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Bf 109 E Undercarriage Bay, Wheels and Canopy Upgrade

109ace, 1/24 scale

S u m m a r y :

Catalogue Number, Description and Price:

109ace - Bf 109 E Undercarriage Bay, Wheels and Canopy Upgrade

 

USD$22.00 plus shipping available online from Kevin Martin by email

 

or message on his Facebook page

Scale:

1/24

Contents & Media

Four parts in cream coloued resin; one vacform part.

Review Type:

First Look.

Advantages:

Simple solution to one of the biggest problems with the Airfix 1/24 scale Bf 109 kit - the absent undercarriage bay; all-resin main wheels and tail wheel will eliminate the need for the kit's vinyl tyres; easy assembly; inclusion of the 109 E-3 is a nice bonus.

Disadvantages:

Some careful cleanup will be required.

Conclusions:

This is a very noticeable upgrade for your big Airfix 1/24 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 E.

Make no mistake though - this is old-school, genuinely limited run resin casting and vacforming. It's a little rough in places so a bit of extra effort will be required, but nothing beyond the realms of an experienced modeller.

Once the parts are cleaned up though, this will be a fast and easy installation..

 

Reviewed by Brett Green

FirstLook

 

With the recent re-release of Airfix's vintage 1/24 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3/4. the obvious question is whether it is still worth building more than half a century after its original appearance.

Having purchased the kit locally a few weeks ago, I would yes, but there are a few challenges that many modellers will want to address.

The biggest of these is the absent wheel bays.

 

 

Airfix has simply moulded an undercarriage-shaped hole into the bottom of each wing with no attempt to depict the undercarriage bay or the boxed in main wheel wells.

Kevin Martin's 109ace has delivered a simple solution to address this yawning gap - literally and figuratively - in the kit.

His wheel wells are a one-piece insert per side that will depict the undercarriage bay with its canvas wheel well cover in place.

The ceiling of the wheel well is flashed over with thin resin. I'll sand this away and add some structure to the inside of the upper wing using plastic strip.

The set includes one-piece resin main wheels so you won't have to use kit's nasty vinyl tyres. A tail wheel is included too.

As a bonus, 109ace also includes a Bf 109 E-3 vacform canopy. This is thin - but not too thin - and clear of distortion. Frame detail is very faintly raised, just enough to use as a guide for masking.

 

 

Make no mistake - this is old-school, genuinely limited run resin casting and vacforming. It's a little rough in places so a bit of extra effort will be required, but nothing beyond the realms of an experienced modeller.

Once the parts are cleaned up though, this will be a fast and easy installation.

 

 

Conclusion

 

This is a relatively easy and very noticeable upgrade for your big Airfix 1/24 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 E.

You can see more of Kevin's 109ace products on his Facebook page.

Thanks to 109ace for the sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2021 by Brett Green
Page Created 26 April, 2021
Last updated 27 April, 2021

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