1:32 Bf-109E4

A thin layer instead of one heavy coat

The E-4 was the development that carried the Emil forward, and it differed from the older series most noticeably in the more angular shaping of the canopy. The change had a practical reason, because the new shape made it possible to build in armored glass at the front. For a modeler that means a different division of the frames, and therefore differently cut films.

The most common mistake when spraying an insignia

Paint running under the edge of a film is not caused by a bad mask but by impatience. When the area is flooded with a single generous pass, the thin paint at the edge lifts the film by its own weight and creeps under it by capillary action. The result is a smeared outline that cannot be cleaned up any other way than by respraying the whole surrounding area.

The reliable route runs through several very thin passes with pauses between them. The first pass should be so light that it only mists the surface, because its only task is to seal the edge of the mask. Only once this barrier has dried can the covering coats follow, and they then have no way in. The method takes a few minutes more, but the edge comes out as crisp as it was cut.

A dry run

Before you reach for the paint, every film belongs once dry in its place. That tells you whether the division of the frames matches the part you have, and at the same time you memorize the order in which the individual pieces are laid down. On a densely framed cockpit it is easy to overlook one piece and to discover it only under the paint, when it is too late to put right.

Overview of the contents

• Films for the glazing, outer and inner face
• Three national insignia
• Without paints, without decals, without a kit