Messerschmitt Bf-110C/D

Published on
Review Author(s)
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$39.95
Product / Stock #
7081
Company: Eduard - Website: Visit Site
Provided by: Eduard - Website: Visit Site

Eduard has masterfully downsized their 1/48 Bf-110 family to my favorite scale of 1/72. I have waited a long time for an accurate 110 in 1/72, and from what I see in the box Eduard has delivered. You get a total of 171 parts in familiar light olive plastic, clear plastic, and etch. You also get canopy masks to make life easier when painting the frames. There are five decal options. The moldings are flash-free and the panel lines are recessed and finely cast. Some parts won’t be used in this boxing and some are rendered in both plastic and etch, so you will have bits left over for the spare box or perhaps to help dress-up other Bf-110s you have in your stash. The instructions are clear and easy to follow.

Starting with the cockpit reveals plenty of details out of the box, with no need to add anything. Construction was straightforward; I did not encounter any issues. I wanted to do an early Bf-110C with the rear MG storage to one side and use the rear canopy without the notch for the MG. The kit provides the correct rear fuselage deck with the recessed notch for the gun storage I desired, but it does not provide the internal mount for the gun I wanted. I went to the Eduard website and downloaded the instructions for the 1/48 Bf-110C that has clear directions on how to mount the rear MG the way I wanted to, plus I could see the mounting part (missing in the 1/72 version) and I was able to fabricate this from plastics scraps. The cockpit was painted RLM 02 and all the details painted in the various colors as per the instructions.

Construction proceeded without any problems. The fit is just as good as any premium kit on the market, with the exception of the fit of the engine nacelles to the wing. The fit here is very tight and needs a little trimming to avoid a step; however, even after a few sessions of trimming and sanding, I didn’t get the fit at 100%, but perhaps I’m too picky as guys in the club didn’t notice it. All the exterior parts were then prepared and it was at this time I decided not to use the etch clothesline antenna and I made my own from brass wire and plastic bits (I think mine looks better). Everything was then prepared for the paint shop.

I painted my 110C in the early war splinter scheme of RLM70/RLM71 over RLM65. I like Gunze Aqueous for all my painting. After a few re-touches here and there, the model was coated in Future in preparation for decals. This is where I deviated from the OOB part of the review and decided to use Techmod decal sheet 72011. I chose the second decal option for a I/ZG 1 Bf-110C flown by Wolfgang Falck in April, 1940. This option shows kill markings on the tail for French, Polish, and British victims. Techmod decals are thin and fragile; they work best when dipped in tepid water instead of warm or hot water (warm and hot water caused these decals to fragment into billions of splinters). After a few careful evenings, the decals were, on followed by another coat of Future to seal and protect all my hard work. The 110 was then dulled with a mixture of 50/50 Tamiya lacquers flat/semi-gloss decanted from the cans and sprayed on with my Paacshe VL.

The canopy masks saved a lot of time painting, and these were then added to the model along with all the exterior bits. Some light weathering was done in the form of random paint chips and exhaust streaks. With final touch-ups done, I was now admiring my early war Eduard Bf-110C. This is definitely the best 110C in 1/72 and I’m glad to finally have an accurate example straight from the box. Do yourself a favor and build one, you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks to Eduard and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this sample.

Box Art

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