Dragon are posting regular updates of the construction of their forthcoming Bf 109E.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Well, if it's anything like their BF-110s, it should be a splendid kit.

But Dragon, there are so many other subjects out there crying out to be modelled, yet you picked one that has already had many many kits developed for it... sigh..

Hi again

No sooner have I posted the link to Dragon's build of one of the latest test shots, than another one arrives "in the flesh" at Castle Aeroscale!



Ohh for more hours in a day and extra days in each week! - it'd be a crime not to build it!

All the best

Rowan

DML can't let Trumpeter get a leg up on them EVER! LOL

Which means there be more 109's on their way,

Hi again

Apparently, the first draft of the instructions will be available tomorrow, so I'll get stuck in as soon as I can.

All the best

Rowan

Likely so. The molds for an F are more or less there, right? I don't know if they'll feel the need for multiple Emils like Eduard and Trumpeter, but that's a possibility, too. It allows them to amortize the development costs.

I wish they were doing a Gustav! There really isn't a top-notch 1/32nd kit out there. I'm planning to do two Gs in Italian service, and not only are the kits expensive (the Hasegawas are $40-$60 each), but the AM #$%& you need jacks up the cost double (proper spinners, props, wheels, wheel bays, cockpit, detachable control surfaces, even radiator covers, not to mention a proper drop tank and tank pod).

Hi Rowan,

Why not build the test-shot without painting it? It would be finished in a couple of days...

Jean-Luc

Hi Jean-Luc

That's definitely an idea! And it would fit in well with working away from my workshop... Hmmm... I used to really like a magazine that was available in the '90s (I can't remember the tilte now) that solely featured kits built unpainted.

Of course, Dragon are already doing their build that way...

All the best

Rowan

Well I'll be watching with growing interest.

After tackling both the Eduard and the Trumpy 109E I'll be looking to see if this is an improvement over them both. Both those kits were flawed, some of which suprised me greatly. From what little I've seen of this so far things are looking quite good.

Hi again

Dragon's Bf 109E Blog is making steady progress with the wings completed:



The latest test-shot arrived today. How does the song go?... "Getting Better All The Time!" The only trouble is, I keep starting my build, only to have it overtaken by updated parts!

All the best

Rowan

Having built the Trumpy version, I'm very curious about this kit.

Having half built and gave up on the trumpie and used it as a donor for the Eduard E-7 which itself has plenty issues I too am looking forward to a good look at this too

Keith, I'd love to know what your issues were. Mine went together very well, and the only issue I had was with the oversize nose MGs. Other than that, I had not real problems. The PE wheel wells were challenging, but not fatal.

Bill, I agree it went together well and to be honest in a lot of details it outshone Eduards, I stole quite a few parts like the droptank and mounting, the oleo leg hinges and more. Eduards really was poor here. Trumpeters engine is beautiful, though likely a tad underscale.

The main issues were:-

Cockpit, it is wrong, very wrong, fixable with a resin replacement of course.
Trailing edges of aerlerons thick. (Yes I know..I have spelling issues with aerleron)


The lower fuselage is too sguare at the wingroot and under the nose beneath the exhaust, I think a little later 109 crept into the equation there!

Now I'm not slating the kit, all in all its a nice build, and some of the detailing is excellent, The etch for the wheelwells actually fits, unlike Eduards. Especially for the price Trumpeter set and honestly the Eduard has as many issues, Eduard seemed to use incorrect plans, it has handholds etc on both sides and location and size of them and some of the prominent features are way out.

Laying both kits and parts side by side I was suprised to find so many variations and was aware of talk of dimensional issues with Eduards.

As an aside another thing building both brought to light by building both was a seeming simplification of parts in Eduards kit that just happen to have superdetailed parts released in their Etch and new Brassin range..not that I'm inferring anything, but it hints to me at least of a little modeller milking.
But by they get round to releasing such goodies the aftermarket boys have often stepped in and stole the show anyway..so it has benefits.

Hi again

Dragon's way of tackling the wheelwell liners is quite ingenious. The beige parts in the photo look like resin, but are actually flexible (vinyl?), and fit very well:



All the best

Rowan

yes Rowan its what they call DS plastic I think, kind of a halfway between soft vynil and Polystyrene, I believe its glueable with normal polystyrene cements, they use it a lot for their armour tracks and details too.