1:48 Bf 109E-4

Emil in its combat form

The Bf 109E-4 arose out of the preceding version after it turned out that an engine-mounted cannon was a dead end: the armament moved into the wings and the cockpit received squarer glazing with flat surfaces instead of curved ones. It was in exactly this form that the Emil fought over the Channel in the summer of 1940 and it stayed in the front line until the arrival of the successor version with a deeper cowling. The square framing makes its canopy one of the most demanding parts of the model.

Mottled camouflage and a soft transition

German fighters of the period carried fine mottles sprayed freehand on the sides of the fuselage. Those are done after the cockpit masks are lifted, but still before the machine gets its oil work: the airbrush runs at low pressure and close to the surface. The insignia, on the contrary, need the opposite, that is a crisp edge, and that is why their masks are laid only over a finished mottled base.

Sheet contents

The enclosed masks cover the cockpit from both sides and are complemented by a single set for the national insignia. The cut self-adhesive film is intended for painting a model; neither plastic parts nor paints are in the delivery. The sheet is cut for one particular shape of canopy, so a trial fitting before cutting is worthwhile.

The small thing that decides

Flat glazed surfaces forgive less than curved ones: the slightest shift of a piece is visible on a straight edge. It therefore pays to stick them on in good light and with a magnifier. Run a knife along the frame only where a cut is necessary, and take the waste away with fine-tipped tweezers.