Me-109E walkaround photos by Dean Large

Aircraft Resource Center

Walkaround #1019

Me-109E

These photos were taken by Dean Large

A visit to Hendon RAF Museum in April 2007 as part of my research for a 1/32 Messerschmitt 109E yielded the following pictures. The aircraft is dimly lit and not very accessible to the general public, but due to the kind
cooperation of one of the curators there I was able to walk around and underneath the aircraft to gain some detail shots from angles not usually seen. It must be pointed out that this aircraft is NOT completely original, and the colour scheme is mainly fiction, but the following walkaround is offered to show some closeup details which may be of use to fellow modellers. Anyone with more information on these views please feel free to add to or correct my captions.

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A general view of the nose profile. The bump in the top cowling behind the prop is not as pronounced as some kits have it.	Closeup of the latches on the cowling and the access door. Note the rings of rivets on the spinner.	Not in focus, but shows the exhaust outlets. No weld seams visible on this example.	Not in focus, but shows the exhaust outlets. No weld seams visible on this example.

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Lightening holes in the backplate again, and the lockwired screws on the propeller blade collar.	Oil cooler inlet. Note the mesh screen over the radiator matrix.	Port mainwheel. Note the looped pneumatic pipe for the brakes, and the thinness of the gear door itself. The oleo leg has the shock absorbing portion covered by a black rubber boot, probably not when in service.	A closer view of the pneumatic brake linkage to the wheel hub.


The port mainwheel. Note the colour of the hub as opposed to the rubber of the tyre itself.	Another view showing the depth of the spokes on the hub.	Port oleo leg attachment point. Note the fixing straps for the brake lines (although the line itself has been cut off at the top) and the overlapping top portion of the gear cover. I haven¹t seen this overlap on any kit.	Port oleo leg attachment point from below. Ignore the badly fabricated wing root fillet in the background!


Wheel well oleo leg tunnel. Note the cutouts with the hook used to attach to the retracted gear and lock it in its raised position. Also the opening in the wheel well showing the wing internal structure.	Rear of the port wheel well showing the pneumatic cables fixed to the bulkhead. Also what appears to be a multi pin electrical socket. The wing cannon bulge to the right has been faired over, and is NOT standard.	Rotating outboard in the same wheel well, showing the next opening in the structure.	Outboard section of the same wheel well, and showing the lightening holes in the forward edge of the well, on the right of the shot.

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Same wheel well seen from the rear, showing the forward structure. Some tiny holes are still visible where the original fabric cover would have been laced over these openings to protect them from dirt.	Same wheel well seen from the rear, showing the forward structure. Some tiny holes are still visible where the original fabric cover would have been laced over these openings to protect them from dirt.	Starboard oleo leg showing the lug to the rear which engages with the hook shown in pic 13. Note also the brake line fixing straps.	Starboard brake line attachment. Note again the extreme thinness of the gear cover could YOU make this to scale?


Rear view of the lug from pic 19 showing the two slotted brackets holding it in position and allowing for adjustment.	Tailwheel attachment showing the two distinct metal colours on this item. The shiny portion of the strut was covered with a boot in service, which attached to the collar below it. Note also the stabiliser strut attachment point on the fuselage this one is uncovered, but it appears to have been faired over with fabric originally.	Bet you¹ve never seen this view before! A shot looking up into the tailwheel recess, showing the fairing inside. It is NOT possible to look up into the fin.	Another vertical view. The vertical blocks inside the recess appear original, but this is not guaranteed. Maybe used to support the rear fuselage if the tailwheel was being worked on?


A shot showing the tread pattern on the tailwheel. Ignore the extensions from the sides of the hub this aircraft is positioned on stands.	Underside port wing showing the bulged connector between the flap (left) and the aileron (right). Also note the aileron mass balance on the right.	Underwing protruberances left to right, the pitot tube, tie down ring, aileron mass balance, aileron hinge. The wingtip navigation light has been faired over on this airframe.	Port wing radiator. Note the thinness of the vertical strut across the face when compared to some kits.


Port wing radiator. Note the thinness of the vertical strut across the face when compared to some kits.	Trailing edge of the starboard wing showing the joint with the flap. Most kits model this trailing edge as a socket into which the rounded front edge of the flap fits and rotates. This does not appear to be the case here the wing trailing edge appears rounded on its underside. The aperture in the centre of the picture puzzles me it is aligned with the rear of the wing cannon, but could just as easily be something to do with the flap linkage.	Here is a closer look at it any opinions?	The top of the wing trailing edge does seem to fair over the flap, unlike the lower edge. Also note the small indicator protruding from the red circle on the wing. This was flat in section, not round.

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This is slightly more visible in the view of the indicator on the port
wing. Note also how flush the rivets are on the top wing virtually
invisible under the paint. Here¹s a rarely seen shot the wing root has a triangular lightening
hole in it, visible when the flaps are lowered. A view of the rear fuselage forward of the rudder. Note the rudder cable
(or pushrod?) entering the slot on the fuselage, and its attachment point on
the rudder horn. Again, look how flush those rivets are. Left side of the fin seen from below and slightly ahead. The trim
mechanism which moves the horizontal stabilisers up and down is clearly visible inside the fin aperture, as are the datum lines painted ahead of it. Most kits depict this as a mere depression, but it is possible to see clean
through the fin here.

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General shot of the vents in the nose, showing their reverse-scoop like
profile. They are not just slots. Fuselage aft of the canopy, showing the very slim panel lines, very
flush rivets, and yet note how heavy the framing is on the canopy. Close up of the electrical socket (red) and oxygen charging socket
(blue/white). The aperture on the rear fuselage through which a bar could be passed
for ground handling/lifting. This tube passes right through the fuselage and
again, it is possible to look right through to daylight here.

This is a closeup of the antenna post on the fin tip. It shows the
antenna wire doubled back on itself and secured with three wire twists. I have NO idea if this is how it was done originally, but it makes interesting
viewing. The other end of the wire attached to the antenna mast aft of the
canopy. The tip of the mast looks surprisingly crude, again I don¹t know if
this is original. The shot also shows the black conical insulator on the
wire, which appears solid. Another view of the fin tip. The bolt around which the antenna wire is
secured can be clearly seen. Port side canopy. Note the two different colours inside the canopy and
the windscreen, indicating to me that one or the other has been replaced
with an earlier or later item. Note also the sliding panel in the canopy and
the transparent knob used to open it.

Closeup of the Revi gunsight. This shot also shows the grab handles in
the top corners of the windscreen to be round in cross section photoetched
items representing these tend to be flat. Windscreen from the port side. What the vertical division is in this
panel, I have no idea. There are fixings top and bottom secured with screws,
but this does not appear to be a botched later repair. Anyone with any
ideas, let me know. Canopy from the port side. Another view of the bobbin shaped handle on
the sliding portion, and the thickness of the canopy framing. Similar view of the starboard side of the canopy showing this sliding
portion closed.

Similar to pic 37, but closer Emblem stencilled on the propeller blades. No idea what it says or if it
is original. Included for completeness.

Photos and text © by Dean Large

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General shot of the vents in the nose, showing their reverse-scoop like profile. They are not just slots.	Fuselage aft of the canopy, showing the very slim panel lines, very flush rivets, and yet note how heavy the framing is on the canopy.	Close up of the electrical socket (red) and oxygen charging socket (blue/white).	The aperture on the rear fuselage through which a bar could be passed for ground handling/lifting. This tube passes right through the fuselage and again, it is possible to look right through to daylight here.


This is a closeup of the antenna post on the fin tip. It shows the antenna wire doubled back on itself and secured with three wire twists. I have NO idea if this is how it was done originally, but it makes interesting viewing.	The other end of the wire attached to the antenna mast aft of the canopy. The tip of the mast looks surprisingly crude, again I don¹t know if this is original. The shot also shows the black conical insulator on the wire, which appears solid.	Another view of the fin tip. The bolt around which the antenna wire is secured can be clearly seen.	Port side canopy. Note the two different colours inside the canopy and the windscreen, indicating to me that one or the other has been replaced with an earlier or later item. Note also the sliding panel in the canopy and the transparent knob used to open it.


Closeup of the Revi gunsight. This shot also shows the grab handles in the top corners of the windscreen to be round in cross section photoetched items representing these tend to be flat.	Windscreen from the port side. What the vertical division is in this panel, I have no idea. There are fixings top and bottom secured with screws, but this does not appear to be a botched later repair. Anyone with any ideas, let me know.	Canopy from the port side. Another view of the bobbin shaped handle on the sliding portion, and the thickness of the canopy framing.	Similar view of the starboard side of the canopy showing this sliding portion closed.


Similar to pic 37, but closer	Emblem stencilled on the propeller blades. No idea what it says or if it is original. Included for completeness.