Messerschmitt
Bf 109G-4 and F-4/Trop

by Tim Both

Hasegawa's 1/48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 is available online from Squadron

Here are two Hasegawa 109s that I have recently completed.

The first is a Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 converted to G-4. This aircraft was flown by Oblt Franz Schiess in February 1943.

Construction Notes

I converted the G-2 to G-4 by replacing the tail wheel with a larger G-6 unit, adding wing bulges from the spare parts box and also replacing the earlier head armour with the ‘Galland Panzer’ glass. This plane had quite an unusual mix of equipment! I have read that the wheels were the old ‘F’ type but with larger tyres. The best I could do was to use True Details 109F wheels.

I used MDC’s outstanding resin cockpit set for this model. Of all the resin sets available I firmly believe that these MDC ones are the best. They are a drop fit and the detail is outstanding.

The markings came from Eagle Cals #48 and went on perfectly. The Eagle Cals came with a photograph of this plane and enormous amounts of painting details.

The second model is a Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4/Trop. This aircraft was reportedly flown by Fw Otto Schultz between late 1941 to Spring 1942.

Construction Notes

This aircraft went together flawlessly like the G-2 above. The only tricky part is the two-piece cowl. I glued this in segments to remove any gaps. I started with the front of each cowl half and once that had dried glued and clamped the rear section. There were a few minor gaps and interestingly enough they were in different areas on the cowling for each model.

I used the very good True Details resin set. At half the cost of the MDC one it is super value for money. I thinned the sidewalls considerably and that made for more room in the cockpit. Whilst the detail is not as sharp it certainly is one I would use again. I used the kit instrument panel and etched rudder pedals.

The markings came from Cutting Edge decals CED 48216. The decals themselves were brilliant but the marking guide was incorrect and with no detail. The Cutting Edge sheet shows the extra windscreen armour fitted where this was not the case and the single upper view is a generic one for a variety of 109Fs. The Eagle Cals instructions were far superior and is something that Cutting Edge need to be aware of. Thanks to Erik Whipple who provided a scan of the appropriate Third Group sheet to help complete this project.

These Hasegawa mid-war Messerschmitt Bf 109s are a piece of cake to put together and the resin sets make them all the better. I

f you want a break from a tedious, difficult kit give one of these a go!
 

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2003 by Tim Both
Page Created 09 December, 2003
Last Updated 17 March, 2004

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