Cutting Edge Modelworks

1/48 & 1/72 Swiss Bf-109 D/E/G's decal sheet

Product # CED48040 & # CED72040 for $10.99

Product Article by Steve Bamford on July 25  2006

 

 

 

 

WOW!!!   This new decal sheet from Cutting Edge Modelworks includes markings for no fewer than 13....yes....13.....Bf-109's in Swiss markings!!! 

The 109's in the Switzerland airforce had quite the interesting story and if you ever look into this story you will be amused by some of the dealings that made it possible for the Swiss to get 109's from Germany late in the war.  

Switzerland purchased both Doras and Emils before the outbreak of war, and used them in several furious dogfights with the Luftwaffe over incursions during the invasion of France, with the Luftwaffe losing a handful of He 111s and Bf 110s to the loss of a few Swiss Bf 109s.

 

Despite these incidents, the Swiss obtained a number of Gustavs late in the war. An Me 110 night fighter, carrying sophisticated electronics and armament, strayed into Swiss airspace in late April, 1944, and landed near Zurich due to engine trouble. The Germans bargained with the Swiss to sell them twelve Bf 109Gs under the condition that they burn the Me 110.

 

Later in the war Swiss Bf 109s were to intercept Allied bombers that strayed into their airspace, forcing them to land and be interned. There were rarely problems, but while escorting a B-24, a USAAF P-51D shot down one Swiss Bf 109 and damaged another. The Swiss tried painting their Bf 109s with loud red and white stripes to emphasize the Swiss cross markings, but this was discontinued because then the Luftwaffe mistook them as Allied aircraft painted in invasion stripes.

 

The Swiss Bf 109s were to serve after the war, only being scrapped in 1949.

This decal sheet which come in either 1/48 and 1/72 features;

  • Two Bf-109D-1's

  • Nine Bf-109E-3's

  • Two  Bf-19G-6's 

 

  • Six of the aircraft on this decal sheet contain artwork.....including one with a sharks mouth.  

  • Three of them have white nose engine cowling.

  • Four of them have the famous late war red and white stripes on the underside of the wings.

  • Nine of them have white crosses with red backgrouds (Swiss Flag) on the side of the fuselage.

  • All of them have red rudders with white crosses on the rudder (Swiss Flag)

  • One is painted with a green/brown camo scheme on top.

  • Some used Swiss machine guns with special cowlings on the engine cowlings.

  • Some used a special Swiss built Pointed spinner for the prop.

  • Some used Swiss built bomb racks.

  • Some used spade type control stick (similar to the the Spitfire). 

The decals were flawlessly printed and in perfect registration with good colour.  You get enough markings to make one of the 13 aircraft featured on this decal sheet.

The instructions are clear and include colour drawings to assist in decal placement.  RLM paint numbers numbers are included int he instruction sheets.  There is also 1 page of text including with helpful info on decal installation

I love the Swiss markings on the 109's and I feel these are among the most interesting 109's.

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

Steve

Click on images below to see larger images of the instruction sheets

 

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford