Messerschmitt Bf 110 E
Weekend Edition

Eduard, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Mark Davies

Eduard's 1/72 scale Bf 110 E Weekend Edition is available online from Squadron.com

Eduard’s recently released 1/72-scale Bf 110 kits have been widely reviewed, including the Bf 110E Profipac boxing by HyperScale’s Brett Green in July 2012. The Profipac release shares all of the same styrene parts with the Weekend edition reviewed here; so I could see little point in covering old ground regarding the kit contents. Instead, I refer readers to Brett's kit review for comments and images regarding the common base kit. Brett also posted a brief article showing his finished Eduard Bf 110E model alongside Airfix’s new-tool equivalent here.

I shall focus more on the “Weekend Edition” aspects of the kit. Whereas the kit Brett reviewed was the “Profipac” boxing complete with all the goodies Eduard does so well (regular and pre-coloured PE details, pre-cut canopy masks and several decal choices), the weekend boxing is all plastic with one decal option. It’s easy to overlook or be dismissive of the Weekend Edition if you adopt an “I’m not interested in the base model” attitude. But this would be quite wrong because the Weekend Edition Bf 110 should be compared to other Zerstorer kits without multimedia additions, rather than its Profipac release. When you do this comparison the Weekend edition shines, as I hope to show.

The parts come in a top-opening box and are enclosed in resealable cellophane bags. All of the plastic parts are the same as the Profipac option and the instructions convey the same assembly information, but less glamorously with monochrome diagrams on ordinary photocopy paper rather than being coloured and glossy like the Profipac’s. You will end up with some spare parts because several different boxings share common sprues. The kit decals offer only one option compared to the Profipac’s four. The decals are produced to Eduard’s usual very high standards.  

Several kits have preceded Eduard’s Bf 110 kits in this scale. I shall only mention Bf 110C, D & E versions here; given their similarity and the ability to derive an E-variant from any of them with just a little work. Previously, there have been kits by Airfix (1959 tooling), Monogram (re-boxed by Revell), Matchbox, Italeri, Fujimi, and most recently Airfix again with their 2010 release. Of these Airfix’s new tool release is the most readily available and the only modern kit, although Fujimi’s has recessed panel lines. All have various accuracy issues.

Although there is currently an Airfix renaissance, their new tool Bf 110 kit reflects a learning process on how to produce a decent modern injected kit. It has rather heavy-handed surface detail and some accuracy issues (see Brett Green’s Airfix Bf 110C build article). Suffice to say that Eduard’s Weekend Edition beats it handsomely in all respects other than price, and number of decal options; although it is only an issue of one choice versus two. The price premium over Airfix is only 10%, which makes buying Eduard is a no-brainer in my opinion.

Having established that Eduard’s is the best Bf 110E kit to buy, you may ask why buy the Weekend Edition in preference to the Profipac example?  Well for a start, it will appeal to anyone who does not like working with PE; and there are some who do not because it can be fiddly and needs super-glue to fix it in place. Then there are those who simply do not want or need the extra detail it can provide. The stock plastic cockpit is very good, and is of a similar high standard to Tamiya in this respect. And after all, closed cockpit model wearing a nice paint-job is enough for many modellers.

Aside from the lack of PE, what about the other differences between Profipac and Weekend Editions? The absence of an Eduard mask is to my mind the most significant difference, as there is a lot of framing to mask with a Bf.110!

Only one decal choice versus four probably does not matter to modellers with big stashes of decals; whilst those without may be happy with Eduard’s single choice. Moreover, the kit’s Wespen scheme is a very popular one that has frequently been offered before by both kit and after-market decal makers.

The actual aircraft the kit decals cover served with 5./ZG, and was flown by Lt. Herbert Kutscha in Russia during 1942.

The Weekend v Profipac Proposition

I think that Eduard’s Profipac Bf 110 kits are great value as well; they cost no more than an equivalent quality Japanese kit which lacks the PE or masks included with the Profipac. The Profipac issue costs around three quarters more than the Weekend Edition, but I feel it is worth it if you want the extra detail and convenience of a canopy mask.

Obviously, it just comes down to what you want and how much you will pay. Either choice remains a bargain compared to the alternatives.  

Eduard’s Bf 110 kits are the most accurate and best detailed available in 1/72-scale; with build articles reporting a very good parts fit. Eduard’s Weekend edition of their Bf 110E kit is a tremendously good value as well, at less than half the cost of similar quality kits by leading Japanese brands.

If you dislike PE, or do not require the extra detail level it can provide, then this is the kit for you (provided that you will not miss having a paint mask for the canopy). In fact if the Profipac kits with their extras did not exist then Eduard’s Weekend Bf 110 kits would the best in 1/72-scale.

Costing only 10% more than its nearest rival, which has accuracy issues and inferior detail throughout; my money is on this Weekend Edition of Eduard’s Bf 110. It is an all-round winner and definitely recommended.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Eduard for the sample

Review Text Copyright © 2013 by Mark Davies
Page Created 11 April, 2013
Last updated 11 April, 2013

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