 Cutting
Edge 1/48 Early Messerschmitt Bf 109 Decal Sheets
The recent re-release by Academy of Hobbycraft's 1/48 early Bf 109 kit
has many modelers thinking of building one or two. Cutting Edge has added
to that desire with these three new decal sheets, based on meticulous
research.
Starting with the first sheet, there are a total of three aircraft depicted.
The first is a Bf 109D-1, flown by Hptm Werner Mölders in November
1938 when he was the Staffelkapitän of 3.J/88 in Spain. The plane
is overall RLM 62 green, with RLM 65 blue gray undersurfaces. The standard
Legion Condor markings are present, as is the Mickey Mouse emblem on the
fuselage. The instructions note that the 'Luchs' (Lynx) name was positively
on the right side of the aircraft, but they were unsure if it was on the
left. In looking at  photos
of this aircraft in the books "La Legion Condor," by Patrick
Laureau and José Fernandez (Editions Lela Presse, 1999) and "Les
Messerschmitt Espagnols" by Juan Arraez Cerda (Editions Lela Presse,
1997) it would appear that the name is not present on the left side. Also,
the kill markings are only on the right side, and the tailplane support
brace is RLM 65.
The second option on this sheet is a Bf 109B-2 flown by Uffz. Wilhelm
Staege in August 1937 out of Alar d' el Rey while with 2.J/88, Legion
Condor. This plane is camouflaged in RLM 62 green and RLM 63 gray over
RLM 65. This plane, coded 6-30, has a top hat painted on the left side,
and the standard Legion Condor markings on the rudder and wings.
The final option on the first sheet is a Bf 109D-1, flown by Lt. Hermann
Reifferscheidt of 1./JG 131 in March of 1939. This plane, White 3, has
white crosses on the fuselage and wings, and white question marks on the
tailplanes, used to identify aircraft during the Czechoslovakian invasion.
 The
second sheet has four aircraft, all of them Bf 109D-1s. The first is the
plane of Hptm Gotthard Handrick as seen in August 1938 when he was the
Kommandeur of J/88 in the Legion Condor. Finished in RLM 62 over RLM 65,
this plane has five kill markings on the tail, the usual top hat marking
on the fuselage, and Handrick's personal markings which consisted of a
stylized white H in the fuselage roundel and Olympic ring markings on
the spinner.
The second and third aircraft are from 1940, both in Norway, and have
the RLM 71/02/65 camouflage, with a high fuselage demarcation. The first
is Johannes "Macki" Steinhoff's plane from when he served in
10.(N)/JG 26 in Jever, Norway and is coded N+7. The second is coded N+11
and is from 12.(N)/JG 2. Interestingly, both aircraft have the swastika
tilted forward.
The final option on this sheet is White 2 from 1./ZG 2 as seen in August
1939. This plane is camouflaged in RLM 70/71 over RLM 65, with a green/white/green
band around the rear fuselage. The plane also has the Black Hand badge
on the cowling, and the Bernburger Jäger badge under the windscreen.
Extra badges of both of those emblems are provided, allowing for future
research to determine whether this plane carried them to starboard.
 The
final sheet also has four aircraft on it, with all but one being Bf 109D-1s.
The first aircraft is a must-have for sharkmouth fans, as it is Yellow
5 from 2./JGr 176 at Gablingen in August 1939. Camouflaged in RLM 70/71
over 65, this plane has a very large sharkmouth applied to the cowling.
The second option goes back to Spain, being a Bf 109B-1 of 2.J/88 at
Herrere de Pisuerga in October 1937. This plane has the early style of
numbers seen on Spanish Civil War Bf 109s and is coded 6-3. It has the
top hat emblem, and Cutting Edge has included several options for the
colored band, as its exact coloration is uncertain.
The third and fourth options on this sheet are finished in RLM 70/71
over 65, both in very different camouflage patterns than what one would
expect. The first is Red 11 from 2./JG 71 in August 1939, with the weeping
raven emblem under the canopy. The second is Yellow 1 from 3./JG 21 in
September 1939. This plane has yellow and black stripes around the spinner.
All of these early Bf 109 decals are well printed with excellent register
and should offer some great options for Messerschmitt fans out there.
My thanks to Meteor Productions
for the review samples.
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