Are you the type of person that likes to go to the end of the book and read the ending first? Well if you are, here is what you need to know before you start this kit:

1. Add the decals in Step 1 after you paint the engine block. If you don’t, it will difficult to add later. Eduard doesn’t even mention the decals until Step 31.
2. In Step 3 Part 53 is mis-numbered and should be Part 54
3. In Step 6 Part 54 is mis-numbered and should be Part 53
4. In Step 23 make sure you remove the entire mounts for the plastic exhausts inside the cowling and the deflectors. The instructions are not clear on this but if you don’t the engine won’t allow the fuselage to close.
5. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING - Step 24 - DO NOT CLOSE UP THE FUSELAGE UNTIL YOU INSTALL THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY. The instructions would have you close up the fuselage in Step 24 before you add the engine in Step 26. This is a HUGE mistake because if you do that the engine will not fit without breaking.

Ok with that out of the way, let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of this Brassin engine.

The Brassin range of aftermarket parts are specifically designed by Eduard and in the case of the Eduard model range they are designed to fit with minimal work.

In a top opening cardboard box with plenty of Styrofoam packing is a set that contains 54 resin parts that are kept safe in a variety of ziplock bags. Inside the box are the instructions on four double-sided 8.5x11 pages. There is a single fret of photoetch. Along with these, there are some decals printed in yellow and white.

The resin pieces are superbly cast in light grey resin. Some of the resin pieces are finely cast and some will need to have thin films removed. The pour blocks are easy enough to remove with a new knife blade or fine razor saw. The biggest pour blocks are on the engine itself and the firewall. The rest are easy to remove.

Everything is beautifully detailed. There is a lot of beautiful resin here. You will need to be good with bending photo etch as there are some pieces that need to be bent. Most of the resin parts are keyed so that they are precise fits.

The instructions are good, but there are some places that could use improvement. The first in Step 1, you must add the decals if you want to add the serial number or the large “A”. Add them after painting or they will be difficult to add later. Step 3 has part R53 mis-numbered and it should be part R54. In Step 6, the inverse is true, the part indicated is R54 but it should be R53. It makes sense when you are test fitting the parts. In Step 9, the attachment of part R20 could use a better close up drawing. A way to see this better is to use a computer and blow up the drawings. Then you can see everything you need and the proper placement. If you don’t do this just check the rest of the instructions to clarify the placement. The next is in Step 14 and Step 15, both of which could use some really ultra-close ups to aid the placement of the parts. The same could be said for Step 17. Now this may sound like the instructions are not good, on the contrary, they are quite good and with careful studying and some references I was able to figure it out.

As I mentioned before, DO NOT CLOSE UP THE FUSELAGE IN STEP 24. You must add the engine BEFORE you close the fuselage. Eduard doesn’t have you do that until Step 26. Take my advice and do it before you close up the fuselage.

In Step 25, I opened up the supercharger intake on the cowling and the intake. This was more for me than necessary.

You will need to have some different sized solder to ‘plumb’ the engine. You will need .3, .4, .5, and .6mm solder. You will also have to supply two pieces of .4mm wire. A recommended tool is the The Small Shop Photo Etch Bending & Rolling Deluxe Brass Assist tool. This tool makes rolling the parts a lot easier especially the round parts of the forward cowling.

A slight issue is the bulges are not thin on the saddle panels. I would have also liked to see the whole engine but the lower portion of the engine is not visible. That is more of a personal preference though and not an issue with the kit.

The look of this set is awesome. The keyed parts make it easy to go together. The visual interest that is added by the open engine cowling will set your model apart in a field of 109s. Having the model company design the aftermarket parts ensures that it will fit.

If you take your time, follow these instructions, and understand what is happening your engine will come out perfect. I was very happy with mine and it fit the fuselage really well. This is the nicest looking engine for the Bf-109G and also the easiest to build. I would have liked to have the bottom oil cooler panel open as well but this is still quite impressive. The instructions could be better but with these observations your build should be trouble free. You’ll love the way the engine looks just like I love mine.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Eduard and IPMS/USA for the review copy. You can obtain your copy from Eduard directly or from your local hobby shop or online retailer.