new decals for the 1:24th Airfix Gustav superkit

 

Kudos to John M at AIMs for getting a new decal sheet ready for the Airfix G-5/6 just days after the kit release was announced. In fact this blogger had a conversation with John at the weekend which went something like this;

" Hey, John you'll have seen the new Airfix announcement. What will it take to get some new decals out there?"

"Hi Neil, the problem with 1/24 scale decals is you are only going to get like 3 options on a page - maybe 4 and this is at a time when even in 1/32 most modellers seem to prefer masks! I spoke to XXXX and [they] informed me that 1/24 scale decals don't really sell well. Although I do have the manufacturer's plates in 1/24th. It is a difficult one.."

"I’m gonna do this Gustav. No swastikas in the box. Would a couple of subjects on a small sheet not be cost effective? People are gonna need a Hakenkreuz or two.."

"yes I did actually think that when I saw the Airfix decal sheet! But in 1/24th Airfix have done it all with masks which are better in the bigger scales.."

"Re masks, your average modeller - like me - has never used them, apart from on a canopy..."

and that's how we left it - until yesterday, when these images popped up on our messenger thread;

" sent off to get printed..and the 32nd Bf 109 K decal sheet arrives here very soon.."  Contact John to order.   aimsmodels1 at gmail.com

JG 27 Bf 109 G-6/AS - archive photo scan series #45

 

A line-up of Bf 109 G-6/AS fighters of 5./JG 27 seen in early summer 1944 at Fels am Wagram. ‘Black 14’ has the WNr. 412x29 (‘x’ is probably an '8' or even a '3'). The finish comprises an unusual 'snake' mottle along the fuselage sides extending to below the exhaust stacks. Note the curved 'shield' above the exhaust stack on the port side of the engine - designed primarily to prevent hot gases from being ingested into the supercharger intake, a feature of most Gustavs. Click on the image to view large..'Black 14' is illustrated by Claes Sundin in his 'Luftwaffe Fighter aircraft - Profile book no. 12'

Leaving Wiesbaden at the end of May 1944 for Unterschlauersbach (near Munich)  II./JG 27 was briefly subordinated to the JG z.b.V before going to Eisenstadt for rest and refit on 3 June. Just three days later D-Day brought this period to a swift end and the Gruppe was sent to Fels am Wagram as part of a Sammelgruppe for Western front fighter and fighter pilot replacements. A host of new machines was assigned to the Gruppe including their first G-6/AS fighters, with which they were due to be re-equipped. This period came to an end on 1 July. Assigned to 8 JD the Gruppe was scrambled against 15th AF raids heading for the south of the Reich and Hungary on no fewer than 13 occasions during the month and on a further four days was directed against 8th AF incursions over the Reich. During July the Gruppe claimed five bombers shot down for the loss of 33 Bf 109s - 19 pilots were killed and 7 wounded. A further (approx) 20 Messerschmitts were lost in accidents! 

" ..after one month of operations following refit [during the summer of 1944], combat readiness [of II./JG 27] had already shrunk to Staffel strength level.." 

(adapted from Jochen Prien's JfV Teil 13/V p283-284)

new Airfix 1:24th scale Gustav announced for imminent release!

 

just ahead of Telford SMW 2025 the new Airfix 1:24 scale Gustav is ready and about to break the internet today!   Edit- 07/11/25  move down to the bottom for the first sprue shots

This brand new 405-part kit has been under development for at least two years and can be built as a G-5 or G-6 with five markings options featuring the 6./JG 53 Gustav 'yellow 14' on the box art along with RAF/USAF markings for WNr  15270 following its capture - 'yellow 14' was retrieved on Sicily by the 57th FG during the summer of 1943 and later toured RAF/USAF bases in the UK as VX 101 - there are colour images of the RAF's VX 101 on this blog. The kit looks as though it features an Erla hood but no tall tail options are in the box AFAIK. Incidentally - and as seen on the box art - this G-6 WNr.15270 was a 1943 Erla-built machine and featured their distinctive saw-tooth camouflage. Researcher Luke (now with Revell) first discussed this kit with the Luftwaffe blog a while ago now - but then he was a regular attendee at East Kent Scale Modellers' monthly club night at RAF Manston just a couple of miles from Airfix HQ (..never seen the guy who replaced him though). I was surprised to learn that Airfix had not done market research on this - it was simply a subject they wanted to do. At the time I told Luke that I'd personally like a P-51 B/C but I did hand him a copy of the 508-page 'Luftwaffe fighters' book by Paul Stipdonk and Michael Meyer (JAPO) for research. The new Airfix Gustav will be available in the UK from Jadlam for 18 November, currently on offer at £89 from them for pre-orders. Incidentally the RAF Manston history museum shop usually matches Jadlam prices.

Also on this blog;

 
'Yellow 14' WNr 15270 -VX 101 in colour
Erla saw-tooth upper wing surfaces camouflage

A few sprue shots of the new Airfix 1:24 Gustav from their stand at Telford. The kit can be built as a G-5 with the pressurisation details or as G-6 with standard and Erla Haube. Click on the images to get in a little closer..

1/72 - I.A.R. 80/81 family by IBG Models - I.A.R.80 A & 81C released - new I.A.R.80 B over Stalingrad due this month!

Ahead of a new boxing of the IAR 80 to be released imminently by IBG Models here are some images of Claudio Maura's beautiful rendition of the IAR 80 'Early' release. (Claudio, muito obrigado pelas suas fotos. Desculpe ter demorado tanto tempo para mostrá-las a todos)

The new I.A.R.80 coming this month from IBG is the 'B' variant which was introduced in 1941 to improve firepower against Soviet aircraft. It was equipped with six machine guns (two 13.2 mm and four 7.92 mm Brownings) and later featuring lengthened fuselage and wings. During the Stalingrad campaign, Romanian units equipped with I.A.R.80A, 80B, and 81 aircraft supported Axis operations from forward airfields such as Tusov and Morozovskaya, mainly providing bomber escort and ground attack missions. Harsh winter conditions and the Soviet counteroffensive during Operation Uranus forced Romanian pilots to adapt to freezing temperatures and emergency combat roles. Despite their courage and skill, the I.A.R. units suffered heavy losses and were withdrawn to Romania in early 1943, marking the end of their participation in one of the war’s fiercest battles.

As usual with IBG releases there will be a range of 3D-printed accessories for those wanting extra detail. 

Finally two more views of Claudio's exceptional work on the 'Early' boxing. More on IBG Models IAR 80/81 kits on this blog here and here 

Bf 109 K-4 'Chevron 1+ I ' of the Gruppenstab III./JG 53 - AIMS decals

 Starting a series of posts looking at some of the K-4s featured on the superb new AIMS Bf 109 K-4 decal sheet. Artwork courtesy of John MacIllmurray. And if you don't want the decals John's artwork for this decal sheet can be purchased separately for a small sum from John directly - aimsmodels1 at gmail.com

'Chevron 1+I' was the regular machine flown by Lt. Ernst-Dieter Bernhard, Adjutant of III./JG 53 during the first few months of 1945. He described his K-4 as 'well polished' and as 'quite a hot ship' - ein ganz heißes Schiff- until it was lost on 19 April 1945. As an  Oberfähnrich Bernhard was posted to 12./JG 53 on 3 December 1944 (under Hptm. Siegfried Luckenbach) and flew the Bodenplatte attack on 01/01/45 when JG 53 “Pik As” dispatched 80 machines and lost 33 Messerschmitts for eight pilots  KIA, five WIA, and another five taken prisoner. Promoted to Leutnant on 20 January 1945 (back-dated to 01 November 1944) he had volunteered for the ramming-fighter unit “Sonderkommando Elbe”, but was declared unsuitable and became Adjutant on 17 February after the loss of Lt. Westphal. On 19 April, a small number of machines from his III Gruppe were scrambled at around 17:30 from Otterfing to intercept a formation of some 50 or so B-26 medium bombers which they quickly ran into and attacked with all guns blazing. The JG 53 pilots claimed one B-26 and two P-47s. After the fight Lt. Bernhard´s K-4 was low on fuel, so he planned an intermediate stop at Kaufbeuren before returning home. Whether his machine had been damaged in the combat is not known but he was unable to properly lower his undercarriage with one gear leg staying up. A series of wild manoeuvres on his last drops of fuel - steep dives and sharp pull-ups, described as 'ausgedehnte Toberei'-  failed to dislodge it and Bernhard was forced to belly-land his nicely polished 109 right outside the maintenance hangar on the airfield  at around 18:45. Bernhard survived the last few weeks of the war, managed to 'avoid' American captivity by going 'underground' in Munich before resuming a 'normal' life. He later rose to high rank in the post-war Bundeswehr. He had claimed one enemy aircraft, a P-51 Mustang shot down on 19 March 1945. 

(text adapted from Jochen Prien's correspondence in Flugzeug magazine issue 4/87)

Well-known Kaufbeuren Schrottplatz (dump) shot with Bernhard's K-4 top right with the broad black fuselage band of JG 53. (WNr unknown)

1/32 Kotare Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4

 

Model build/text by Dave Atkin

" This is my 1/32 Kotare Messerschmitt Bf109 K4 with the red tulip nose design as flown during March  1945 from Deutsche Brod ( possibly by Erich Hartmann)**. I have used AIMS decals and Montex masks for the main markings..."

"..I enjoyed the build very much and hope you like my take. I tried my best for accuracy but used a little artistic licence on this late WW2 fighter! The landing gear legs are turned stainless steel rod as I broke one and just think they look better in metal Air speed indicator Tamiya sparkling silver.
The Morane antenna as per references and panel un weathered as possibly replaced wooden panel for new FuG radio. Just the Ez line aerial wires to add. Added most Kit decal stencils and lightly weathered but panel lines more so underneath! Am using the VMS XXL Matt varnish on this build!
The red and green lights are Tamiya Clear green and Red just a dot of paint in the recessed hole provided,magic! Thanks for your interest and I think I may deserve a beer or maybe a strong Martini tonight! Thanks goes to Kotare Ltd, Mark Robson and Richard Alexander and their team for a superb kit of this aircraft..."

** The Stab JG 52 had Bf 109 K-4s with tulip designs. According to a number of sources Obslt. Graf flew WNr. 332529 'green 4'. Hartmann's I./JG 52 shared a field with them - Deutsche Brod some 20 km from the town of Iglau in Czechoslovakia - along with other machines and units, including the Hs 129s of SG 9 (in the background below). 'Green 4' features the typical pattern and colours seen in the WNr 332 xxx series utilising medium grey and the dark green variation of RLM 81 while rudder/fin are painted in the 'brownish' variation of 81. The nose 'tulip' recalls Graf's spectacular Fw 190s from his time in France.

google stats for FalkeEins - the Luftwaffe blog

 

Back in December 2023 this blog reached a milestone 6 MILLION page views since its inception back in 2009. During September 2025 we passed the 7 MILLION page views mark. I've worked out that had I 'monetised' this blog then I'd be around $12,000 better off. Or not. A lot of the content posted here is not mine of course so I don't do that. I post material that interests me primarily. And I like to 'support' the various undertakings and projects of friends. And yes, I may be just another 'cloud serf' as one commentator referred to the phenomenon recently. Working hard to simply add value to a mega-company for not much in return. And where everyone seems to help themselves. One thing I don't have on this blog though is a big number of subscribers, so do please 'subscribe' and keep up to date with new posts and edits etc. There are now well over 1500 posts to browse here. Many 'google' searches end up here as this 'google' blog usually appears near the top of any Luftwaffe search listing - search 'new Luftwaffe books' for example. Or try adding 'falkeeins' to your search. Take a look at the blog stat totals for today (so far) 04 November 2025. As usual, thanks to all friends and contributors!