Stormo 32001: Italian Bf-109 Aces part 1
Units: See Review

Price

$14.99 from Stormo Magazine

Reviewer:

Scott Van Aken

This is Stormo Magazine's first 1/32 sheet and they have picked an excellent subject. This one includes all of the subjects on their latest 1/48 sheet, and that is Italian Bf-109 aces.  The sheet provides markings for five aircraft with the 109G-6 versions all painted in RLM 74/75/76 with the German markings painted out in Grigio Azzurro Chiaro, a medium grey.

This 1/32 sheet is superbly printed by Cartograf in Italy. There is enough insignia to build one aircraft, tail markings for two and minimal data for three. Several of the options have no wing insignia.

First up is the 109G-6 of Tenente Ugo Drago who had 19 victories. His aircraft has the serrated splinter camo with a white nose, white wing tips and a white fuselage band. The underside of the cowling is in yellow.

Flying the same 109 variant is Tenente Antonio Vizzola's 150 Gruppos plane. This 5 victory ace's mount has a black spinner with white spiral and white fuselage band. The fuselage camo is different from the normal German mottling with large areas overpainted with Verde Oliva Scuro 2.

Third option is another G-6 from the 364th Squadriglia, 150 Gruppo. This one is painte djust like the first option and was flown by Capitano Mario Bellagambi who had 14 confirmed victories.

Number four is Sottotenente Giuseppi Ruzzin's plane from 154 Squadriglia, 3 Gruppo in mid 1943. It has the white spinner and white fuselage band with the same Verde Oliva Scuro 2 overpainting as the second option.

Finally, the lone Bf-109G-2 on the sheet. This desert camo painted aircraft was the mount of Ten. Giulio Reiner who had 10 individual and 57 shared victories. Yellow undercowling with white wing tips and fuselage band. The white spinner was 1/3 painted with RLM 70.

Though there are older kits, the vast majority of you will pick the excellent Hasegawa kits for this one.

July 2010

Review copy courtesy of  Stormo Magazine. Order direct from the link.

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