Building on the enormous interest generated by its superb quarterscale Messerschmitt Bf 110E this autumn, Eduard has followed it up with the earlier Bf 110C - the first major production version, which built a healthy reputation in the early campaigns of WW2, before its disastrous clash with RAF Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain.

As you'd expect, the new kit is largely the same as its predecessor, and arrives in a solid top-opening box well stuffed with separately bagged sprues and accessories. For a full overview of Eduard's Bf 110E, see the review HERE. The new version comprises:

331 x pale olive styrene parts
13 x clear styrene parts
75 x etched metal parts, some pre-painted on a new single etched fret
A sheet of painting masks
Decals for 5 x colour schemes

The principal physical differences the Bf 110C, compared with the 'E, were the nose gun cover, which lacked the latter's small air-intake and the gunner's flexible MG 15 mount. On the earlier aircraft this pivoted over to one side to allow the gun to lay flat in a trough when the canopy was closed. To model this, Eduard include a new section of fuselage decking along with the necessary changes to the mount itself.

Turning to the interior, there's a new main instrument panel with a choice of plastic or pre-painted etched alternatives. There's a further choice, as the metal panel is provided in both RLM 02 and 66 versions. The other change is the inclusion of early-style rudder pedals - again with plastic parts to use, should you so choose.

Painting and Decals

The kit includes a large and spectacular decal sheet for 5 colour schemes. The quality is excellent, with the designs in printed perfect register, thin and glossy with crystal-clear carrier film. The featured schemes are:

A. W.Nr. 2831, 2N GN, 5./ZG 1, flown by Fw. Manfred Dähne and Bordfunker Ogfr. Herbert Klinke, June 1940 in RLM 70/71 splinter-finish topsides.
B. W.Nr. 3602, M8 AC, Stab II./ZG 76, flown by Maj. Erich Groth, summer 1940, again in RLM 70/71 topsides and wearing a shark-mouth nose marking.
C. 2N AP, 9./ZG 76, flown by Obl. Urban Schlaffer and Bordfunker Gefr. Frantz Obser, August 1940 in the new RLM 02, 71 topsides.
D. W.Nr. 3102, U8 BB, Stab I./ZG 26, flown by Oblt. Rüdiger Proske and Bordfunker Hans Möbius, August 1940, again in RLM 02/71 topsides.
E. L1 DH, 1./NJG 3, North Africa, 1941 painted mostly black overall.

Each scheme and the history of the particular machine is described in some detail, but a point to watch out for is that, while the captions for the 1940 aircraft correctly call for RLM 65 undersides, the colour key on the accompanying diagrams is for the later RLM 76.

Conclusion.

Eduard's Bf 110 is a superb kit - ambitious and packed with detail. With its choice of etched or styrene details, plus a full set of painting masks it is pretty much at the pinnacle of modern kit design. But beginners should be aware that it is quite a complex model and there are a few traps for the unwary, so the instructions must be followed closely. The new model is every bit is as good as the original - although there's no resin dachshund included for anyone hoping to expand their collection of mutts - and, in some ways may hold even greater appeal as a Battle of Britain machine. Highly recommended.