Tropical BF110

[feoffee2]

Hi

I know airfix made a specific tropical BF110 a few years ago but I wondered if it's possible to convert or buy a conversion kit to make a standard boxing BF110 into the tropical version. I believe it has different air filters and a different nose. 

 

Thanks 

[G.R.Morrison]

I do not know of a source for the necessary conversion parts in either 1/72 or 1/48.  Both Airfix and Dragon/Cyber Hobby used a similar approach for the parts, which would require 'blending' the under-cowl parts with putty.

 

In 1/72, Airfix's 03081 included the few specific parts, the deeper oil coolers (beneath each cowl) and the fuselage gun cover with the air intake between the four MGs which had been introduced on the Bf 110E.  The tubular air intakes (on the starboard cowl , and the portside wind leading edge) had the sand filters added, such as used on the Bf 109F-4/Trop and Bf 109G-2/Trop.  The use of this variant was not restricted to North Africa, and examples can be found in Russia and northern Finland.  Some reconnaissance units also used the Bf 110E-3 with these larger oil coolers.  There are a number of photos of Bf 110E-3/Trop with the 2.(H)/Aufkl.Gr.14 in North Africa (this unit tended to assign letters at the tail-end of the alphabet to their Bf 110s, such as "5F+TK", "5F+UK", "5F+WK", "5F+XK", and "5F+YK").

 

On the other side of the coin, the III/ZG 26 used the conventional Bf 110D and Bf 110E when they arrived in theatre, and later, so you need not necessarily convert a Bf 110E to place it in North Africa.  For the most part, it was 7. & 8./ZG 26 based in the desert, with 9./ZG 26 flying convoy escort between Italy and Libya.  The III/ZG 26 had received a few of the troubled Bf 110F before the end in Tunisia.  Beware:  some reference materials mis-label the 110E-2/Trop as a 'Bf 110F' (which had a different cowl and spinner).

 

Good luck with your build, GRM

[feoffee2]

Thanks for your reply. 

[fishplanebeer]

Bear in mind that the Airfix Bf110's had a major flaw in that the engine nacelles extended too far back and incorrectly went over the flaps.

 

Regards

Colin.