Cutting Edge 1/32
Bf 109G-10 Type 110 Cowling Conversion

As the Messerschmitt design team continued to shoe-horn larger engines, superchargers, and weapons into the nose of the Bf 109, it was only natural that more bulges and bumps would appear in the otherwise smooth lines of the aircraft's nose. By the time the Bf 109G-10 came around, even the strengthened motor mounts were starting to bulge through the cowling! One of the designers attempted a design change that trickled out into the fleet - it was a new streamlined cowling that provided a smoother aerodynamic cover over all of the equipment crammed into the nose. It was in fact an asymmetrical design that bulges out of the port side of the nose, but eliminated the abrupt bumps and bulges that caused increased drag on the aircraft. This new nose reduced the drag and no-doubt improved performance of this variant. This smooth nose concept would be integrated into the Bf 109K line.

While I am not a die-hard Bf 109 fan, the recent releases from Hasegawa of the 1/32 Bf 109 and Fw 190 series have been a significant improvement over the previous 'best' 1/32 scale types of these aircraft. In the case of the Fw 190, this was Hasegawa. While the Bf 109E was also available in 1/32 from Hasegawa, your only choice for later model injection-molded Bf 109s was Revell. In this new series, Hasegawa has been releasing the numerous variants of the Bf 109F/G/K family and these have been made to the current state of the art in injection molding and details.

This new nose for the Bf 109G-14 kit will backdate the kit to the late production Bf 109G-10, though there are differences even in this sub-variant in terms of tailwheel type and tail feathers, so check your references. Ironically, this set will not evidently work with the Hasegawa Bf 109G-10 kit. The instructions walk you through the easy way of completing this conversion.

While the photo above does not really show the unique bulge in the left side of the nose, you'll definitely spot it when you dry-fit the halves together. The set includes the new nose halves, new supercharger, exhaust stacks, the hood section ahead of the windscreen, and a new set of guns.

This is a nicely done conversion for the Hasegawa kit that will not likely be done in a production release. If you'd like a Bf 109 that isn't "run of the mill", then this set is just what you're looking for! Of course you'll need some markings for this version of the '109 and Cutting Edge to the rescue. Check out their Bf 109G-10 Type 100/110 Decals! My sincere thanks to Meteor Productions for this review sample!