1:32 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 (for Trumpeter kit)

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 in 1:32 scale — a 3D textured interior on decal paper

An accessory to a plastic kit, not the kit itself. The interior elements are printed in a 3D texture onto decal paper and applied as a wet decal. Because Red Fox Studio makes several versions under the same name differing solely in the target kit, it matters which is which: this one is cut for the Trumpeter kit.

What makes the cockpit of the G-6 version distinctive

The basis stayed the same as on the early Bf 109s — a tight space, the seat between longitudinal members, a console with the engine controls on the left and the electrical section on the right. The G-6 version brought in a change that anyone will notice: the breeches of the guns above the engine took up room in front of the pilot and showed on the outside as bulges on the cowling. The instrument panel is therefore divided around these covers and the lower part of the panel forms a separate group of instruments. A model in 1:32 scale shows this layout in detail.

When to reach for a decal softener

A thin printed panel can be brought down onto a complex surface with the help of a decal softener. It is brushed on only after the element has been slid into place and dabbed dry, it softens it and lets it settle into the engraving and the edges. The key rule: once it has been applied, do not touch the element until it has dried — a softened decal will tear under a finger or a brush. When the surface really is complex, give it two weak doses with a pause rather than one strong one. On a smooth surface you do not need a softener at all.

Who the set is for

• Builders of a large Bf 109 with an open cockpit
• For those working with the corresponding Trumpeter kit
• As an alternative to hand painted dials
• For modelers who know how to work with a decal softener

An accessory to a plastic kit, not a model. Paints, varnishes, decal softener and glue are not included in the package.