TRUMPETER 1/24 BF109K4
by Greg Ferguson

Here is my recently finished Trumpeter 1/24 scale Bf109K4 in Erich Hartmann's scheme.

Overall, this kit has excellent fit, very nice details, and creates little or no problems whatsoever.

I found the photoetch control surface hinges and rods to be very easy to use, despite what I had read about them. My only complaint this with kit is the rubber tyres - I would personally much prefer injection moulded or resin, as the tyres are difficult to clean up and acrylic paint doesn't stick as well.

The main modifications I made to the kit were as per Chris Sherland's review article on the website including:

1. Not fitting the underwing cannons
2. Drilling out the 30mm shell ejector chute on the under wing
3. Drilling out the solid part of the Galland Panzer headrest and replacing this with clear plastic "bulletproof glass".

The other minor modifications include Eduard photoetch seatbelts, elastic line for aerials, adding a small folded map in the cockpit, making a small spring out of fuse wire for the canopy mechanism, and replacing the Swastika's on the tail with some from a Cutting Edge sheet to avoid having to marry up the split ones provided in the Trumpeter kit.

The kit was painted using Gunze Sangyo RLM 76/75/83/04 paints. The aircraft was weathered with Gunze paints as follows: a brown/black mix, flat black and mud. Paint chipping was done with Tamiya German grey, flat aluminium and black.

One picture includes a shot with a 1/48 Tamiya Bf109E for size comparison.

© Greg Ferguson 2006