Messerschmitt Me 209 V1
Limited Edition Kit

Aerotech from Marsh Models, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

The first Messerschmitt Me 209 was a single-engine racing aircraft that was designed for and succeeded in breaking speed records.

This Me 209 was a completely new aircraft whose designation was used by Messerschmitt as a propaganda tool. Although the aircraft was designed only to break speed records, it was hoped that its name would associate it with the Bf 109 already in combat service.

The designation Me 209 was given for propaganda purposes to cause confusion with the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Luftwaffe's primary fighter throughout World War II.

It was later reused for the actual proposed successor to the Bf 109

General Characteristics – Me 209 V1

Crew: one
Length: 7.24 m (23 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Height: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Powerplant: 1 × Daimler-Benz DB 601ARJ inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,324 kW (1,775 hp)
Performance

Maximum speed: 755 km/h (469 mph, 408 kn) *

* Background and General Characteristics from Wikipedia

Aerotech is a new name to me. It is the aviation offshoot of Marsh Models, which has been a producer of 1/43 hand-made limited edition model cars since 1981.

More recently, Marsh Models has been producing 1/32 scale aircraft racer models, but the subject matter has been expanding lately to include prototypes and rare subjects.

The latest release under the Aerotech label is a 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Me 209 V1.

This is a multi-media kit with a genuine limited run of 150 kits.

Aerotech's 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Me 209 V1 comes packed in a stout carton with individual resin parts ensconced in bubblewrap and the box filled with foam peanuts.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Thumbnail panels:

The kit comprises 11 parts in grey cast resin, 30 parts in white metal, two lengths of brass rod, two photo-etched frets (around 30 parts); one clear vacform part and decals for one subject.

Casting quality is very good with only one air bubble in the bottom of each tyre.

These will be fast and easy to fill. There is a piebald pale patch on one of the fuselage sides but this will disappear under a coat of primer.

There are no casting blocks on any of the resin parts. Cleanup will be minimal - just a little bit of fettling along the joins of the major parts.

Surface textures are recessed and pretty scarce as you would expect from a puttied and polished record setter.

The fuselage halves are cast as one piece each with the rudder and fin being present on one side.

Pleasantly surprising in a genuine limited run kit, the fuselage has locating pins and holes to ensure accurate and robust alignment. I test fitted the major parts and the locating holes may need to be reamed out slightly to allow the pins to be fully inserted.

Cockpit sidewall detail, a mount for the instrument panel and the engine firewall are all cast directly onto the inside of the fuselage halves.

The resin wing is cast as a single part with ailerons in the neutral position.

Horizontal stabilisers and elevators are cast in the neutral position too.

The flaps are separate made from photo-etched parts and may be posed dropped or retracted.

Wheel well detail is very nicely done and cast directly into the bottom of the wing.

White metal parts are flawlessly cast and appear to be ready to assemble straight from the box. These parts include undercarriage legs and covers, exhausts, propeller blades, rear skid, floor frame, cockpit details and more.

The photo-etched frets offer flap structure and rib detail, harness straps, windscreen and canopy frames, instrument panel, trim wheels, rudder pedals, perforated cover for the oxygen bottle, pilot's rear upper bulkhead and more.

One of the photo-etched frets is much thinner than the other.

The canopy is supplied as a single vacform part. A second part is supplied as a spare.

This looks like the riskiest part of assembly. Framing is in very thin photo-etch (my canopy frame has already bent slightly), so care will be required. I recommend using an acrylic glue such as Gator's Grip for attaching the photo-etched frames to the windscreen and canopy. Super glues or epoxy cement run the risk of smudging the clear parts. As an alternative to the photo-etched frames, you might consider using ultra-thin plastic strip or even masking tape.

Decals are high quality and in register. A decal is supplied for the dials of the instrument panel - nice touch.

Instructions are printed on a single sheet.

One side has a large illustration while the other has photos of cockpit parts and flaps in place.

The golden age of modelling marches on with this high quality 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Me 209 V1 from Aerotech.

If you have a couple of multi-media, limited run kits under your belt, you should not have many problems building this one.

This is a great subject for racer or Luftwaffe fans.

It's not cheap, but you are paying for quality and scarcity and this is likely to be the only 1/32 scale Me 209 that we will see for some time to come.

Only 150 of these kits will be produced so if you want one, get in now!.

Thanks to Marsh Models / Aerotech for the sample

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2023 by Brett Green
Page Created 10 January, 2023
Last updated 11 January, 2023

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page