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What BF-109 Trop in North Africa is this?


Peter Browne

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I've been looking for a few of the better Bf 109 1/32 kits, in particular E's and Dragons and Eduards releases. 

 

Dragon all seems gone... 

 

I have the Eduard 1/32 Adlerangriff coming which can be built into a 1, 3 or 4.  This will be built as Galland's E-3. Also have the 1/32 Eduard BF 109 E-1 from Jauce , which I have bought from in the past.  It's a good source other than eBay when looking for OOP kits at very reasonable prices.

 

Now I see Hobby 2000 re-releasing the DML/Cyber Hobby 1/32 Bf 109's which is great news...

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/futurereleases?scale_id=953&search_direction=asc&product_type_id=1821

 

I have gone ahead and ordered the E-7 at https://www.super-hobby.com/products/Messerschmitt-Bf-109-E-7-Trop.html?partner_id=9  which they show as in stock, along with the E-3 and E-4.

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To add to the range factors, whether the aircraft is at economic or maximum cruise, combat zones tend to make you fly faster.   Not sure what cruise condition the Luftwaffe bombers flew at, the day raid ranges to south east England were short enough there would be no bomb load penalty for fast cruising.  The 660 km/410 mile Bf109E range is reported to be at economic cruise.  William Green quotes economic cruise as 202 mph, maximum cruise as 300 mph

 

The following is from Performance Tables of British Service Aircraft, Air Publication 1746, dated August 1939 but data includes 1940/41 aircraft.  The ranges of fighters are shown as ranges on the fuel available, after deducting fuel used in 15 minutes at maximum power at sea level.  This allowance is for warming up and climbing to operational height.  Bomber ranges were calculated differently but come with the note they make no allowance for - (i) The effect of wind, (ii), The effect of formation flying, (iii) The use of full throttle over enemy territory.  Fuel weights may be for different octane ratings.  Note the drop in ranges between fast and economic cruise.

 

So the often quoted 575 miles range for the Spitfire I is after the 15 minutes allowance warm up and climb fuel is removed, at economic cruise of 180-190 mph, at 15,000 feet, no combat allowance.  Go around at 304 mph and the range becomes 415 miles.

 

First Hurricane I Column, DH Propeller, second Hurricane I column Rotol Propeller.

 

Characteristic    \    Units    \    Hurricane I    \    Hurricane I    \    Hurricane IIA    \    Hurricane IIC    \    Spitfire I    \    Spitfire II    \    Spitfire V
Normal Weight    \    (Pounds)    \    6,629    \    6,532    \    7,014    \    7,544    \    6,255    \    6,238    \    6,460
Cruising Speed    \    (m.p.h)    \    275    \    272    \    281    \    278    \    304    \    314    \    310
Cruise Speed Height    \    Feet    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000
15 Minutes allowance    \    Range (miles)    \    340    \    335    \    314    \    311    \    415    \    335    \    335
15 Minutes allowance    \    Endurance Hours    \    1.25    \    1.22    \    1.12    \    1.12    \    1.4    \    1.07    \    1.08
Fuel    \    (for range, pounds)    \    435    \    435    \    489    \    489    \    484    \    414    \    389
Fuel    \    (for allowance, pounds)    \    145    \    145    \    209    \    209    \    146    \    191    \    216
Fuel    \    (Total, pounds)    \    580    \    580    \    698    \    698    \    630    \    605    \    605
Fuel     \    (Total, Gallons)    \    77.5    \    77.5    \    97    \    97    \    84    \    84    \    84
Per 100 pounds fuel    \    Miles    \    78.2    \    77    \    64    \    63.6    \    85.8    \    80.9    \    86
Overload Weight    \    (Pounds)    \    6,768    \    6,661    \         \         \         \         \    
Maximum Fuel (Cruise)    \    Speed (m.p.h)    \    275    \    272    \         \         \         \         \    
Cruise Speed Height    \    Feet    \    15,000    \    15,000    \         \         \         \         \    
15 Minutes allowance    \    Range (miles)    \    455    \    445    \         \         \         \         \    
15 Minutes allowance    \    Endurance Hours    \    1.65    \    1.64    \         \         \         \         \    
Fuel    \    (for range, pounds)    \    580    \    580    \         \         \         \         \    
Fuel    \    (for allowance, pounds)    \    145    \    145    \         \         \         \         \    
Fuel    \    (Total, pounds)    \    725    \    725    \         \         \         \         \    
Fuel     \    (Total, Gallons)    \    97    \    97    \         \         \         \         \    
Per 100 pounds of fuel    \    Miles    \    77    \    78.2    \         \         \         \         \    
Maximum Fuel    \    Capacity (Gallons)    \    97    \    97    \    97    \    97    \        \        \    
Maximum Fuel (Economical)    \    Speed (m.p.h)    \    180    \    170 - 180    \    168 - 176    \    165 - 170    \    180 - 190    \    180 - 190    \    180 - 190
Cruise Speed Height    \    Feet    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000    \    15,000
15 Minutes allowance    \    Range (miles)    \    600    \    600    \    524    \    500    \    575    \    530    \    480
15 Minutes allowance    \    Endurance Hours    \    3.35    \    3.4    \    3.12    \    3    \    3.1    \    2.86    \    2.6
Fuel    \    (for range, pounds)    \    580    \    580    \    489    \    489    \    484    \    414    \    389
Fuel    \    (for allowance, pounds)    \    145    \    145    \    209    \    209    \    146    \    191    \    216
Fuel    \    (Total, pounds)    \    725    \    725    \    698    \    698    \    630    \    605    \    605
Fuel     \    (Total, Gallons)    \    97    \    97    \    97    \    97    \    84    \    84    \    84
Per 100 pounds of fuel    \    Miles    \    103.5    \    103.5    \    107    \    102.5    \    118.8    \    128    \    123

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On 1/28/2022 at 11:39 AM, Peter Browne said:

Looks like an E (trop) from the cowl, spinner and strut on the tailplane and of course the filter on the supercharger.  Which version though?  An E-7? Anyone know where and when?  Unit and insignia on nose?

 

spacer.png

 

 

 

Bf109E-7 previously belonged to 2./JG3. See photos in books "Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 / Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 4/I: Einsatz am Kanal und über England. 26.6.1940 bis 21.6.194". page 195-196, or "Messerschmidt Bf 109 im Einsatz bei Stab und I./Jagdgeschwader 3" page 141-142

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On 28/01/2022 at 09:14, Jochen Barett said:

Odd, that version of the photo looks distinctly colourised but the other version less so. The ground crew just look wrong, as dors the sand. The "3" looks strange too with that rather vivid copper outline. I'm slightly suspicious about the ground crew as a whole and I'm not entirely convinced the nearest chap isn't sitting largely on thin air! 

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You may always prefer this one

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-109E/JG27-I-MTO/images/Messerschmitt-Bf-109E7Trop-2.JG27-Black-3-Eduard-Neumann-El-Gazala-June-1941-02.jpg

 

Messerschmitt-Bf-109E7Trop-2.JG27-Black-

 

and your own interpretation of colors (and drop tank rack or not) or take one and photoshop it to death (or desaturate it a bit) - or claim it was a German propaganda lie in the first place and JG27 never landed on the moon at all.

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