Hasegawa Bf.109G nose air scoop fix

[clifft]

Sorry if this is old hat to those who've been at 1/32 for any length of time...

 

I recently started building 1/32 (well collecting is probably more of an accurate statement for the time being), specifically Bf.109s and have been GOGGLING the net looking for info and aftermarket bits to tweak the Hasegawa kit.

 

One thing that has been mentioned is the error Hasegawa made with respect to the air scoops on the nose of their G variant. Instead of being straight in line with one another, the front one is stepped down a little. Not a major thing, but certainly a bit of a nuisance and noticable, especially in 1/32.

 

As such, I figured I'd just have to live with Hasegawa's little faux pas. That is til I read a review that made mention of a company called Parts-R-Parts. A little GOOGLING and within a few minutes I found their website.

 

These fine folks offer the perfect solution to a couple of problems with the 1/32 Hasegawa kit (depending on which G variant you might be doing). They offer two style of "nose fixes" - one for the earlier G-6s and one for the later style G-10/14s and Ks (the position of the oil filler cap is higher up on the nose).

 

The air scoop problem solved - hands down! Another little item they offer deals with the shape ofthe flange around the super charger intake for the G2/4 variants (something that I discovered being over looked on many 109s - don't get me wrong, it never donned on me til I saw this correction piece and started taking a good look myself! I'm just as guilty )

 

The pictures of their product on the website do not do these little gems justice! I ordered several of each piece and was more than satisfied upon receipt. Each piece was perfectly cast, no air bubbles what so ever and each piece came individually packaged in a plastic container (similiar idea to what Eagle Cals uses for their resin bits).

 

The "nose fix" is the perfect solution to Hasegawa's error and I think that even though there is a little more removal of plastic involved, it is a more desirable solution and will actually be the more simple. It is designed with the kit in mind, so once in place, you can continue assembly without any additional work or major mods to make it work with the propeller housing assembly.

 

As for customer service, top notch as well, my email inquiries were answered quickly and informatively. I received my items quickly as well as securely packaged to survive their trip through the mail system!

 

I've already ordered a few more for my Bf.109G kits. A big thumbs up to these folks for offering such a great product!

[LSP_Matt]

I was processing the paperwork of Gen Wilson ( Comd Interfet 2000 in East Timor) once. One of my Corporals comes over and louder than I would have liked goes 'so who's the Big Kohona?'. snigger went the assembled crowd. Fastest paperwork I ever did.

 

Thanks for the detailed info there Big K

 

Cheers Matt

[MikeMaben]

Not trying to rain on yer parade (really) but the scoop fix isn't a perfect one.

In the interest of accuracy (if that's what you're after) the rear scoop should

be lowered, not the forward scoop raised. There are other inaccuracies with

the nose (and other parts) of the kit but hey, if it looks 'righter' to you then

go for it.

Mike

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...and be sure and have fun while you're at it

[clifft]

Hey Mike, thanks for the info (and you're not raining on my parade!). I like to get feedback/input like this as it helps me to learn something new as well. And of course I grabbed a couple of my 109 books to have a look and I see what exactly you mean.

 

Now none of this takes away from the quality of the Parts-R-Parts set and I do agree with you on the position of the scoop.

 

Now that being said, I still feel that the Parts R Parts set is still answer as it offers the best solution / comprimise to the problem with the minimal amount of work (for me, that would be trying to rescribe the oil filler cap ).

 

You're right about the back scoop sitting too high, but I think even if you lowered it (roughly equal with the latch in front of it from what I can see in the pics I looked at), you'd still wind up with a stepped look for those scoops, far less noticable, but still there.

 

The front scoop would still need to be moved up a "smidge" ( ). From there the oil filler cap would also have to still be relocated and rescribed accordingly.

 

I guess it boils down to what one considers acceptable, eh?

[clifft]

You know, I just went back to the one book I was poking through (Model Art #290) and after looking at some more pics of 109s (for anyone with this book, pages 53, 54 are a couple to see this), I am wondering if the scoop thing is also caused by the size of the latches - too tall perhaps???

 

I ask this because on those pages, if you look at the position of the top of the inside of the scoop, it does line up with the top of the latch (just as Hasegawa molded it on their kit), but you can tell the scoop is still sitting a little too high up there.

 

Oh well, now I am sucking the fun out of this

 

As Uncle Rick has told me several times, "just build it" - and I think I will.

[Gene Onacko Jr.]

Hey there, BK!

 

I too just received an order of a couple of the Bf109G (early) superchargers from Bruce at PRP and am very happy with 'em!

 

If the two front scoops on each side of the nose are making you lose sleep, you might want to try the Bf109F/G/K upgrade set from Meteor/Cutting Edge. The set is $16 and not only includes two sets of the aforementioned scoops that you can place wherever you want 'em, but the set also includes a new tail wheel, control surfaces, machine guns and cannons and a few other goodies. Nice set!

 

Oh, and I know what you mean about the build vs. collect thing! LOL!

 

Gene in Montana

[MikeMaben]

if you look at the position of the top of the inside of the scoop, it does line up with the top of the latch (just as Hasegawa molded it on their kit), but you can tell the scoop is still sitting a little too high up there.

yeah that's what I meant, if you fix every little error

you'll have quite a project on your hands.

 

Mike

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...BTW I'm not knocking RPR's stuff. I've seen some

of it and it looks nice.

[clifft]

Hey Mike, no kidding eh? As it is, I think I've already made my 109 a big enough project (aside from the PRP pieces, I picked up some of Eagle Cals sets, MDC sets and Meteor Productions' as well, probably spent double on resin than what the kit actually cost me! Heck, I think I even have a fret or 2 of Eduard photoetch in there somewhere d'oh!).

 

Hey Gene, not really losing any sleep over the scoops, my original intent was to just sing a few praises to the quality of PRP's sets as I was very pleased with them. Mike pointed out something to me and he's quite right about how if you end up being to finiky the kit will never get built.

 

I did actually purchase the set you mention and was going to use the scoops they provide, I was just fortunate enough to come across an article that made mention of PRP and I found Bruce's website. If it's aftermarket resin, is good quality and helps to improves the look of a kit, I'm in there like a dirty shirt... just ask Uncle Rick Hmmm, funny, I think I hear him now telling me to "just build it"

[thierry laurent]

I studied a lot of pictures when I made the tweak lists for LSP and can tell you without any doubt that in fact both scoops are wrongly positioned...! One is a little bit too low (front) wheras the other is too high (rear). To correct things in the easiest way, change the location of the REAR one as Mike said...!

 

Just my 2 cents.