1/32 scale Bf 109G-10/K-4
Detailed Wheel Wells

Cutting Edge Modelworks

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Meteor Productions

Hasegawa's 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 and K-4 kits come with the large separate wing bulges that are simply glued to the top of the wing. The wheel well attempts to depict the internal bulge, but the limitations of the tacked-on bulge technology means that the wheel well is shallow, and does not reflect the layered nature of the real thing. Also, the two locating pins for the bulge protrude into the wheel wells which are quite tricky to completely eradicate.

Cutting Edge now offers a solution to these problems with their detailed wheel well for any Bf 109 fitted with the large wheel bulges.

Eight resin parts are supplied to authentically recreate the distinctive wheel well of the last Gustavs and the Kurtfurst. Casting is flawless, and the approach to the problem is both creative and very effective. Cutting Edge supplies top and bottom halves for the inboard section of each wing, plus two wheel well "caps" and two small release locks.

The detail is excellent, with structural features and lightening holes all crisply present.

The wing parts are cast onto blocks which look more imposing than they really are. A few minutes work with a shapr knife and a sanding stick will free all the parts from their casting blocks. Next, you will want to open up the wheel well tops and the kidney-shaped opening in the wheel well caps. These are flashed over with thin resin. I sanded the top of these parts to loosen the edges, then pushed the resin flash out. Total time for this exercise on one wing was around 10 minutes. A few small lightening holes in the gear leg bay can be opened up at the same time.

At this stage, the cap can be glued on top of the lower wheel well section.

The fit was excellent, with the part almost snapping into place. I used super glue and three clamps to make the bond permanent.

Don't forget to install the front and rear radiator faces from the kit before joining the wing halves. Just to be safe, I glued mine in place at this time.

I test fitted the top and bottom resin sections and found that a small lip at the back of the wheel well cap was fouling against the resin top wing half, forcing it to sit back about 1.0 mm. This problem was easily solved by trimming a small overhang off the back of the wheel well cap.

It was plain sailing from here.

The instructions suggest that the resin wing halves should be mated to their outer plastic outer sections before construction of the wheel well, but I decided to join them afterwards. In retrospect, I think it would have been better to follow the instructions, although I still managed a good result.

I secured the top and bottom halves with super glue. Fit was excellent.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Next, I cut the kit top wing along the appropriate panel line, and test fitted it against the resin part, trimming and sanding as I went, until I was satisfied with the alignment. The mating surface of the resin, with the full chord of the wing plus a useful chunk of leading edge overlapping, gives plenty for the transplanted plastic to hang on to.

The bottom of the kit wing was now cut up and proved even easier to align and install.

I cannot think of a single kit in the history of our hobby that has spawned as many accessories as Hasegawa's new family of 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109s. These are creditable kits straight from the box, and fun to build too, but if you want to build a superdetailed masterpiece, you will certainly want to address the kit wheel wells.

Cutting Edge has come to the rescue with this beautifully cast, authentic wheel well conversion that is uncompromising in its multi-layered accuracy, yet should be quite fast and relatively easy to install.

Of course, some experience working with resin will be required, but if you are tackling this sort of superdetailing project you will probably have a few hours behind the Xacto knife in your log book.

I'll be stocking up with a few of these. I do hope that we can look forward to a Bf 109G-6 wheel well too.

Highly Recommended.