Osprey Publishing (Osprey Modelling No. 32)

Modelling the Messerschmitt Bf-109B/C/D/E

by  Brett Green

Reviewed By  Clarence Wentzel, IPMS# 11478

MSRP: $18.95 There are people who swear that any book (or kit for that matter) about the Messerschmitt 109 is sure to sell. This book can easily fit into that category, but it deserves to be examined in more detail. As the title states, the book is intended to aid the modeler in building early variants of the Messerschmitt fighter. This is accomplished by presenting the build of six different models, which make use of available kits or combinations of kits along with after-market detail sets to produce examples that are as accurate as feasible. These include a Bf-109 B in Spain, a Bf-109 E-1 of the Phony War, a Bf-109 E-3 of "Assi" Hahn in France, a Reich Defense Bf-109 E-3, a Yellow Nose Bf-109 E-4 and a Desert Jabo Bf-109 E-7 tropical. Most of the models are 1/48 scale except for the "Assi" Hahn ship in 1/32 scale and the Reich Defense ship in 1/72 scale. I suspect that no one will duplicate the six models exactly as Brett and Chris Wauchop have built them but the individual builds are chock full of great "hints and tips" for making better models. Again, many of us may not be willing to combine the best parts of a couple of kits in order to produce a more accurate model, but pros and cons are given for all kits used. The analysis provided in this book then will enable modelers to judge how accurate a given kit may be and will give them a good idea of how to correct any inaccuracies. In addition to the model building sections, the book includes a pretty good walk-around of an immaculately restored Bf-109 E-4. It also includes a short comparison of the characteristics of the early variants of the 109 and a detailed listing of available plastic kits. The building articles along with the background provide a good cross section of camouflage used by the 109. As mentioned earlier, the builders include several sets of after-market accessories. If a particular accessory or detail set is not available in the modelers' favorite scale, the full color photos of the build process are of sufficient quality to enable some scratch building. The bottom line to this reviewer is that this compact volume, 80 pages plus a color plate, is of interest and is valuable to most modelers who enjoy building or plan to build the early models of the Messerschmitt Bf-109. Better reference books on the Bf-109 aircraft and the Luftwaffe camouflage schemes are available and in fact are listed in the bibliography of this book but this book shows how to convert technical knowledge to actual models. It is well recommended, particularly for those of us who like to learn from the techniques of others.

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.