New 1:48 Bf 109F-2 from ZVEZDA

[brahio]

Info on official site

And some detailed photos (just scroll down a bit).

It's supposed to be the most accurate Bf 109 kit ever releazed.

Good news for all Bf 109 fans :banana:

[is it windy yet?]

This looks nice.

[Cpt_Farrel]

It's certainly looking promising. It beats the record for number of parts for a 1/48 Bf109, that's for sure. Detail looks nice too. As does the prize. I'm getting one!

[Leo Etgen]

That certainly looks like a winner. I have been waiting for a decent 1/48 Bf 109 F-2 and I think that I have found it. I wonder if they plan on releasing a Bf 109 G-6 in the future? At least now we have a 1/48 Bf 109 that can compete with the Eduard 1/48 Fw 190 A-series. I have also read that Airfix is planning on releasing a 1/48 Bf 109 E-series this summer and that supposedly it will be the best one released in this scale ever. Congratulations to Zvezda!

[GGoheen]

Looks quite nice indeed and promising. Thanks for the post and links.

Greg

[Frankhenrylee]

Info on official site

And some detailed photos (just scroll down a bit).

It's supposed to be the most accurate Bf 109 kit ever releazed.

Good news for all Bf 109 fans :) :banana:

What are the accuracy corrections?

[Matt Roberts]

The Airfix 109E is reviewed in the current issue of SAMI (with the Hawk on the cover)

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=44758

Post #19 has sprue pics.....

[Leo Etgen]

It comes with three different machine gun covers, four windscreens and two types of canopies as well as two different types of wingtips. Not to mention the two different engine cowlings and exhausts in case you wish to display the engine or not. It also comes with the squared off wheel wells fitted to the majority of the Bf 109 F-2 fighters. Many thanks for the Airfix thread Matt as I had not seen that before.

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Jean-Luc Formery over at Aeroscale has an In-Box Review of the new Zvezda 1/48 scale Bf 109 F-2. I am not much of an authority on the Bf 109 series (nor anything else for that matter) so it will be interesting to read the discussions concerning this model by the authorities on the Messerschmitt fighter such as Beaman, Green, Mustafin and Ritger but the list of options is impressive by any standard. One area of confusion is that in the review Formery states that only the early Bf 109 F-1 fighters had the square wheel wells while according to Kosachev the Bf 109 F-0 and F-1 fighters built by WNF as well as the Bf 109 F-2 fighters manufactured by WNF and Erla had the square wheel wells.

http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=...ent&id=5154

[Jennings]

...that supposedly it will be the best one released in this scale ever.

If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that one...

If those wheels are supposed to be Bf109 wheels, then this isn't the most accurate 109 ever done. The tires look to be about 50% too fat compared to the rim. It looks like a nice kit, but I'm always wary of "this is perfect" thinking.

J

Edited May 10, 2010 by Jennings

[rotaliscia]

My question was: “ do I need another Bf-109F?â€

I really like the Hasegawa's in 1/48, and I'm waiting for the new one in 1/32.

No, I do not need another one.

We were chatting by email and my friend Rhino wrote: “bear in mind that last Zvezda releases (as La-5 and some armors) are really astonishing... maybe this new 109 could worth a look inside, before to say no...â€

He was throwing the fishing line with the hook. Should I took the bait ?

“....damn, Rhino, you know I like the 109; couldn't you stay silent, uh?....â€

After few hours from these doubts I’ve been aware that the kit was available to “Abbott & Costelloâ€, our favorite kit pushers in Rome.

What did I should do?

Curiosity killed the cat, so -even if I don't need another 109- encouraged by the tag price, now I have another 109...

My friend was right! The kit worth every penny, so thanks Zvezda :-)

To share with ARCers some considerations and photos could be useful for other potential buyers.

Let me start with the conclusions: a great kit, about me, but with few “ingenuities†(easily fixable) and subdivided in so many pieces (other variants surely on the horizon) that accurate test fittings are suggested, before start breathing glue fumes.

Maybe not a straight build as an Hasegawa, but in a lot of areas this kit is superior, even if looks tricky and call for an astute modeler.

First, the things to do:

Looks like Zveda forgot something:

the upper wings are smooth as my head! not a difficult task to rescribe the panelwork with a good drawing (or an Hasegawa or Fujimi wing) as reference.

on the bottom everything seems to be where it should be.

Even the panel lines on the fuselages appears too slight and shall be deepened with a scriber, to not run the risk to let them disappear after two layers of paint

One of the propeller blades looks slightly different from others (even if the other two does not appears to be exactly the same).

But the pitch mechanisms are quite good, so I can foresee two possible solutions:

- minor sandpaper adjustments of two blades, if what counts is the effect, or

- a surgical blades implantation from an Hasegawa spare propeller, if the absolute fidelity is the goal

The nose air intake should be shortened just a little

Maybe the wheel rims looks are just a little bit undersized, even if the entire wheel is superb. (on my model I will not change these wheels; too beautiful!)

End of concerns. From now on all the details are stunning.

Some other details here and there, just to show you the level:

model can be build with engine fairings open or closed, so we get different pieces, with or without internal ribs

(at a first look seems that the engine shall anyway be installed, since it's the support for exhausts and the propeller)

Two instrument panels, even if the difference is minimal, (there's a decal for the dials)

Since one of the aircraft in the decal sheet has a different left side engine frame we have the correct option (!)

Some other example of the quality level

saparate tail, with proper stiffener stripes for the F2 variant.

[rotaliscia]

and so on...

And, for the spare box joy, we have a full choice of canopies

At last, four the options offered in the decal sheet; all famous aircraft.

Decals appears to be quite good, even if purists could prefer better defined stencils. Absolutely no support is visible around the markings and insignas; I'm pretty sure they will render quite good on the airplane; for these decals I would not use a too strong decal solution as Daco's or Gunze, preferring a more delicate one as Micro-set/sol.

A very welcome kit, in my opinion, with the surprise to watch a Russian firm to earn the potential to enter in the Hall of Fame of plastic kit producers.

With his tag price, the level of detail, all the options, the kit is really a gem and probably Zvezda will sell a lot. All my best wishes on that.

My intention is to start mine shortly.

There are rumours of an F4 variant at the horizon. If it will be a trop. version I will have another 109!

And apologize for a maybe too long post!

Cheers from Italy

Paolo

[Abakan]

The clear parts indicate a pre E-4 109 coming in the future.

I hope they bring out a nice B/C/D..would be very welcome

[Berkut]

One of the propeller blades looks slightly different from others (even if the other two does not appears to be exactly the same).

But the pitch mechanisms are quite good, so I can foresee two possible solutions:

- minor sandpaper adjustments of two blades, if what counts is the effect, or

- a surgical blades implantation from an Hasegawa spare propeller, if the absolute fidelity is the goal

The nose air intake should be shortened just a little

Prop and intake is a common "problem" judging from the russian forums. But overall it isn't huge problem, intake and the prop can be fixed by just lil light sanding.

Regarding panellines, Zvezda have recently made kits with very fine lines. For example on 787 and Mi-26 the panellines are very fine. It is realistic, but the minus it will get covered by paint, and weathering might have trouble with "biting" into them.

[pin]

it will be interesting to read the discussions concerning this model by the authorities on the Messerschmitt fighter such as Beaman, Green, Mustafin and Ritger

Mansur Mustafin was Zvezda's principal consultant

[Leo Etgen]

Yes, Mustafin was the lead consultant for Zvezda on this project and it appears that he has mentioned that the Bf 109 F-4 will have a new wing with round wheel wells and three panel lines on the top wing surface. I presume that the Bf 109 F-2 did not have these or otherwise they would have been included in the Bf 109 F-2 kit? Could anyone clarify this? Otherwise a great looking model and for the price of $21 at Roll Models you can not go wrong with this one. I have read that the La-5 series by Zvezda is just as complicated and yet the fit is great so hopefully this one will fit together just as well.

PS: just one error on the decal sheet that I have noticed - the 5 decal for the fighter of 12./JG 51 that is featured on the box top should be brown not yellow. The buzzard/falcon head emblem of JG 51 also looks rather odd being yellow and red whereas I have always seen it white and black or brown and black.

Edited May 10, 2010 by Leo Etgen

[Matt Roberts]

I did a bit of sprueology on the kit and all of the bits involved with the wheel well shape are on the same sprue - lower wing, wheel wells and a couple of ribs so it should be a simple matter to substitute the sprue for the later Bf-109F-4. Here is a link to the Aeroscale preview with more sprue shots

http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=...ent&id=5154

As for the panel lines.....maybe the fabled wooden winged 109? The kit designers got used to the Lavochians and simply didn't realize that wings had panel lines on thier upper surfaces?

those were jokes guys.....I really am looking forward to this one, maybe the ICM for the recce airframe and these for the fighters.

Matt

Edited May 10, 2010 by Matt Roberts

[KSL]

As for the panel lines.....maybe the fabled wooden winged 109? The kit designers got used to the Lavochians and simply didn't realize that wings had panel lines on thier upper surfaces?

In fact F-2 HAS NO panel lines on upper surface of the wings, both Mustafin and Rittger confirms this. Three panel line appeared later, on F-4 after the wing has been strengthened. Zvezda will release F-4 with whole new wing (with panel lines and round wells).

The clear parts indicate a pre E-4 109 coming in the future.

No, some 109F had early canopies (Hrabak's and Carganico's planes to name a few). One of the Hrabak's F-2:

Some F's even had 109E seats (Zvezda wanted to include this seat but later canceled):

Sergey.

[KSL]

Some words about fit. I now building this kit, and fit is simply perfect:

Sergey.

[Matt Roberts]

Sergey that looks beautiful, especially the lower wing panel. Mind if I ask - why the separate panel? Was it differant when the cannon went from the 15mm to the 20mm one?

Interesting I never knew that anything German had the no panel line wing such as what we see with Russian aircraft...I guess I learn something new every day...though what I can do with this tidbit outside my modeling bench and this keyboard is lost to me!

Matt

(P.S. Pardon me Sergey for misspelling your name there...that's what I get for typing too fast)

Edited May 10, 2010 by Matt Roberts

[rotaliscia]

I didn't knew of the lack of panel lines on F2s upper wings.

Apologize for the joke above.

Zvezda's 109 confirm to be a great kit! With a great knowledge behind the tools.

On Prien & Rodeike's book all the photos of F2 and F4 where the undersurfaces are visible, shows aircraft with round-off wheel wells.

Waiting to learn more on Bf.109.

Cheeers

Paolo

[rotaliscia]

---

Edited May 10, 2010 by rotaliscia

[Kubrt]

First, the things to do:

Looks like Zveda forgot something:

the upper wings are smooth as my head! not a difficult task to rescribe the panelwork with a good drawing (or an Hasegawa or Fujimi wing) as reference.

Look at war pictures of Bf 109 F-2 - upper wings are smooth! Zvezda is right!!!

[rotaliscia]

Apologize already made to Zvezda and to the forum.

Ash on my head!

I did'n knew of this F2 peculiarity.

Paolo

[Abakan]

And next a G-14 with both canopy types and both types of tall tails. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze Zvezda *big begging puppy eyes"