Hobby Boss 1/72 Bf 109G-10 By Chris Banyai-Riepl

Overview

Easily one of the most written about aircraft of all time, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 formed the majority of the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. While initially an excellent aircraft, it quickly fell behind as more advanced aircraft were developed. Still, Messerschmitt kept upgrading the basic airframe, and the penultimate version, the G-10, had decent performance and firepower, allowing it to keep pace with those newer designs. For a more detailed examination of the Bf 109G family, I recommend Prien & Rodeike’s “Messerschmitt Bf 109F, G, K Series”.

The Kit

This is another one of those inexpensive Hobby Boss kits that are becoming more and more familiar to modelers. The basic construction makes it an ideal platform for introducing kids to modeling. Molded in a light gray plastic and packaged securely in a black tray, this kit has some rather surprising options included, more than I expected. This release has two decal options, both rather interesting subjects. With that overview finished, let’s take a closer look at the plastic.

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Like other kits in this series the fuselage is molded as one piece, as are the wings. With these two pieces, you can have your Bf 109 nearly finished. The cockpit is molded in place, which will take some creative work with a paint brush. The addition of some seatbelts would greatly improve the end result, and with a closed canopy it should be fine. For the wings, this kit provides two sets: one with small bulges and one with large bulges, allowing you to build either an early or a late G-10.

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The remaining assembly will be quite rapid. The stabilizers are solid right and left pieces, while the propeller is made up from three pieces. The landing gear is simple, with a strut, a door, and a wheel. However, the kit comes with three styles of wheels, two of which are appropriate for the G-10 (showing the cross-over with the Bf 109G-6 kit). For underneath, there is a centerline drop tank and two wing cannon gondolas.

For markings, there is one Luftwaffe and one Croatian option. The Croatian example is the one on the boxtop, Black 4, with a camouflage of RLM 82/83 over RLM 76. The yellow rudder and yellow nose band add a bit of color. That yellow trim is also present on the Luftwaffe example. Camouflaged in RLM 81/82 over RLM 76, this plane is coded Red 22. The decals look to be quite decent, although opacity might be an issue.

Conclusion

For those wanting a fast build to provide a break from the drudgery of superdetailing, these kits are perfect. Whether you want to get someone new into the hobby, or just want a couple quick builds to practice finishing techniques on, these kits offer it all.