Strana 38
#82114BOXART STORY
The painting related to this kit is one of those
I have a personal connection with, and for
several reasons. First and foremost, its author
was my late friend and excellent painter, Martin
Novotný. I had the opportunity to work with him
many times on aircraft profiles for the aviation
magazine REVI. Martin had a great sense for
technical detail and an understanding of how
combat aircraft operated, which allowed him to
bring even a simple profile view to life, something
few illustrators can achieve. Sometime in the late
1990s, or just after 2000, I prepared research
materials for a Martin's box art tied to the
upcoming 1/48 scale Bf 109 F-4 kit. The subject
was Hans “Assi” Hahn’s Bf 109 from the autumn
of 1941.
You can judge for yourself how well he
managed to capture it. Personally, I like it very
much, it beautifully conveys the dynamics of
aerial combat, where at high speeds, life and
death are decided in fractions of a second.
In 2002, the now late American researcher
Jerry Crandall published the book Major Hans
“Assi” Hahn, The Man and His Machines. It was
illustrated by Thomas A. Tullis, and I can warmly
recommend it to anyone interested in Luftwaffe
fighters and pilots. I also contributed a small part
to the book myself. The lion’s share of the support,
however, was done by Jerry’s wife Judy and
especially Mrs. Gisela Hahn, the widow of Hans
Hahn, who passed away in 1982 at the age of 68.
I met Mrs. Gisela Hahn somewhat unexpectedly,
when my friends and I visited former night
fighter pilot Wolfgang Falck in Tyrol. Mr. Falck
had been kind enough to help me many times
in correspondence, sharing memories about
former Luftwaffe pilots and wartime events that
concerned them. When I arrived on the agreed
date, Mr. Falck was unfortunately in the hospital.
However, I had the opportunity to meet Mrs.
Gisela Hahn in person and to reflect on the fate
that had befallen both her and Mr. Falck. They
had each lost their life partners, and through this
shared loss, they eventually set out together on
a new journey in life.
The painting created by Martin Novotný was
stored in Eduard’s archive, and as sometimes
happens, the kit project was delayed. When the
kit was finally ready, it was already 2016. Martin
was no longer with us, and Eduard’s team had
to make adjustments to the painting. In Jerry’s
book, previously unknown photos of Hahn’s
Bf 109 F-4 rudder had surfaced, showing the
victory markings clearly. In Martin’s original
artwork, the rudder was painted only in yellow,
as I did not have those photos available when
preparing the references.
Someone from Eduard’s team, I unfortunately
can’t recall who, added the victory markings
to Martin’s painting, and it’s in this version that
you’ve been seeing it on the box since 2016. I think
that even though it was created some twelve
years earlier, it still looks captivating.
The kit’s decal sheet features 50 aerial victories,
corresponding to “Assi” Hahn’s score from October
1941. Period photos show the aircraft with 45 or
46 victory symbols on the rudder, so those
seeking greater authenticity can adjust decal
accordingly with a scalpel.
Hptm. Hahn assumed command of III./JG
“Richthofen” at the end of October 1940 and led the
unit for two years. The emblem of his unit became
the head of a rooster, a nod to his surname (Hahn,
German for rooster). His score in air combat
over Western Europe stopped at 66 victories.
He then took command of II./JG 54 “Grünherz”
on the Eastern Front, where his combat career
eventually ended in Soviet captivity.
Hahn’s III./JG 2 began re-equipping with Bf 109
F fighters in the spring of 1941, simultaneously
relocating to Rocquancourt airfield near Caen.
The older Bf 109 E versions were gradually
phased out by June.
During 1941, Hahn’s unit achieved 165 victories,
27 of which were credited to “Assi” Hahn. The vast
majority of aircraft shot down were, of course,
Spitfires, with a smaller number of Hurricanes,
and occasionally the unit encountered
Blenheims, Lysanders, and Whirlwinds. In the
same period, III./JG 2 lost 31 pilots who were
killed, went missing, were captured, or seriously
wounded. The unit wrote off 33 aircraft that were
completely destroyed or severely damaged, and
another 25 were lightly or moderately damaged
but repairable.
Most of these victories and losses occurred over
continental Europe during RAF Circus operations.
The German pilots, often outnumbered, used
their defensive advantage, usually attacking
under favorable conditions and often avoiding
combat if the tactical situation did not favor them.
Considering these losses, RAF fighter pilots
proved to be more than capable opponents.
Text: Jan Bobek
Illustration: Martin Novotný
With the Head of a Rooster
INFO Eduard38
October 2025