Product # 8428 (http://www.hlj.com/product/hsgst31)
*History –*
The Messerschmitt Bf109 went through a second major redesign during
1939-40 which gave birth to the F Series. The "Friedrich" saw a
complete redesign of the wings, the cooling system and fuselage
aerodynamics, and was powered by a DB 601N for the F-1 and F-2 variants
and was upgraded to the DB 601E for the F-3 and F-4 variants. Considered by many
as the high watermark of the Bf 109 development, the F series abandoned the wing
cannon and concentrated all armament in the forward fuselage. A pair of machine
guns above and a single 15 or 20mm cannon behind the engine, the latter firing
between the cylinder banks and through the propeller hub and spinner. This
configuration was used by all subsequent variants. A handful of Bf 109Fs were
used operationally late in the Battle of Britain in 1940, but only become
widespread in service in the first half of 1941, replacing the 109E. Production
lasted exactly a year
between May 1941 and May 1942, with 1,841 F-4 variants produced. The Erla
factory produced 576 tropicalized F-4 trop’s in the first half of 1942.
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images below to see larger images
*The Kit* –
It has been a long wait for 109 fans to get plastic injected Bf109F.
Thankfully Hasegawa has finally added the Friedrich to their 109 family and
answered all 109 fans prayers in doing so! With this F release, Hasegawa has
retooled approximately 90% of the kit and only uses the old G series wings,
flaps and slats. A completely new fuselage has been tooled and it has eliminated
the tail plug that is on the older 109G and
K releases. Also an insert panel has been added to the left front of the
fuselage to allow different sizes of supercharger intakes of the earlier and
later series of the F series 109’s. There is a small down side to
this insert panels and that is, it creates a seam line that is not found on the
actual airframe. So there will be some filling and sanding required in this
area.
The propellers and spinner has been completely redone, and they have fix
the bulging spinner that is in the 109G kits. The propellers taper has also been
corrected with the sides sloping inwards. Along with the new
tooled parts, is the cockpit which now features more detail than the G and
K series. There are finely molded wiring looms and control wires to the
components within the cockpit. Two styles of seat are offered the later tub type
which is molded in one piece and the early style is molded in two. The way that
Hasegawa has designed the earlier seat is a bit odd, the two pieces join in the
middle of the seat and creates a
nasty and tricky seam to remove. The cockpit canopy also features the
flare gun and have finely molded latches and grip handles. Hasegawa has also
included a very impressive seated pilot figure that has 3 optional heads... yes
3! A Seat harness is included also in decal form, but it’s really crying out
for a photo etch replacement.
As mentioned before the wings that are included is from the G series
releases. The instructions that Hasegawa supply are clearly marked to backdate
the G wings to a F series. There are a few details that need to be filled and
removed. The main landing gear struts has also received a face-lift and now has
a molded on brake line. Separate oleo scissors and tie-down rings are now
separate items. The wheels now are molded in 4 pieces and the hubs are now
separate pieces which will easy the painting process. Two tail wheels are
included too, one with the oleo link and one without. Some of the F-4’s were
fitted with two external stiffening plates that were screwed onto the outer
fuselage on each side due to tail failures, Hasegawa has included these
stiffeners as self adhesive foil. But check your references before adding them
as not all F-4’s had these plates added.
The kits decals are printed on the super thin paper in a Matt
finish. The white on the decal sheet is white and not the cream that
Hasegawa is known for. I think with their new and future releases, we won’t
see this
problem anymore. Decals are in good register and are well printed and
appear in authentic RLM colours. There are four marking schemes included in this
kit, all belonging to the Star of Africa, Hans-Joachim Marseille.
All the Marseille schemes are from
North Africa in 1942,
-
WNr.8693 – February 1942 with
50 aerial victories.
-
WNr.10059 – May 1942 with 68
aerial victories.
-
WNr.10137 – June 1942 with 101
aerial victories
-
WNr.8673 - September 1942 with
151 aerial victories.
Since this is the first release of
the Bf109F-4 Trop from Hasegawa, they have included a nicely cast resin figure
of Hans-Joachim Marseille in a standing pose.
Overall, this new tooled release.. well 90% tooled, raises the bar again from
Hasegawa. The level of detail is fantastic with very crisp and fine details.
With the other 109 offerings from Eduard and Trumpeter you should be able to
modeled all major variants in 32^nd scale. This kit is very suitable for any
level of modeler.
I would like to thank HobbyLink Japan (www.hlj.com)
for this review sample.
Dave Johnson
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