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Messerschmitt Bf-109 H-1, Otaki, 1/48


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Dear Members,

 

Here I like to present one of my German highflyers.

 

I build this model years ago. When Otaki brought out this model I bought several, planning to convert them in several different versions.

 

I made the wing extensions with thick plastic sheet, removed all the bulges of the G-series, added a 4 blade prop and made new , larger span elevators, with two struts.  Finally I replaced the coolers to the new innerwings.

 

As reference I used a three-view drawing from the book : Messerschmitt Bf-109 “The Augsburg

Eagle “ by Willliam Green.

 

I know there is some confusion about the prop, was it a 4- or 3- blade, I still don't know, but I like the 4- blade one....😁   

 

The photographs were taken with lesser light I preferred , but I hope you enjoyed them anyhow !

 

 

Kind greetings

 

JohnHaa

 

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1 minute ago, binbrook87 said:

Did this ever fly or was it scrapped in favour of the Ta152 instead?

apparently it did, but I have never seen a photo of one. 

Searches on forums with 109 experts say no photo has ever surfaced, but this conversion has been a modeller favourite since the 70's at least, A modelling book I had out the library then had this conversion in 72nd.

 

Neat model @JohnHaa  :goodjob:

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Well I looked up some more information from the book I mentioned.

 

There were several H-1's delivered to an experimental service evaluation unit based at Guyancourt, near Paris. It flew general satisfactory, it reached a service ceiling of 47,500ft (14.480 m). 

But as often the case with long span wings,  it experienced some wingflutter in diving speeds above 455 m.p.h. ( 732 km/h).

 

After some further testing it was decided to stop production in favour of the Focke- Wulf Ta-152H.

 

JohnHaa

 

 

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Nice build. I have an AZ kit in 1/72 with some very interesting but probably unrecorded paint and marking schemes. When it comes to building it I will certainly keep your build on mind.

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I can never understand why so many drawings and models of this aircraft show it without the bulges of the high-altitude engine.  It is probably true (not known for absolutely certain but likely) that a aerodynamic prototype flew with an earlier engine and the big wings, alongside other prototypes based on G-5 fuselages with different high-altitude engines (notably the DB628), but the second prototype was based on the fuselage of the Me209V-6, as shown by the tall fin and rudder.  Whether it had a DB603 is not recorded to my knowledge, but surely any actual service trials flying would have been with the DB605D or DB605AS high altitude engine, hence with the bulges over the engine as on the Bf109G-10.  It is also not known for sure whether the wings fitted to the one confirmed example had the '109 outer wings or the somewhat different '209.  Although the outwards retracting undercarriage points to a '109 source.

 

There'd be no point at all in having a high altitude fighter or recce aircraft with the DB605A inside a smooth cowling.  It'd run out of puff before getting there.

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Graham, thanks for your comments

 

I'm not an expert with the Bf-109 but this is, what I found in my book.

 

As far as I understand it, the -H-1 was based on the early Bf-109G-5 with the pressurized cockpit.

The bulges of later model -G-5 were the fairings of the MG- breeches, so I don't think they had a connection with the type of engine.

The -H-1 had a DB 605A with GM-1 power boosting.

 

The airframe of the Me-206 V6 was used for the construction of the Bf-109H V55. This type was developed much later then the -H-1.

 

By chance I was digging in the stories of the later experimental versions, well that is complicated business and I still have to figure it out . 

The reason is I have a spare model which I like to use for a later type, like the Me-155B or the P-1091 series.  

 

With regards,

JohnHaa 

 

 

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Agreed that the bulges on the G-5 are no relation to the wider bulges, what used to be called the refined cowl, of the high altitude rated engines.

 

I wish you much luck with attempting to determine the history of the type:  I have been trying for years and various sources simply do not agree.  What I proposed is something of an amalgam with the less convincing (downright odd) variations excluded.  Do not attempt to understand what was going on from any one source!  Especially the older ones.

 

One thing to ignore is the suggestion that the H-1 was much earlier than the V-55, or the other prototypes in the high altitude series.  The "H-1" used for service trials was one of these prototypes - not destroyed in the USAAF raid that did destroy the others.  The Me.155 was not a later type but a much earlier one, and frankly can simply be regarded as an early version of the Me.209 fighter based on the Bf.109G-5 with a new wing.  Later, with a DB603 cobbled onto the front, this became the Me209V-5 fighter proposed instead of the Fw.190D and later offered to Hungary but doubly rejected.  This design then went into the Me.190H/209H development thread.  Messerschmitt was spending many manhours in 1940/41 with the design of the "209 wing", which can be seen on a number of different types including the Me.309 and Me.155.  The Me.155 designation seems to have been used as a cover for the design work supplied to France and supposedly done there, although how much useful work was ever produced I've been unable to determine!  I must admit having a bag with the Gustav fuselage and a 209 wing which will eventually be turned into the carrier version of the Me.155.  No need to worry about high altitude rated engines there.

 

It would make an interesting comparison to a Firebrand or Sea Typhoon, although I must admit being tempted by Hawker's smaller extended wing on a standard Typhoon, which I think would produce a much more practical design.  But that's another matter altogether.

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