Eduard Bf 109F-2 and Bf 109F-4

The Eduard 1/72 scale Messerschmitts are the new kids on the block, and the new release comes with lots of bells and whistles in the form of two PE frets, Kabuki tape masks, and a generous (and interesting) decal sheet. Surprisingly, the price point for all this was still about the same as what I paid for the AZ and Fine Molds kits on a model-for-model basis.

The Eduard kit raises the bar across the board. The surface detail is quite impressive and is some of the finest I have ever seen on any kit in any scale. The parts fit well and did not require filler, however the horizontal tail piece will need some trimming to slot together. The fit of the cowl guns and their troughs is fiddly so take your time there. The cockpit looks great without anything additional being needed, and the canopy can be posed open to show it all off. Eduard molds all the smaller bits for the entire range of Messerschmitts on a single sprue so there are loads of parts for the spares box to update other kits. They have also have provided duplicates of the worst of the bustoffables such as aileron mass balances, radio masts, and gun barrels, so the modeler is saved anxiety when a small but necessary part offers itself as a sacrifice to the carpet monster. But the biggest advance is all the slats and flaps are molded separately, so no more need to cut these loose to get a Messerschmitt which looks right on the ground. In addition, the ailerons and rudder are also separate pieces and can be deflected if one chooses. This is the new king of 1/72 scale Messerschmitt kits, I am anxiously awaiting the release of the rest of the series!

There is a construction thread comparing the new Eduard kits to Fine Molds and AZ kits beginning here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/messerschmitt-bf-109f-comparison-build-in-1-72-scale-eduard-az-models-and-fine-molds-kits-part-i/

8 additional images. Click to enlarge.