1:72 Bulgarian Arrows #1 Bf-109E-3a in Bulgarian service

Bulgarian Emils, Part 1 - the Bf 109 E-3a in 1:72 scale

The first part of the Bulgarian Arrows decal series from Exotic Decals with Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3a machines in Bulgarian service, this time in 1:72 scale. It is not a kit - it is a sheet of markings for a model of an Emil from another maker's box. The same subject also comes out in the larger scale, so you can choose according to the size you build for your display case.

The real subject

The Bf 109 E, nicknamed the Emil, was the key German fighter at the turn of the 1930s and 1940s, and in the E-3a form it reached foreign users as an export version. The Bulgarian Air Force took these machines into service at the start of the 1940s and used them for training and for the defense of its own airspace. The Bulgarian national insignia based on the cross of St Andrew turns a commonly available type into a model you will not meet in a display case every day.

How to apply the decals

In the smaller scale the decals are tiny, so it pays to work with a sharp scalpel and tweezers. Spray the face under the decal with clear gloss varnish, cut the decal close to the print and soak it briefly in lukewarm water. Once it slides off the paper, seat it with a soft brush, draw the water off and pull it with a decal softener into the engraved lines. Once it is completely dry, seal the surface with varnish in the chosen degree of gloss - the edges of the carrier film then disappear.

Who the set is for

• For builders of the Bf 109 E in 1:72 scale interested in export users.
• For anyone interested in the air forces of the smaller European states in the Second World War.
• As a replacement for yellowed decals from an original box.
• For a collection in which the same type is to be represented in several national finishes.

It is a decal set, not a model. A kit, paints, varnish and a decal softener are not included in the package.