Page 42

Bf 109G-10, WNr. 491407, Capt. Cesare Marchesi, 3

Squadriglia, 1

Gruppo Caccia, ANR,

Lonate Pozzolo, Italy, March 1945

Bf 109G-10, WNr. 152xx6, 11./JG 300, Prague-Kbely, Czechoslovakia, May 1945

After declaration of the Italian Social Republic on

September 18, 1943, a puppet state on the German

armed forces occupied territory, and under the

leadership of Benito Mussolini, Germany allowed

this state to form the army in the strength of

four divisions. Its aviation component, named

Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, consisted

of two fighter groups (Gruppo Caccia), a group

of torpedo bombers (Gruppo Aerosiluranti

Buscaglia) and several transport flights. Io Gruppo

Caccia (Asso di Bastoni) initially flew Macchi

C.205 but from November 1944 till February

1945 went through the transition training on

Messerschmitt 109 in Holzkirchen, Germany.

In February the unit received Messerschmitts

109 of the versions G-10 (manufactured by Erla

factory in Leipzig), G-14 and G-14/AS and several

K-4s. The original German markings were

oversprayed in Italian colors and the aircraft

received the Italian markings. The German iron

crosses were left on the wing underside surfaces.

There was the Io Gruppo insignia painted on the

fuselage nose’s port side.

The aircraft found in front of the hangar at Prague-

Kbely airport in the end of war comes from the

production series 152xxx produced in Erla factory

in Leipzig. The aircraft from this manufacturing

batch had wings featuring larger bulges on

the upper sides enabling the installation of

the larger wheels i.e., the same type used on

Bf 109G-10 planes manufactured at WNF factory

and it’s Diana branch. The fuselage and wings

were probably spray painted in RLM 81/82 colors

even though some researchers incline towards

a single color camouflage variation sprayed

in RLM 81. The wing lower surfaces were not

painted at all with the exemption of parts coming

from subcontractors which were painted in RLM

76. The engine cowling, coming from a different

airframe, is camouflaged in RLM 74/75/76 colors.

Of the serial number painted on the vertical tail

surface only first three digits (152) and the last

one (6) are legible.

KITS 09/2024

INFO Eduard42

September 2024

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Bf 109 G-10 1/72 - What the new kit offers
When I submitted an article about the 72nd scale Mustang kit and its benefits to modelers, I was not reprimanded for it, and on the back of it I promised that if the opportunity arose and I was asked, I would write something else similar. Little did I know that the opportunity would arise the very next month and that I would be asked almost immediately. I understood right from the get go that it would not be so easy and that it would be better to stick to the spirit of a famous quote from an equally famous play. How can I write something that will differ from the previous article in more than just the name of the kit? I thought about it for three weeks, put together two Bf 109 G-10s in the meantime and one other Messerschmitt from a competitor to have some comparison and benchmark of quality, value and the like. The third in the party was the Japanese Bf 109 G-6, but that's okay. While building two G-10 kits, I found two minor errors, one on the molding and one in the instructions. The result of my efforts and thinking is the following writeup.
Page 7
Unordnung – Late Versions of the Bf 109 G
The development of these late versions of the Bf 109G, manufactured in a series of related and therefore similar versions, was the German aviation industry’s response to a requirement to quickly supply Luftwaffe units with high performance fighters to combat the Allied bombing offensive of the spring of 1944. The appearance of the P-51B and D Mustang with the 8th and 15th American Air Forces showed that the need to offset the increasing obsolescence of German fighters was becoming critical. The anticipated replacement of the then standard Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/G-14 with the Bf 109K, powered by the DB 605D, was not yet possible in the spring of 1944 due to the protracted development of the airframe and engine alike. The design element of Messerschmitt in Regensburg found an interim solution by installing the DB 605AS into the Bf 109G-6, and this modification made use of items that were already designed and were construction ready, intended to be used in the engine installation in the Bf 109K.
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Bernie Lay and Piccadilly Lily
We ended the first part of Bernie Lay's story with his return from the ill-fated Regensburg mission on August 17th, 1943. Despite the title of this article and its reference to Piccadilly Lily, Lily does not appear again in this continuation. Indeed, Bernie Lay finished his internship with the 100th BG and returned to VIII. Bomber Command HQ. Piccadilly Lily was then shot down less than two months later, killing Bernie's partner on the mission to Regensburg, Frank Murphy, and part of his crew. For journalist, pilot and writer Bernie Lay, his involvement in the battles over Europe was far from over. In fact, more dramatic moments were yet to come.
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Air War in Ukraine - F-16s with Yellow-Blue Roundels
In our series on the aerial war in Ukraine, we usually map the events of each month chronologically. However, we will make an exception for this period (from July 1 to July 31). A significant event took place at the very end of July, and it deserves attention at the beginning of this article. Ukraine has taken an important step to strengthen its air force by starting to use F-16 fighter jets over its territory.
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Highlights of the Bf 109 F/G family in 1/72 scale
The Bf 109 F/G family in 1/72 scale has brought a number of improvements over the 1/48 scale models of the same type. With a focus on easier buildability, low parts count and a more modeler friendly build, we have incorporated the following changes and improvements to the model:
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Page 64
Page 65
Page 66
Page 67
Page 68
Page 69
Page 70
Page 71
Page 72
Page 73
Page 74
Page 75
Page 76
Page 77
Page 78
Page 79
Page 80
Page 81
Page 82
Page 83
Page 84
Page 85
Page 86
Page 87
Page 88
Page 89
Page 90
Page 91
Page 92
Page 93
Page 94
Page 95
Page 96
Page 97
Page 98
Page 99
Page 100
Page 101
Page 102
Page 103
Page 104
Page 105
Page 106
Page 107
Page 108
Page 109
Page 110
Page 111
Page 112
Page 113
Page 114
Page 115
EAA Oshkosh 2024
When an American tells you that something is ‘huge’, as European, your curiosity will be aroused. Foe the European used to European standards, there are many things in America that can be considered huge. They have, for example, big cars, big roads, huge houses and skyscrapers in every big city, and even pretty massive portions of food, which after our annual trip to America, we are reminded of when we try to button up our pants. But when our American friend Ed Mautner told us that the Oshkosh Air Show was going to be huge, my colleagues and I knew right away that we definitely had something to look forward to. And it certainly was!
Page 117
Page 118
Page 119
Page 120
Page 121
Page 122
Page 123
Page 124
Page 125
Editorial
Bf 109 G-10 1/72
Convoy off Okinawa
Beginning in Africa
Markings for Bf 109G-10 1/72
Markings for FM-2 Wildcat 1/48
Markings Bf 109G-2 1/48
Markings P-39Q Airacobra 1/48
Tail End Charlie
Air War in Ukraine
Unordnung – Late Versions of the Bf 109 G
Bernie Lay and Piccadilly Lily

Info EDUARD