1:32 Bf 109E-4 3D-Printed and coloured Interior on decal paper

The real subject

The Bf 109E was among the main German fighters at the beginning of the Second World War and it was powered by the Daimler-Benz DB 601 inverted V12. The E-4 version received a canopy with square framing. The cockpit was very tight and the canopy hinged to the side, so on a model with the cockpit open the inside is clearly visible.

What the sheet contains

The sheet carries three-dimensional color elements of the internal equipment printed on decal paper. The elements have a real thickness, so the instrument panel, the cockpit side walls and the seat harness look like raised detail. The shades, the dials and the labels are printed already in production.

• 1:32 scale, made by Quinta Studio, code QD32053
• three-dimensional elements with preprinted colors and labels
• they are applied with a short soak in lukewarm water; do not use a decal softener
• they replace painting the small instruments with a brush
• an accessory to a plastic kit

How the elements are stuck down

The part is cut out of the sheet, soaked about fifteen seconds in lukewarm water and after a moment slid off the paper into place. The element has no adhesive layer of its own, so paint the surface and coat it with a gloss varnish of the Future, Klear or Tamiya X-22 type, on which it will take hold reliably. A darker base in the shade of the cockpit will suppress any light edges. The raised plastic details that the new elements are to replace are best sanded smooth in advance. Use tweezers with polished jaws to set them and press them down with a soft tool so that the printing is not rubbed off. In broken-up places a drop of cyanoacrylate glue will help.

Who it is for

The set suits modelers who want an open cockpit with legible instruments on a large model, but do not want to assemble photo-etch or paint the dials one by one. The kit, paints and glue are not in the package, unless stated otherwise.