Building the Messerschmitt Bf109E-4 Plastic Model Kit! Airfix 1/72 Scale - Build & Review

Small kits don't take a long time to build . . right? Well, after 2 months I finally finished my build of the 2018 release of the Airfix Messerschmitt Bf109E-4 (A01008A) plastic model kit in 1/72 scale!
This is one of their "pillars" of the 1/72 scale range, with this model plane kit being usually available in some form or another. Whilst tooled in 2012 and is a relatively good model of the Bf109, I did find that there were a few little things here and there that didn't quite help my impression of this kit.
Join me on the workbench as I get this model kit out of the box and build it, using it as a chance to try out new tools and techniques! Not to mention pairing it with some Luftwaffe Personnel figures (A00755V) from the Airfix Vintage Classics range as part of a mini-diorama! I explore my thoughts on this kit, my struggles and successes and round the video off with a review.
Thanks to CT Scale Models for providing a review sample of their canopy masks for this kit - it was a great addition and helped make the build much quicker! Take a look here: www.ebay.co.uk...
I used this build to try out the free sample of the Gaahleri Mobius 0.3mm Airbrush and also see what that product was like! 🖌️I've managed to get you a 10% discount off Gaahleri products on their website! Use my link and the code MODELMINUTES010 at checkout: www.gaahleri.c...
Unboxing review of this kit here: • Airfix Messerschmitt B...
🤝 Don't forget you can help support charity by sending any Airfix Flying Hours or un-started kits and supplies to Models For Heroes: www.modelsforh...
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#Airfix #Bf109 #Modelkit #modelplane #scalemodel #modelbuild #modelbuilder #Gaahleri #airbrush

[@neilmcclary]

what a great build when i look back at your builds from your early days you have become a very good builder ,loving the diorama keep the great vids comming

[@ModelMinutes]

Thank you very much!

[@brunocalico]

You’re getting better with your models. Nice aircraft diorama with the ground crew. Congrats.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thank you very much!

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

That was a really nice build. I like the small diorama. Space in one's home is always at a premium. Thanks for the video and all the modeling tips.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for watching!

[@julianbye9066]

Love the mottling & the rigging for the aerial, really makes the model stand out. Great work

[@ModelMinutes]

Thank you very much!

[@ScreamingLordStokes]

Nice build Matt, and super little diorama. It's a lovely little kit and a good example of the 'new' tool Airfix era. I built the 109 E-3 version a couple of years ago, it was my first build after a long time away from modelling and I really enjoyed it. The only things that let it down were the fit of the canopy in closed position and the airiel which I found impossible to detach from the sprues in one piece, even with modelling side cutters!

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! Yes, this kit is not without fault but it is still pretty good :)

[@KGmodels]

After watching this video and finishing off my own 109,I think these have become my beloved aircraft ;) Either way, great work and a little scene always goes a long way for me.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks a lot!

[@stevesstuff1450]

That's a really great model presentation; a very tidy little BF109 model, and a very effective little dio' with the ground-crew figures; it really gives a tangible sense of scale to the aircraft! 😃 Excellent stuff...! 👍

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for watching and for the kind words :)

[@lucamilanesi6985]

fantastic job, love your videos, very interesting, one can always learn something and like the fact you use Airfix kits. Awesome!! Ciao from Rome

[@lpjmodels]

Congrats Matt what a cool little scene and you know I love 109s

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for dropping in! Glad you enjoyed it :D

[@MIMIC953.]

great build I like the little diorama

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks!

[@codyfrench7668]

A very nice result! One thing I did notice though was you filling in the "gap" on top of the fuselage - that spot should actually have one! As far as I know it's the only fighter with a panel line running the length of the spine

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, I did recall that there was meant to be one there after I had finished the build, the 109 effectively being built of panels that had a join at the top and bottom of the fuselage. There is a slight seam there in the finished model but not as proud as it could have been

[@JoelMiller-ul9tf]

Great diorama 🎉🎉 Really added to the model!!

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks a lot!

[@andygorman858]

Gotta say that’s a might fine build and the bonus dio at the end was really well done! I have always started with the darker colours for camouflage as I use it like a ‘pre-shade’ for the lighter colour going on over it. Great build with a great finish and very informative.

[@ModelMinutes]

Ah that is interesting - I suppose I like to do light colours first because i struggle with opacity putting the light over the dark colours

[@andygorman858]

@@ModelMinutes with traditional painting media like Acrylics and Watercolours yes, light colours first followed by darker. With airbrushing you can just build up the colours till you get the opacity you want. I used to undercoat everything with white and then paint light to dark over that but getting the nice gradients was really hard.

[@StartupAviation]

Great video as always, the diorama ones are always cool! You should try building an armour model some time, it would be cool to see how your skills translate from air models.

[@NielsenDK-1]

He did once. A Tiger in a diorama and it turned out very well😃

[@ModelMinutes]

I'll look at more armour in the future

[@baanibarnes9711]

I think that was a good effort on the soft edged cammo, one of the things I like about luftwaffe camouflage. I have a tip for you - to make it easier I make a mask out of plastic card or thin cardboard - use the kit part as a template, lay it on the card and trace round it. Then cut out the 'splotch' shapes, blu-tac the card onto the model (with background colour already painted and dry of course) then spray your camouflage pattern by airbrushing over the template, mid-range pressure. I generally get a pretty good result, it controls the pattern and prevents getting splatters where you don't want them. You can argue that cutting out the mask is a bit of a faff, but the results are worth it and you can use the template over and over again. I recently did this on an FW190A-3 (Tamiya, 1:72 scale) and it came out great. Always enjoy your content, look forward to more.

[@ModelMinutes]

That is an interesting technique!

[@davidorr6627]

Nice build. I built a Hobby Boss 109E last year that I did in a similar paint scheme, but I wasn't brave enough to airbrush the mottling. That kit was nowhere near as good as your Airfix kit. The plastic was very thin, and the aerial was moulded into the fuselage and was extremely fragile. Needless to say it broke off and was a nightmare to stick back on. In the end t came out looking quite nice though. Good to see you using a couple of SMS products. I have been using them since the beginning of 2023 and find them to be fantastic. I have a bit of an issue with the matt clear coat though as it can be affected by cold or hot weather. I was getting a lot of small white spots as the talc was separating out in winter. If you're painting in your house it is probably fine, but I do all my spraying in my garage, which gets a bit cold in winter and a bit hot in summer. I have ended up using Tamiya lacquer clear coats for matt or satin finishes as they don't seem to suffer from this problem, at least not very often.

[@ModelMinutes]

I have been enjoying the SMS paints that I have had access to, I would like to try more lacquer paints in the future

[@FlorianTNP]

Great build! Just finishing up my own example of this I started back in July

[@ModelMinutes]

I hope you have enjoyed it

[@enderbeam8089]

Great! Looks amazing well done!

[@ModelMinutes]

Glad you think so!

[@emmabird9745]

Looks nice Matt. I notice you didn't mention washing the parts. Not too important fot the model parts but absolutely vital to wash the polythene figures in washing up liquid to remove the parting agent if you want paint to stick. I'm sure you know but perhaps for the benefit of viewers (particularly skill level 1!). I notice Nigel modelling bench has had a bit of bother with aerial elastic.

[@ModelMinutes]

I've heard that painting them in PVA can help too, but haven't tried it

[@mydailybf1096]

awesome mate looks fantastic!

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks a lot!

[@chrispacer4231]

I agree, building your kits to move along… Something you can build in a weekend… 1/72 for sure… MY BIGGEST PROBLEM… I like to put them on a simple DIORAMA BASE key word , SIMPLE….. MATT, you always do a great job on your Builds and Reviews You have my like 👍!!!!!!!! Isn’t it amazing how far the AIRFIX 1/72 Ground Crew Kits can be used ??????? All you need is just ONE ( 1 ) figure to give it scale…….. MODEL MINUTES ON …….. CHRIS 🇺🇸

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks so much! Yes, I seem to be holding on to kits and not building them, so i think I just need to lower my expectations sometimes and just put paint to plastic :)

[@Adam_Boots]

I do my best to avoid mottling as I worry I'd mess it up. I've actually only airbrushed it once and spent ages doing it even though I only did a small area. I basically had the airbrush set up so that barely any paint came out and just kept going over it multiple times to build it up. It avoided any spidering as by the time I was ready to go over it again it was already dry. Took about five times longer than if I'd done it in one go but it was easier on my nerves.

[@ModelMinutes]

I may have to try something like that in the future, there is definitely an art to it

[@chrispacer4231]

I think it LOOKS GREAT !!!!! CHRIS 🇺🇸

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks Chris!

[@MsModeller]

Another day, another slay 👌👌

[@ModelMinutes]

Lol thanks!

[@julianmhall]

Agreed about the Skill Level Matt. It seems to have been judged /solely/ on construction, whereas I think it should be on all elements of the /completed/ model, so 1 for construction, 2 for paint, and 2 for decals. 1.67 overall rounded up to the next level, so a 2 overall. OOB it looks great :) The diorama looks really nice :)

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks very much! I feel that the "starter set" version (which is technically a gift set now) is a lower skill level as it features block colours and no mottling, whilst this is much more complicated in the paint scheme but still shares the same skill level

[@martinmountford3281]

I was at RAF Cosford last Sunday and yes there is a rain gutter on the spine of the plane

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah, I remembered after I had finished the model that there should be a seam down the fuselage

[@JohnSmith-sl1my]

I've built this kit it wasn't bad . Well done.

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks :D

[@jefthing]

This is uncanny… The first (and last) aeroplane diorama I built was of a 109 E (Heller - from the RAF museum) with some Airfix ground crew. I used that horrible 70s grass scatter and Humbrol authentic Luftwaffe colours. I still have a photo after 40+ years, so I was obviously proud of it! Yours looks much better, though.

[@ModelMinutes]

Great minds think alike!

[@Flakmagnet1701]

Please ....get a clapperboard 😂 Other than that, interesting build. I do like the diorama. It's putting the plane in a context, rather than just having it sit there on a shelf looking like it doesn't belong. Planes don;t sit on shelves. So that tiny piece of grass and a few figures are a simple addition, which has an impact far beyond. Makes it look like a plane should. As this shows, doesn't have to be a massive airfield diorama with tons of expensive additions. It's just a couple of figures and some grass, which most modellers can manage cheaply and simply.

[@ModelMinutes]

I'll see if I can find one :P Yes, I would like to have my models flying or in litle scenes, I still need to find some suitable flying stands really for these more modern kits

[@stuartwren5526]

Nice job.. BTW did you run water based and enamel paints through the same airbrush ? If so you may get clogging issues.

[@lnerj69]

Great build Matt, did you know that the real full sized Bf-109s actually had seam lines along the spine and underneath?

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, I did remember that but only after I had finished the build, oh well, bit late now lol

[@baanibarnes9711]

The Luftwaffe ground-crew were known by the pilots as 'Black Men' due to the black overalls they wore, dark grey is probably a good compromise for the right 'look' though.

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for the info

[@toboldlygosmodelworks1973]

Save the Pamphlet with the Luftwaffe Paint set - you never know when it will come in handy. TBh having built Airfix's New BF-109 F4 - your one isn't a skill Level One - Lovely work Btw.

[@ModelMinutes]

I am in the habit of cutting the backs out of the vallejo paint sets and keeping those as references :)

[@danschleier8953]

Didn't see the armor plate behind the pilots head that the E4 carried

[@Damien-q8t]

@ModelMinutes added 15 kits to the stash today...i must be mad

[@rodneypayne4827]

​​@@danschleier8953this particular e4 was shot down and forced landed in England and was an early E4. The first 400 built went to units without the armour.

[@danschleier8953]

@rodneypayne4827 Thanks for that information. I did not know the first 400 were built without the armored headrest! Never to old to learn!

[@ingosippel9653]

Very nice, thank you 👍🏻

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for watching 🫡

[@ingosippel9653]

@@ModelMinutes 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@mikecrane3148]

Great build.I found the best way to use vallejo paints is to use a 10 ratio.6 parts thinner to 4 parts paint.I find this is great for mottling effect as it gives a slight transparency.Also add a couple of drops of airflow improver for larger models

[@ModelMinutes]

does that work for the normal model colour range, and the model air?

[@mikecrane3148]

@@ModelMinutes I tend to use the model air.They are great paints.I find using this formula a great way of controlling the paint at a low pressure.Each layer gives a surprisingly good coverage.For the normal Vallejo paints I just use a few drops of water on a wet pallet.👍

[@wheezy1587]

im working on my first model right now, its tamiyas bf109 e4 haha. its been very fun.

[@ModelMinutes]

Good luck!

[@wheezy1587]

@@ModelMinutes i've already learned from a few mistakes fortunately/unfortunately. it is cool to see the difference in the tamiya and airfix versions of the same plane.

[@MurphZx501]

Mould lines .... I see mould line on the figures! Nevertheless, nice diorama mat!

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah, even though I spent quite a bit of time trying to tidy them all up, those lines are just so stubborn. From normal viewing distances they aren't that noticeable but the camera always makes them more obvious

[@GavinNerazzurri]

Great job Matt 🏆 That's a really good paint scheme and you did a nice job of it. The quality of that clear part is ridiculous. I had one even worse in a 109 starter set. Maybe polishing with a cream (I just use a little original T-cut) and a rotary tool on lowest speed would've helped it. The skill number has obviously been a copy and paste afterthought from a different 109 with an easier scheme - no way that's one a skill 1 builder should really be considering. KUTGW 👍

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks! 👍

[@arthurjordison5392]

I might have dodged a bullet here as mine got lost in the post and given I've never used an airbrush before (I do own one though) that paint scheme might have beaten me! I liked you diorama though. Will you be doing a more detailed video as it's something I'd like to try for the vehicles I have.

[@ModelMinutes]

A more detailed video on dioramas? It's something I could look into

[@catalin-oprea]

I have some experience with Vallejo paints, it will help if you put a few drops of Airbrush Flow Improver (Vallejo) in the mix. You should give it a try.

[@ModelMinutes]

Definitely something that I will have to look at buying soon! I found that a few drops of the Humbrol acrylic thinner works for the moment, but if the flow improver provides better results it will be an improvement

[@pawelpw1161]

try to finish your weels with airbrush , you can always get some office stencils with variety of circles so you can make you own circle painting masks as for mottling you have to work on thinning to air pressure ratio as your airbrush was spitting a lot

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for the info!

[@pawelpw1161]

@@ModelMinutes you should try vallejo flow improver aka retarder to avoid airbrush clogging

[@tpaul802]

Have you built the Motorhead HE 111 from Airfix?

[@ModelMinutes]

Sadly not, that is something that I did not add to the stash

[@PurplEWolFGaminG]

Luftwaffe first used in the Spanish civil war in 1936

[@ModelMinutes]

very true :)

[@ricardoroberto7054]

It is a lovely kit but the weak part is a the canopy. I would have preferred a one piece so it would be moulded properly. Mine have been very poor quality.

[@ModelMinutes]

I like that it comes with the option to be open, but I think the tooling might be a little tired now for that part

[@Sturgeon_General92]

Do you have a Me 262 night fighter from airfix? Could you try to build it because i failed and I want to see how to do it right

[@ModelMinutes]

I don't have that one, but I do have a Revell Me262 somewhere

[@IncogNito-gg6uh]

Did I miss an explanation for no swastika?

[@ModelMinutes]

Not explained. Simply not included in the kit

[@markshellard5894]

State of the canopy airfix thats shocking

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah, it was very disappointing - they have done much better. The only reason I could think it was so flashy and scratched was over use and lack of care

[@ThatAustralianBall]

Yo I just got a brengun Horner Ho-229 model kit in 1/144 on e baby for 20 AUD$

[@ModelMinutes]

very cool!

[@ThatAustralianBall]

@@ModelMinutes and also im going to sydney on a b737 on qantas on thursday (australia time) its a 1 hour and 28 minute flight

[@BigMedic5]

17:46 real

[@ModelMinutes]

Sometimes I just don't see the point in putting all the tiny little blobs of decal on :P