Reviews : Tamiya Messerschmitt Bf109E-4/7 Tropical Fighter WWII

Just finished this kit this morning and what a beauty it was. The fit was excellent with only the tiniest bit of putty being required along the top of the engine. The instructions are quite clear and easily followed. Just keep in mind that there are alternate parts to use depending on which version of the aircraft you are constructing. The decal sheet is pretty good, a bit thick perhaps but nothing to concern one's self with. The cockpit transparencies are excellent. I would recommend purchasing the masking set available from various places in order to get a good clean finish on the canopy. The landing gear is simple to construct and looks good when complete. The cockpit is fairly detailed and if you choose to build your model with the canopy closed then there is little need to add aftermarket stuff. Should you choose to build your model with the canopy open, I would suggest at least aftermarket seat belts at a minimum as the decal belts look rather cheesy. I finished my model as a ship from JG 27 flying from Libya. I used Tamiya paints and the dark green mottling was applied by mixing olive green and black pastels and then using a brush to apply same. I put somewhere in the area of 25 hours to construct my model. It was built OOB except for the antenna wiring which is a combination of grey thread and thin metal wire. I would recommend this kit to anyone who is at least a moderately skilled model builder.

I enjoyed assembling and paining this kit immensely. There were a few rough spots getting the fuselage and wing assembly to come together smoothly, but the exact knife paring and sandpapering was rather rewarding. Only a little quick setting CA and some putty was required. The decal set was rather expansive and detailed, enabling you to make three different versions of the plane in service with the Afrka Korps. Upon completion, I was surprised at just how small this plane was compared to American fighters of the period. This kit also sported one of the cleanest and simple to build/paint canopies I have come across in a long while. Highly recommended.

My grandson likes all the bad guys in Star Wars so in a sense I am like him because I think German WWII aircraft and Japanese just look good. They all look mean whereas ours USA look like good 'ole Uncle Sam maybe all of ours looked mean to them ! All my Tamiya kits have been a joy to build never having a problem. The problem I did have with this one was due to my skill level. I can not get the hang of an airbrush but paint with acrylics and brushes. The yellow on the nose of this build came out too thick and does not show well. But the kit itself looks fine.

just like every Tamiya kit I have built, the detail is exceptional. fits together very nicely, recessed panel lines make for easier weathering, and decals were great. strongly recommend it. when the kit goes together well, it is a lot easier to make it look better as far as paint and detail work.

Great kit. Easy to follow instructions. Excellent fit with no real gaps. Lots of decals and choices of aircraft to build. The only con is that it builds quick, even for a beginner like me.

This was a fun little build, fit was great, no issues there. The 4 stars is for the thickness of Tamiya Decals. Love their models, hate their decals.

A great model, easy assembly,great detail. Finishes out my Battle of Britain collection. Plan on another real soon

Nice plane and turned out great but surprisingly small for 1/48 scale.