The wooksta V2.0 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 The point is that for the money, you shouldn't have to ponce about with slivers of plastic card when for an equal amount of money you can buy the Academy kit which has the best furnished office for a 72nd 109 bar the Fine Molds kit. For Cliff's sake, Heller gave all of their 109s (B/C, G, G-14 and K) a decent office and that was 30+ years ago. Even the Hobby Boss kits have better cockpit detail than this and they're at least a quid cheaper! No, much as I want to support Airfix, this is a totally wasted opportunity. They got it bang on the money with the PRXIX, so HOW did they screw the pooch here? Would I buy one? No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hypnobear Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I was going to give this a miss, as I have.....quite a few ME 109's, but after seeing the Regia decals - might look out for one. Looks a great kit to me. Even if the interior detail isn't there, it doesn't matter to me because it's not very visible with the canopy on, and I can't make a really good looking model anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Another look at the sprue shots posted by Jazzy Jase confirmed my suspicions that like most manufacturers, Airfix have also cocked up the undercarriage. The 109 had a notoriously narrow track and the legs should plug into the lower fuselage under the start of the wing root, this enabled Messerschmitt to have the aircraft on it's u/c for storage in confined spaces sans wing. The new kit has the plug in points on the upper wing surface at least 2mm outboard of where they should be meaning that the wells are too far out as well. Can't speak for the Fine Moulds kit but the only manufacturer to get this right was Heller (and KP if you count their Avia C/S199s as Bf 109s). All the others have the track far too wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jase Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 Here's the Fine molds kit. Is it any better on the u/c? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Looks about right, the wings are separate on the real thing along the panel line immediately inboard of the radiators and the plug in points for the legs are inboard of that. It does look a little too wide though. I know I've seen a photo of a 109s sitting on it's u/c with the wings off. I could be wrong though, been a long time since I was building 109s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousA667 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Although the legs are attached to the fuselage the structure is such that their apparent location is slightly outboard of the fuselage. Folks can make their own minds up as to who's got it right or wrong. peebeep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 That's the photo I was thinking of! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jase Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 From the second photo it looks like the u/c legs start in the wing, so I don't think the Airfix kit is innacurate in that respect. I painted the undersides of the kit last night and I'm hoping to get the upper sides painted tonight, and maybe the mottling. I will get some photo's as soon as the masking is removed. I've also done something incredibly silly and ordered the bits for the £50 BF109 from various places: Fine Molds FL14 Bf109 G-6 'Suomen Ilmavoimien'’ £16.95 (ModelsForSale) Fine Molds AA22 German Pitot Tubes Set For Bf109/Me262 £8.50 (Rainbowten) Fine Molds AA47 20mm MG Barrels Bf109 G-4/R6 & G-6 £8.50 (Rainbowten) Fine Molds AA43 Extra Detail Bf 109 G-4/G-6/G-10/K £8.50 (Rainbowten) Eagle Cals EAG72040 (Black 14 8./JG1 1944 Red band) £5.04 (Hannants) Quickboost QB72071 Messerschmitt Bf 109G exhausts £2.60 (Hannants) Montex Masks 72128 Bf 109G10/K4 (Erla Haube) £?.?? (A2Zee ordering in for me) Will it be worth 10x as much as the Airfix kit? Probably not! Will I c*ck it up and stomp it in a fit of rage? Probably! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousFO98 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Jase you are barkin' billy bonkers! but we love you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jase Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 Jaseyou are barkin' billy bonkers! but we love you Ha ha. Thanks. Just don't tell the missus how much it cost! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) The point is that for the money, you shouldn't have to ponce about with slivers of plastic card when for an equal amount of money you can buy the Academy kit which has the best furnished office for a 72nd 109 bar the Fine Molds kit. For Cliff's sake, Heller gave all of their 109s (B/C, G, G-14 and K) a decent office and that was 30+ years ago. Even the Hobby Boss kits have better cockpit detail than this and they're at least a quid cheaper!No, much as I want to support Airfix, this is a totally wasted opportunity. They got it bang on the money with the PRXIX, so HOW did they screw the pooch here? Would I buy one? No. I agree,Wooksta !! Airfix effed it up !! WHY,oh,WHY didn't they simply Re-pop the HELLER '109 G kit ?? That was a corking kit,considering it's AGE !! Their K-4 is the "dog's danglies" IMO !! Curiously,Bazza. Edited July 22, 2009 by Bazza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango India Mike Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Well, they insist on farming out the work to the Whizzo Toy and Novelty Manufacturing Co. in downtown Shanghai...or wherever the hell it is! Long gone are the days of Airfix products proudly 'Made in England'. I'm afraid I just can't seem to get excited about the release of yet another Bf 109 kit, and probably wouldn't buy this one anyway. Even in the pictures of it posted here, I can see how toy-like it is...with that pebbly surface texture, soft, crude details and vastly overscale panel lines. Very reminiscent of the atrocious wing components in the Spitfire Vc kit...what a huge disappointment THAT was! As Jimmy Durante would say, "I expect THAT to do no good!"...but that's my two bob's worth anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Graham Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I agree that the K was a lovely kit, although having the prop the wrong way around doesn't help. However, the G was a tadpole (like all Heller 109s bar the revamped K) and too fat, apart from other lesser funnies. It was overtaken long ago by better kits: if the new Airfix one doesn't beat it hollow I'll be astonished - regardless of what other faults it may or may not have. No interior detail - no big deal, I model aircraft not invisible cockpits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jase Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 Last night was interesting. I had my first ever attempt at mottling and I'm really pleased with the results. Doesn't show up too well in the photos, which were taken on my phone and in poor light conditions. Anyway, I hope you like the pics. Tonight's job is a couple of layers of Klear before decalling tomorrow. I'm still undecided on what to do with the out-of-register Balkenkreuz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Millman Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Good job! Looks very nice and turned out better than I would have expected. Just goes to show - even some old and much despised kits when actually made up are often mistaken for more recent ones. Sometimes it's all in the making and painting. Put the elbow on Airfix to send you some in register decals - they are usually quite good at replacing items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jase Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 Good job! Looks very nice and turned out better than I would have expected. Just goes to show - even some old and much despised kits when actually made up are often mistaken for more recent ones. Sometimes it's all in the making and painting.Put the elbow on Airfix to send you some in register decals - they are usually quite good at replacing items. Thanks Nick. I'm pleased with my progress so far. I know Airfix are usually good at sending replacements, but I really want to finish the kit this weekend and I don't think they would arrive in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Millman Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Drop me a PM with your address and I'll send you the in-register Balkenkreuz decals from my kit. I won't be using them and if I get them in the post to you today you should get them by Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 looks familiar. Is this "Strömstad" couch from IKEA? The panel lines are quite heavy, and it seems to lack the usual maintenance openings. I guess the lack of cockpit details doesn't really show, especially when there's a pilot in it. Still, they should have been done better. A wasted chance for Airfix... Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 The G-6 'Beule' – the bulges over the MG 131 nose gun breeches – cannot be portrayed as moulded integrally with the fuselage halves, as shown very clearly by the photos. Those bulges were separate and moulding them as one continuous sofa armrest (to pick up the IKEA quip) destroys the look of the model completely, totally, irrevocably and inexcusably. This is one kit that should have been strangled in the crib. /Joachim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I'm not so sure about that. IIRC, I've seen a photo of a G with the cowlings up and the bump appears to part of it. Weren't the cowls pressed aluminium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Millman Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) The bumps were rivetted to the cowls and the amount of delineation depicted around their edges vs the scale of the kit is probably a matter of opinion but what Joachim means is that there were two separate bumps with a gap between them along the top of the cowling whereas the Airfix kit depicts the bumps joined together as one and laying over the whole cowling like a saddle. It is a surprising gaff given the references available on the G-6 and the fact that much older kits, like the original Hasegawa and Jo-Han - and even the original Airfix kit - got it right! I didn't notice it until Joachim pointed it out although something seemed not quite right. Then, when you check a few references, e.g Lynn Ritger's Modellers Datafile, it is obvious what is wrong. Edited July 23, 2009 by Nick Millman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Ogilvie Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Shouldn't think it's difficult to correct with a scalpel and some wet n'dry... Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Graham Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Yes, and if there was nothing else wrong it'd be a minor thing. But it still something that shouldn't be there, work that shouldn't have to be done. We don't need another approximate 109. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Kohona Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 The more I see of this kit, the greater the disappointment I feel and am starting to worry if we can expect to see the same quality (or lack there of) from Airfix's Spit Mk.IX kit when it comes out... Airfix had a chance to give us a good, economically priced alternative to the Fine Molds series of 109s and they dropped the ball big time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 …what Joachim means is that there were two separate bumps with a gap between them along the top of the cowling whereas the Airfix kit depicts the bumps joined together as one and laying over the whole cowling like a saddle. Thank you, Nick, that's exactly what I mean. If anybody wants to have a go at correcting that clanger with a scalpel and wet'n'dry, well… And that's only one problem area. For instance, the supercharger air intake is completely wrong in plan form, describing a kind of banana curve. But the outer edge, seen from above, should be straight almost right up to where the intake lip starts to swell. From the sprue shots on p. 1 of this thread, it seems that there are also more fundamental problems with the fuselage profile shape and dimensions. But since I don't have the kit (and don't plan to buy it!), I don't want to sound too cocksure about that. Perhaps the Chinese toolmakers used the old Airfix G-6 as their reference? This kit isn't a scale model, it's a toy. It's a great relief that, according to reports, the PR Mk XIX seems to have fared much better. My favourite plane, and it's on its way from www.modelhobbies.co.uk right now! Best, Joachim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now