1:24 Bf 109G-10 (Italy)

The 109 under a southern sky

German fighters in Italian service are among the most rewarding subjects of the late war. Machines of the G-10 version appeared in the last year of the fighting with Italian units, which applied their own markings and different numbering to them, so the result works quite differently from an ordinary Luftwaffe machine. For the builder of a large model that means above all different work with the markings, because the Italian symbols have a different shape and size from the German crosses and often lie in different places on the airframe.

Decals enclosed with the masks

This item is not only a masking set. Besides the glazing masks and four sets for the markings it also holds decals, so part of the markings can be applied and part sprayed. The combination makes sense with small lettering and technical markings, which would be difficult to do with a mask, while the large areas of the markings stay sprayed and without a visible film. In a large scale it is exactly this difference between the two techniques that is most clearly perceptible.

Glazing from both sides

The framing of the canopy is worked out in two layers, for the outer surface and for the reverse. The late 109 had a cockpit with a minimum of bars, so it is the cleanliness of their edges that decides whether a model will look accurate. The package holds masks and decals, not the plastic parts of the aircraft and not paints; those are bought separately according to the scheme chosen. Anyone who wants to build a machine with Italian markings will appreciate getting both marking techniques together and not having to look for them across two different items.