1:48 Bf 109E-4

The machine of the summer of 1940

The E-4 form came about by reworking the older Emils and its recognition feature became the redesigned dorsal cockpit cover with heavier frames and an armor plate behind the pilot's head. In the wing it carried a pair of 20 mm cannon, whose rounds with a thin wall and a large explosive charge could tear an opponent's skin literally open, except that the ammunition supply lasted barely a few seconds of firing. It was with this armament and this cover that the type saw its best-known service.

Over the Channel and over London

From July to October 1940 machines of the E-4 version escorted bomber formations over southern England. The greatest weakness was not agility but range: over a target at the mouth of the Thames the pilots had only around twenty minutes left before they had to turn for home. A jettisonable drop tank came later and the whole command hierarchy of the fighter formations complained about it, because the escort could not cover the whole journey out and back.

Box contents

The films mask the glazing from both faces, so the armor plate and the frame behind the pilot stand out even with the cover hinged open. Two stencils serve for the insignia and, along with them, a decal sheet is stated for the item, which is often missing from masking sets on their own.

The order of the work is simple: the masks and spraying first, then a gloss intermediate coat, and only at the end the decals. The aircraft model is not in the box. If you are building a machine with the cover open, leave the inner pieces applied until the clear coats are finished, because even a final matte coat can leave a milky veil on a clear part. The frame is then easily lifted with flat-ended tweezers.