1:48 Bf-109E-3

The real subject

The Messerschmitt Bf 109E, known among modelers as the Emil, was the main German fighter of the first years of the war. You recognize it by the square wingtips, the struts supporting the tailplane and the angular canopy. It was driven by a liquid-cooled Daimler-Benz twelve-cylinder placed in an inverted V. The E-3 version carried machine guns above the engine completed by cannons in the wing and flew over France and over England in 1940.

What thin metal brings

Injection-molded plastic has a given smallest thickness below which a manufacturer cannot get. With parts that are meant to be barely perceptible in scale, a finished model gives this away. Photo-etched metal removes this weakness: the parts are thin, have sharp edges and a fine drawing of the surface. Which parts are in the package and which kit the set is drawn for are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Procedure

Before working, prepare tweezers, a sharp blade and a hard surface. Separate a part by a cut at the fret tab and sand the remaining projection away. Lead the bends along the scored line; bend the metal once, as repeated straightening weakens it. Dose cyanoacrylate glue with the tip of a wire and wipe the excess off at once. Before painting, wash the whole part, degrease it and spray a primer. Only on that does the paint hold so that it does not rub off during further assembly.

• A photo-etched set for the Bf 109E-3, 1:48 scale
• Thin metal parts with sharp edges
• Separation with a sharp blade, a bend along the scored line
• Gluing with cyanoacrylate glue in a minute amount
• Degreasing and a primer before painting

Who it is for

For modelers of German fighters of the start of the war for whom the contents of the box is not enough and who want to finish a model off. Work with tiny parts calls for calm and fine tools. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.