Eduard 1/32 Bf 108 Taifun Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

The Bf 108 was a four-place sport aircraft developed by the Bavarian Aircraft Works in the early 1930s. The Bf 108B was developed in 1935 powered by the Argus 10 inverted V8 engine. The Bf 108 was pressed into wartime service as a liaison and transport aircraft. As the war progressed, production of the Bf 108 was moved to occupied France where it remained in production after the war as the Nord 1000 Pingouin. Some folks may not recognize the Bf 108 Taifun, but you may unknowingly have seen it in various war movies, including "The Longest Day" when Josef 'Pips' Priller and his wingman strafe the allied forces on the beaches of Normandy. Of course Priller was flying an Fw 190 during the actual attack, but at least the movie producers cast a German aircraft to play a German aircraft.

One of my favorite kits from Eduard is their 1/48 Bf 108 kit as it is detailed, yet simple, and looks great when finished. Imagine my surprise when I recently heard that Eduard was supersizing this kit and releasing it in 1/32 scale! I couldn't wait. Fresh off the production floor, here is Eduard's new 1/32 Bf 108 Taifun Profipack and it is even nicer than its smaller cousin. Molded in RLM gray styrene, this kit is presented on six parts trees plus one tree of clear parts, one color-printed photo-etch fret, a resin propeller, and a set of paint masks.

Among the features and options in this kit:

• Nicely detailed cockpit
• Choice of color-printed photo-etch instrument panel or decal instrument panel
• Color-printed photo-etch crew restraints
• Choice of rear bench seat or two sizes of extended range fuel cell
• Choice of one-piece closed canopy or positionable clamshell doors
• Detailed Argus engine though the cowling is not positionable
• Choice of metal or wood propeller
• Choice of spoked or covered main wheel hubs
• Positionable rudder
• Positionable elevators
• Positionable ailerons
• Positionable flaps

Markings are provided for five aircraft:

• Bf 108, KG+EM, Sponderkommando Blaich, Tripoli, 1942
• Bf 108, BK+ZS, Hungary, 1942-44
• Bf 108, NF+MS, Stab I./JG 51, Soviet Union, 1942-43
• Bf 108, NE+RM, 4.(H)/Aufkl.Gr.13, Romania, 1940
• Bf 108, PJ+NG, I./JG 54, France, Jun/Jul 1940

Eduard does provide complete swastikas for those kits sold outside of the EU. The instructions provide great painting instructions for the kit using Gunze Sangyo paints for reference.

This kit is going to be one of my new favorites and I want to build this one more-or-less out of the box while the next will have the cowling removed to reveal that nice engine. Since Eduard super-sized this kit, I sincerely hope they'll supersize another of my favorites out of their 1/48 catalog - the Lysander. Given that the old Matchbox kit is the only choice out there at the moment, having the Eduard/Gavia Lysander in 1/32 would be awesome!