Bf.109G-10, Hasegawa 1:48, Yugoslav Partisan Squadron 1945
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Aleksandar ŠekularacThank you friends! This one was on my list for a long time. Glad that I waited though, as some new facts about the history of this plane surfaced.
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This particular Bf.109G-10 changed hands twice in relatively short time in the late stages of the WWII, being passed from Luftwaffe to their Croatian cronies, only to be taken by defecting pilot to Tito's partisans. There it was quickly integrated in the fledgling airforce of the second Yugoslavia.
It is know that the two such late type, ex-Croatian Messerschmitts switched sides, one being this G-10 with the unit number "3"and the other number "5", reportedly a G-14. The actual appearance of these aircraft during their service with Yugoslav partisans is a matter of educated supposition however, as only one very poor photo exists of one of these aircraft upon their escape and consequent arrival at the Zadar airfield.
There were several interpretations of this aircraft through the years, but the most recent one debunks some of the earlier ideas, based on the newly emerged photos of the Croatian Messerschmitts from the same squadron, taken after the capitulation. Tantalisingly good images of the next in the flight-line aircraft, number "4", appeared - even one colored photo, showing some lovely details of repainted markings and heavy weathering of these machines.
Combined with the known rebranding practices of captured aircraft late in the war by the partisans, a fellow modeller, Goran Antić, created a very credible and inspiring rendering of the black-3.
Hasegawas's venerable kit got together predictably well and only occasionally required small homemade refinements and few aftermarket bits. But this is more due to my condition of being incapable to build anything out of the box. I used old Falcon vac-canopy (intended for Fujimi kit) and made internal tubular frame for it from copper wire, for example.
Moskit metal exhausts are installed, as well as Eduard phat resin tires. External fuel tank is absent, but I detailed the mounting fairing for it. And so on…