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Introduction Taken from the instructions: "Messerschmitt started also the development of a radial engined Bf109. Thus a version using the BMW 139 was developed. In 1938 the V-21, used for the development of the E-series was modified to take a BMW 139 engine, a copy of the P&W Twin Wasp. "A new forward fuselage was designed from frame no.6 forwards, enabling the fitting of the radial engine. A new full vision "bubble" canopy ws fitted. The aircraft flew in 1939. The second radial engined 109 was a modified F-1 airframe, fitted with a fusealge similar to the V-21 with the BMW 139 engine. "The Me-109X used the BMW 801, however, The aircraft flew in September 1940 and was tested by the RLM. The RLM decided however that the FW-190 was performing well and that there was no need for a similar powered fighter. Therefore the program was ended in 1941." The Kit The RS Models 1/72 Me-109X consists of 30 pieces of injected plastic and one injected one-piece canopy. Decals - in register and nicely printed, but one area is badly "dimpled" in this example - are for three schemes: Bf 109X experimental prototype, Germany, September 1940; Bf 109X alternate marking, Luftwaffe, 1941; and Bf 109X alternate marking, Slovak A.F., 1941. Whether those "alternate markings" were real or not, I have no clue.
Finally I can say that the first step of the instructions is NOT assembling the cockpit. However, it's a step you'll probably want to save until the end. The first two steps have you glue the wheels to the landing gear, along with the main doors. Something you'll probably want to save until you're finished with painting. Thankfully step 3 is also not dealing with the cockpit. It's where you glue the upper portions of the wings to the main, lower wing. But it's step four that finally has me type... Construction now continues with the cockpit and assembling the fuselage. There isn't much to the cockpit: a floor, a seat, a control column and an instrument panel with raised details (and the fuselage sidewalls also has some raised detail). You might want to try and fit one of the many (oh so many) aftermarket 109 cockpits to the 109X to dress it up a bit. Once the cockpit is finished then you can close the fuselage halves and continue on. That continuation consists of gluing the engine to one of the cowl halves and gluing them together, adding the horizontal tail pieces and the headrest and canopy. The final step has you add the cowl piece to the fuselage (along with the wing, although the instructions don't really show that at all). Once painting is finished then the last of the bits are added - aileron counter balances, landing gear, pitot and tail wheel. Conclusion I would never thought of all people I would be doing any kind of review on a 109. Well, there you have it. The sky's falling, certain areas are freezing and a meteor is heading to Earth. Be that as it may, it's still a decent and simple kit and shouldn't take long to build at all. My thanks to UMM-USA for sending this kit for review. Although I won't build it, one of our 109 nuts most likely will. |
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