Bf109/trop 1/72

[Adam Poultney]

What Bf109e/trop kits are good in 1/72? Not bothered by the particular subvariant as long as it's a trop suitable for a desert scheme. I do like the earlier canopy though, but that's not a big thing really.

And same question again with F and G variants

Edited December 12, 2019 by Adam Poultney

[MDriskill]

Well for 109E's, the brands of kits discussed at length in the thread currently nearby are all available in Trop variants.

 

For F's and G's, and without doing any research on individual releases, the AZ range of 109's have covered just about every conceivable late variant including Trops (in fact, if you aren't planning to use kit decals, I think most of them have the supercharger intake filter included on their large common sprue of detail parts). I like these kits but others will have a wide spectrum of opinion!

Edited December 12, 2019 by MDriskill

[Wulfman]

You might look for the Academy Bf-109 G-6 a nice moulding with the tropical filter included. (AC12467)

It would be a slightly easier build than the AZ and should be cheaper.

If you would prefer an F , AZ do a 109F-4 Trop featuring 3 of Marseille’s machines. (AZM 7629).

Wulfman

[TANK63]

Thanks for the advice guys 

[epozar]

My guess: AZ model.

I have one of their G kits and it's great
 

----- >>>>>> ooops!!! I thought you are asking for an "F" -- but btw let's the post stay anyway

Edited December 16, 2019 by epozar

[EMP]

I have just about finished an AZ Model 109F (AZ 7626) in Franz Schwaiger’s Yellow 3 scheme and I’m not convinced of the shape of the nose with this kit when compared to photographs. It looks too long and narrow to my eyes, but maybe it’s just me. I am going to look for another brand, but there doesn’t seem to be many options in 1/72 for F series that are available at a sensible price. Someone was asking over $100 on eBay for a Fine Molds kit 😲.

[Icedtea]

The Zvezda 109F kits spring to mind recently reboxed by Revell (in Australia anyway)  Theyre a quik build type kit but very nice, not sure if they come with the tropical kit but shouldnt be too hard to source one elsewhere (spares box?) Quite reasonably priced IIRC, I have a couple of each a better set of decals might be useful too however?

[fishplanebeer]

Building both the AZ and Zvezda F4/F2 kits at the moment and both are fine with the AZ probably having a slight edge.

 

The Zvezda doesn't have the trop filter but Quickboost do one (both early and late versions) that will fit fine.

 

The AZ 'Marseille' version, which is the one I have, is/was a limited edition only so may be hard to find but the decals in it are way too thick to be of any use anyway so any of the AZ other versions would be just as good, including their G-2 trop.

 

Regards

Colin.

[72modeler]

I have the Fine Molds F-2, F-4, and G-2 trops, and they are excellent kits and are considered to be very accurate in all respects. I don't believe they are still available from HLJ, but they were reasonably priced and go together very well. I guess the AZ kits are the go-to ones now.

Mike

[EMP]

I have yet to put a matt coat on my AZ F2 (edit F4, not F2) Colin but I did note the decals were on thick side and also the surrounding film on some needed a trim. Some of the stencils were also a pain, some curling up to become unusable and needing more care by me in application.

 

My AZ kit also arrived with the wing step/no step demarcation detached from its backing and attached to the masks which came with the kit. That decal I tried to rescue to no avail.

 

By contrast, my 1/72 109E Airfix decals (Kit ***A, Yellow 13) were excellent, including the Stencils.

 

I have used both Tamiya Markfit and Microset/sol and found them comparable in that they both sunk the decals in well to conform to panel details.

Edited December 29, 2020 by EMP
Typo correction

[AaCee26]

On 12/29/2020 at 12:40 AM, EMP said:

I have just about finished an AZ Model 109F (AZ 7626) in Franz Schwaiger’s Yellow 3 scheme and I’m not convinced of the shape of the nose with this kit when compared to photographs. It looks too long and narrow to my eyes, but maybe it’s just me.

Hi,

 

Not only you! AZ is both too lonf between windsreen and cowling. Close to 1.5 mm when compared measurement from a real Bf 109G and wing is on too big  angle of attack causing too shallow lower cowling. Correcting it needs some surgery. I did it once and won't do it another time...

 

Most accurate models of F and early G at the moment are Zvezda F-2 and Tamiya G-6. Often suggested FineMolds has it's share of problems: spinner, nose lenght, rear fuselaga bottom cross section behind the wing and very simple interior. It and the AZ kit are best sources for alternative parts.

 

Cheers,

 

AaCee

[EMP]

Thanks for the info AaCee. The OPs original question has been addressed.

As for my kit, Colin’s observation above about decal thickness was correct, at least in his kit and mine.
 

The AZ decals ruined my build. Considering I built the Tamiya 109E and had no problem with the thickness of the Tamiya decals, I could not achieve same with AZ. The backing film, which was oversized on many of the decals, remains clearly visible on the model, despite the decals conforming to every panel line and detail. They haven’t silvered, they just look ‘stuck on’ and sit proud of the surface despite clear coating and a very light buff of the surface before and after application.

 

This experience coming right at the end of the build was disappointing and is enough for me to spend my money elsewhere.

 

Perhaps others have had more success with AZ’s 109 decals but I’m very reluctant to use them again.

[MDriskill]

On 12/30/2020 at 2:30 PM, AaCee26 said:

Not only you! AZ is both too lonf between windsreen and cowling. Close to 1.5 mm when compared measurement from a real Bf 109G and wing is on too big  angle of attack causing too shallow lower cowling. Correcting it needs some surgery. I did it once and won't do it another time...

 

Stealing my own pic from a nearby thread, this shows an AZ 109F fuselage underneath with one of their early G fuselages on top, The top edges of the noses are closely aligned. I'll leave it to the experts to debate the F kit's other flaws, but AZ did make a pretty effective effort to correct the firewall depth/wing incidence issue at least.

 

 

[fishplanebeer]

Just to add that when comparing the AZ 'F' kit with the Zvezda and the scale plans I have the dihedral was too flat and required bending under warm water to correct. Hardly a major issue but when mating the corrected wing assembly to the fuselage it then produced a distinct step between the two, presumably because the kit is designed to fit together with the incorrect set up/dihedral.

 

Personally I always fins such steps on a kit to be a real bind as the inevitable filling and sanding results in the loss of the engraved panel line details and then re-scribing them, not one of my better skills I have to admit. On the other hand the Zvezda kit has a different joining position between the wings and fuselage which I found to be much neater and easier to finish off.

 

Regards

Colin.

[AaCee26]

4 hours ago, MDriskill said:

Stealing my own pic from a nearby thread, this shows an AZ 109F fuselage underneath with one of their early G fuselages on top, The top edges of the noses are closely aligned. I'll leave it to the experts to debate the F kit's other flaws, but AZ did make a pretty effective effort to correct the firewall depth/wing incidence issue at least.

Thank you for pointing this out. Without kits in hand I stand at least partially corrected

 

What I'm wondering is that when they have done quite a big modification to the height/wing location why lenght haven't been fixed?

 

Edit: There seems to be problems with the lenght of the nose and also the exhaust location in the AZ "Friedrich". Quite a complex issue. What was first thing to hit my eye was the distance between the leading edge to the exhausts.

 

Cheers,

 

AaCee

Edited January 1, 2021 by AaCee26
Looked the other threat