileron juncture on the underside. Not here, no that would be much too simple. Instead there is a sweeping joint that runs through two panel lines on it's way to the wingtip. In addition the lower wing is too thick to sit flush in it's provided recess adding insult to injury. Then we get to the cowling. I believe there are ten pieces involved in the cowling assembly. It appears that the lower radiator area will fit fairly well, the rest of it looks like it will be a challenge. Another issue with the cowling is that the rather prominent angled vents fore and aft of the exhausts are merely represented with a scribed outline rather than an indentation. This will also be a challenge to rectify. So what do we have at the end of the day? It's got a better shape than the Heller kit. It's got better detail, better fabric surfaces and it's scribed. It also looks to be a bitch to build. The Heller kit, which has just been rereleased, will be an easier build but not as accurate. Which you choose will depend on your priorities and skill level. I was really hoping for a reasonable kit here, but the engineering of the wing has really put me off. Which is a shame as I would have bought about two dozen of these things. I guess I'll have to wait and see what the competition brings out. Now for a little editorial content. I have it on good authority that the 1/48 scale early 109's by AMG do not have the ludicrous engineering around the wing. So why did they do this on the 1/72 scale kit? The only thing I can think of is to leave fingerprints. So that if one of the less principled manufactures tries to copy the AMG kit it will be glaringly obvious that they did so or they have a lot of extra work to do to cover their tracks. I can see their point but the disservice they did to the consumer is appalling." Not to be dissuaded, I decided to make this kit my next project. So here goes. The most daunting part of the build will be the (too) multi-part nose; but how should it be approached? Glue the cowl panels to the fuselage, then add the exhausts or stick the upper cowl together first, attach the exhausts to the cowl, then proceed? This thing is like an erector set. A bunch of loosely fitting parts interlock to make a rigid structure. The key seems to be, oddly enough, the wing. The lower cowl is integral with the lower wing part, so let's start there. As Woody mentioned, the wing parts breakdown is utterly ridiculous. See here: What the hell were they thinking?? Their 1/48 kit has the upper/lower wing attachment at the aileron and flap line. Easy! Not here. And if it fit you could accept it. It doesn't. In the photo you can make out the very coarse sanding I did on the outer lower wing panels. It wasn't enough, so I took a #10 scalpel blade and scraped off some of the mating area on the upper wings. This just about did it, but it still wasn't perfect. More of that below. I will give AMG credit for the wheel well breakdown. The wells are inserts, a little too thick (who's surprised at that), but this enables them to be painted in a simple way. First I painted the upper wing structure, the wheel well insert and the rim of the well on the lower wing in Pollyscale RLM 02. Then I brush painted the leather area of the insert with an acrylic brown. When sandwiched together, this is much easier and effective than a single part. While I was at it, I painted the cockpit RLM 02 as well, gave it an oil wash, and picked out some details with Vallejo acrylics. This kit has perhaps the best cockpit of any 1/72 scale 109 model on the market today. The details are very crisp and an included photo-etched fret contains quite a few minute items. One thing became apparent to me when some references. The map case is molded on the left side of the cockpit, which is actually correct, but only for the Bf 109 A. From the B - E versions, it is on the right side. AMG provides a photo-etched case, but there are two issues. First, it lacks one indentation where it should be folded. I tried brute force but that didn't work. This is also the case (no pun intended) with the 1/48th kit, on which I also experimented. There I tried scribing the missing groove, again to no avail, even though it is significantly bigger. My advice to you; make one from .005" plastic card. Again, I was elated to discover that the kit is correct for the A variant. Incidentally, this is pointed out in the two essential references for the early 109s. The first is a superb Kagero monograph: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234990602-messerschmitt-bf109-early-versions-a-d/ The second is vol. 1 of Lynn Ritger's excellent two part series on the Bf 109: https://www.amazon.com/MESSERSCHMITT-BF-109-PART-Prototype/dp/0955185807/ref=pd_cp_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0955185807&pd_rd_r=NZA1Q7MJVHM5SKF9Q21G&pd_rd_w=e82hI&pd_rd_wg=8RKBp&psc=1&refRID=NZA1Q7MJVHM5SKF9Q21G So here is the wing after quite a bit of effort. The wing joint has been slathered with a mixture of talcum power and super glue (thank you Mr. Dedig) and sanded. I then brushed some Gunze Mr. Surfacer on some suspicious areas and re-sanded. I then masked the wheel wells and shot a rather heavy coat of Mr. Surfacer 1000 on the rest of the lower wing. So far, it looks OK. I will sand and polish this area, then it's on to rescribing the lost panel lines. The would have been a much more difficult job without these very simple tools from John Vojtech at UMM Models: They are simple, shaped aluminum bars to which you attach sandpaper to using double sided tape. But the advantage is that they don't "give". They stay perfectly flat, just what is needed for sanding the uneven lower wing surfaces. Finally (you thought you'd never get there), here's what I meant about the lower wing being crucial to the nose alignment. Again, I'm not sure how to proceed. The cowl panels are stuck on with blobs of Blu-Tack. I have thought about leaving them there and glueing everything together with 5-minute epoxy. Of course I would align the parts better than this, but that just might work. Or, use epoxy putty t for the same purpose. Epoxy putty would also act as the adhesive, but once pushed beyond where you want it to go, you can't really pull the part out again. Blu-Tack is "gummier" and will allow that. So that's part one of the saga. If you've gotten this far, you deserve a medal for endurance. I also have a cobbled together Heller 109 B/D from the shelf of doom. When the AMG kit catches up, I will proceed with both models. Thanks for looking.

EDITED 26.4.2017; here are the rules to be followed in this STGB: Welcome to the Britmodeller Bf 109 STGB II! (actually the first was a Me 109 STGB...) When: 6th May to 6th August 2017 Host: vppelt68 Eligible builds: Messerschmitt Bf 109 including prototypes and racers, production models from A to Z and their direct descendants, Hispanos and Avias! Regarding Me 209:s, 309:s etc… I´m sorry but I need to say "no" to them. If you want to build a V-tail G-0 go ahead, as long as you build one of the actual prototypes! SO, NO WHIFS! Spanish Civil War, WW2, Israeli early years, WW2 movie planes, post war- use in various European air forces - you just can´t say there isn´t enough build options in planes that actually existed. WIP thread: All builds must have a work in progress- thread. Multiple builds in one build thread: Allowed. All builds should have their own gallery entry, though, with five pictures being good a good number as any number can be posted at the build thread. Commenting on gallery thread is a no-no, please do that in the build threads only. No trading: Any parts/decals/kits etc that you want to buy or sell MUST be posted in the Buy/Sell area only, not here in the GB forum. No ready-mades: Entries must be under 25 % complete. If there's any doubt, get in touch with one of us or post your progress in the GB Chat thread, things usually get sorted out. Prizes: AZmodel / Kovozávody Prostějov is sponsoring us. Stunning details to be announced next saturday when we hit the Current GB- section Please note: We WILL certainly have a regular Britmodeller Gallery feature but NO POLL there. Recommended aspects: Having fun! Regards, V-P Here´s the original rules discussion: When next time: 6 May 2017 to 6 August 2017 When last time: actually my 1st GB and my first Britmodeller build took place from 1st November 2012 till 3rd February 2013 Since then happened: all those AZ Model and KP 1:72 kits, Eduard 1:48 G-6 and hopefully Zvezda too, and of course the Revell 1:32 Eligible: Messerschmitt Bf 109:s from prototypes and racers, production models A to Z and direct descendants, Hispano Buchons and Avia S-you know what:s that I now can't recall by name, but are just re-engined Bf 109:s. Is there the 25% rule: Let´s use common sense! An unstarted 1:72 easy build kit to be built OOB has a lot less job left to be finished than (say) a 50% done 1:32 kit with resin, PE or both. So why should we not allow such mountain of work not to be finished within a STGB? I say we should! Tell me if you object, please, before we start. Why: well it's almost five years by then, there'll be Mustang STGB number 3 (!) this year, and just FW 190 and Ju 88 Luftwaffe subject STGB:s above horizon in the next 16 months, plus those new kits that weren't available last time, and because I'd like to have one! Who: 1: vppelt68 (that´s me, host) 2: Mish 3: dazdot 4: Knight_Flyer 5: bubbasparksuk 6: Arniec 7: Prenton 8: jrlx 9: Caerbannog 10: Mottlemaster 11: GREG DESTEC 12: smuts (co-host, thanks Andy!) 13: usetherudders. 14: stevehnz 15: specky 16: Black Knight 17: Ettore 18: Erwin 19: Bill Ficner 20: kpc7676 21: Paolo6691 22: -Neu- 23: Enzo Matrix 24: Duncan B 25: Rob G, thank you mr.25 as now we are ready for take off! 26: jean 27: trickyrich 28: SAU 29: Mikemx 30: AndyC 31: TonyTiger66 32: Kahunaminor 33: planecrazee 34: Ozzy 35: Blitz23 36: Ettore 37: tango98 38: Sabre_days 39: Knetterik Camberry Sauce 40: Doug Rogers 41: PlaStix 42: delta7 43: DaveJL 44: wayne 0 45: Greg in OK 46:... So blame me crazy for proposing a new STGB to happen a year and a half away... I'm guilty as charged! It seems we´re all crazy! Regards, V-P

Hi guys, I'm not usually an aircraft builder however I decided to incorporate a diorama into this build and have a go at adding an electric motor to one of the engines, also this is my first attempt at modelling a grass base. I wanted a patchy and worn looking effect where a lot of work seems to have been carried out under the plane and the grass has suffered for it. I hope you like the results.

Hi guys, I'm not usually an aircraft builder however I decided to incorporate a diorama into this build and have a go at adding an electric motor to one of the engines, also this is my first attempt at modelling a grass base. I wanted a patchy and worn looking effect where a lot of work seems to have been carried out under the plane and the grass has suffered for it. I hope you like the results.

Hi guys, well after finishing the Hunter Killer diorama, I am building a new kit which will be another diorama with ground crew, but anyhow here are a few photos of my progress from this weekend.

RS Models is to release 1/72nd Messerschmitt Me.609 kits - ref.92197 - Messerschmitt Me.609 Heavy fighter - bomber Source: http://rsmodels.cz/cs/modely-letadel/plastikove-modely/1-72/92197/me-609-heavy-fighter-bomber - ref 92198 - Messerschmitt Me.609 Nightfighter Source: http://rsmodels.cz/cs/modely-letadel/plastikove-modely/1-72/92198/me-609-nightfighter V.P.

Is this a common practice to attach the harness as seen in this picture? I never seen it like that before. And another question regarding some cockpit equipment. What are the items circled in red used for? The leaver on the left has something to do with cooling / air circulation (entlüftet). Would be great if someone knows. Cheers, Peter

Soon by RS Models a 1/72nd Messerschmitt Me 509 kit - ref. 92203 Source: http://rsmodels.cz/en/modely-letadel/plastikove-modely/1-72/92203/messerschmitt-me-509 V.P.

Bf.109G-6 Erla Weekend Edition 1:48 Eduard The Bf.109G series carried the Luftwaffe along with the supposed replacement the Fw.190 throughout the closing years of the war, despite being increasingly outclassed by the later marks of the Spitfire and the new airframes coming out of Allied factories. The Kit We have reviewed a couple of the new G series 109s from Eduard, such as the G-6 Early in Profipak format, which in this case shares the same plastic with this boxing, and eschews the fancy pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) and the multiple decal options for the plastic core and a more pocket-friendly price-tag. Inside the box are four sprues of mid-grey styrene, one of clear parts, a pair of decal sheets, and a glossy instruction booklet, which is a step up from the older Weekend Editions, as are the two decal options. Construction goes along the same lines as the previous boxings, and if you were expecting an Erla Haube high visibility canopy, you do get one but it's not appropriate for the two decal options provided. Why? Erla was the Erla Maschinenwerk who had a factory near Leipzig before it became a by-word for the new canopy style that gave the pilot a better situational awareness by removing many of the frames from the greenhouse canopy and replacing it with fewer curved panels. As with all the newly tooled Eduard 109s, the kit has beautiful surface detail, a full set of mobilised flying surfaces, including the automatic leading-edge slats, and a pair of dual-layer flaps that sit behind the radiator baths as per the real thing. A scrap diagram shows the correct orientation of these, to help you avoid a screw up. There is a choice of a couple of different small stencil decals within the cockpit, and an alternative windscreen parts depending on which decal option you choose. Markings Two markings options are included, as previously mentioned, so you have a choice of schemes for your Gustav, as follows: Hptm. Heinrich Ehrler, Stab III./HG 5, Alakurtti, Finland, June 1943 W.Nr.15909 Hptm. Gerhard Barkhorn, Stab II./JG 52, Anapa, Soviet Union, Sept 1943 The decals are printed in-house, are in good register, sharp, have excellent colour density, and include both a decal for the instrument panel, plus four more for the seatbelts. They're a little two-dimensional compared to PE, but they're an awful lot better than no seatbelts at all. The smaller decal sheet contains all the stencils, with the last page of the instructions detailing their application away from the clutter of the national and squadron markings pages. Conclusion The weekend Edition's moniker may be a little optimistic for most modellers' timescales, but it's a great way of picking up one of Eduard's new 109s for a good price. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Next Scratchaeronautics resin kit will be a 1/48th Messerschmitt P.1112 V-1. Sources: https://www.facebook.com/Scratchaeronautics/posts/1469545753078477 Preorder: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=252795289123&ssPageName=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT#ht_1860wt_1037 V.P.

RS Models is to release 1/72nd Messerschmitt 309 kits - ref. 92201 - Messerschmit Me 309 V-1 and V-2 Source: http://rsmodels.cz/en/modely-letadel/plastikove-modely/1-72/92201/messerschmit-me-309-v1-and-v2 - ref. 92202 - Messerschmitt Me 309 V-4 Source: http://rsmodels.cz/en/produkt/default/messerschmitt-me-309-v4?katnum=92202&do=setLang V.P.

Why so few Messerschmitts? Ok yes, this is BRITmodeller, but no reason to leave out the most important Axis fighter in the MTO! I have a number of AZ 109s in the stash, and one of my favorite ones is White 9 ever since I saw it on the box of the older Italeri kit. According to the box, White 9 was flown by Staffelkapitan Emil Clade of JG 27 and operated from "Malemo" which I suspect is a typo of Maleme, Crete. I started work on this kit last week hoping to finish it by Thursday of next week as I am off on holiday and won't be at my modelling desk until the new year. Let's see if I finish. Here's the construction stages up until painting which I hope to do tomorrow. First off, spraying RLM 02 and 66 on the relevant bits Cockpit pic taken with flash All built up. Lots of putty...

Eduard 1/32 "Weekend Edition" Messerschmitt BF109E-3 "Final Reveal" (8.17.15) Hello Chaps, So, she's finally completed and here are my "Final Reveal" photos of her. I hope you like?! If you've followed my build updates for this kit, you'll be aware of the fit issues that were present when trying to assemble the engine, bulkhead and firewall into the space provided, having to file around 2.0mm away on the width and length of the engine assembly and fuselage internal walls combined, along with filing down the length of the internal assembly and its location points within the fuselage to get it to fit. I also had to jack up the engine with spacers to ensure the exhausts stacks lined up with the apertures that they go through, as well as file the exhaust aperture to make them wider and longer due to the exhausts being larger and not going through. Regarding whether I think this is a VFM kit - "Value For Money" kit, the answer would be an unequivocal and resounding "No"! I base this on the cost of the kit compared to the newly tooled Revell Germany 1/32 BF109G-10 that I modelled. Although the Revell kit doesn't come with a Daimler-Benz DB601A engine, it does have nice cockpit and external details and goes together extremely well without the need for filler. The Eduard kit is 50% more expensive than the Revell Germany kit and one has to ask oneself..."Do I want to pay 50% more just to include an engine that is problematic to fit?". Also, if you chose not to display the engine with the Eduard kit, then I would say that you'd be wasting your money paying the extra for a kit that includes an engine, for it not to be used...you definitely should choose the Revell kit if you take that option and save yourself $12.00. The Revell Germany 1/32 BF109G-10 was $23.95 and the Eduard 1/32 BF109E-3 was $35.95. Regarding providing my scores for the overall quality of engineering, quality of molded product, quality of details included, quality of the instruction manual and the decals and packaging, I score as follows: Quality of Engineering Fits: 4/10 based on how badly engineered the internal assemblies were when fitting inside the fuselage halves. Filler was required in a few places. The worst gap was at the underside front end of the two fuselage halves. The gap was around 2.0mm, which led me to file down the sides of the oil cooler, the front exhaust stacks and the inside faces of the fuselage halves where they mated. Without destroying the exhaust stacks, there was still a gap of around 0.75mm that I filled. There were also gaps of about 1.0 to 1.5mm all around the rear area of the wing assembly where it joins the fuselage on the belly of the plane. I had to fill these areas, too. Quality of molded product: 9/10- the product is very nicely molded, parts are crisp and clean with just a few spots of flash. No warp was present on any of the parts and ejector pin witness marks were away from visual areas. I didn't have any sink marks to contend with and the canopy parts were nice and clear with minimal distortion when looking through. There are finely recessed panel lines and rivet details, although some of the rivet details are too fine for them to show when the plane is given a dirt wash during the finishing stage. A good rivet forming tool would cure that, should you have one and want to attempt improving them. Quality of details included: 8/10- The included engine, bulkhead and firewall have nice details that look good at the end of the build, but they require a lot of patience to get them to fit. The undercarriage is nicely detailed too and includes brake lines and treaded tyres. The cockpit is very nicely detailed and would be enhanced more with after-market seatbelts and foot pedals, but as always, I build "Out of Box" to establish a fair assessment of what you're getting for your money compared to similar kits. Quality of the instruction manual: 9/10- I thought it was very easy to follow, but, it would be nice if the painting instructions were in color. They are if you chose to buy the "Profi-Pak" version instead of this "Weekend Edition" version. Quality of Decals: 8/10- There is only one option for color and markings. The main decals are very good and go down well onto a gloss clear coat in combination with a good decal setting solution, adhering to recesses and surface features. However, some of the smaller stencils had a tendency to "Silver" which I hid with weathering and painting ove the silver areas. Quality of packaging: 9/10- the box is a two part base and lid construction with the base being very sturdy cardboard. I prefer the base and lid style rather than the open end version provided by Revell. Sprues are packaged in clear polythene bags. Further notes: I wouldn't recommend this kit to a beginner because of the fit issues, it's definitely a kit for the more experienced modeler who has patience to overcome the fit issues. Did I enjoy the build?- I did up until the fit issues arose, then it was a "Debbie downer" until those were overcome. Then after that, the rest of the build was smooth sailing. Would I buy this kit again? NO! I'd hope that Revell Germany would Introduce the engine details into their kits for an extra $5.00 which I'd pay willingly, as long as there were no issues. Or, I'd recommend the Trumpeter 1/32 BF109E models that come complete with engine details, a fret of PE and rubber tyres. If you'd like to see my "Final Reveal" video for this update, here is the link to that: https://youtu.be/ej54LH-n8iY Thanks for following along with this build and for your comments, much appreciated! Time to get back onto the Revell 1/32 Spitfire Mk.II when the replacements for the missing and damaged parts arrive next week! Happy modeling and have fun! Cheers Martin

After the G-2 variant (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234992901-148-messerschmitt-bf109g-2-by-hobbyboss-released/) next HobbyBoss Awfulschmitt "Gustav" kit is a 1/48th Bf.109G-6 - ref.81751 Release expected in late August 2016. Source: http://www.hobbyboss.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=55&l=en No box art, just a picture for illustration. V.P.

Hello Guys, Because I have to wait 8 weeks now for the missing part and damaged part to arrive from Revell Germany for my Revell 1/32 Spitfire Mk.IIa, I'm now going to start a new kit that will be my 2nd entry into "Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary GB" both on here and on YouTube- hosted by Ukscalemodeller and CharlesScaleModelling. This is Eduard's "Weekend Edition" of this model. You can buy what is called a "Profi-Pak" version that is more glitzier, that includes a full color booklet, photo-etch and more color/marking options. This kit was kindly given to me by a modeling buddy and so the sprues had already been taken out of their bags and some parts had been removed from their sprues. The Box is made from a two-ply card base and a single-ply lid making it very sturdy, which I prefer moreso than the single ply Revell boxes that open at one end. The box contains a 8 page black and white instruction/assembly/painting and decaling booklet. Only one option of color/markings is offered, that of Major Otto Bertram's aircraft who was a Luftwaffe ace fighter pilot with 22 kills credited to him that earned him the "Knights Cross of the Iron Cross".... The instructions look straight-forward and the color call outs are for Mr. Color and Hobby Color only, so conversions to your preferred paint will be necessary. Front Page 1 and Back Page 8 Pages 2 and 3 Pages 4 and 5 Pages 6 and 7 There are two sheets of decals/stencils that are very thin, nicely registered, almost zero carrier film around the edges and they are a nice satin/matt finish. Decal Sheet Stencil Sheet The kit comes with 6 olive colored sprues and one clear sprue, but as mentioned earlier, because this kit was given to me, the sprues had been taken apart. But, here are photos of all the parts on their sprues or removed with some close ups too, to show the nice fine panel line and rivet details and also how nicely molded these parts are. There is zero flash on the majority of these parts, with the tiniest amount in a few places. The parts are crisp and clean with zero warping/distortion and ejector pin marks are absent from seen surfaces. One thing that I'm excited about is that this kit includes a Daimler-Benz DB601N engine and removable cowlings to display it if you wish to do so, unlike the Revell 1/32 BF109G-10 build I did recently that didn't include one... The Clear Sprue is very clear with thin molded parts that include riveted frame details. They are free of any aberrations and very little distortion of image when looking through them... At first sight, this kit looks like a really nice kit, well engineered and excellently molded, although it would have been nice to have one or two more options of color/markings. This kit is available from on-line USA distributors for $35.85, which is about 24.00 quid in the UK, which is $12.00 (8.00 quid) more than I paid for the Revell 1/32 BF109G-10, although the Revell kit didn't have an engine and open cowling options. At the end of this build, I'll let you know my thoughts on how well it goes together and compare it to the Revell kit I built to establish my personal opinion on whether it is good value for money. Okay, with that out of the way, I can now go and wash the parts in readiness to make a start on her next Monday! I have the grandson coming soon and he's here until Sunday evening! In the meantime, if you'd like to see my YouTube "In-Box-Review" video for this kit, here is the link: https://youtu.be/H23GCnQS9os Happy modelling and have fun! Cheers Martin : )

Kora Models has just released a 1/72nd Hirth Lastenträger (resin) & Messerschmitt Bf.109G (AZmodel) in Mistel configuration - ref.72019 Source: https://www.lfmodels.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2351&zenid=56lk5f17ssm86s4aj36k7tvfi2 Box art V.P.

Hello I would like to ask some questions about those mentioned recce versions. I did search from my own references and from the net but if anyone have other opinions and knowledge. First, would anyone be able to help about 109G-4R-3 with two auxiliary fuel tanks on wings, how they were attached ? Did they have similar stubs like on those WGr.21 rocket launchers or rack or what ? I have found some pics but just would like to know if someone knows better and more. Also, what were those long things like pipes coming forward on those tanks ? Second, Pierre Clostermann describes on his book 'The Great Show', how he shoot down a recce 109 with two wing mounted drop tanks. I know that it was Ian Blair who made the claim and that the 109 was apparently 109G-6R-3 1.(F)/120 A6+XH flown by Quednay. Now the question, would the 109G-6 recce have used those auxiliary tanks ? Did G-8 use or could have been used similar tanks. I know that this is difficult but any info and output would be highly appreciated ? TIA Teemu Haajanen

Dear Fellow Modellers, I've just finished this build in the KUTA GB (after not managing to finish it in time for the Battle of Britain GB, in the Summer of 2015) and thought I could post a few more pictures here. The WIP thread can be found here. Notable points of the build: This took me about 6 months to finish (from the end of July 2015 to almost the end of January 2016) but it was built in parallel with several other models (which are still to be finished, by the way...) It's the first model I finish using PE (Eduard's Zoom set) and I'm happy with the results, though working with PE can be really fiddly The camouflage consists of some mottling and stippling all over on the fuselage sides. I'm happy with the paint finish, though the stippled camouflage should be denser I had to cut the canopy in order to pose it open. I'm afraid the canopy paint finish and varnish of the transparent areas is not perfect due to masking removal... Use of Micro Sol over Alclad Klear Gloss doesn't work, which combined with thick decals caused some difficulties in making the decals conform to the panel lines Weathering: Vallejo dark wash, chipping, Vallejo pigments Here are general views of the model: The cockpit: Details of the cockpit, taken at the time of closing the fuselage: Weathering of engine cover and cannons Weathering: wing roots chipping and exhaust stains Weathering: top surface of wings: Weathering: underside Together with the other Bf 109 of my collection (a Bf 109 G10, RFI here) Thanks for looking. All comments are most welcome. Cheers Jaime