1:48 Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1/3/7/TROP Full Colour 3D Decals Seat Belt Set (for Airfix kits)

The Emil over the Channel and over the desert

The letter E designates the generation of the Bf 109 that came with the DB 601 engine with fuel injection. Thanks to it the machine did not lose its fuel supply in a sharp push into a dive, which was a telling advantage against opponents with carburetors. The E-1 version still carried only machine guns, the E-3 received cannons in the wing and the E-7 two fundamental novelties: a rack under the fuselage for a drop tank and, in the tropical modification, a dust filter on the intake, without which the engine would not have lasted long in the sand of North Africa. These machines bore the main weight of the fighting over the English Channel in 1940 and later appeared over Malta and in the desert as well. The Emil was also the first form of the type built in truly large batches, and its silhouette became the best-known one for the whole Bf 109.

What you get

The equipment is printed in full color, including the shade of the straps and of the metal parts, and has a tangible profile. You therefore do not have to back or repaint anything, which saves a great deal of nerves at a small scale. The size was adapted to the Airfix kit mentioned in the name of the item.

How to proceed

Finish the cockpit tub including the paint and let it rest for a day. After soaking, let the strap slide off the paper of its own accord, seat it on the seat and shape it with a toothpick while it is pliable. Draw the rest of the water off with the edge of a paper tissue and wait with the next part until the previous one has hardened. At the end, look the spot over against the light and tone any light edges down with a dark shade.