Cutting Edge Modelworks

1/24 Great Gustavs Part 2 

Product # CED24004 for $16.99

Product Article by Steve Bamford on Nov 18 2003

 

 

 

This is a new decal sheet from Cutting Edge Modelworks.  The sheet includes markings for 3 different Bf-109G's in 1/24 scale.  With the release of the BIG Trumpeter Bf-109G....there is a serious need for aftermarket decals .....Cutting Edge has begun to fill the need.

The first plane on this sheet is a Bf-109G6 flown by famous high scoring Ace Heinrich Ehler of JG5.  Ehler had a total of 208 kills to his credit when he died on April 4 1945 when he rammed a B-17....his 208th kill.  This plane is painted RLM 74/75 on the top surfaces and RLM 76 on the sides and underside.  There was sharp edged mottling on the side of the fuselage....at least it seems to be sharp edged.  Things that are of interest are the fact the "Yellow 12" on the fuselage is painted on a green patch indicating a possible former paint scheme.  The kill markings on the tail are quite elaborate.

The second plane is a Bf-109G-5 flown by high scoring Ace Hauptmann Gerhard Barkhorn of Stab II./JG 2 while flying out of Russia in the fall of 1943.  Barkhorn had a total of 301 kills to his credit.  This plane is painted RLM 74/75 on the top surfaces and RLM 76 on the sides and underside with a white and black spinner and RLM 04 yellow cowl under the engine as well as RLM 04 yellow wingtips.  This plane also features a yellow fuselage band.  The RLM 75 covers most of the sides of the fuselage with some sharp edged mottling on top of the RLM 75 on the fuselage sides.  For artwork there is the white text spelling "Christl".  this plane has a pressurized cockpit and does not include the vents on the side of the fuselage by the windscreen....easy enough to remove these vents from your kit.  It also has an early style headrest and no DF loop or base.  

The third plane is a Bf-109G6 with 7./JG 3 while flying out of Bad Worishofen in 1944.  This plane is painted RLM 74/75 on the top surfaces and RLM 76 on the sides and underside.  There was mottling on the side of the fuselage.  This plane has a white shooting star on the engine cowl cannon bulges and a white fuselage band .  The spinner is black and white spiral.  This aircraft was fitted with the underwing cannon gondolas. 

The decals were flawlessly printed on 2 decal sheets and the clear carrier film is trimmed very close to the crisply printed colored areas, which is always good to see.  This is 1/24....so the decal are large in size.....as compared to the smaller scales of 1/48 and 1/72.   This decal sheet has an interesting selection of aircraft/pilots.  Because these aircraft are WW2, some questions about markings remain unanswered so You'll have to guess at the mottling on the right side of the plane....but this is to be expected.  The instructions do include top views of the aircraft.
Click on images below to see larger images of the instruction sheets

The instructions are clear and an extra page of text instruction is included with a small bit of info about 2 of these planes as well as B&W line drawings showing stencil placement. 

A very nice product and highly recommended.

I would like to thank Cutting Edge Modelworks for providing me with this review sample.

Steve

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford