Bang for the Buck, Part V

by Rafi Ben-Shahar

When it first appeared, the ProModeler/Monogram 1/48 kit of the Messerschmitt Bf 110G was regarded to be state-of-the-art kit with only some minor issues requiring additional attention. And then someone made the inevitable comparisons to technical drawings and came up with the conclusion that the kit had a fatal flaw. Specifically, the arrangement of exhaust stacks and cowling, including the rear upper cover and the size of the spinners were wrong.

Ever since the Dragon 1/48 Fw-190D was slammed around and criticized, I take criticism on the net concerning the exact dimensions of plastic kits with a pinch of salt. The completed Bf 110G variants produced by Monogram look great and the ”fatal flaw” is hardly noticed, especially if the model is adorned with arrays of radar antennae or is painted with an attractive mottle scheme. However, the day fighter G-2 variant is not very spectacular in terms of camouflage schemes and the eye tends to stray away from the model or find the nasty flaws. Since the flaw is ”fatal” which means that you require to revamp the relevant area from scratch, the obvious solution is to look for aftermarket products. However, as we know well, the costs of these delicate and supplementary kits often exceed the costs of the model kit.

My three models shown here represent one possible solution to the ”fatal flaw” of the Bf 110G using an alternative approach than buying correction sets. The three Monogram kits in the photographs were ”corrected” by using one Aires engine kit. While the spinners used were spares of Bf 110G and Bf 109G Fujimi and Hobbycraft kits, I left out the rear cowling curvature assuming that there were variations in production between different contractors. This is not a very dangerous assumption. For example, I took the trouble of looking into many Bf 110G photographs and found out that in some cases, the spinners did not look like the typical Bf 109G, but were smaller and similar in shape to those issued in the Monogram kit. The bottom line is not about saving money, but looking for modelling solutions that change the building approach of the same old kit and add so much fun to this hobby.

This article was originally published in IPMS Stockholms Magazine in September 2007