Trumpeter 1/32 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/R3/R6

By Chris Novak

This is one of the new TRUMPETER kits, the "late style" G-6, in 1/24. It´s my first 1/24 kit, build for a client, and therefore not a "cutaway" (as usual) but "in service" with opened cowlings.

The new kits from Trumpeter go together like a dream, parts fit very well and they are absolutely fun to build. The DB-motor leaves a lot of space for scratchbuilders if the cowlings are shown open, nevertheless they are a few points to take care of:

1st: if the cowling is shown open a little material of the fuselage itself under the back-half of the MG-bulges has to be removed ´cause you can look onto the upper MG´s installation with ammo-belts and more. These ammo belts (or better feeds ´cause they are lead in an metal channel) are not included in the kit and have to be scratched!

2nd: the sprues include underwing-gondolas for Mg´s, the two aircraft you can build from the instruction/decals don´t have them! So if you want to use them you either have to print some decals by yourself or use some aftermarket stuff / markings which is hopefully coming soon.

3rd: the decals, especially the stencils, are getting a BIG minus (think in USA it´s a BIG "F") because some of them are missing (like tire-pressure stencils of main- and back wheels) and a few of them are spelled absolutely wrong (for a modeller whos loves accuracy the decal for the oil cooler /air-intake is simply useless!). Here aftermarket stuff is desperately needed!

Nevertheless a great kit and with the product-line of TRUMPETER it seems the times for "Big birds" have come back again.

© Chris Novak 2004

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This article was published on Wednesday, July 20 2011; Last modified on Saturday, May 14 2016