Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1 of the Hungarian Air Force, April 1945

[Dizzyfugu]

1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr




Some background:
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, commonly called the Me 109 (most often by Allied aircrew and even amongst the German aces themselves, even though this was not the official German designation), was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid-1930s, powered by a liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine.

The Bf 109 first saw operational service during the Spanish Civil War and was still in service at the dawn of the jet age at the end of World War II, during which time it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force.


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Originally conceived as an interceptor, later models were developed to fulfill multiple tasks, serving as bomber escort, fighter-bomber, day-, night-, all-weather fighter, ground-attack aircraft, and as reconnaissance aircraft. It was supplied to and operated by several states during World War II, including Italy, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Through constant development, the Bf 109 remained competitive with the latest Allied fighter aircraft until the end of the war and served with several countries for many years after the war.

One of the final Bf 109 developments was the 'Ludwig' variant, a dedicated low- and mid-altitude variant of the K series, or "Kurfürst", introduced in late 1944. Like the Bf 109 K, the 'Ludwig' was powered by the DB 605D engine with an emergency output of up to 2,000 PS (1,973 HP), but on the Ludwig it drove a four-blade metal propeller for improved acceleration.


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Furthermore, the 'Ludwig' was the first domestic Bf 109 production variant to introduce a bubble canopy and a lowered spine for an improved field of view. In order to compensate for a resulting loss in directional stability the fin was raised and resembled the designs for the stillborn Me 209. In order to further improve handling at lower altitudes, the Ludwig's wing tips were clipped. The resulting square wing tip shape resembled the early war 'Emil' type, and this deceiving outline was a dangerous surprise for Allied pilots who anticipated an outdated opponent with a weak DB 601 engine and light armament.

This surprise was even worse because the Bf 109 L had an excellent rate of climb that was superior to all Allied adversaries including the P-51D Mustang, Spitfire Mk. XIV and Hawker Tempest Mk. V, and the Bf 109 L's outstanding rate of roll gave it an extra edge in dogfights against these fighters.

The surprise was made even more severe through the 'Ludwig's' main armament, a powerful MK 103M cannon firing through the propeller hub, augmented by a pair of synchronized MG 131 machine guns. The original specification for the MK 103 called for a dual-purpose weapon for anti-tank and air-to-air fighting, with the option of fitting it inside an aircraft's engine mounting as a so-called Motorkanone.


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The original MK 103 proved to be too large and heavy (it was 2,350 mm (92.52 in) long, needed a muzzle brake and weighed 141 kg (311 lb) empty) to fit into small fighters like the Bf 109. If mounted elsewhere, such as in the wing, the asymmetric force of the cannon's recoil tended to yaw the aircraft's nose to one side. The only usage of the original MK 103 in a Motorkanone installation was actually in the Do 335.

Anyway, a modified version with a reduced-profile barrel and less powerful ammunition in order to avoid the draggy muzzle brake and lighten the gun's suspension - the MK 103M - was developed and tested for possible use in the Bf 109K in 1944. This turned out to be successful, but the MK 103M was only introduced with the Bf 109L where it proved a devastating penetration power against air and ground targets, paired with high accuracy and range.


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The weapon entered production only slowly, though, and a few Bf 109 L were delivered with the less powerful but lighter MK 108 cannon as L-2. Additionally, a Rüstsatz was offered that replaced the fuselage-mounted heavy machine guns with a pair of MG 151/20 20mm cannon in underwing nacelles (R-6 suffix, the same kit was also used on former Bf 109 variants), but this option was not widely adopted in the field: The pilots preferred the agile, original setup with as much of the overall reduced weight as possible concentrated along the longitudinal axis.

Even though only a single cannon was carried the MK 103M was very popular among the pilots since it allowed attacks on aerial and ground targets from a relatively safe distance, and sometimes just a single hit was enough to create crippling damage even to armored targets.


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Nevertheless, the 'Ludwig' came very late, the first machines were delivered in early 1945 to the Luftwaffe and primarily used in Southern Germany and the Northern Balkans for home defense. A few machines were also allocated to Hungarian and Croatian forces that operated in the region. Total production of the 'Ludwig' was less than 100 airframes until the end of hostilities.



General characteristics:
    Crew: One
    Length: 8.95 m (29 ft 7 in)
    Wingspan: 9.31 m (30 ft 6 in)
    Height: 2.60 m (8 ft 2 in)
    Wing area: 16.05 m² (173.3 ft²)
    Empty weight: 2,247 kg (5,893 lb)
    Loaded weight: 3,148 kg (6,940 lb)
    Max. take-off weight: 3,400 kg (7,495 lb)

Powerplant:
    1× Daimler-Benz DB 605DB liquid-cooled inverted V12, 1,750 PS (1,287 kW) with MW-50 injection,
    driving a VDM four-bladed light-alloy propeller of 3m (9ft 10in) diameter

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 640 km/h (398 mph) at 6,300 m (20,669 ft)
    Cruise speed: 590 km/h (365 mph) at 6,000 m (19,680 ft)
    Range: 850 km (528 mi) 1,000 km (621 mi) with droptank
    Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
    Rate of climb: 17.0 m/s (3,345 ft/min)
    Wing loading: 196 kg/m² (40 lb/ft²)
    Power/mass: 344 W/kg (0.21 hp/lb)

Armament:
    1× 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 103M as centerline Motorkanone with 65 RPG
    2× 13 mm (.51 in) synchronized MG 131 machine guns with 300 rounds per gun

    Underfuselage hardpoint for
    - 1× 250 kg (551 lb) bomb or
    - 4× 50 kg (110 lb) bombs or
    - 1× 300-litre (79 US gal) drop tank




The kit and its assembly:
Inspiration for this whiffy Bf 109 came from two sources: one was the thought how a low-altitude variant of a late Bf 109 in the style of the Spitfire LF.XVI with a bubble canopy would look like?
Another impulse came from pictures of a late WWII Hungarian Bf 109 G, which bore rather interesting national markings in the form of simple white or light gray crosses painted between the simplified German Balkenkreuz markings.

A third impulse were actually the painting instructions from the Heller Bf 109 K which was used as conversion basis – the most recent re-boxing of the kit features several paint and decal options, and one of the featured machines carries a rather improvised camouflage which formed the basis for my model's shaggy livery (see below).

The kit was basically taken OOB and modified in certain areas:
• The propeller was modified to carry four blades, the spinner is OOB
• Inside of the front end, a styrene tube holds a metal axis for the propeller
• The round wings were clipped and new tips sanded from the massive material
• The original spine and cockpit opening were replaced by a cover, a Matchbox EA-6B drop tank half
• Into it, a new cockpit opening was cut and canopy parts from a late Spitfire (Airfix) fitted
• The upper fin was replaced by a Ki-61's (Hasegawa)
• The landing gear is OOB, just with better wheels (maybe from an Italeri Fw 190)

Blending the new spine with the rest of the fuselage was not easy, but the decision to cover the cockpit completely and then make a new opening for the relatively small Spitfire canopy paid out, since this method turned out to be more convenient than trying to sculpt a smaller opening into the original canopy space from styrene strips and putty. Only the brittle, 30-year-old styrene of the spine donation part turned out to be a nuisance.

The underfuselage hardpoint was fitted, but – for an agile interceptor – left empty.


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


One major problem were two warped fuselage halves, though...  Luckily, these could be straightened out when the parts were glued together and the new dorsal section added.


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Painting and markings:
Livery-wise, this model is a mix of several sources, plus personal twists. The first element, the Hungarian Air Force as operator, was settled first, and with it the rather special national markings.

For the livery I had originally planned a typical German late war scheme – but reality is stranger than fiction and I adopted a scheme taken from the Heller painting instructions! This includes RLM 81, 82 and 76 on the upper surfaces, with parts of the cowling and former German tactical markings painted over with RLM 75 in the field, a greenish gray for the flanks and under the fuselage (sometimes referred to as RLM 84 or RLM 99, even though this was no official color; I used Humbrol 23) and RLM 76 (only) under the wings, too.

Some RLM 02 was added in the background of the flanks' mottles, and the tail rudder was painted in opaque RLM 82 and 83 in order to make it look like a replacement piece.


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


RLM02 was also used on the landing gear, while cockpit and wheel discs became dark gray. Under the engine, the rest of a yellow fuselage band is the remnant of typical late WWII Luftwaffe markings (a corresponding yellow rudder had been replaced). The spinner was painted black with a white 120° segment, the propeller blades became Black Green (RLM 70). The paints are all Humbrol und ModelMaster enamels.

The unique Hungarian crosses were created through black German Balkenkreuze under which stripes of white decal sheet had been placed (generic material from TL Modellbau). On the fin, a small Hungarian flag was added, made from single decal stripes in red, white and green. The aircraft's tactical code was created from single letter decals.




1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 L-1; aircraft 'X-029' of 101. Vadaszezred, III. Osztalyszazad of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Kiralyi Honved Legiero); Raffelding, Austria, April 1945 (Whif/modified Heller kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[zenrat]

Lovely job.


Looking at this pic my brain sees the wing shape & bubble top and before it takes in the nose and tail says "Mustang".

I think IRL there could have been similar confusion.

[Gondor]

That looks so different that its hard to believe it was a 109 to start with.

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Much though I dislike 109s, that is BRILLIANT Thomas, a true Luftwaffe 1945.5 model. 

[Old Wombat]

Beautifully done, Dizzy!

The bubble-top 109 looks fantastic!

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you very much. 

Yes, this one was spawned from the wild thought how a bubbletop 109 might look like. The only design that comes close is the radial 109 X, as an export evsrion that never materialized - and the result looks a bit unusual, but not bad a at all. With some bright colors and the clipped wing tips, this could also be a Reno Unlimited racer... It's very sleek, and IMHO, with the lowered spine, the beefy design with a minimal airframe behind the engine becomes more obvious.

[TomZ]

Canopy looks very good.
Very natural looking bird.

TomZ

[Tophe]

  Wonderful! Like the daughter of a Bf109 (for almost all) and a Spitfire (canopy), great! (make love, not war!)

[su27rules]

 

[Captain Canada]

What a sharp build ! Love the look.

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you all very much! 

[Hotte]

Super 


Hotte

[The Wooksta!]

My take on the same idea, but a good decade earlier.

[Vulcan7]

Beautiful builds, pics & story, that canopy makes it look more friendly some how         

[comrade harps]

That's a busy paint job!