Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10

Trumpeter

Reviewed by Ashley Lamb

Trumpeter's 1/24 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 may be ordered online from Squadron.com

Trumpeter has released a 1/24 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 shortly after their G-2 and G-6 versions. As this kit has many parts in common parts with the G-6 early version already reviewed on HyperScale  by Brett Green, this review will focus the new parts included.

Fuselage

The fuselage halves are a complete new tooling and now also include ribbing on the inside of the fuselage.The Tail fin and rudder match scale drawings in outline but unfortunately there is no airfoil shape or fin offset like the real aircraft.

Engine Cowling

The fuselage and engine cowling were assembled as a dry run.

These parts fit together very well with the only gaps being the fronts of the chin bulges.

Trumpeter has gotten the shape of the starboard cowling pretty right but the port side appears too flat and streamlined.

Readers are invited to examine photos on 'The 109 Lair"

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/walkaround/151591/151591-engine.jpg

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/walkaround/151591/151591-kompressor.jpg 

These show that the lower engine support has a large spacer to clear the larger diameter super charger. This results in the cowling needing a kink on the lower edge to clear the tubular support

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/walkaround/610937/610937.01.jpg

inside of cowling

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/walkaround/610937/610937.20.jpg

The kit does not have the kink along the lower edge or the bulge in front of the supercharger intake to clear the engine support spacer bracket.Hasegawa have these kinks and bulges on their 1/48 K4.

Supercharger Intake

The diameter of the intake hole is right but the cover needs beefed up to give if a more voluptuous shape.

Compare the kit part to

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/walkaround/610937/610937.23.jpg

Supercharger intake

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/walkaround/610937/610937.25.jpg

Supercharger intake side view

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/walkaround/151591/151591-left.nose.jpg

Upper Wing Fairings

Trumpeter have included the larger 660x190 main wheels and the appropriate rectangular wing fairings, these seem quite accurate. A fair balance of G-10s had 660x160 wheels and small tear drop wing bumps. It seems a pity these weren't included in the kit as well, along with a short tail wheel.

The broader propeller blades are nicely made and capture proper appearance well. The supercharger is a new moulding but strangely is the same diameter as the G-6 kit ! The starboard engine support should be the same as the G6 kit without the curve the port side has.A MK 108 is included but the breach block cover is for a 151/20.

Decals

Decal sheet is nicely printed by "Aeromaster" with options of an aircraft from JG3 or JG4.

Canopy

Two Erla-Haube canopies are included. When mounted on the fuselage the shape of the main canopy looks a little strange - the top surface seems too flat. Compare the kit canopy to this image:

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/index1024.htm

Trumpeters Bf 109Gs are a very welcome addition to 1/24 scale. It has been a long wait - thirty two years have passed since Airfix released the Spitfire Mk1.

Trumpeter have got the "essentials" right with overall scale dimensions and shapes of the fuselage and wings. There was plenty of potential to stuff up here a la Occidental Spitfire IX or the recent 1/48 Fujimi 109s.

The errors and omissions in the kit are not serious and the reviewer is certainly happy with his purchase.

Recommended.
 

• Green B.T. "Augsburg's Last Eagles Colours, Markings and Variants" Eagle Editions, 2000.

• Patterson D and Dick R Messerschmitt Bf109 Airlife ,1997.

• Prien J and Rodeike P Messerschmitt Bf109 F,G, & K Series,Schiffer 1993

• MB Publishing "Aero Detail 5 Bf 109 G,1992.

• Seay T "Bf 109 G & K Scale Drawings" Self published 1978.

Altering the Trumpeter kit engine cowling and supercharger will be covered in a separate article around January, 2004.