Two vintage 1/32nd scale Bf109E kits reviewed.

[Airframes]

With this year seeing the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, and the BoB Group Build only just over four months away, I thought it appropriate to review two old kits of the 'Emil', one of which is still readily available in its' latest issue from Hasegawa, the other, and the main subject of the review, being from Matchbox, and still to be found at some model shows, specialist outlets and on E-bay. I'm hoping that Revell, who acquired the Matchbox moulds and have released a number of that company's kits, will release the Bf109E at some time in the future, as it would make an economic alternative to the latest series from Eduard.
The review is rather comprehensive, comparing the Matchbox kit against the Hasegawa offering, and is therefore in PDF form for convenience and ease of viewing. I hope you enjoy it!

[Wayne Little]

Nicely done Terry!

[A4K]

Great work Terry!

Didn't read it completely (yet), but what I did read was really good!

Would love to restore my old Matchbox kit back in NZ...

[Airframes]

Thanks Wayne and Evan.

[ozhawk40]

Yep, great review there Terry. Thanks for posting. . I usually try to stick to 1/48, but it sure is tempting to put one of these together. Great update to the 109 by the way.

Cheers

Peter

[Airframes]

Thanks very much Peter.

[Lucky13]

Bl**dy nice review there old boy! Top racket!

[vikingBerserker]

Well done Terry!

[Njaco]

Thanks Terry! I have a 1/24 Airfix and a 1/32 but I don't know what brand. Will have to check my stash. Still haven't decided which scale for the GB - 1/24, 1/32 or 1/48. I have all.

[Airframes]

Thanks very much guys, I hope it was useful.
Chris, if you do the 1/24th scale kit, I've got mine almost finished (belly landed) so can point out the areas to be aware of. If the 1/32nd scale is either Matchbox or Hasegawa, I'll probably be doing both for the BoB build, and have already sorted out what needs doing in the way of corrections etc , so that might help.

[fatboris]

Wow, great review, Terry. Funny how some of the older kits or less expensive kits can hold their own against newer more spendy kits.

Hey, there's an idea for some of you long-timers (very PC of me) to start a thread. It would be cool to see a post of the best kits under $25 for those just starting out or those who are just broke.

[Airframes]

Good idea mate, and thanks for the compliments. Maybe I'm just a scrooge, or maybe I just like doing 'my own work' on models, but I often go for the older, or pehaps less detailed kit, given it's more or less accurate. Of course, these tend to be less expensive also, and there's a lot which can be done with them, rather than throwing a truck load of aftermarket parts at them. Some of these older kits, for example the ex- Matchbox 1/32nd scale Revell kits, are only around the £15 mark in the UK which, as you pointed out, is not much when they stand up against more modern kits which are three times the price.

[Mr. Ed]

Very interesting, as I'd like to do some single engine fighters in 1/32 scale one day. I can't believe you've repainted and "restored" that model so many times. I've never done this with a kit even once! I have an article in my beloved "Luftwaffe Special" of Aircraft Modeler about the very Matchbox kit you've reviewed (if I recall correctly). The model was "skinned" - that is, the outer skin was removed showing the complete interior, of which the cockpit is obviously only one small part. It was huge amount of work for that modeler. Have you ever done any cutaways of this sort?

[Airframes]

Thanks, and yes, I've done a couple for people in the past, and one for myself, many years ago. Did a 'sectioned' Lancaster and a (civilian) Dakota, a couple of tanks, plus, for myself, a C130K Hercules, in flying attitude, dropping British Paras. On the latter, only part of the starboard fuselage was 'cut away', so that the double 'sticks' of troops could be seen, and some of the complex internal structure. I very rarely do this sort of thing, prefering my models to be in a realistic ground pose, to show the aircraft itself, without the distraction of lots of opened panels, cowlings, hatches etc cluttering up the 'scene' and breaking-up the shape. The only time I would normally do all that nonsense is for a diorama subject.

[Lucky13]

...or to impress those Hippocroccofrogs of yours!