Eduard 1/48 Bf 109F Royal Class Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

For a brief discussion of the Bf 109 series and the Friedrich in particular, look here.

Eduard has followed their Bf 109F-4 Profipack release with this Bf 109F Royal Class/Dual Combo kit. The kit is molded in gray styrene and presented on four parts trees plus one tree of clear parts. The kit also includes a set of color-printed photo-etched parts for the cockpit plus two additional frets of photo-etched details, a set of Brassin DB 601 exhaust stacks and landing gear wheels, and a set of yellow-tape masks for the canopies and wheels. Since this a Dual Combo kit, there are two complete Bf 109F kits in the box, so there are actually eight gray parts trees, two clear parts trees, and double everything else as well. As a Royal Class kit, this also has another special feature which, in this case, is a Friedrich beer glass to match the Gustav beer glass released in that Royal Class kit. Among this kit's features and options:

• Two complete kits
• Nicely detailed cockpit
• Choice of styrene/decal or color photo-etch instrument panels
• Color photo-etch pilot restraints
• Fuel line w/sight glass molded in clear
• Choice of armored or unarmored windscreen glass
• Positionable canopy
• Choice of headrest armor
• Choice of standard or tropical engine air intakes
• Photo-etched radiator grilles
• Choice of propellers
• Choice of starboard fuselage gun bulges
• Positionable rudder
• Positionable elevators
• Positionable ailerons
• Positionable leading edge slats
• Positionable flaps
• Positionable radiator flaps
• Nicely represented 'booted' main wheel wells

External stores included for this version:

• Optional centerline bomb and rack

This kit provides markings for 14 examples:

• Bf 109F-1, Stab JG 51, Krefeld, Germany, 1941, as flown by Oblt Werner Moelders
• Bf 109F-2, Stab I./JG 3, Byelaya Tserkov, Soviet Union, 1941, as flown by Lt Detlev Rohwer
• Bf 109F-2, 7./JG 2, White 1, France, 1941, as flown by Oblt Egon Mayer
• Bf 109F-2, Stab JG 3, Schatalovka, Soviet Union, 1941, as flown by Maj Guenther Luetzow
• Bf 109F-2, 9./JG 54, Yellow 9, Siverskaya, Soviet Union, 1941, as flown by Oblt Hans-Ekkehard Bob
• Bf 109F-4, Stab I./JG 77, Comiso, Sicily, 1942, as flown by Hptmn Heinz Baer
• Bf 109F-4, 3./JG 54, White 8, Krasnogvardyeysk, Soviet Union, 1942, as flovn by Walter Nowotny
• Bf 109F-4, Stab II./JG 52, Klin, Soviet Union, 1941, as flown by Oblt Johannes Steinhoff
• Bf 109F-4/Trop, 9./JG 27, Yellow 4, Daba, Egypt, 1942, as flown by Uffz Andreas Kuehn
• Bf 109F-4/B, 10.(Jabo)/JG 53, White 3, San Pietro, Sicily, 1942, as flown by Uffz Felix Sauer
• Bf 109F-4/Trop, Stab II./JG 27, Libya, 1942
• Bf 109F-4, 1./JG 3, White 111, Frolov, Soviet Union, 1942, as flown by Oblt Helmut Mertens
• Bf 109F-4, 8./JG 5, Black 13, Petsamo, 1942, as flown by Fw Heinrich Bartels
• Bf 109F-4, 5/2/ vadaszszazad, V-12, Uman, Soviet Union, 1943, as flown by Hdgy Gyorgy Debrody

The decals are provided on three sheets and provide the distinctive unit and airframe markings as well as two very thorough sets of maintenance stenciling for the airframes. Eduard made a point about how their updated decal process produces decals as good in quality as Cartograf and one advantage Cartograf has is the ability to print very fine and legible stencils. Looking at these two sheets printed by Eduard, if they aren't as sharp as Cartograf, they're really darned close.

As with the other Bf 109F release(s), Eduard produces a variety of detail sets to add further depth to your model(s) including a cockpit set, engine set, and various airframe updates. Out of the box, this kit will render two stunning kits, but for the AMS modeler, you still have options available separately. Plus you have a new beer glass to sip your adult beverage while you enjoy your Friedrich build!

My sincere thanks to Eduard for this review sample!

References:

• Bf 109 Modelers' Online Reference