There are also two frets of photo-
etch and a set of canopy masks.
Unfortunately, and rather
unimaginatively, all four scheme
options feature the early-war dark
green scheme of RLM 70 and 71 over
either RLM 62 or 65, and there are
no colourful unit crests to enliven
those drab liveries. However, this
may simply be due to the lack of
reliable references, for during my
trawl of the internet I found very
few pictures of Bf.109A airframes.
Upon opening the box my initial
impressions were positive. The
ninety-two grey parts are cleanly
moulded with minimal flash and
crisp, recessed panel lines. The
five clear parts are also crisply
moulded, the three-part canopy
allowing the option of posing it
in the open position. Clear lenses
are also included for the wing
tip navigation lights, which is a
nice touch. The parts breakdownappeared to be uncomplicated, and
the instructions were clearly laid
out and looked simple to follow.
Another nice touch is the
incorporation of a complete engine
as an integral part of the fuselage
halves, and separately-moulded
cowling covers if you wish to show
it off. There are an assortment of
alternative parts in the box, such
as VDM and Schwarz propellers,
and an assortment of different
spinner caps, which means that
if you are not entirely happy with
the colour schemes
optioned, it would be
possible to model the
V4 prototype, or a B-
or B-2. Neither would it
be overly difficult to convert
the kit to a C or D model with
the parts supplied in the box.MAKING A START
The cockpit is well catered for, and
is conventionally broken down
into separate sidewalls, floor, and
rear bulkhead. The beautifully
sculpted, three-piece seat is a
highlight, featuring the oblong
cut-out through which the PE
harnesses are secured, a detail
which is very often missing.
The PE frets also contain the
chain links for the trim wheels,
several levers, foot straps, and
the two-piece instrumentpanel. Some metal bending is
required, though this is minimal,
and confined to just the sidewall
document container and a small
component on the sloping rear
bulkhead. I found the styrene foot
pedals and the compressed air
bottle a little simplistic for my
tastes, so I replaced them with
Eduard items from amongst my
spares. Otherwise, the cockpit
was built straight from the box.
I initially gave the assembled
cockpit a coat of Alclad Grey Primer,
followed by a dusting of Alclad
Aluminium. Over the metallic
lacquer I airbrushed a coat of
darkened RLM02, using a mix of
Colourcoats ACLW12 and Humbrol
Black. Once this was dry, I used a
black and red brown mix to add“THE NINETY-TWO GREY PARTS
ARE CLEANLY MOULDED WITH
MINIMAL FLASH AND CRISP,
RECESSED PANEL LINES”
ALSO USED
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