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Luftwaffe in 1/32


SimonCornes

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Thats got your attention!!

 

I'm just after a bit of opinion please? I don't intent to go mad in this field - I have a Revell He 111, and 2 Ju 88's , one with an AMS Ju 188 conversion but thats its. Yesterday I allowed myself to buy an Eduard Bf 109E-3 - because I know that anything Eduard is generally good and it was a decent price for a Profipack. Having dipped my toe into the water I wondered what the opinion of the LSP members was of the Revell FW-190 and the 109G (I like the Hartmann kit with Erla haul but is that the latest moulding?) Or am I better aiming at Trumpeter, Hasegawa, or something else?

Many thanks for your opinions

 

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The Revell Fw.190F-8 is well detailed and fairly accurate ... and importantly - In the UK (where you are) - fairly darn cheap! ... so even if you feel the need for AM it won't break the bank.

Also it's reasonably easy to re-designate into an A-8 with a couple of adjustments and some AM decals.

 

The Revell Bf.109G-6 and G-10 have mixed reviews ... Basically it amounts to what you favour in your builds (Engineering, Fit and Finish) and what you can live with (accuracy-wise).

All of the F-K variants available on the market have various accuracy issues ... though none of them (Revell, Trumpeter or Hasegawa) are unbuildable by any means.

People will argue that one particular kit is "better" than another - for one reason or another. Read your reviews (there are multiples on every kit out there) and make your cost/benefit decision from there. Everyone has their favourite - so anyones opinion, other than your own here (based on your preferences), is useless. Personally, out of all three, I favour the Trumpeter G-6's ... in terms of enjoyment of build. But there are plenty of others here that will not go near them.

 

Revell didn't quite get the Erla (G-10) look right in the cowl ... Amur Reaver has a good resin correction set ... again ... it depends how much of a stickler you are for accuracy ... or what you make of the shape issues.

And again ... the Revell Bf.109's will be cheaper - in the UK - than both the Trumpeter or the Hasegawa ... so there's that - but no-one else does the Erla G-10.

 

Rog :)

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Artful69 has given you a very good synopsis of the available kits. Almost all have pros and cons.Do your research to see what makes the kit a best choice for yourself. There is plenty of aftermarket resin fixes and a plethora of decals to choose from.

 

Mark Proulx

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In terms of value, get the Revell kits. The prices available are so good you can get a couple for the price of a single Hasegawa, and they are widely available.

EBay tends to have a few at good prices. The 109's can be had for around £20 or so, and the 190's cost a bit more - if you wait, the prices will drop a bit, as the 109's did.

 

The Eduard profi-packs are good value if you can grab one for at or around £30. The Weekend kits are very bare. 

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Artful was pretty much to the point. All are fine and will build up into very nice models if you can overlook some accuracy issues.

 

After all it's a matter of taste or what you look for. I am blessed with a lack of an eye for many of the 'the curve of this and that is much too curved/shallow' so those dont mean a thing to me. Only one current is downright wrong and that's the Trumpeter F models, which are in reality G-2's. That is a difference I can relate to.

 

One that hasn't been mentioned is the Dragon/Cyberhobby Bf109E series - do yourself a favor and try one of those. Fantastic kits. All the others are fine, but this one stands way above them in terms of quality/buildability

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I like the Revell 109Gs (the new ones!), they do have foibles but I just like them. Read a few build logs of different manufacturer's kits and get an idea of what is good and what isn't so good (you can also judge what level of correction suites your taste. For example, much is made of the Erla kit's inaccurate front cowl (well in Luft circles anyway). However, if you look at an OOB Erla kit there aren't many (inc those who know what the issues are) who'd be able to spot them at a couple of feet away...

 

Dragon good (E versions) though the cowl to fuselage has caused some people problems. Same with Eduard's Es.. cowl to fuselage can be tricky.

 

I don't like Trump's 109s because of the rivets - plain and simple - and of course an entirely personal taste matter... They seem to go together well.

 

Hasegawa's 109G-6,14, 10 and K kits are all pretty good, have various errors which can be addressed or ignored - they all make fine looking 109s though. Be aware that the Hasegawa 109F series is a partial new tool  with a new fuselage (which seems to address length issue with older tool) and other bits. Again makes a good looking 109.

 

Finally, just a mention of the Revell new tool Me 262B-1a/U1 night fighter. This can currently be had on eBay for around £30 and represents a real bargain for what is, in my view, the best 262 on the market in any scale..

 

Matt

Edited by mattlow
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The Eduard 109 Es have an added benefit, in that if you fancy early models and aren't averse to a bit of work, Alley Cat do conversions for a 109B, a C and a D. I've got the C, and an Eduard 109 E-3 to put it on, but not made a start yet.  (They're designed for the E-1, but usable with the E-3 apparently - we shall see.)   I'm nort aware of any other early Bf 109s in 1:32, if anyone else is please say.

 

Other than that, agree with what's been said so far - it depends what you want from a kit.

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... One that hasn't been mentioned is the Dragon/Cyberhobby Bf109E series - do yourself a favor and try one of those. Fantastic kits. All the others are fine, but this one stands way above them in terms of quality/buildability ...

 

Thanks for chiming in on that one Thomas ... I did actually think about mentioning the CyberHobby E variant (after all it's my favourite!!) - but I thought to limit my (already detailed) response to the OP's Q's about the Revell G's.

With its minimal accuracy issues and decent engineering, fit and finish - the CyberHobby kit has got to be the best 109 out there as a total package ... for mine anyway.

 

Of course, no kit is ever perfect and fitting of the cowl (without the patience stability control engaged) can induce even the most mild mannered into the odd utterance of profane expletives!!

 

The only frustrating thing for me, is that they didn't pop out an E-1 ... but I guess that would have required more re-tooling for one kit than they were prepared to do. It's a shame they didn't go on with the F-K ... but since no-one else has got it quite right, maybe they wanted to quit while they were ahead?? I always felt it was a shame that they didn't carry on with the Bf.110 series past the earlier variants, either ...

 

The Eduard 109 Es have an added benefit, in that if you fancy early models and aren't averse to a bit of work, Alley Cat do conversions for a 109B, a C and a D. I've got the C, and an Eduard 109 E-3 to put it on, but not made a start yet.  (They're designed for the E-1, but usable with the E-3 apparently - we shall see.)

 

Mike ...

 

The Bf.109E-3 saw the introduction of 20mm FF cannon fitted to the wings with the lumps and bumps - and panels that all that entails ... whereas the E-1 (and one or two predecessors, I believe?) had MG's fitted to the wings. They had access panels, of course, but those areas of the wings were basically the same shape as the rest.

 

The upshot is: to put together the earlier conversions, an E-1 kit is the best starting point - unless you fancy a fair bit of additional surgery ... weekend editions of the E-1 are readily available and at decent prices, I think?

 

Rog :)

Edited by Artful69
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Thanks for chiming in on that one Thomas ... I did actually think about mentioning the CyberHobby E variant (after all it's my favourite!!) - but I thought to limit my (already detailed) response to the OP's Q's about the Revell G's.

With its minimal accuracy issues and decent engineering, fit and finish - it's got to be the best 109 out there as a total package ... for mine anyway.

 

Of course, no kit is ever perfect and fitting of the cowl (without the patience stability control engaged) can induce even the most mild mannered into the odd utterance of profane expletives!!

 

The only frustrating thing for me, is that they didn't pop out an E-1 ... but I guess that would have required more re-tooling for one kit than they were prepared to do. It's a shame they didn't go on with the F-K ... but since no-one else has got it quite right, maybe they wanted to quit while they were ahead?? I always felt it was a shame that they didn't carry on with the Bf.110 series past the earlier variants, either ...

 

 

 

Mike ...

 

The Bf.109E-3 saw the introduction of 20mm FF cannon fitted to the wings with the lumps and bumps - and panels that all that entails ... whereas the E-1 (and one or two predecessors, I believe?) had MG's fitted to the wings. They had access panels, of course, but those areas of the wings were basically the same shape as the rest.

 

The upshot is: to put together the earlier conversions, an E-1 kit is the best starting point - unless you fancy a fair bit of additional surgery ... weekend editions of the E-1 are readily available and at decent prices, I think?

 

Rog :)

Yes, I'm still looking for an E-1, but the E-3 was a bargain. Alley Cat themselves recommend the E-1, but include mods for the wings to allow an E-3 to be used.

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You can also look at our "tweaks list"  and make some choices based on what you read. The Eduard Emil series is nice, and the E-1 weekend edition is a good one specifically if you want to try the AlleyCat B,C,D conversion. Since I have ahhhhh some Eduard Emils, I haven't looked at the Dragon kit; they seem to draw favorable comments. I do have some Hase F,G,K kits, and I personally like the way they go together. I've also printed out the applicable Tweaks and just put them in the kit box. I can read it, and do as much as I feel like.

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My thoughts (which are worth what I'm charging you! :D )

 

I've built the Eduard 109E-3 and am currently working on the Trumpeter E-7. I like the looks of the Eduard kit much better, so far. The canopy/windscreen shapes on the Trumpy kit are pretty bad and it also seems to have a really fat cross-section at the cockpit (like they've done with several other kits, like the Hellcat). My only real gripe with the Eduard kit was that the cowl fit is difficult. It was really meant to be displayed open, showing off the engine (and I built the weekend edition that omits certain parts that are inlcuded as PE in the Profipack, which was frustrating, but if you have the profipack kit, you should be good to go). I have yet to build the Dragon/CyberHobby offering, but that will certainly be the next Emil I build, unless it's an E-1, which is only offered by Eduard, of course. From what I've seen/read, the CyberHobby Emil seems to be the preferred kit by most. The F/G/K 109 variants from Trumpeter just look off to me. It's the forward section of the nose that bothers me most. Some people have no issue with them, however, so I would look at a lot of photos and make that decision for yourself.

 

I just finished a Hasegawa Fw 190A-8 and you can see it in the RFI forum. I really like the Hasegawa FWs. Haven't built the Revell kit yet, but they do look nice and I'm anxiously awaiting the Zoukei Mura 190s, specifically the early variants, as I've also built the Pacific Coast kit as an A-1 and used a Montex/Hasegawa conversion to do an A-2. Both are somewhat difficult builds by most people's standards and the PCM kit has some engineering and accuracy issues that I wasn't crazy about, either. But, in the grand scheme of things, I could live with Hasegawa's Fw kits for the A-5 through A-8 and be perfectly happy. It's a good kit.

 

I've also built the Dragon Bf 110. I think it's an amazing kit, overall, even if the instructions leave something to be desired. I totally agree with Rog, in that I wish they would carry on and do some G variants, because their C/D/Es look amazing when finished!

 

Best of luck!

 

John

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... but include mods for the wings to allow an E-3 to be used ...

 

Ahhh ... now that is handy!! .... I might have to look at grabbing one or two of these at some point.

 

... I've also built the Dragon Bf 110. I think it's an amazing kit, overall, even if the instructions leave something to be desired ...

 

If you liked this kit, you'll love the 109 ... If you get the opportunity to nab any of them cheapish - go for it ... you won't regret the experience.

 

Rog :)

Edited by Artful69
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