Ranger_Chris61 Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 Late getting this posted, but this week has us looking at a very old kit from Matchbox of the BF109E in 1/32nd scale. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G.R.Morrison Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 Having built a few of these 'ancients,' a couple notes regarding your in-box review. What you kindly refer to as, "engraved panel lines" were known as "Matchbox's trench-digger at work again" when these were new. The OUTLINE of this 109E is actually quite good, better than the contemporary Hasegawa. Clunky bits include the two-piece prop hub which will require work to make it look like one, and the tiny attachment-points of the prop blades will remain a fragile aspect. Also, the tailwheel strut and main landing gear have either very-small, or "iffy" attachments. You mentioned the 'what-WERE-they-thinking?' instrument-panel-sandwich. The 'square' framed canopy is of the later style, and the canopy type was not an indication of sub-type, "E-3" or "E-4/7". The earlier rounded style could be found on E-1, 3, 4 and 7, and some pilots, such as Herbert Ihlefeld and Horst Carganico preferred the earlier style (Carganico even had one of these retrofitted to one of his 109F-4s). There are likewise examples of E-1s with the 'square' frame canopy. The distinction between E-3 and E-4 had to do with the faster-firing MG-FF/M. Unless one knows the Werknummer, determining whether it's an E-3 or E-4 is tricky. The decals: goofy. The 'Galland' machine is marked as it appeared after WNr.5819 was passed-along to a school (he never flew it when it looked like this). The JG 2 machine has the emblem from the 9.Staffel (the mosquito), but this Staffel used yellow and yellow-brown numerals, with a black outline. The Slovak (not 'Slavic') machine lacks an individual number. Their pilots trained in Denmark before being dispatched to the southernmost area of operations on the Eastern Front. Their 109Es were rather elderly, and their next deployment as 13.(slow.)/JG 52 would provide them with up-to-date Bf 109G-4s. As they supply a pilot, one could consider building it wheels-up and hang it for display. GRM Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hal Marshman Sr Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 One thing that really bothered me about this kit, was the overedone fabric effect on the flaps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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