1:32 Bf 109F-2

The Friedrich was the cleanest of the whole 109 family

The F version meant an aerodynamic tidy-up for the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The tail bracing struts disappeared, the wingtips took on a rounded shape instead of the previous cut-off one, the radiator was recessed deeper into the wing and the nose was drawn out into a more continuous curve. The machine thereby gained better climb and the reputation of the best-flying version of the whole line, even though it paid for that with weaker armament.

The F-2 against the later F-4

The difference between the early and the late version lies here above all in the propeller axis. The F-2 carried a 15 mm engine cannon, whereas the later F-4 already had a 20 mm one, and with it came heavier armor and a reworked headrest. It shows on the glazing: the bulletproof front glass was more substantial on the later machines and the frame around it coarser. The sliding side section of the cockpit meanwhile stayed heavily framed; the one-piece Erla canopy came only with the late machines of the G version, so the Friedrich is masked with a markedly larger number of separate pieces.

Working with the masks

The pieces are laid on dry, degreased glazing and pressed down with a wooden stick or tweezers with smooth jaws. A double set allows the framing to be sprayed from inside the cockpit as well, which in a large scale is clearly visible through an open canopy. The roundels can be sprayed using the insignia masks enclosed; decals are in the box too.

Against a decal, a sprayed cross or numeral has one advantage that is apparent at first glance in this scale: it has no glossy rim of carrier film around its perimeter and does not sit on the surface like a sticker but is part of the finish. The drawback is that the order of the colors has to be thought out in advance. The accessory is sold separately; the model is not in the box.