1:72 Bf 109K-4 part 2 - Swan song of the Messerschmitts

The Last Production Bf 109

The K-4 was the only one of the K series to reach mass production. From the autumn of 1944 it left the lines with an engine of the DB 605 D series, a tall vertical tail, a retractable tailwheel and a 30 mm cannon that fired through the hollow propeller shaft. The machine was among the fastest piston fighters of its day, but fuel was running out and experienced pilots were growing scarce, so some of the aircraft built never reached combat at all.

What the Second Part of the Series Brings

The sheet follows on from the first part and adds further specific aircraft, so that builders do not repeat markings. Anyone who has both parts will cover a wide sample of units of the end of the war, including formations committed to the defense of the Reich. Typical features of that period include the colored fuselage bands of the units, large tactical numerals and the late combination of brown-violet and light green on the upper surfaces with a light blue-gray on the sides. Many formations also painted their own emblems on the engine cowling, so that two aircraft of the same squadron look different on the modeling bench.

Recommended procedure

First finish the whole camouflage spray job and let it cure properly, then polish the areas under the motifs with a gloss coat. The carrier film settles better when no air is trapped beneath it, and on aircraft with pronounced panel lines a drop of decal softener helps. Lay the markings down before you pick out the panel lines and before the traces of service, otherwise they look freshly printed and spoil the impression of a worn aircraft of the last months of the war.