1:48 Bf 109F-2

A weapon that needs no extra barrel

The Friedrich is usually considered the cleanest form of the Bf 109 in shape. The designers removed the bracing struts of the horizontal tail, rounded the wingtips and smoothed the engine cowling. The more significant change, however, was in the layout of the weapons: the wing cannons of the previous Emil disappeared altogether and the armament was concentrated in the fuselage, on a pair of MG 17 machine guns above the engine and on one cannon in the engine mounting.

And that is precisely why the metal here does not cover what many would expect. The engine weapon fires through the hollow propeller shaft and its muzzle comes out in the middle of the spinner. There is nothing to replace from outside; no barrel projects anywhere. The metal parts in the package therefore aim at the two machine guns in the cowling and at the airspeed sensor under the wing. Anyone obtaining the set with the idea of a prominent cannon should be aware of that property of the type before opening the bag.

• Two metal tubes for the weapons above the engine and a Pitot tube.
• Covering of the glazing from the outer and the inner side of the frames.
• Two sets of insignia masks and a decal sheet.

The dimensions are based on the model from the Zvezda brand, which is unique in this group; the other packages aim at models of Japanese manufacture. Check the fit of the mask dry in advance, because the shape of the frames differs between manufacturers even on the same type of aircraft, and an overhang of the film is far harder to deal with than a small gap at the edge. Try one mask on a less conspicuous spot before you set about the whole canopy.