1:32 Bf 109F-4

The Friedrich over the desert

The Bf 109F-4 counts among the connoisseurs as the aerodynamically cleanest form of the whole line. Rounded wingtips, a retractable tailwheel and a tail surface free of struts gave the machine graceful lines that the later Gustav, with its bulges on the cowling, lost. It was with this version that pilots flew over North Africa whose machines carried conspicuous white stripes and yellow quick-recognition features.

Three insignia stencils

Alongside the pair of canopy masks, cut for the outer and the inner face, the sheet contains three parts for the national markings. Three stencils are one more than the usual pair and cover the crosses on the wings as well as on the fuselage without any piece having to be used twice.

What to watch out for

The canopy of the Friedrich hinges to the side and is often shown open on a model. Then the part of the frame that is hidden when closed has to be masked too, otherwise an unsprayed strip stays visible after painting. Apply the film before the fuselage halves are joined only if you are fitting the clear part from the inside.

The gun in the propeller axis

A pair of machine guns sat above the engine and a 20 mm cannon fired through the axis of the reduction gear, its muzzle emerging directly from the propeller spinner. It is this arrangement that simplified the nose and it is clearly apparent on the finished model too. The small muzzle of the gun is best plugged with a scrap of film from the edge of the sheet before painting, so that paint does not run inside and block the opening.

Classification

The item belongs to the group of painting masks for large-scale aircraft models.