Sheet:

Eagle Strike  48-120:Bf-109s of the Balkans pt 1

Units: See review

Price

$9.00 ($7.00 at NA Hobbies)

Reviewer:

Scott Van Aken

 

Nothing like a new 109 sheet and one from a part of the war that one rarely reads anything about; the Balkans. The instructions recommend the Tamiya/Hasegawa family, but I'm sure they'd work just as well on the Hobbycraft ones.

First is Black 10 with 9./JG 77. No subtype is given but judging from the lack of under wing cannon bulges, I'd have to say it is an E-1. It is RLM 71/02/65 with some mottling on the side. Most unusual is the small fuselage cross and the very large third gruppe squiggle. Standard for the theater were yellow rudder and nose. This one also had yellow lower wing tips.

Black 5 is in the same basic scheme as all the rest; RLM 71/02/65. This one has a pointed spinner, a bit unusual for an E-4 variant. This Stab II./JG 54 plane has RLM 71 streaks on the fuselage and nose with the fuselage streaks having RLM 02 blotches 'inside' them. The rudder and nose are yellow as are the lower wing tips. A most odd addition is the back of the wing in yellow on top and bottom. It also has a thin yellow fuselage stripe. Not sure how accurate this scheme is, but it will be quite eye-catching.

From III./JG 52 is yellow 8, also with a large 3 gruppe squiggle. It has no theater markings at all, but does have the nose gun troughs in yellow.

Finally an E-7 variant from III./JG 77. Each Geschwader had to have several dedicated Jabo (or ground attack) units and this is one of those planes. Unusually, there is no bomb rack noted on the drawing. Usual yellow nose and rudder with a thin yellow fuselage band. Pointed spinner.

A very nice selection of schemes.

Review sheet courtesy North American Hobbies, where you can get everything at 20-30% below retail.

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