1:48 Bf 109E-3

The Emil with angular glazing

The Bf 109 E-3 is the form with which the type entered the first year of the war. Its engine with direct fuel injection allowed it to enter a dive with no cut-out, which was a substantial advantage over carburetor rivals, and 20 mm cannon went into the wings. The canopy has a different structure from the later versions: it is made of flat panes joined by wide bars and it hinged to the side. It is precisely the angular shape that makes the Emil a subject on which masking goes more easily than on rounded cockpits, but which is merciless toward imprecision.

What you get

Two films for the glazing are enclosed, separately for each face of the panes, and two masks for the national markings. The flat surfaces of the Emil hold the film without warming and without folds, so this set is among those on which a first experience with masks is best gathered.

Grease and dust under the edge

Film will not cling to what cannot be seen on a model but is nevertheless there. A fingerprint leaves a thin film on the finish that knocks the grip back, and clear plastic also draws dust from the whole workshop to itself by static charge. A speck under the edge lifts a mask and the paint gets under it for several millimeters. Before masking, then, wash the surface in lukewarm water with a drop of detergent, let it dry without wiping it with a cloth, and work with the part in gloves from then on. The charge is knocked down by a pass with a slightly damp cloth right before applying. And one more detail that gets forgotten: do not lay the film on an area that a lamp is warming at that moment. Warmed adhesive expands and once it cools the edge lifts by itself.