Airfix 1/72
Bf 109G-6

Background

Dr. Willy Messerschmitt was a true aeronautical pioneer whose designs and concepts would transform aircraft designs on drawing boards around the world for generations. In the years between the world wars, Messerschmitt helped to rebuild Germany's armed forces and keep abreast, if not ahead, of the world's transformation from biplane to monoplane aircraft.

The Bf 109 series were powered by the Daimler Benz DB 601 engine through the F-model, and the Bf 109G was upgraded to the DB 605. Early teething problems with the engine resulted in maximum power limitations which, coupled with the bulges that started growing around the airframe to accommodate the larger engine, larger main wheels, larger guns, etc., resulted in the Gustav being called 'Die Buele' (The Bulge). By the time the Bf 109G-6 rolled off the line, many of the bugs had been worked out of the type and the aircraft's growth potential was still in line with countering the latest allied fighters in the theater.

The Kit

Airfix has tooled up a new Bf 109G-6 to update the earlier tooling from their 1000 series (kit 1072). This kit retains its simplicity to build and a low retail price. This provides a kit that is accurate in shape but can be easily built by younger modelers. We recently looked at another kit out of this series, the Spitfire PR.XIX (kit 2017) which is another new-tool subject that is engineered for the younger modeler.

This kit is molded in light gray styrene and presented on three parts trees, plus a single tree of clear parts. The detailing is scribed and engineering is definitely oriented to the younger or less-experienced modeler.

The cockpit is empty save the pilot seat and a pilot figure. This is the right level of detail given that the canopies are molded closed, though you have a choice of standard or the updated hood with fewer frames for better visibility.

Like the new Spitfire kit mentioned above, the landing gear is tooled with the strut integral with the gear door. This will make the model more durable to handling, but will require some painting skill to hide the fact that the strut and door are one part. The gear mounts are set to provide an easier alignment to achieve the right angled placement of the struts. The kit also has another set of gear doors with the wheels molded in place to make it easy to build the model with the gear up.

The kit also includes an optional tropical air filter to keep the dust out of the engine. In addition, the kit features optional external stores that include:

• Centerline fuel tank
• Centerline bomb
• Underwing cannons
• Underwing rocket launch tubes

Markings

The kit comes with markings for three examples:

• Bf 109G-6, MT-422, 2/HLeLv 31, Finnish AF, 1948
• Bf 109G-6, Double Chevron, II./JG 3, Luftwaffe, 1943
• Bf 109G-6, 4-70, 23 Gruppo/3 Stormo, Regia Aeronautica, 1943

Conclusion

This is a nice little kit that will be right for the new and/or younger modeler and comes at a retail price much lower that the more advanced kits that would attract the AMS modeler. If you're an AMS modeler on a budget however, this kit can be detailed out to suit your taste.

Definitely recommended!

My sincere thanks to Airfix for this review sample!