1:48 Bf 109 E-0/W.Nr.1783 Conversion set + decals

Bf 109 E-0 — conversion set with decals 1:48 from AML

A conversion set from the Czech manufacturer AML in 1:48 scale. It is not a stand-alone model but a resin accessory with decals that turns a standard Messerschmitt Bf 109 E kit into a pre-production aircraft of the E-0 version of a particular works number. It is a small conversion: a few parts and the right markings are enough to put an aircraft in the display case that almost nobody else has.

The real subject

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 E, nicknamed the Emil, was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter force between 1939 and 1941. The E-0 designation covered a small pre-production batch of aircraft that served to prove out the new version with the DB 601 engine, and they differed from the later production machines in details of armament and equipment. It is exactly these small differences that the conversion addresses, and a model of a pre-production example is an interesting record of how a famous type came into being.

Building and painting tips

Study the instructions before the build and measure twice where the kit parts are to be modified, because with conversions careful preparation saves repairs. Wash the resin parts, glue them with cyanoacrylate glue and fill the joints. Apply the decals over gloss varnish and settle them with a decal softener; the prewar and early war Luftwaffe schemes with their hard edges can be managed by masking even without an airbrush.

Who the set is for

• Collectors of Bf 109 variants whose line-up is missing the pre-production E-0
• Modelers who want a quick conversion with a big effect
• Advanced builders with experience of resin
• Anyone interested in the development history of a famous type

An accessory set; this is not a stand-alone model. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package.