NEW RAY TOYS 1:48 MESSERSCHMITT BF 109E

 

Reviewer: Hrvoje Šafhauzer  (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted:  8 November 2008

Kit Details:

Aircraft History:

Anyone wanting to learn more about general history of this most produced fighter ever shall simply browse the internet and read, and read, and …

VVKJ (Royal Yugoslav Army Air Force) had 73 of Messerschmitts Bf-109 E-3 in service, designated Me-109, out of 100 ordered. Most of them were serviceable in time of German and Italian onslaught in April 1941, stationed in North-eastern part of the country and fighting mostly against German counterparts over Serbia. After a short war survivors were almost all burnt to prevent capture, not having enough range to reach British-controlled airfields in Greece. But for some pilots it was not the end of flying the Emils.

Some of the former VVKJ's personnel of mostly Croat extraction, that joined Bojno Zrakoplovstvo NDH (Air Force of German/Italian puppet Independent State of Croatia, established in April 1941), were "volunteered" to Eastern Front. At the end of September 1941, after short familiarization and training, they were sent to Ukraine to be incorporated in III/JG52 as a 15(Kroatische) staffel. They flew assorted Bf-109 E-3s, E-4s, and E-7s in combat well into 1942 with replacement Bf-109 G-2s starting to arrive from 1st July, racking quite a few victories.

The Kit:

Here in Sarajevo we are sentenced to the kits of a certain German manufacturer/perennial reboxer only. So when I saw this product in a toy-shop in May 2007, I bought it instantly. Although I am in 1/72 scale mostly, with very few (Messerschmitt) 1/48 kits pending to be built, I fell on both price and subject (see history above). Little then I knew that there the proper 1/48 kits of a same subject could be available in some part of the world with similar price. 

New Ray Toy is a China-based manufacturer owned by a company from Croatia, which has chain of the toy shops here, where the product was purchased. These products were available previously as completed models also. Flimsy side-opening box with part-transparent cover contains a box with most of the parts being held in a thermo-formed transparent tray. The box bottom is adorned with their products of piston–engined fighters 1/48 scale range. Two undercarriage parts, parts for a display stand, and pins and screws, arranged in 3 heat-sealed transparent pouches float free beneath the tray. There is a very small assembly instructions sheet. Assembly is intended to be by securing the parts with the pins and screws, with some components snap-tite. A small screwdriver is provided. Main landing gear and tailwheel are "workable", but more on this later.

The panel lines are engraved - deeply, so after seeing them one should stop complaining about the Matchbox practices! In this scale they are not looking too bad, but it's the same depth is at their 1/72 scale products, and that is a nightmare. Control surfaces are of raised variety and maybe a little exaggerated, but nothing that could not be settled with some sanding. However, their lines are less pronounced than the panel ones. The main parts are semi assembled and prepainted, with fictional both camouflage and markings. Two wing uppersurfaces are glued to single wing undersurfaces, but one would be able to separate them with an appropriate blade if required. The fuselage parts are kept together with adhesive tape (which I replaced with rubber bands) for enabling positioning the propeller assembly, and they are intended to be held together with the pins. 

Parts are cast flash-free, with ejector-pin marks mostly in the fuselage interior, with only one that I have found in a wheel well. All the main parts are painted in dark green/black green overall, with gray-green looking splinter camouflage on wing and horizontal tail upper surfaces and mottle on the fuselage sides. Nose and rudder are orange painted, with propeller blades and landing gear components in dark gray. There is a light drab painted pilot upper torso glued to a dark green painted armor plate. Pilot is nicely done, with head being bent forward like on some profiles published on internet. How long would he live flying in such a position in combat conditions is another story! In front of him there is a shelf part molded blocking the view down. So there is no floor, no control stick, no rudder pedals, and no instrument table. 

Another version of this product is offering other camouflage scheme, also bogus one. Clear cockpit single piece cover is thick, but clear enough with two substantial lugs for positioning. There are no such things like main gear covers, cannon barrels, pitot-probe, gun sight, aileron external balances, tail plane struts and like. And there are no underfuselage stores. On the wing centreplane underside there is a substantial socket for a display stand lug, as well as a seat for a screw head, and there is a strut-looking strengthening/seat for pin at both tailplane undersurfaces. To round off the unnecessary add-ons, the wing undersurfaces are adorned with raised manufacturer's logo and "Made in China" wording


© Hrvoje Safhauzer 2008

Accuracy:

For comparison I have used both 1/48 side drawings and enlarged 1/72 5-view drawings published in former Yugoslavia in the references stated below. As in the box, product is representing an E-4 or E-7 variant, since the angular cockpit cover is provided only. For me, it appears that both span and length are within a mm, and most important panel lines are exactly where they supposed to be. OK, some of them are missing, & there are some extras due main landing gear area construction. Main landing gear legs and wheels are completely useless, being not only too thick but with a wrong inclination also, and wheels are just buttons. Tailwheel leg has a reinforcement, and is little thicker also. Propeller assembly is of correct diameter, and hub is OK, but blades are looking like being copied from a Revell's 1-72 E-3 from the 60s/70s, meaning some reshaping would be required. Radiators are not of completely correct shape, but looking much better than, say, at Academy 1/72 Bf-109 E-3/E-4, and they are completely see-through, like the undernose oil cooler is to be. Flap upper ribs are not completely correct, like the Revell kit also, but it could be repaired by die-hard modelers using some sanding, and stretched sprue, and sanding. I am to leave them as they are.


© Hrvoje Safhauzer 2008

Construction:

Well, It took me several months working up to one hour at odd afternoons or evenings, when I was in the mood, and this is the way this article is being written also. I have started with the preparation, by removing the offending display socket and screw&pin seats, including those at the horizontal tail surfaces. Since my 1/48 spare parts collection is almost nonexistent, I also had to make some parts or borrow from other Bf-109 kits. I used plasticine for making female molds, and sprue parts softened in the small glass jar by nitro-thinner, and turned into malleable matter. I have also used this material for filling the holes, instead of putty. It took some time to cure, but I was in no hurry. Also if the parts were not satisfactory, they were simply returned to the jar for recycling, making it trials and errors process mostly. For molds making I have cheated a little, using the Airfix's Bf-109 F-4 parts as the masters. And I made parts gradually, as kit making progressed, so the newly made parts are not of same color. Also the edges are not the sharpest thing in the world, but for me that will do. And, by the way, definitely do not use "hot-glue gun method" with polystyrene masters, for making female molds. This is how I have destroyed one of Bf-109 F-4 wheel halves!


© Hrvoje Safhauzer 2008

Next was removing the tailplane pin seats, as well as the shelf in cockpit, followed by sanding smooth. I also removed the pins for securing the fuselage halves together, opting to glue them in process. The tailwheel leg reinforcement was removed and leg reshaped slightly, and immediately glued into a proper position. This was followed by gluing the fuselage side details to appropriate places, and in the meantime I made a cockpit floor from scrap styrene sheet, control stick, and aileron external weight balances and pitot probe from stretched sprue. The small panels intended to provide "workable" main landing gear were glued at their place, and screw sockets filled and sanded. Reinstating/making panel lines and other details at the undersurfaces followed.

Initially, I was not sure if I would do VVKJ's E-3 or 15/JG52's E-4. It depended on two things: 

a) my ability to make/obtain E-3 style canopy; 

b) getting proper decals. 

Issue b) was solved with help of my friend Nenad from Belgrade, who purchased a Lift Here decal sheet P-48 LH, for VVKJ Messerschmit 108s, 109s & 110 there and sent it to me. (Thanks Neno!) After this, I made a male master from plaster using kit canopy as starting point and plasticine, and heat-smashed the several copies from acetate until getting a satisfactory one. Now I was able to proceed with cockpit, knowing it was to be the Yugoslav E-3. It dictated removal of the armored headrest, which was incorrect in shape anyhow, from seat. It appears that most of the exported Emils were with no armored headrest or even with no pilot back armor at all.

Revell instructions from late 90s for three kits of Luftwaffe aircraft from 1944-45 period are calling to use their paint 45 – light olive as equivalent for RLM 02 (matching good to shade painted on a kit wings), and 47 – mouse gray as equivalent for RLM 66. Second thing looked something fishy to me, since Airfix/Heller is stating darker Humbrol 92 – iron gray for painting the interior into RLM 66, but I went for Revell instructions. I should go for Hu-92, since a more recent Revell kit is stating Revell 74 – gun gray for instrument panel for 1942-44 vintage aircraft. So the complete cockpit interior was painted in Revell 45, but instrument panel which was painted in Revell 47, as well as the wheel hubs, and scratchbuilt sight. Consequently, plastic main landing gear legs and white metal wheel covers, taken from Revell "Professional Edition" G-10 kit, were painted in Revell 45, with oleos in silver, and same was done to tailwheel leg and bay, and main gear bays. Tires were painted in Revell 9 – anthracite. Since VVKJ's pilots were still wearing Army uniforms in 1940, the pilot was painted in Revell 67 – greenish-gray, with face in Revell 35 – flesh, leather helmet in Revell 84 – leather brown, goggles in silver and boots in black. In fact, Revell dust gray would be more appropriate for the uniform, but there would be almost no difference to cockpit color.

From this point, the assembly was relatively straightforward, only that it was slow going. Initially I expected that I would need to scratchbuild taiplane struts, cannons, and like, but on a trip before starting the construction I have purchased Academy Hispano Ha-1112 Buchon (for 320 Philippino pesos – approx 5.5 Euro), with parts marked not for use including tail struts, MG-17 barrels, spoked narrow wheels and other parts required for converting a model to Battle of Britain Movie "Bf-109 E". So, I removed crude kit's nose MGs, which were not staggered anyhow, leaving place for Academy ones. Propeller assembly was inserted and fuselage glued together then, and left several days to dry, followed by sanding of some seams, as applicable. Availability of the Academy wheels enabled using Airfix ones, with damaged half-wheel being replaced by a home-made one.


© Hrvoje Safhauzer 2008

While dry fitting the pre-assembled wings they started to separate, so I used the opportunity to separate them completely, and place the mesh from my used blood glucose test strips into the radiators, and painting them as well as the radiator interior with Revell 45. I did not take opportunity to scribe some wheel well interior details – at the end I am not a superdetailer type. So, wing parts were glued together and some days later complete wing glued to the fuselage. In the meantime, the tailplanes were glued to the fuselage and struts attached, and main wheels added to their legs. At the end, main gear legs and wheels were assembled to the wings, as well as the cannon barrels from Academy kit (being a tad short, but who cares) aileron balances and pitot probe. Finally, the cockpit canopy was attached using standard Revell Contacta glue, and then I realized that detailing of the cockpit was mostly in vain and that little can be seen. Antenna mast(s) and MG 17s were left to be added after painting and marking sessions.

Painting & Decals:

Firstly, the complete model was painted in Revell 301 – satin white, for covering kit paints, showing tentative defects, and providing the canvas for camouflage, especially including the rudder. I used brush, I do not have an airbrush, and I really do not intend to get one, no my model is never to be submitted to any competition or the like.

VVKJ's cammo for Emils is most simple that I have seen for any wartime Bf-109: RLM 70 Black-green uppersurfaces with RLM 65 Light blue undersurfaces, shades similar to those used in VVKJ from 20s. Only the front part of supercharger air inlet was left in natural metal. Strange, it appears that VVKJ never consider repainting the Emils into green-brown-ochre uppersurfaces scheme used by other their fighters and bombers of period. So, after several days I painted the complete rudder in national flag colors, since I have opted to do aircraft with such features, using common household enamels. Exhaust were painted in Revell-recommended mixture of 4/5 of their 84 leather brown but using 1/5 their 91 – steel instead indicated 99 – aluminum. Some health issues struck me then, putting aside any work on models for almost two months.


© Hrvoje Safhauzer 2008

When continued, painting was a breeze, undersurfaces were paint in Humbrol 65 – aircraft blue, simply because the can was opened already, and left few days to cure and to correct some brush marks. Upper cammo was applied in two parts, one day was dedicated to painting the wings, horizontal tailplanes, spinner, and propeller blades in Revell 40 – black-green followed by fuselage the next day. Cannon barrels and MGs were painted in Humbrol 53 – gunmetal, and trim tabs in red. Several days later a clear gloss acrylic lacquer was applied to most surfaces, but control ones, this being called upon decal instructions.

Since I knew that first "Lift Here" decal releases were actually printed by Propagteam, and after having some bad experiences with Propagteam-made decals for a Smer/Heller kit, I observed the instructions. Lift Here decals are nice, and thin, where roundels and some other things were made two parts for avoiding them being printed off-register, complicating things when applied, but there were no troubles at the end. Unfortunately, this sheet is let down by the meagre instructions, showing only port or starboard profile of an aircraft included, even for multicolor-camouflaged ones, and printed b/w with poor color differentiation, quite opposite of their early and some later sheets, and even not providing a key to the individual decals and their placements fully. It seems that this particular sheet is targeted for local market where the modelers could have other information sources more readily available. Their web site page (http://lifthere.atspace.com/P-48LH.htm) is providing the color side profiles, but they are the same as in the instructions.

I selected to do a "white L-26", with full rudder in national flag colors. Unfortunately, unit, period or pilot details have not been provided by decal maker, but since the major user was 6th Fighter Regiment one can presume that it was from this unit, where the particular squadron or fighter group can not be determined, and I have not been able to find this particular plane in my references. Only few Emils were attached to fighter schools, often with wing cannons removed. As per period, I do not think that it could be later than early autumn 1940, clues are peace-time full-colored rudder, roundels at all four wing stations and white fuselage codes. By April 1941, upper starboard, and sometimes lower port, roundels were omitted, fuselage codes applied in black, and rudders overpainted or delivered in RLM 70, where sometimes the narrow war-time national flag was applied. Some of the higher numbered Emils were with RLM 70 rudders in summer 1940 already. 

Decal application took a few days, and since no stenciling was provided I improvised using decal parts from decal dungeon and some hand work with permanent soft-tip pens. This was followed by applying the Revell 02 matt varnish for sealing the decals and paintwork. What happened is that after applying clear mat the surface that were either covered with gloss or not covered got darker and uniform shade comparing to matt paint applied previously, so I am glad that I left ailerons and elevators uncovered with gloss and mat clear layers. 

I applied no weathering at all, because the planes were maintained well and with relatively low hours due to general lack of aviation fuel in Yugoslavia during 1940 – it was imported completely and war was raging all around. Only during summer 1940 exercises there was more flying, and as a consequence pilots were not highly proficient on type, especially in group fighting, putting them into disadvantage when they were pitted against seasoned Luftwaffe men, fact made even worse by complete lack of proper early warning system and dispersal to auxiliary airfields. Most of the VVKJ's combat planes, especially fighters, were not caught at their peace-time airfields when Axis stroke at April 6th 1941. Lessons from Poland, Scandinavia, and Low Countries were studied and learned well.


© Hrvoje Safhauzer 2008

Final Touches:

Several days later, the gun barrels, aerial masts, and aerials made of stretched sprue were added, and minor paint corrections were made. The model was then transferred to a display shelf, to stand among 1/72 birds, alone for time being. Do not worry, this one is not to see any modeling competition!

Conclusions:

These kits have never appeared in the shops since, either here on in Zagreb. And if they do, I would probably by one for giving it to a kid to start modeling or to toy with tentative "what if" conversion(s), providing my to-build stash is reduced by then! And more than 20 years have passed since I made some bigger scale kits, slapping together few VEB 1/50 kits, nothing else was available here in the mid 80s. I had some fun in doing this kit, especially due my poor 1/48 scrap box part availability, forcing me to do some scratchbuilding/copying. In the meantime, two 1/48 Spitfire kits have landed into my closet…


© Hrvoje Safhauzer 2008

References:


© Hrvoje Safhauzer 2008

 

SMAKR Home  |  What's New  |  Submissions  | Information Requests |  News  |  Links  |  Reference Corner  |  Site Info 
1/72 Reviews  |  1/48 Reviews  |  INBOX Reviews