Eduard

1/48 Bf 110E Weekend Edition

Kit Number: 8403

Reviewed by  Rob Folden, IPMS# 45545

MSRP: $29.95 Website: Eduard Catalog Eduard has been making a name for themselves as of late with a new series of kits based on the venerable German Bf-110 bomber. As part of that series, they have been releasing full kits, including photo-etched parts and vinyl paint masks. In an effort to accommodate builders on a budget as well as those who just want a straight build without the hassle of photo-etch, they have also released weekend editions of these kits. Most recent is the Bf-110E weekend edition. Opening the box, you'll find seven sprues of olive colored parts, two clear parts sprues, a sheet of decals, and instructions. There is no photo-etch or masks. The parts breakdown into 316 olive parts and 12 clear parts. This being said, not all parts are used for this variant. To make the kit as cost efficient as possible, Eduard has used their base Bf-110 kit with additional parts for the -E variant. [The original -C/D parts are included as well.] The molding detail is very crisp, with little to no flash. The plastic is very good, not being too hard or soft. The kit gives the option of open or closed canopies [I opted for open to show off the excellent cockpit detail]. The instructions are smaller than those in the profi-pack kits, and feature black and white painting guides. However full color guides are available at Eduard's website.

Building the kit is very easy. I would have to say that this is not a true "weekend" kit, as it took me well over 2 months to complete. The sheer number of parts combined with the excellent level of detail require a little more work than a single weekend will allow. The fit was very good with few exceptions. The kit includes both the -C/D and -E fuselages. I found that areas where the original -C/D parts meet the -E fuselage did not line up. These areas included the wing roots and nose panel. Putty and sanding were needed to smooth out the joints. The cockpit and interior went together great, and the level of detail is amazing. The kit includes three instrument panels [presumably the -C, -D, and -E]. All three will fit the fuselage, so make sure you pick the right one for the variant you build. The IP is very nicely molded, and when painted looks just as good, if not better than the color photo-etch provided in the full kits. Do be fore warned, the interior includes many small pieces, and I recommend using a little CA glue to assemble the small pieces. I did use some scrap brass sheet to cut some pilot seat belts. The rest of the construction went together without much incident. Be very careful when assembling the landing gear. The diagrams can be a bit deceiving, and in my case, resulted in the oleo scissors going on backwards. This wasn't noticed until later on, when it couldn't be fixed.

The paint scheme / decals provided are for 1./Erg.Zest. Gr. Deblin-Irena, Poland, December, 1942. This was a training unit for Bf-110 crews. The markings feature a wolf's head on the forward fuselage and the standard RLM 74/75/76 scheme. Masking off for the camo was very easy thanks to the detailed diagram in the painting guide [the panel lines are shown on the guide, which makes lining up the masking easier]. Painting began with the yellow fuselage band and the yellow on the bottoms of the engines. After masking these areas, I sprayed the bottom in RLM 76. The top was then sprayed in RLM 75 and masked off. RLM 74 was the last to go on, and was also mottled onto the sides of the fuselage and vertical stabilizers. After a coat of future, I was ready to begin the decal stage. Unfortunately, the decals provided in my kit were not fully printed, and the white ended up bleeding through the black. To correct this, the black was touched up with Tamiya flat black and a 00 brush, and then sealed with a light misting of Future. A little extra solva-set was needed to get them to conform all the way, but once flat coated, the touch-ups were barely noticeable. The final steps were the addition of the exhaust pipes and the antenna wires. A note on the exhaust, the tips are molded flat and will require careful drilling out. Overall I was very pleased with the kit and the finished model. I have the Profi-pack in my collection, and I'm eager to compare the finished results of the two. For anyone wanting a great looking Bf-110 to add to their collection, I highly recommend this kit. I would like to offer my thanks and appreciation to both Eduard and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review this kit.