From: "Submissions for ARC" To: "Dave Johnson" References: <4C6B2FBF.3010903@wingnutfilms.co.nz> Subject: Re: HLJ - 1/48 Messerschimitt Bf109G-6/W 'Graf' Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:15:09 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3664 Hi, I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today. Thanks again for sending it in. Steve Bamford Aircraft Resource Center http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com Live like there is no tomorrow; Love like you've never been hurt. Work like you don't need the money. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Johnson" To: Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 5:56 PM Subject: HLJ - 1/48 Messerschimitt Bf109G-6/W 'Graf' > > > Hasegawa > > Limited Edition Series > > 1/48 Messerschimitt Bf109G-6/W 'Graf' > > Product #09915 (http://www.hlj.com/product/HSG09915) from HobbyLink > Japan (http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljlist.cgi?rel=nav&GenreCode=Air > ) > > Product Article by Dave Johnson on August 2010 > > Kommodore Major Hermann Graf served on both the Eastern and Western > Fronts during World War 2. He became the first pilot in aviation history > to claim 200 aerial victories. He claimed a total of 212 aerial > victories and flew over 830 combat missions, 202 of which were on the > Eastern Front. Graf was born on 24 October 1912 in Engen in Baden not > far from the Swiss border. Graf saw his first aircraft when he was > twelve years old causing an emotional conflict between his passion for > football and aviation. Graf had started working at the Engen town Hall > in 1930, saving all his money to buy a glider. Before his twentieth > birthday he contributed a homemade sailplane to the newly founded Engen > Sailplane Club. Every Sunday he would go out to the nearby Ballenberg > mountain until an almost fatal crash destroyed his sailplane in the fall > of 1932. In 1935 when Adolf Hitler nullified the Treaty of Versailles, > Hermann Graf applied for flight training in the newly created Luftwaffe. > Accepted to basic aviation training in 1936, and in 1938 Graf completed > the advanced flying training. He was originally selected for > multi-engine aircraft training, but he wanted to fly fighters and was > assigned to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51) 31 May 1939 with the rank of > Unteroffizier. On 4 August 1941 Graf got his first aerial victory > against an I-16 while escorting a Ju87 Stuka strike against Kiev. After > recovering he was appointed Kommodore of his old unit JG 52 on 1 > October, which was still operating on the Eastern Front. With German > forces in retreat by this time Graf did not have opportunity for air > combat. He managed to bring his tally to 212 before he surrendered to > the Americans on 8 May 1945. Graf was handed over to the Russians > shortly after his surrender and he was imprisoned until 29 December > 1949.In 1965 Graf was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease which had a slow > deteriorating effect on his health. Parkinson's disease affected many of > those who had flown high-altitude missions during the war. Hermann died > in his hometown Engen on 4 November 1988. > > Hasegawa's 1/48 Messerschimitt Bf109 series has been around for many > years now and most modelers should know what to expect in the way of > plastic from each boxing. The 109 series has to be one of the most > re-issue kits from Hasegawa. I always do enjoying seeing the different > offerings of schemes that are offered in each Limited Release. Total of > 91 parts are molded in medium gray and clear plastic. The cockpit is > very basic but will satisfy most builders. However, there are a lot of > aftermarket sets available on the market for Hasegawa's 109s and offer > an higher level of detail. The only hard decision you will have in that > area is to choose between Resin or Photo Etch or you could go right out > crazy and choose both! Exterior detail has fine crisp engraved panel > lines. There are some components that require some sort of modification > during the build process, either it be filling a couple of access > locations, engraving panel lines or cutting a bit of excess. Also > included in the kit is two sprues from Luftwaffe set. There are a lot of > parts that are not required for this boxing, there will be a few > additions of ordnance to the spares pile. > > The instructions are the typical ones that you get with any Hasegawa > kit, printed in Black and White paper that folds out. The instruction > guide is easy to follow during the build process with colour callouts in > GSI Aqueous Colour and Mr Hobby Lacquer ranges. The markings supplied in > the kit are for two Bf-109 G-6 airframes that Kommodore Major Graf flew > in September 1943. The first marking scheme is for a Bf-109 G-6/W, W.Nr > 15919, that features the red tulip on the nose of the aircraft and white > tail with 74/75/76 finish. The second scheme is again for W.Nr 15919, > this time it’s a Bf-109 G-6/R6. The paint finish the same as the first > but it doesn't have the red tulip on the front of the aircraft. The > Decal sheet is printed in good colour saturation and excellent register > and minimum carrier film. It appears with the last couple decal sheets > that I have used from some of the recent releases from Hasegawa have > been printed a lot better than some of the older releases. The decals > went down with ease and required very little setting or sol solution. It > appears this boxing has newer printed style of decals, which is great if > Hasegawa has changed there decal manufacturing process. The decal sheet > carries all the required markings and stencils for one airframe. > > I am happy to give this kit, two thumbs up! And would recommend it to > any level of experience modeler. With addition of the numerous of > aftermarket items available for this kit, Hasegawa offers a lovely > canvas for a super-detailed build. > > I would like to thank HobbyLink Japan (www.hlj.com ) > for supplying this review sample. > > >