1:48 Bf 110C

The C version, in which the type matured

The year 1939 found the twin-engine Messerschmitt in a form the designers considered finished. The letter C meant more powerful engines, a reworked nose with four machine guns and a pair of cannon under the cockpit floor, and above all a unified fuselage structure. The crew consisted of the pilot and, seated behind him, a radio operator who worked a movable machine gun and at the same time looked after communications. This machine watched for raids over Norway, escorted formations over the Channel and at the close of the fighting ended up as a trainer and a tug.

Hinges at the back, rails at the front or the other way round

Anyone building this type for the first time usually underestimates the fact that the glazing opens by two different mechanisms. Above the pilot sits a part hung on a hinge at the right side, which swings out sideways all at once. The rear part is different: the segment above the gunner slides forward on guide rails and during firing stays hidden under the fixed center part. A different parting line and different framing belong to each of the two mechanisms, and that is why the films cannot be interchangeable either. The fixed center section adds a row of side panes so narrow that they are practically impossible to hit under the edge of a knife.

Overview of the contents

• film for the glazing for both faces of the part, outer and reverse
• a pair of masks for the crosses, which are applied to the surface with paint

Here all the markings are applied with paint; there is no decal sheet in the package. Spraying has the advantage that a cross has no carrier film and no glossy outline is left after it in a matte varnish.