Search the Community

Good evening. I would like to join with this reboot of the Hasegawa kit, with a Yahu replacement I/P and some Eduard PE belts as well... My only (very slight) irritation is with the decals. In the second sheet, the lightening bolts appear to be filled with a grey colour grey - definitely not the RAF Sky Blue the instructions indicate it should be. This may be deliberate, but it does mean there may be some awkward and perhaps unnecessary masking and painting to do here. Let's see - I'll try and do some background research.. Thanks for looking, Icarus

Messerschmitt Bf.109G-4 (SWS25) 1:32 Zoukei Mura from Volks inc. 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 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, utilising monocoque construction and a powerful Daimler Benz V12 engine, albeit an inverted V with fuel injection rather than a Rolls-Royce carburettor as used to power the Spitfire. Initially designed as a lightweight interceptor, like many German types during WWII, the Bf.109 evolved beyond its original brief into a bomber escort, fighter bomber, night fighter, ground-attack and reconnaissance platform. The Bf.109G 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 2,000hp 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, others were fitted with 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. The Kit This new kit of the Bf.109G is a reboxing of an earlier tool from Zoukei Mura that began with their 2022 release of their Bf.109G14/U4, adding new parts to represent the earlier G4, which was almost identical to the G2 variant, but with new radio gear, which resulted in relocation of the antenna mast on the spine. Larger tyres were applied to the main wheels too, as the 109’s weight had risen over successive variants, also changing the angles that the tyres met the ground to closer to vertical, which necessitated an increase to the blisters on the upper wing surface. The tail wheel was similarly increased in size, which made it too large for its bay, so instead of major redesign work, they removed the retraction feature and fixed the wheel in the deployed position. Around 1,200 of this variant were produced, adding a further fifty or so of the G3, which was the same variant with a pressurised cockpit for high altitude work. The kit arrives in a top-opening box that has a painting of a brace of tropicalised 109s in formation high over an arid backdrop. As usual there is a technical feel to the package that goes beyond a typical model kit and hints toward model engineering, which is furthered by the skeletal internal structure that is usually present on ZM kits. Detail is exceptional as we expect from ZM, who specialise in making the modelling process a special event for anyone building their kits. The instruction booklet is a weighty tome printed on heavy-stock matt paper with a red-brown theme reminiscent of primer red, simulating weathering from use with darkened edges, and faux-official stamps giving the impression of authenticity to proceedings. There are nine individually wrapped sprues of varying sizes, which includes some slide-moulded exhaust stubs and cannon barrels that them hollow tips, plus a clear sprue with windscreen, instrument panel and gun sight options to choose from. The final inclusion is a folded A3 sheet of glossy paper that has a full catalogue of their products printed in colour on both sides, covering both their 1:32 and 1:48 ranges. It goes without saying that detail is excellent, but here I am saying it, so that even those that have never heard of Zoukei Mura’s kits before will know. Before construction begins, it’s best to take a good look over the instruction booklet and sprues, deciding on which decal option you wish to depict, which will inform some decisions on the smaller parts that individualise your model to the correct specification. Practical modelling begins with the DB605A-1 inverted V-12 engine, which comes off the sprues complete with pistons inside the individual cylinders, although if you intend to close it, little will be seen. It’s still some impressive engineering, and you are shown the correct configuration in a scrap diagram, plus two photos of a completed block with and without the cover installed. Three ancillary parts are fixed to the rear of the engine, adding two cylinder heads underneath, then applying stencils to the block after painting much of the assembly a semi-gloss black. A large stepped socket is trapped inside the front of the engine without glue by the reduction gear housing, taking care not to allow glue to prevent it from moving, as it will result in a stuck prop. More ancillaries are added into the trough between the cylinder banks under the engine, then a wiring harness is fitted on either side, adding another ancillary to the rear, connecting the harness to the coordinator high on the back of the motor. Air intake trunking is installed under the engine, linking them to the two-part conch-shaped supercharger unit, adding a cross-brace to the rear. Each side is fitted with a two-part engine mount, the starboard side having a wiring harness slipped through it, and a pair of gun muzzles in fairings on the top rear of the engine. More hoses are installed over the next few steps, roughly symmetrical on both sides, which includes two cooling tanks, after cutting the filler caps off the starboard reservoir. A horseshoe-shaped oil tank is attached to the back of the front bulkhead, with a pair of feeder hoses linking it back to the motor, the hoses continuing back over the engine with additional parts, using scrap diagrams to ensure correct placement. More hoses are attached around the underside, stopping part-way if you intend to close the cowlings and hide the engine away, but installing more parts for the exposed variant, including hoses, ancillaries, plus the exhaust stubs, which have hollow tips courtesy of sliding moulds, adding baffles above them on the port side, and above and below on the starboard side of the engine. At this stage you can elect to display the engine outside your model, and a simple stand has been included to help with this, which we have indicated on the sprues with a red tint on sprue E. This is not intended to be a historically accurate example of the real stand, but is a convenient assembly for optional use. A final page of this section shows the completed engine from many angles, fully painted as a guide. The cockpit is next, beginning with a page of photos of the final assembly, complete with the deck for the nose gun bay, the breech and tank. Construction begins by joining the floor to the sloped aft bulkhead on a large tab with runner overlap, fitting rudder bar, side console and foot plate to the floor, followed by a three-part double trim-wheel, plus the fuel priming pump forward of this assembly. The seat pan is added to two slots in the rear, mounting the base of the breech in the forward-centre, with a rudder pedal either side, and the control column behind the breech, all of which is supported with scrap diagrams to avoid issues. A two-layer section of the wing spar is glued in a groove under the floor, adding a chute for the spent brass from the centreline cannon, which leads to a two-part ammunition box, then fitting the rest of the breech cover between the rudder pedals, along with the front bulkhead of the cockpit. A clear fuel line is routed down the starboard side of the cockpit, painting the majority of it yellow, but leaving a short section transparent as a quick reference for the pilot in case his engine stops – lack of fuel, or something else? The cockpit sidewalls are next, adding extra parts before installation, and decals after detail painting is complete. It is worth noting at this point that Zoukei Mura create perhaps the most detailed detail painting guides in the hobby, extending past the cockpit to the rest of the airframe, also giving more information about what it is that you are gluing together in each step. Once the glue is cured on the sidewalls, the cockpit sill and the deck for the nose gun compartment are laid over the top, followed by a detail skin to the forward bulkhead of the cockpit, which is also the firewall for the engine compartment, holding the five-part ammunition boxes for the guns in between layers. An actuator is glued off-centre to the front, and detailed painting instructions are given down to the hoses that travel across the area. Now you have a choice to make on how to create the main instrument panel, either using a styrene part with raised and engraved details on the front, using decals to fill the dials after painting, or using a clear panel that should be painted around the glass of the dials, possibly using punched masking tape if you have the tools available. Decals are then applied to the back of the panel, giving a clear lens on the dials without having to layer on clear gloss over the decals to build up a sheen. The latter option will require you to paint the switches yourself of course, using the accompanying photos to guide you. Two ancillary control boards are attached under the main panel, siting the finished assembly in the front of the cockpit without glue until you have also added the coaming. A pair of brackets are fixed to the back of the firewall, then a two-part 400L self-sealing rubber fuel tank is glued under the pilot’s seat on a large peg after painting. It's time to integrate the engine and cockpit into the fuselage, beginning with personalising the fuselage halves to your chosen decal option, taking care to remove the correct details, as they differ between options. You are advised to check the fit of the cockpit before proceeding, after which you can begin installing parts in the starboard side of the fuselage, adding two frames with the master compass between them, and oxygen bottles to the rear, plus an elevator counterweight further forward. Two more frames are glued further back, one supporting the FuG.16 radio gear that has a rear panel closing off the interior, the other just a frame, with three more tapering toward the tail, two carrying the battery above and two compressed air bottles underneath, installing the rudder’s bell-crank under the base of the tail. The tail strut is attached to a tiny final frame, trapping the two-part tail-wheel by gluing the other half of the yoke in place, then fixing an elevator rod through the bulkhead, taking care as it is necessarily delicate. A hatch frame is suspended between two frames to allow access to the radio gear and battery pack by maintenance crews. The cockpit is ready for installation, taking care to attach two pegs on the exterior to the half frame behind the cockpit before applying glue, as well as locating the pegs on the lower front bulkhead, and pre-painting the cockpit area and fuselage interior before you do so, as usual with diagrams and photos provided to help. Once you have dealt with the fuselage seams in your preferred method, and bear in mind that there are centre-line panel lines on the top and bottom of the fuselage, The elevator panels are made from two parts, clipping in place on the rear of the fuselage, and completed by the flying surfaces, which are moulded as a single part each. A series of scrap diagrams show you the correct orientation and which sprue parts you should remove before installation. The upper section of the tail fin is fabricated from two halves, adding it to the lower and completing it with the two-part rudder panel that can be deflected if you wish, although even when straight, it is slightly offset to counter torque-steer from the powerful engine, as shown in a scrap diagram from above. The deck behind the pilot is a slanted assembly with a separate access hatch for stowage, drilling two holes to fit the canopy jettison frame around the edges. The radio hatch panel is also installed at this point, noting that it will only fit one way, as it is curved to match the shape of the fuselage. Unusually, the main gear struts are fixed to the growing airframe at this point, keying into the structure to the sides of the firewall, then fitting a small rectangular ammo feed roller to the port side. Scrap diagrams show how they should look from various angles, and photos confirm painting instructions. Before the engine is installed, the 20mm MG151 centre cannon is inserted in a hole in the rear, then it can be inserted, with the instructions showing the various location points with colour-coded shapes that corresponds with marks on the bulkhead, noting placement of the bracing struts on the engine bearers using a fan of triple triangles to draw attention to them, as seen in other Japanese manufacturer’s instructions. A cross-brace is installed under the belly, attached to the firewall and two points each, fore and aft. Zoukei Mura’s approach to building the wings of their kits is almost unique, as it includes a great deal of the internal framework, although it is necessarily simplified, remembering to cut away any small sprue sections in the interstices, as marked in red on a scrap diagram. An additional rib has an S-shaped radiator hose threaded through before it is glued into the main part, followed by two pairs of linkage rods, then building the radiator bays under the wings. The cores are built from two parts with mesh texture moulded-in, inserting it into the fairing, then adding the lip before installing it under the wing with an actuator that extends or retracts the lip, depending on cooling status. Lower wing panels are affixed to the frame after fitting a curved portion of the gear bay wall, extending to the tip, which has a cut-out for the wingtip light, and representation of a bulb moulded-in for you to paint silver, then red or green, depending on which wing you are building. Turning the wing over, an additional layer is glued over the main spar, then the remaining parts of the bay wall are added along with a retraction and locking jack for the gear. The wing is closed by fitting the main and wingtip panels, plus the forward slats that are gravity activated, and should be deployed when parked, so are installed without glue to remain mobile if you wish. The same process is carried out in mirror-image for the opposite wing, save for an ammunition box to feed the MG151 in the nose. Your hand is held all the way through both wings in terms of location of parts and correct painting options, as well as all the small parts being called out with real-world names, which really is interesting and informative, especially to the inquisitive modeller. Finally, we can attach the wings to the fuselage, using a spar tab and the outer skin of the wings as gluing points, covering the belly with a large panel that has lightening dimples all over the inner face. If you intend to have your model carrying additional fuel, drill out two holes in this part, adding an insert before it is glued over the underside of the fuselage between the wings. Another batch of scrap diagrams and photos help along the way. The next step involves the leading-edge wing fillet panel, using two different sets for the fillets, taking care to drill them as per the scrap diagrams, joining them together with the aid of a small rectangular panel that is common to both sets of parts. The upper wing root fairings are shown being manoeuvred into position for attachment, one per side, then work on the nose gun bay can begin. The two MG17s are fitted with handed spent ammo chutes, and have a twin ammo feed applied between them on the bay floor, lining up the barrels with the muzzles that were fixed to the engine block early in the build. A hydraulic selector for the landing gear is fixed behind the port fuselage skin, adding a shut-off valve with linkage to the port side of the engine, again with plenty of support from diagrams and photos. Moving forward, the chin-mounted oil-cooler is next, adding a pair of core faces to the interior trunking, then inserting that into the exterior panel with moulded-in cowling for the cooler, whilst feeding an actuator through to control the cooling gill at the rear, which is made from two parts. It is glued in place, and joined by the two halves of the nose ring cowling, which link together to form a circle with overlapping pins. Two main lift-up maintenance panels are detailed on both sides, as per the rest of the cowling parts, and have a thin rectangular strengthening panel applied above the exhaust slots, the port side fitted with an external supercharger intake that is made from two halves with a separate lip, and a base plate, leaving the lip off for the tropicalised variant, which is lengthened by adding a two-part tubular filter, and a new lip that is stabilised against the cowling by drilling out two 0.8mm holes beforehand. The two cowlings can be fixed to the model in open or closed positions, using a centreline hinge that has a trio of attachment winglets along its length to support the assemblies better, whichever supercharger option you went for. The nose gun bay cover is a two-part panel with a stiffener that helps with alignment, but it would be wise to also place the assembly on the model while the glue cures to improve alignment. The oil-cooler panel can also be posed open, hinged on the starboard side, should you wish. For a closed cowling, the winglets should be cut from the centre hinge-line, and the panels glued flush with the surrounding fuselage, using the same three parts for the nose gun bay cover. The oil-cooler panel can then be inserted in the closed position under the chin. The gear legs have been on your model for a considerable part of the build, but they are completed by fitting the three-part wheels and the captive bay doors to the inner faces of the struts, adding a brake hose to the doors before installation, and paying careful note to the correct alignment and angle of the wheels, struts and the rest of the airframe as you do, preferably before the glue cures fully. Whilst it now looks like a Bf.109, there is still much to do, starting with the flying surfaces on the main planes. The 109 had a complex flap system that consisted of two layers, splitting the flaps so that the radiators could cool more efficiently, and although it was intricate, much of the work was automated, with manual overrides if speed was prioritised by the pilot over cooling efficiency. This gives you four options per wing, namely both flaps up, flaps up/radiator open, flaps down/radiator closed, and finally both down/open, requiring one of four parts on the outer end of the inner flap section, and a standard inner end insert. A tapered fillet is glued to the upper flap, and this is fixed to the respective carrier mechanism along with the lower flap, which should depict your chosen option if you have been careful and followed the instructions closely. The same applies to both wings of course, then the simpler outer flaps are made from two parts each, cutting the tabs from one of the two layers depending on whether you want the flaps up or down. Lastly, the ailerons are each made from two parts, and are glued into position, remembering that one should be deflected up if the other is down, and that upward deflection needs less of an angle to be effective than downward deflection. You’ll also have the purists after your blood if you forget to deflect the control column too. The entire prop is a well-moulded single part that incorporates the central boss, and fits inside the three-part spinner and back-plate, taking note of the spline that holds the assembly on the axle, ensuring the prop will rotate if you have been careful with the glue. Fitting the windscreen differs slightly between markings options, cutting away a small intake on the port side for one option, then fitting a common frame and inner bullet-proof panel, which will be best done with clear varnish to reduce the chances of fogging of the glazing. The clear gunsight is installed first after detail painting, then the windscreen can be glued in place, taking care with alignment, and following the painting guide carefully. The fixed aft section has an antenna inserted in a hole near the rear after it is glued in place, then you have a choice of posing the canopy open or closed. The closed option requires cutting away of two tabs that hold it open before fitting the head armour and a pair of knobs that operate the sliding side window sections. The open option uses the tabs to mount the canopy strongly in the open position, but doesn’t show the retaining strap that held the canopy in place when open, but a moment searching the internet should turn up a photo that will help you scratch-build a wire if you feel the need. The closed canopy is simply glued into the space between the two fixed portions. This variant of the Gustav could be adapted by a Rüststand/modification kit that was designated R6, permitting carriage of additional MG151 20mm cannons under each wing in streamlined gondolas, mounted outboard of the wheel bays on brackets that for this kit were already installed as part of the build process. The cannons are made from separate breeches and hollow-tipped barrels, slipping them into position under the wings, with a choice of posing the gondola fairings open or closed, as you prefer. The closed option consists of two halves that are glued together over the cannons, while the open option has both sides moulded in the same part, except for the forward section that remains in place. This will allow the viewer to see the highly detailed cannon from the outboard direction, as shown in the accompanying scrap diagrams and photos. A pitot probe is inserted into the leading edge of the port wing, adding aileron balance weights to each wing, and a clear cover over the wingtip lights that you painted earlier, and if you’re always forgetting which is which, a helpful photo will clear that right up for you. Your last choice is whether to add a belly tank to the model, which is attached via a four-part flattened pylon, which has mounting points projecting from the base that corresponds with the attachment lugs on the top-side of the two-part drop tank. This can be used for either decal option, as extra fuel was commonly required for longer missions. Markings There are two decal options in this boxing, the tropicalised Black 1 wearing a green/brown over Hellblau desert scheme, while Double Chevron (>>) wears a more temperate grey/green upper scheme, with mottle on the sides, over light blue. From the box you can build one of the following: Bf.109G-4/R6 Black 1, flown by Lt. Franz Schiess, CO of 8./JG53, Tindja, Tunisia, April 1943 Bf.109G-4/R6 >>, flown by Maj. Wilhelm Ewald, Stab III./JG3, Kerch, Russia, April 1943 Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is the first time we’ve had a Zoukei Mura Bf.109G for review, and we’ve been missing out. It’s a hugely detailed model, and offers a significantly different modelling experience than your usual kit that you just slap together and paint. Building a ZM kit is also a learning experience that the designers have thought about deeply, and this comes through in every step of the instructions. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Another build started while waiting for the clear coat to dry on my Hellcat. Sorry no pictures during the main building time.

I won't dwell on the kit in much detail - as most here will have read thorough reviews or seen WIPs - but it's a real treat to build. Lovely detail, and nicely engineered. My only issues was that for some reason the top of the instrument panel ended up too high, and as a result the instrument hood (?) didn't fit. Took a bit of whittling. My fault I am sure. I don't have an airbrush, which has always put me off making planes which require the typical Luftwaffe mottling along the fuselage. But I do love the FW190, so doing a desert scheme seemed a neat sidestep of the mottling fear. I got the tropicalised Eduard resin cowling, which was my first resin aftermarket experience. I was a little surprsied that there were no instructions about how to fit it to the plastic kit. Not sure if I did it wrong but I ended up having to chop quite a lot of interior parts off to make it sit flush. Anyway - it's a lovely and detailed addition. Kit was painted with Citadel primer and tamiya rattle cans. All details brush painted. And then weathered with oil paints. Pretty happy with the result. And a kit I would recommend to anyone! I made up the markings, and used a fun spare of what looks like snoopy walking over Africa with a bomb... Think it was from an Eduard Bf108 kit sheet. Cheers, Bruce

Had some time to myself, and started another. So far it has been falling together very nicely.

Fly Hurricane with Montex Masks. Plane flown by Bert Houle - Canadian Ace. Kit is unfortunately not a pleasant experience. I recommend it only to a Hurri fans.

Hi everyone. It is my first posting. I thinks, airfix new 1/72 scale airplane series are fantastic kits It work in 2013 summer. I hope you like this