MPM 1:72 MESSERSCHMITT ME 109G-12

 

Reviewer: Ray Bull  (raybull@hotmail.com)
Kit Review submitted:  June 2000

Aircraft:
 Everyone in aircraft modelling should have an inkling of what a Bf-109 is, so I won't bother much with history here. This aircraft is simply a trainer version of the 109, conceived in early 1944, being Bf-109G-2's, 3's, 4's and 6's, fitted with a second position for the instructor and the instructor given his own instrument panel and controls.

The Kit:
 MPM 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf-109 G-12, Kit #72031:
Just one sprue of "limited run"  light grey injection plastic, complemented by a vacuum formed canopy, acetate sheet instrument panels, and one set of photo-etched brass parts. There are 35 injection moulded parts, and 27 photoetched parts. Being "short run" parts, they have large sprue gates and they are not terribly well detailed, but there are engraved panel lines very finely scribed over this kit. The photo etch, done by Eduard is very good.

Instructions:
 Instructions are given on two sheets of double sided A-4 paper, folded into each other to give a booklet of sorts. The instructions are excellent, giving every one of the 8 steps in detail. The front page of the booklet offers a history, in four languages; Czech, English, German and French. These are the four languages used throughout the instructions. Over the page, you are given an explanation about MPM's methods in producing this kit and how to adapt to them. A sprue diagram and paint list, in name (RLM) and Humbrol paints is on the facing page. The next three pages are the assembly instructions. The last two pages are dedicated to the markings and painting, of two unknown planes, but they look basically the same.

Construction:
 Construction starts with the heralded Eduard instrument panel set, which is an acetate sheet with dials printed on it, with its reverse painted white, glued onto a photo-etched panel. There are three of these to be made, with one gluing onto the other, thus making two panels. I had no trouble with this step, even though it was my first time encountering these type of parts. A little drybrushing with steel over the black-grey painted panel and they turn out great.

The cockpit contains trim wheels and pedals in etched brass, along with joystick and seats in plastic. The seats have etched belts and really make the seats look good. Cockpit sidewalls are very bare, only two photoetched parts go here, and  these don't really accentuate the cockpit. The sidewalls need some work.

The cockpit assembly though, has no hassles, albeit a tight fit,  but when all is said and done it looks superb. The fit into the fuselage is a little vague on the instructions, but commonsense will bring you through. The cockpit fits into the fuselage superbly. The instrument panels are a tight fit into the fuselage.

The fuselage halves are a little troublesome to get to fit together right, due to the lack of location pins. Being my first MPM kit, and first locator pin-less kit, I was not really prepared for this. The rudder fits onto the fuselage with a few gaps, but nothing a little superglue and sanding won't cover. Tailplanes are a problem. They didn't want to stick at all. The surface of the fuselage and the tailplane surface didn't want to meet, without disturbing the accuracy of the forward angle of the tailplane (for want of a better phrase). They stuck though, with ample superglue and patience.

The tailwheel was no problem fitting.

The one piece wing was hard to fit, and eventually shoved into place after some trimming, and lots of sanding afterwards to ensure a smooth finish.

The various radiators/intakes and their photo-etched grilles are a nice touch, but the wing radiators/intakes are very poorly fitting and the grilles take some time (read a few days of angst) to fit into the poorly moulded plastic intakes. The massive gap behind the wing radiators is dreadful, and here is where I think it will look the worst, due to lots of filler. The bomb/drop tank rack fits to the wing without any big hassle, just a little filler around the back edge.

The exhaust stacks were a nightmare. The photo-etched exhaust shields did not want to fit at all with the exhaust stacks, so I left them off, even after widening the exhaust stack slot.

The gear doors have no detail, and are the same on either side, so it is easy to get them confused. The landing gear is troublesome as there are no holes to stick the gear into, so one has to try to fit them into the small openings where the gear should go. I ended up attaching them to both the wall and opening. The photoetched suspension parts of the legs are fiddly to get into place, but worth it.

The vac-form canopy gave me trouble as it had been a long while since I had done one, so I stuffed it up. Other than that, I'm sure it would fit well if cut properly. The aerial mast was a little pesky to fit onto the canopy and the placement was a bit vague from the instructions.

Options:
The instructions give no options, aside from the choice of using blank instrument panels or the photoetched versions.

Versions:
There are two versions to do, in standard late war 109 camouflage , but from unknown units, and they look almost the same, with yellow cowls.

Decals:
The MPM decals are in good register, thin and have a glossy finish. That's the good news. The bad news is that they are damned impossible. The first three attempts of decalling all failed. A yellow code number was ripped, then the black one, then the balkankreuze on the wing. At that point I resorted to using my box of spares...The MPM decals, once placed on the model, were 'glued' in place and are basically impossible to move.

Accuracy:
The statement by MPM in the instructions that the model will be worth the effort due to "the fidelity of the shape to the big pattern" is well true, and the shape of the plane is just perfect. Landing gear could use some defining, but that is about the only nagging detail issue.

Overall:
Aside from some construction difficulties and the poor decals, this makes a unique addition to my 109 collection, and was well worth the trouble. I'd only recommend it to 109 buffs or people with good modelling skills though.

 

Note: the following related reviews links have not been updated since early 2000's - more kit reviews of this aircraft may now be on SMAKR, not reflected below.  Refer to the Index for other kits of this type.

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