In Box Review of Minicraft-Hasegawa 1/32nd Scale Messerschmitt Bf 109E Fighter
Kit no. 1073
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1979
Kit is available in a later 2001 release, Kit no. 08067, for $59.99 at Kitlinx and at 4 locations overseas on the web.
Available in a later 2003 release, Kit no. 08051, for $37.59 at Kitlinx or at Squadron for $35.99 and at 3 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1979
Kit is available in a later 2001 release, Kit no. 08067, for $59.99 at Kitlinx and at 4 locations overseas on the web.
Available in a later 2003 release, Kit no. 08051, for $37.59 at Kitlinx or at Squadron for $35.99 and at 3 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
In late 1938, the Bf 109E entered production. To improve on the performance afforded by the 441–515 kW (600–700 PS) Jumo 210, the larger, longer Daimler-Benz DB 601A engine was used, yielding an extra 223 kW (300 PS) at the cost of an additional 181 kg (400 lb.).
A much bigger cooling area was needed to disperse the extra heat generated by the DB 601 and this led to the first major redesign of the basic airframe.
Enlarging the existing nose mounted radiator sufficiently to cool the engine would have created extra weight and drag, negating some of the performance gains afforded by the increased power.
So it was decided to move the main radiators to the undersurfaces of the wings immediately outboard of the junction of the wing root and wing panel, just forward of the trailing edges' inner ends, leaving the oil cooler under the nose in a small, streamlined duct.
The new radiator position also had the effect of counterbalancing the extra weight and length of the DB 601, which drove a heavier three-bladed Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke (VDM)-made propeller.
To incorporate the new radiators, the wings were almost completely redesigned and reinforced, with several inboard ribs behind the spar being cut down to make room for the radiator ducting.
Because the radiators were mounted near the trailing edge of the wing, coinciding with the increased speed of the airflow accelerating around the wing camber, cooling was more effective than that of the Jumo-engine 109s, albeit at the cost of extra ducting and piping, which was vulnerable to damage.
The lowered undercarriage could throw up mud and debris on wet airfields, potentially clogging the radiators. To test the new 1,100 PS (1,085 hp, 809 kW) DB 601A engine, two more prototypes (V14 and V15) were built, each differing in their armament.
While the V14 was armed with two 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17s above the engine and one 20 mm MG FF in each wing, the V15 was just fitted with the two MG 17s mounted above the engine.
After test fights, the V14 was considered more promising and a pre-production batch of 10 E-0 was ordered. Batches of both E-1 and E-3 variants were shipped to Spain for evaluation, and first saw combat during the final phases of the Spanish Civil War.
The first redesign came with the E series, including the naval variant, the Bf 109T (T standing for Träger, carrier). The Bf 109E (Emil) introduced structural changes to accommodate the heavier and more powerful 1,100 PS (809 kW; 1,085 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, heavier armament and increased fuel capacity. Partly due to its limited 300 kilometers (190 miles) combat radius on internal fuel alone, resulting from its 660 km (410 mi) range limit, later variants of the E series had a fuselage ordnance rack for fighter-bomber operations or provision for a long-range, standardized 300 liters (79 US gallons) drop-tank and used the DB 601N engine of higher power output.
The Bf 109E first saw service with the "Condor Legion" during the last phase of the Spanish Civil War and was the main variant from the beginning of World War II until mid-1941 when the Bf 109F replaced it in the pure fighter role.[50] (Eight Bf 109Es were assembled in Switzerland in 1946 by the Dornier-Werke, using license-built airframes; a ninth airframe was assembled using spare parts.
In late 1938, the Bf 109E entered production. To improve on the performance afforded by the 441–515 kW (600–700 PS) Jumo 210, the larger, longer Daimler-Benz DB 601A engine was used, yielding an extra 223 kW (300 PS) at the cost of an additional 181 kg (400 lb.).
A much bigger cooling area was needed to disperse the extra heat generated by the DB 601 and this led to the first major redesign of the basic airframe.
Enlarging the existing nose mounted radiator sufficiently to cool the engine would have created extra weight and drag, negating some of the performance gains afforded by the increased power.
So it was decided to move the main radiators to the undersurfaces of the wings immediately outboard of the junction of the wing root and wing panel, just forward of the trailing edges' inner ends, leaving the oil cooler under the nose in a small, streamlined duct.
The new radiator position also had the effect of counterbalancing the extra weight and length of the DB 601, which drove a heavier three-bladed Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke (VDM)-made propeller.
To incorporate the new radiators, the wings were almost completely redesigned and reinforced, with several inboard ribs behind the spar being cut down to make room for the radiator ducting.
Because the radiators were mounted near the trailing edge of the wing, coinciding with the increased speed of the airflow accelerating around the wing camber, cooling was more effective than that of the Jumo-engine 109s, albeit at the cost of extra ducting and piping, which was vulnerable to damage.
The lowered undercarriage could throw up mud and debris on wet airfields, potentially clogging the radiators. To test the new 1,100 PS (1,085 hp, 809 kW) DB 601A engine, two more prototypes (V14 and V15) were built, each differing in their armament.
While the V14 was armed with two 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17s above the engine and one 20 mm MG FF in each wing, the V15 was just fitted with the two MG 17s mounted above the engine.
After test fights, the V14 was considered more promising and a pre-production batch of 10 E-0 was ordered. Batches of both E-1 and E-3 variants were shipped to Spain for evaluation, and first saw combat during the final phases of the Spanish Civil War.
The first redesign came with the E series, including the naval variant, the Bf 109T (T standing for Träger, carrier). The Bf 109E (Emil) introduced structural changes to accommodate the heavier and more powerful 1,100 PS (809 kW; 1,085 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, heavier armament and increased fuel capacity. Partly due to its limited 300 kilometers (190 miles) combat radius on internal fuel alone, resulting from its 660 km (410 mi) range limit, later variants of the E series had a fuselage ordnance rack for fighter-bomber operations or provision for a long-range, standardized 300 liters (79 US gallons) drop-tank and used the DB 601N engine of higher power output.
The Bf 109E first saw service with the "Condor Legion" during the last phase of the Spanish Civil War and was the main variant from the beginning of World War II until mid-1941 when the Bf 109F replaced it in the pure fighter role.[50] (Eight Bf 109Es were assembled in Switzerland in 1946 by the Dornier-Werke, using license-built airframes; a ninth airframe was assembled using spare parts.
THE KIT:
Minicraft-Hasegawa are old prolific plastic model kit manufacturers. Minicraft is based in Torrance, CA USA and Hasegawa is based in Yaizu, Japan. They make all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color photo of the model made up. It has a tan spine, over flat-white, with a camouflage of dark-green spots and a flat white undercarriage. The tops of the wings and elevators are in a camouflage of a base of tan, with the dark-green spot pattern.
It has a spinner that is divided into black and stark-white and a wide stark-white fuselage band, behind a large black and white German cross and number 8. It has an illustration of a white circle, with a black map of Africa, with a yellow tiger’s head and a black man’s head on the map and the circle outlined in black.
It was for 4/NT- JG-27 Afrika Korps Squadron. 1941.
One side-panel of the box begins with a one-paragraph history of the Bf 109E. A repeat of the cover art in the center, followed by KIT FEATURES: Length 10.6”, Wingspan 12.1”, highly detailed Daimler-Benz engine with removable cowling, ultra complete cockpit detail with pilot figure, twin 20mm cowl mounted automatic cannon, optional position landing gear and wheel well doors, Optional canopy parts to any one of 4 different versions, Optional tropical air filter and centerline drop tanks.
Minicraft-Hasegawa are old prolific plastic model kit manufacturers. Minicraft is based in Torrance, CA USA and Hasegawa is based in Yaizu, Japan. They make all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color photo of the model made up. It has a tan spine, over flat-white, with a camouflage of dark-green spots and a flat white undercarriage. The tops of the wings and elevators are in a camouflage of a base of tan, with the dark-green spot pattern.
It has a spinner that is divided into black and stark-white and a wide stark-white fuselage band, behind a large black and white German cross and number 8. It has an illustration of a white circle, with a black map of Africa, with a yellow tiger’s head and a black man’s head on the map and the circle outlined in black.
It was for 4/NT- JG-27 Afrika Korps Squadron. 1941.
One side-panel of the box begins with a one-paragraph history of the Bf 109E. A repeat of the cover art in the center, followed by KIT FEATURES: Length 10.6”, Wingspan 12.1”, highly detailed Daimler-Benz engine with removable cowling, ultra complete cockpit detail with pilot figure, twin 20mm cowl mounted automatic cannon, optional position landing gear and wheel well doors, Optional canopy parts to any one of 4 different versions, Optional tropical air filter and centerline drop tanks.
The other side-panel of the box shows 5 color walk-around type photos of the model made up in the box art scheme. Followed by: Unassembled model kit. Manufactured in the US under license from Hasegawa Model Co., in Yaizu, Japan. Over Minicraft’s street address in Torrance, CA USA. Made and printed in the USA.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 3 pale-grey parts trees, the decal sheet and instructions. Nothing is cello bagged.
Trees are alphabetized.
Pale-grey letter A tree holds: the fuselage halves, drop tank, cockpit floor and side panels, stabilizers etc. (24 parts)
This kit contains 3 pale-grey parts trees, the decal sheet and instructions. Nothing is cello bagged.
Trees are alphabetized.
Pale-grey letter A tree holds: the fuselage halves, drop tank, cockpit floor and side panels, stabilizers etc. (24 parts)
Pale-grey letter B tree holds: wing halves, gear legs, gear doors, cowling gun panel etc. (24 parts)
Pale-grey letter C tree holds: propeller, pilot figure, 20mm cannons, bomb, engine parts, 250 lb. bomb, spinner, exhaust pipes etc. (30 parts)
I have done a little building to the model except for building the engine and adding the seat to the cockpit-floor and cannon panel to the top of the
cowling top panel.
I have done a little building to the model except for building the engine and adding the seat to the cockpit-floor and cannon panel to the top of the
cowling top panel.
Several parts are loose such as the spinner, exhaust, etc. (10 parts)
Clear letter D tree holds the canopy parts (7 parts)
The instructions consist of a staple-bound booklet of 8 pages in 8 ½” x 11” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art at the top, over the history and specifications of the Bf 109E and Minicraft’s address in Torrance, CA.
Page 2 on through to page 5 gives a grand total of 14 assembly steps.
Assembly and painting of the pilot figure is in step 12.
Page 6 shows insignias, 2 wing armament variants, 4 different air intake variants, the bomb and drop tank and a black and white photo of an actual
Bf 109E in flight and shot of the cockpit area of the kit.
Page 7 is a painting and marking guide.
It shows 3 side-views and top and bottom views.
The first side view is in the same camouflage as the box art. It has a squadron insignia of a shield that has a black boar running up a red hill and against a white circle.
It was for the I/JG. 52 Sqdn. 1940. It has yellow fuselage no. 7 outlined in black on it.
The second side-view is in a base of tan, with dark-green spot camouflage pattern, an orange-yellow nose and rudder flap, light-blue undercarriage. A red fuselage no. and black and white German cross, followed by a wide flat-white fuselage band and black swastika on the rudder sides. It has the insignia of the circle with the tiger and black man’s head on it.
It was with 4/NT I/JG 27 Sqdn.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art at the top, over the history and specifications of the Bf 109E and Minicraft’s address in Torrance, CA.
Page 2 on through to page 5 gives a grand total of 14 assembly steps.
Assembly and painting of the pilot figure is in step 12.
Page 6 shows insignias, 2 wing armament variants, 4 different air intake variants, the bomb and drop tank and a black and white photo of an actual
Bf 109E in flight and shot of the cockpit area of the kit.
Page 7 is a painting and marking guide.
It shows 3 side-views and top and bottom views.
The first side view is in the same camouflage as the box art. It has a squadron insignia of a shield that has a black boar running up a red hill and against a white circle.
It was for the I/JG. 52 Sqdn. 1940. It has yellow fuselage no. 7 outlined in black on it.
The second side-view is in a base of tan, with dark-green spot camouflage pattern, an orange-yellow nose and rudder flap, light-blue undercarriage. A red fuselage no. and black and white German cross, followed by a wide flat-white fuselage band and black swastika on the rudder sides. It has the insignia of the circle with the tiger and black man’s head on it.
It was with 4/NT I/JG 27 Sqdn.
The third side-view is the box art scheme (already described above).
There are 2 illustrations of the spotted camouflage patterns on the wings and elevators and a heavy wave pattern of dark –green on a sand base on one.
There are 2 illustrations of the spotted camouflage patterns on the wings and elevators and a heavy wave pattern of dark –green on a sand base on one.
Page 8 is the parts-trees illustrations, with a list of the names of all the parts. Nice move Minicraft-Hasegawa.
I have added several line drawing views and a color photo of a real Bf 109E and a line drawing of the dashboard to the kit and a Scale Models magazine, dated Feb. 1972, that has an article on the Bf 109E in it, to the kit.
The detail is very good.
Recommended.
Recommended.