21st Century Toys 1/32 Bf 109E |  | Background Several years ago at the Chicago Hobby Expo, I spotted 21st Century Toys booth displaying an ambitious new line of 'toys'. Amongst these 'toys' were a variety of GI Joe-sized figures as well as a variety of vehicles and helicopters for these figures. Also in this new line was a series of 1/18 scale 'Extreme Detail' aircraft and armored vehicles. Some of the releases in this scale include the Bf 109E, P-51D, F4U, P-38, Ju 87, M48 Patton, M4 Sherman, Tiger, and M41 Walker Bulldog. If I'm not mistaken, the average age of the owners of these toys is somewhere in the mid-30s. If you want a glimpse at the excellence in engineerng that 21st Century Toys applies to their products, you have but to attempt to remove one from the box. These are some of the best packaged products for this type of display box that I've seen and yet once all of the parts have been liberated from the carrier, they snap into place with precision. More recently, 21st Century Toys have been releasing 1/32 scale military vehicles and the Me 262. While not as detailed as their 1/18 scale counterparts, these aircraft and vehicles are nicely done and finished. Enter Emil One of the most recent aircraft in the 1/32 scale line is the Bf 109E. At first glance, the finish looks like one of the contemporary paint jobs that have only recently emerged at IPMS model contests. If you note the pre-shading of the panel lines, you'll catch the first hint that these 1/32 and 1/18 scale aircraft are being designed with the help of some very talented fellow-modelers. The Emil features a removable pilot figure, retractable main landing gear, movable landing flaps and an opening canopy. The only downside to the finish is the 'politically correct' tail markings which is necessary because the swastika is illegal in Germany and frowned upon in other parts of the world. As with many model manufacturers and their decals, 21st Century Toys wisely chose to sell to a wider audience. One of the interesting phenomenons I've seen at model clubs recently is the appearance of these same 21st Century Toys aircraft repainted and re-decaled to the desires of the owner, many of which look pretty darned nice. Since there are plenty of markings available for the 1/32 Bf 109E, the innovative modeler can restore the swastika if they're so inclined as well as alter the squadron colors and markings, as desired. Conclusions Will these 'toys' replace models? Not likely, but they are nicely engineered and finished and will appeal to a wide range of modelers, historians and collectors. Look for some interesting new subjects in the near future including a series of 1/18 scale P-47 Razorback Thunderbolts, a 1/18 scale P-40B/C and even a 1/18 scale Fw 190D-9! My sincere thanks to 21st Century Toys for this review sample!
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