Eduard have released the latest in their range of mid- and late-series Bf 109s in the shape of the Bf 109G-10 - the most refined of all the Gustavs.

This features an entirely new fuselage sprue to depict the aircraft's re-styled nose that did away with the famous Beule, replacing the simple bulges over the gun breeches with re-contoured and streamlined cowlings faired into the standard fuselage at the windscreen. The carburetor intake is enlarged, while the oil cooler housing under the nose is new, with a deeper fairing for the larger radiator.

Up front, there's now a paddle-bladed propeller, while at the other end there's an extended tailwheel leg and a wooden "tall tail" with a choice of rudders sporting either a single adjustable trim tab, or one adjustable and two fixed tabs.

The sprue for the full span lower wing piece has been altered slightly to accept FuG 16ZY Morane antenna.

Inside the cockpit, there are new sidewalls to reflect the revised equipment fit-out, and the final change is the inclusion of etched flame-damping exhaust shields for one of the colour schemes.

The kit arrives very nicely presented in a sturdy top-opening box. The box certainly proved its worth with the sample kit, as it clearly suffered a very rough journey in the post, receiving a large dent at some point along the way. The jarring was sufficient to break all the canopy parts off their sprue, but it's also testament to the small sprue attachment points that they all detached cleanly and undamaged. None of the other sprues showed any sign of the impact, so the box did its job well.

The kit comprises:

108 x dark grey styrene parts ( 82 unused)
6 x clear styrene parts (plus 4 spare)
51 x photo-etched parts (some pre-coloured)
A sheet of die-cut kabuki tape painting masks
Decals for 5 x colour schemes

The moulding is excellent, as we've come to expect with a new-tool kit from Eduard. The new fuselage features the same beautifully delicate panel lines and subtle rivets seen on the earlier kits in the series. There's no flash to worry about and the only sink marks I spotted in the sample kit are on the back of a couple of the earlier style propellers which aren’t used in this version . Ejector pins marks are very light for the most part, but there are a couple of hefty ones at the tail which will interfere with the fit if you don't remove them. This is surprising from Eduard, but it only takes a moment to sort out.

With those pin marks trimmed down, I dry-assembled the fuselage and wings and, just like Eduard's earlier "Friedrichs" and "Gustavs", the fit is immaculate. If you're careful, you should have a no-filler build.

Instructions & Decals

Eduard have printed the instructions as a high quality 16-page full-colour booklet. The assembly sequence is pretty logical - experienced modellers may stray from the suggested path to make painting easier, but you won’t go far wrong if you follow Eduard’s route. Construction is broken down into manageable stages with very clear diagrams, and colours suggestions for Gunze Sangyo paints are keyed to details as you go.

Decals are provided for 5 aircraft:

A. Bf 109G-10, “White 9”, 1./ KG(J) 6, Prague – Kbely, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, March / April 1945
B. Bf 109G-10, “White 44”, W. Nr. 130342, 5./ NJG 11, Fassberg, Germany 1945
C. Bf 109G-10, “Yellow 5”, W. Nr. 130297, flown by Fw. Horst Petzschler, 10./ JG 51, Bulltofta, Sweden, May 1945
D. Bf 109G-10, “White 2”, 13./ JG 27, Schleswig – Holstein, Germany, May 1945
E. Bf 109G-10, “White 21”, W.Nr. 130282, flown by Hptm. Franz Wienhusen, CO of IV./ JG 4, Frankfurt/ Rhein-Main, Germany, November 1944

The decals are Eduard’s own-brand printed across two sheets. I have found Eduard’s decals to be excellent quality on recent projects, snuggling down superbly for the fabled “painted-on” look. The registration of the thin and glossy items is spot-on on the sample sheets, and excess carrier film is cut to a minimum.

The first sheet contains national and individual a/c markings, while the second provides a comprehensive set of generic Bf 109G stencils, with many offered in a choice of red or black.

Conclusion

Eduard’s new Bf 109G-10 looks like it will be another fantastic build, combining enough detail to satisfy experienced modellers with straightforward construction. There’s a styrene alternative for most cases where etched details are offered, so modellers can mix and match to suit their preferences and ability.

I found Eduard’s earlier Bf 109G-6 one of the most enjoyable builds I’ve tackled in recent years (see HERE) and I see no reason not to expect the same with the new ‘G-10. Recommended.

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