Messerschmitt Bf 109F/G Aufklärer Conversion

Meteor Productions

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Meteor Productions

Cutting Edge's 1/32 scale Aufklärer set is a very simple conversion. 

Six parts are supplied in clear resin, and two parts in grey. The clear parts are the Rb 50/30 under-fuselage fairing, two small windows for the Rb 12.5/32 cameras, a tiny fuel vent, the camera control panel and a bonus BSK 16 gun camera as fitted to the wing leading edge of some fighter aircraft. The grey parts are fairings to cover the cowl gun troughs. Some reconnaissance Bf 109s had the cowl armament deleted and the troughs covered to improve aerodynamic performance. A small sheet of Black Magic material is also supplied to mask the windows and lenses.

All parts are perfectly cast. The windows on the clear parts are somewhat cloudy on my sample. However, they are greatly improved after a coat of Future floor wax on both sides.

The fairings and windows are simply glued onto the underside of the fuselage in the positions indicated in the instructions. Because the cameras are not included, it would be a waste of effort to cut holes in the fuselage and insert the small windows. My advise is to apply a coat of Future and, when that has dried, paint the back of the windows black. The parts can then be secured to the fuselage and masked prior to painting.

The instructions are typical of Cutting Edge with plenty of construction photos and supporting text. Take note, though, that the parts list labels the BSK 16 gun camera as the Fuel Vent, and doesn't label the fuel vent at all.

It is interesting to receive not one, but two different Aufklärer conversions for the 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109F/G within a matter of weeks. The inevitable question is, how do they compare? Both offerings have their merits, and the choice between the sets will be quite clear for most modellers. 

If you are building a superdetailed model with interior detail, or an F-4 equipped with the twin, wing-mounted 300 litre drop tanks, the Rutman Reconnaissance Set is for you.

If you don't plan to open up the fuselage of your Hasegawa Bf 109, or if your subject is fitted with the cowl gun trough fairings, Cutting Edge's simple conversion will do the job nicely.

Cutting Edge's Aufklärer Conversion is very straightforward. The inclusion of the gun trough fairings, wing leading edge camera and Black Magic masks for the windows/lenses increase its appeal. Depending on the chosen subjects, you could use these parts on up to three different models!

Recommended.