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Lt. Helmut Lent's Bf110C-1 M8+DH of 1./ZG76, Oslo, Norway 1940. | |
| The Bf110 was supposed to be a front-line heavy fighter, but even in the first weeks of the war, losses were high due to the lack of maneuverability compared to single-engined fighters. It suffered greatly as an escort fighter over England, with many being shot down by Spitfires and Hurricanes. After that, the Bf110 was relegated to ground attack missions and night fighter missions, both of which it was very good at. In fact, the leading Luftwaffe night fighter ace, Heinz Schnaufer, flew the late model Bf110G. Models of the Bf110 are plenty these days, with kits in just about all the scales. Revell has its large 1/32 offering, while Monogram and Fujimi have done 1/48 kits. In 1/72 scale, there are as many as a dozen different kits, ranging from the old Frog Bf110C to the latest Italeri Bf110 series. This review will compare an older kit with a newer kit, namely the old Monogram Bf110E-1 and the new Italeri Bf110C3/C4. The most noticable difference between the two is the number of parts. The Monogram kit consists of 45 parts in green plastic and one clear part, while the Italeri kit has 94 parts molded in a light gray with 5 clear. Both kits feature finely raised panel lines, and a general all-around crispness. The Monogram kit has a lot of detail for a kit of its age (1967 is the date on my box). There are separate exhaust pieces as well as aileron horns. The nose guns are also molded seperately. The Italeri kit is filled with detail, with a five piece canopy, detailed cockpit, and a full range of underwing stores. Construction is very straightforward. Starting with the cockpit, all that is provided is two figures, a basic seat, and a couple of instrument panel decals. While this is a far cry from today's cockpits, it is still better than some others that I have seen from this period. The one piece canopy does allow for a lot to be seen, so if you build this kit, you'll probably want to add some bits and pieces to busy it up some. The instructions say to paint the interior "charcoal gray", a fair approximation of the actual RLM66. The Italeri kit has a much more detailed cockpit, which is good considering that the canopy can be finished open or closed. A detailed instrument panel featuring raised panels and dials provides a good representation of the real thing, while the rear gunner's area has a detailed radio stack and gun. The instructions call out Model Master paint colors, reflecting on Italeri's association with Testors. Unfortunately, they do not include the actual RLM colors, which is a serious omission considering that the information is out there. The colors called for are Pale Green (FS34227) for the interior, with black, white, and Field Drab (FS30118) details. The Pale Green I am assuming is to be a match for RLM02. The fuselage construction is similar for both kits, with the two halves trapping the interior inside. The Monogram kit has a separate top half of the gun nose, while the Italeri features a whole separate nose. The Italeri kit also has a separate tail piece, making other variants easy to do. The wing layout is the same between the two kits as well, with a once-piece bottom and two upper pieces. The Monogram kit has the engine nacelles split between the upper and lower wing pieces, while the Italeri kit has separate nacelle fronts, again to make different Bf110 versions possible. The Monogram kit has no wheel well detail, while the Italeri kit has inserts with ribbing, piping, and what-not. The tail arrangement is the same in both kits, with a solid hoizontal piece and two solid vertical pieces. The Italeri kit features other detail bits such as landing gear oleo scissors, bomb rack sway braces, separate radiators, and a crew entry ladder. The Monogram kit doesn't have these, but it does have a stand! Overall, both kits look like accurate representations of the early Bf110. I don't have calipers, a micrometer, and a set of Messerschmitt factory drawings, so I can't comment on the accuracy of either kit, but built up they both look like Bf110s. The only real difference between two kits is the details, which would be very easy to add to the Monogram kit. The Monogram kit would be a wonderful weekend project, and with a little bit of work can be made into a beautiful representation of a Bf110. The Italeri kit, although it could be finished in a weekend, requires a bit more time to finish due to the extra detail included. If you want to to a early Bf110, I can recommend both of these kits. For a weekend slammer, get the Monogram kit. For a more detailed kit, grab the Italeri one and use an entire week. |  Italeri 1/72 Bf110 C3/C4 Zerstörer
Monogram 1/72 Bf110 E-1 |
