Sheet:

Superscale 48-829: Bf-109E-3

Units: JG 1 & JG 54

Price

$7.00

Reviewer:

Scott Van Aken

Here's another Bf-109E sheet, this time covering two E-3 versions. Both show the later E-4 canopy and head armor. I checked several references of mine that have photos of these planes and both do have the later canopy. I couldn't verify the head armor on the first plane, but the pictures I found of the lower one did not show any interior head armor.

The first aircraft is the aircraft of Lt Eberle of III./JG 54 (listed as 9./JG 54 in my reference). It is RLM 71/02/65 with a rather different fuselage mottling in RLM 02. A small section of the upper rudder and the lower wing tips are in RLM 04 yellow.

The other is Maj. Heydrich's aircraft from III./JG 1. Camo on this planes is RLM 70/71/65 with no fuselage mottling. The spinner is RLM 25 green with a quarter of it in white. Both planes are from the 1940 time period.

As with the previous sheet, there are full data and insignia for both subjects, though not all the markings are always used, so check your references.

For kits, again, most will go for the Tamiya or Hasegawa kits, but don't overlook the Hobbycraft versions. They are not as expensive and don't have the same level of detail, but are still nice aircraft in their own right. You'll probably have to get the E-4/7 kits in order to have the proper canopy as rarely are both types given in the kit. There were few other external differences between the types. Just remember that the E-3 was not plumbed for a drop tank at this time, and neither of these are the E-3/B jabo versions so no bomb rack should be used.

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