1:48 Bf-109E-3 SPACE

Relief interior elements for the Emil in 1:48

The printed parts of the SPACE range have real height, so neither the instrument panel nor the side walls stay a flat transfer. The coloring and the gloss of the glass faces are finished at the factory and the modeler avoids the slow business of dotting white paint onto the individual dials.

The cockpit of the early Messerschmitt

The Emil had a cramped and clearly laid-out interior: a narrow panel, the throttle lever on the right, space for the gunsight on the left. The cockpit was closed by a square framed canopy hinged to the side, which can be left open during the build without the model leaning to one side. The interior is then visible in full and every simplified detail catches the eye. In 1:48 the difference between a hand-dotted panel and a properly rendered instrument panel is already obvious at first glance, especially when looking down into an open cockpit.

Recommended procedure

Sand the molded plastic dials away completely, otherwise the new element will not seat across its whole area. Wipe the surface with alcohol and let it dry. Then fit the individual parts from the bottom up, so they overlap in the right order; correction is possible only until the element is pressed down. A light matte clear coat sprayed from a distance is enough to finish.

Who it pays off for

• builders who want the interior finished in one evening
• for Emils with the canopy folded open
• as a substitute for painting small instruments
• anyone after a clean result without photo-etched parts

The item equips the cockpit of a plastic model; the aircraft as such is sold separately.