Kotare teaser - it's a Bf 109K!

[MikeMaben]

[Juggernut]

Do we have any idea how many 109K-4s were built by Erla Leipzig?  I've read not many but no numbers were put forth.  Anyway, The Kotare kit will likely be the Mtt-Rgb version (if I've got that abbreviation correct) which is TOTALLY fine with me!  I have absolutely no doubt that whatever gets released will undoubtedly be absolutely state-of-the-art and a kit by which many others will judged, no matter what the subject or scale.

Edited January 23 by Juggernut

[pvanroy]

On 1/23/2025 at 6:49 PM, Juggernut said:

Do we have any idea how many 109K-4s were built by Erla Leipzig?  I've read not many but no numbers were put forth.  Anyway, The Kotare kit will likely be the Mtt-Rgb version (if I've got that abbreviation correct) which is TOTALLY fine with me!  I have absolutely no doubt that whatever gets released will undoubtedly be absolutely state-of-the-art and a kit by which many others will judged by, no matter what the subject or scale.

Very few K-4/R6 were constructed. Erla's original K-4/R6 production planning was superseded; they continued G-10/R6 production until the end of the war, and were supposed to switch over to Ta 152 production in the summer of 45. I think three W.Nr. are known - 570362 (from a BAL acceptance document from February 45), 570375 (the machine in the photo) and 570379 (quoted by J.C. Mermet as found by the Americans at the end of the war). Apart from the aircraft in the photo, there is one other partial image known of a K with an Erla cowl. In all, I'd guess Erla probably produced less than 20 K-4/R6 before the Leipzig plant was captured in mid April 1945.

 

When it comes to 570375 in the photo, I'm not convinced it has a short tail wheel. When you look at the ground angle, the underside of the fuselage is approximately horizontal, and the lower edge of the rudder sweeps up. This suggests a long tail wheel: planes with a short tail wheel sit lower, and as a result, the line of the underside of the fuselage slopes slightly down, while the lower edge of the rudder sits horizontal. I think the impression of a short tail wheel in 570375 is a bit of an optical illusion caused by two things:

 

- The aircraft is parked on the tarmac, but the tail juts out over the grass field. The grass is taller than the tarmac, giving the impression the tail is closer to the ground than it actually is.

- The position of the sun: the sun was behind the photographer. Because of the angle and position of the sun, the shadow is projected behind the aircraft, further giving the impression that the tail is closer to the ground than it actually is.

 

Taking everything together, I think 570375 had a long tail wheel, locked in the down position and with the gear doors forced closed. 

 

EDIT: never mind what I said about 570 375 having a long tail wheel. The image posted below by Damian shows conclusively that Erla-built K-4/R6 had a short tail wheel. 

Edited January 24 by pvanroy

[Martinnfb]

Interesting observation, however if you look closely you can see the aluminum disk of the wheel dangerously close to the fuselage, the tire is partially covered by the soldier's jacket. Yet adding it's thickness to the picture, this seems way too low for a long strut. Almost as low as this one from the previous page.

[pvanroy]

On 1/23/2025 at 7:38 PM, Martinnfb said:

Interesting observation, however if you look closely you can see the aluminum disk of the wheel dangerously close to the fuselage, the tire is partially covered by the soldier's jacket. Yet adding it's thickness to the picture, this seems way too low for a long strut. Almost as low as this one from the previous page.

 

But is it really the hub of the tailwheel? I've always wondered about that - the size looks a bit off, and there doesn't seen to be a clear tire on it. I've wondered whether it isn't the sole of the boot of the guy standing up in the back. Erla used both long and short tailwheels on their G-10/R6, so both are possible. In any case, it's a fascinating machine. 

 

EDIT: irrelevant comment - the photo posted below by Damian conclusively shows Erla K-4/R6 were built with a short tailwheel. 

Edited January 24 by pvanroy

[Martini_Man]

20 hours ago, Juggernut said:

But it exists, doesn't it....and Kotare does provide the long stroke tailwheel strut.

 

True, they provide the long stroke tailwheel strut but with a leather boot which is incorrect!

 

Short tailwheels sometimes had the leather boot but never the long stroke tailwheel.

[Juggernut]

21 minutes ago, Martini_Man said:

 

True, they provide the long stroke tailwheel strut but with a leather boot which is incorrect!

 

Short tailwheels sometimes had the leather boot but never the long stroke tailwheel.

 

Look at the sprue shot.  The Red/Yellow Arrows point to the long tail wheel strut and wheel/tire.  The crossed-out wheel/tires are NOT the long tail wheel strut.

 

Edited January 23 by Juggernut

[Martini_Man]

My apologies! I mistook THAT part for the pitot tube 😔

[Juggernut]

10 minutes ago, Martini_Man said:

My apologies! I mistook THAT part for the pitot tube 😔

 

No worries....sometimes it's tough to tell what's what in a 2D view.  I also corrected my first sentence above....was all caps where it didn't need to be, my apologies if you thought I was yelling.

Edited January 23 by Juggernut

[Martini_Man]

But in general it looks like a marvellously and ingeniously designed kit.

 

I look so much forward to building this masterpiece...

[Juggernut]

You know it! 

 

I love these late war 109s!  Particularly the 109G-10 and the 109K-4.  Such neat camouflage schemes that vary dramatically in some cases.  They're so ugly, they're gorgeous!

 

Like you, I have absolutely no doubt this kit will be  the "go-to" for anyone who fancies a late war 1/32 Bf109.  Now, to add some seasoning to the sauce (so to speak), I hope they tweak the tooling a bit and in a few years give us an MTT-Regensburg Bf109G-10!  One can hope, right?  Even if it doesn't happen, I'm still one happy camper with what they're doing right now!

[Andreas Beck]

Cross kitting with ZM would become a bit costy.....

[D.B. Andrus]

A number of Erla K-4's in the pipeline:

 

 

 

[pvanroy]

4 hours ago, D.B. Andrus said:

A number of Erla K-4's in the pipeline:

 

 

our

 

This is brilliant! I know the second picture and another one from the railyard in Plauen showing a number of unfinished Erla K-4/R6, but I've never seen the first picture. It is fantastic as it is the only picture to my knowledge to completely show the fuselage of an Erla K-4/R6. Of note, at least four of them show short tail wheels, so I'm now satisfied that 570375 also had a short tail wheel. Really great image.

[Wouter]

Almost like a flock of sleeping sperm whales ...