The Mistel concept was born in the 1930's, but came into use as a weapon in the waning months of the war. It consisted of a control plane, a war weary Bf-109 or a FW-190, mounted on top of a Ju-88 variant. In the Mistel 1 configuration, it was a Bf-109F and a Ju-88A. When mounted with a 1800 or 2000 lb bomb nose it could destroy bridges and other key targets. There were at least three variants of the shaped nose charge. It was used operationally to prevent the Russians from crossing the Oder and against the Western Allies as well. It was grossly overweight for the Ju-88 landing gear and tires. Because of this it had to operate from improved airstrips and was still subject to blowing out the tires and destroying both airframes before takeoff. Even when it could get off the ground, flying it was not easy. The Bf-109 was a tiny aircraft, and it had to control both aircraft. It would then fly to the target area, line up on the target and release the Ju-88 bomb to glide to the target and blow up. It was not controlled after release, so the pilot had to have the aircraft properly trimmed prior to release. It had limited effect against Allied shipping and the Oder bridges.

The ICM 1/48^th scale kit is the first time that the Mistel 1 could be built out of the box in this scale. Dragon/DML previously released a Mistel 2 in 1/48^th scale with a FW-190 and Ju-88G. ICM has also released a Mistel S1 trainer aircraft previously.

Inside a sturdy cardboard box are two complete models, the Bf-109F-2 and the Ju-88A-4. This is a tale of a company’s growth over the years. The Bf-109 was released in the 1980s, I believe, and the Ju-88 is a recent release. There are 251 parts on NINE light grey sprues for the Ju-88 and THREE for the 109. There are two clear sprues, one for each aircraft, even though you won’t need the Ju-88 one except for one part. As I mentioned they are from different decades. The 109 is an older molding and has a strange pebbly finish on the grey plastic. The Ju-88 is a new mold and has a perfect finish. There is a single decal sheet for all SIX subject aircraft, three each. The decals are in perfect register. I don’t agree with the one marking option for the 109, but I could easily be incorrect. The models come with complete engines and they all can be displayed open or closed.

BF-109F-2 Build

I’ll review each kit individually from here on out, starting with the Bf-109F-2. This kit was originally released in the 1980s-90s. As such it was an early release from them. The molds are a little worn but are still usable. For this release, you get an additional sprue with the Mistel components for both aircraft. In the case of the 109, it is retracted landing gear. The clear parts are a little thick but usable. Interior detail is a little simplified and not really up to current standards. That said, when built up it is nice enough, but lacks seatbelts. Sidewall detail is a little sparse but hardly noticeable under paint and dry brushing. I used some Eduard seatbelts to dress up the interior.

The engine is the next item to be built up. It is really nice when built and attaches firmly to the cockpit tub. You need the engine installed, sort of, to align the prop. Considering the time it was kitted the engine is really nice, especially for an all plastic one. The cockpit and engine assembly fit tightly in the fuselage halves. This will be important in a little bit.

The fuselage is slightly misshaped with the bottom being too square, but the fit is quite nice at this stage. My copy was missing the tail antenna mount. I decided to live without it. Adding the forward cowlings in the closed position took some ‘force’ to get them to stay in place but once dried they weren’t all that bad.

The control surfaces are a little overdone and could have benefitted from a little sanding to remove some of the detail. The wings go together well and fit the fuselage very well.

Adding the forward part of the nose along with the oil cooler proved problematic. There were parts of the engine I could have left off that would have aided in this. You really only need the engine block. I finally got frustrated enough to remove most of the engine and was able to close it all up fairly tightly. Although I did remove the front crankcase to facilitate fixing another problem, the propeller shape. There are two props included, however both are noticeably small in diameter. I used an extra Eduard one. By removing the crankcase nose I was able to use the Eduard prop.

Turning the model over, it was time to add the flaps and flight control surfaces. It was also time to measure the holes to drill for the trapeze attachments. The measurements are in the instructions but no corresponding holes in the plastic, so carefully measure and drill. Again, the detail was a little heavy on the control surfaces. The fit of most of the controls was good, except for the inboard flaps which did not want to fit very well and were missing details on the bottom. They were faired in pretty well, but it did take some modeling skills and patience. Now was the time to add the retracted landing gear as well. The fit was adequate, but I was hoping for a better fit.

The kit canopy is the same as on the Bf-109F, however, the Mistel aircraft were fitted with bulged canopy center sections, so I added an AIMS Modeling bulged resin canopy. The fit was perfect. Masking the canopy was easy with the supplied canopy templates. Adding the canopy and the kit was ready for primer. Surprisingly, there was little clean up required. Tamiya Dark Grey, which was also sprayed over the canopy area and then a primer coat in Alclad Grey Primer was applied. The model was pre-shaded with the same Tamiya Dark Grey.

Mr. Paint (MRP) was used for the RLM 04, 76, 75, and 74.The results were pretty nice actually. A coat of Tamiya Gloss thinned with Mr. Leveling Thinner prepared the kit for the decals. I was impressed with the decals. They were thin and performed perfectly with Microsol and Solvaset. The stencils were very small and just perfect. Better than some aftermarket ones.

Another coat of Tamiya Clear and Alclad Flat and the model was ready for weathering. I tried to keep it subtle. An oil wash of burnt umber artist oils thinned heavily with Turpenoid and some minor chipping. Exhaust stains were added with AK Russian Earth pigments.

Removing the canopy masks and adding the antenna wiring brought the 109 component to completion to await the Ju-88 component.

Ju-88 Build

I’ve never built an ICM Ju-88 model and I was looking forward to it. ICM has embraced the medium bombers of all the combatants and has done great things with them.

Construction starts with cutting off the cockpit section. Take your time and you’ll be rewarded with a great fit of the bomb nose. I deviated from the instructions slightly. I added the bomb nose to each individual fuselage half while I had access to get a near-perfect fit. I find that doing it this way saves me time and sanding. Your mileage may vary. My way didn’t require any filler. I would have liked to have all three options for the nose warhead, conical, straight, and the kit provided telescopic one.

Without the cockpit, construction of the fuselage proceeds rather rapidly. The fit is near perfect everywhere. Take your time adding the ‘supports’ around the circumference of the nose. It can get confusing.

All the flight controls are next, and they fit perfectly. You can tell the difference in the models. Adding the wings to the fuselage showed a slight gap at the rear joint but this was easily addressed with Apoxy Sculpt. Then the other flight controls are added. I elected to lower my elevators slightly for visual interest.

Building up the landing gear was easy and very sturdy. Pay attention to the retraction arms and you’ll be rewarded with stiff undercarriage. They fit into the wing perfectly and literally snap into position.

The full engines are next. They are things of beauty. When I do the Mistel S1, I will have at least one engine exposed. They are that nice. Like the 109, if you don’t want to have the entire engine exposed you don’t need all the parts. The engines are then added to the nacelles before adding them to the wings. I do recommend that you leave off the side panels until the nacelle is firmly attached to the wing. The fit is perfect, but better safe than sorry. The fit of the cowlings did require some clamps to get a perfect fit but it was doable.

One thing to decide is whether the exhausts are shrouded or not. There are photos of them both ways. I decided to put my flame dampeners on for a little bit of a difference from my previous Mistels.

Now it was time to measure and drill the mount holes for the trapeze and support structure. I had an issue with the rear support strut. I broke it taking it off the sprue, so I elected to replace it with a metal rod for additional support. Once the holes were measured three times, I drilled the holes as ICM suggested and added the trapeze.

Just like that the model was ready for paint. Alclad Grey Primer and Tamiya Dark Grey was used to check and pre-shade. Having chosen the box top aircraft to model it was a matter of spraying MRP 76 on the belly then the entire. I used MRP 71. I masked everything with Tamiya tape then added Gunze RLM 70. On the bomb nose, I wanted a darker color, because it was a new part from the factory and not weathered, so I used Tamiya Black Green.

A quick coat of Tamiya Clear as with the 109, and the decals were added and sealed with another coat. I weathered much the same as the 109, however, I went a little further on the weathering since the aircraft didn’t have any significant markings other than the large white 2.

Bringing the 109 on top of the Ju-88 brought the model to a close. The fit was perfect. The care to align the parts was critical.

Just like the kit, this conclusion is in two parts. Anyone that knows me, knows I love the Bf-109 and I’m passionate about it. So that may slant this review. I’ve built almost every company’s Bf-109 in 1/48^th scale. This is my first ICM one. With that in mind, the 109 is an old mold. There are some accuracy issues, some soft or missing detail, and some details omitted, however, it did build up nicely. It isn’t the best 109 on the market but looks good enough. Truthfully next time I’ll probably add an Eduard or Hasegawa 109 to the top component, but it is adequate for this build. ICM, maybe it’s time for another shot at this iconic fighter.

The Ju-88 was an absolute joy to build. The fit was near perfect throughout. I loved the engines and the whole look of the airplane. I will build more of them. Apparently, ICM is doing the entire family. I’ve built the Promodeler Ju-88A4 and enjoyed this model much more than that one. I can’t find a thing about the kit that I would change. Great job ICM. I look forward to building many more.

This boxing is very welcome, as is the Mistel S1. The subject is unique and well executed. The decals are great, as are the instructions. I’m happy with the results of both airplanes, especially together. I did enjoy building the model and that is what this hobby is about. Remember-Modeling is fun!

Highly recommended.

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