Messerschmitt BF 109E

Model Airplane News, Jun 2005 by Rittinger, Mark

An electric Luftwaffe fighter with options

CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE WW II GERMAN aircraft-the Bf 109 fighter-was also one of the deadliest in the hands of experienced Luftwaffe pilots. Erich Hartmann's 352 kills, Gunther Rail's 275 and Adolf Galland's 103 kills are all testament to the ferocity of the Bf 109 in combat. More than 33,000 were built, though few remain airworthy today. The plans include all the templates to make four versions of the plane: the Bf 109E, the Bf 109K, the Czechoslovakian-built Avia S199 and the Spanish-built Hispano Ha 1112. * if My model is roughly 1/9 scale and has a 100-percent-scale outline, including the stabilizer and elevator. It flies wonderfully just as Willy Messerschmitt designed it, and I have found no need to enlarge the stab. The model is one piece and does not have a removable wing. The prototype uses an inexpensive Kyosho Magnetic Mayhem reverse-wind motor, a Master Airscrew 3.5:1 gearbox, an APC 12x10 prop and an Apogee 3S1P 2480mAh Li-poly pack from Prop-shop.com. This setup produces 59 ounces of static thrust, and with a total flying weight of only 38 ounces, it performs really well.

THE FUSELAGE

Cut out all the appropriate formers for the version you want to build. Some are laminated from two layers of 1/16-inch balsa for light weight and strength. Make the two doublets out of 1/32-inch balsa and the sides out of 3/32-inch "A-grain" balsa. Pin formers F3 and F4 to the building board upright, and glue the upper stringers and gussets into place. To ensure a straight fuselage, leave it pinned on the board until all the sheeting has been applied. Glue F2 into place with about 2 or 3 degrees downthrust built in, and then secure it with gussets. Place F5 and F6, and glue the tail ends together.

Install the lower stringers, then prop the tail up to the correct height and install the top spine. This will make a strong, light framework to attach the sheeting to. Carefully line up the 1/32-inch balsa doublers and glue them to the frame, curving them under the nose. Add the ¼-inch-wide fairing strips to the stringers as shown. Now you can add the 3/32-inch sides. This requires some care but is not very difficult. I suggest using aliphatic glue so you can take your time getting it aligned correctly. Spread glue on the doubler and line up the fuselage side so the top hatch line and doubler match, then pin the side to the frame as shown in the photo. After the glue has set, use CA to glue the side to the top stringer and then to the bottom stringer. Wet the outside of the turtle deck, bend it over, mark it, and cut it to length. Do the same for the opposite side before gluing. While the sides are still wet, glue one side at a time to the top spine.

After the glue has dried, remove the fuselage from the board and install the lower and front blocks and former F1.

Install the tailwheel wire in the ply mount plate and glue it in place between the lower stringers. Fit the rear fin blocks to the top of the fuselage, leaving an 1/8-inch gap between them for the fin. Now you can add the lower rear pink foam block and sand it to shape.

THE HATCH

The hatch is built on top of the completed fuselage. The floor is 1/16-inch balsa, and the front of the hatch is carved out of pink foam or a light balsa block. To hold it in place, I used a music-wire alignment pin in front and rare earth magnets in the rear. I made the canopy frame from thin plywood strips covered with clear, 0.020-inch acetate. I used a Hangar 9 1/9-scale latex pilot bust.

THE WING

You can build the wing with balsa ribs and spars, or you can cut pink foam wing-cores. I have included rib templates and a wing plan for those unable to cut foam. The airfoil I use is very close to a Ritz 3-30-13. It provides excellent penetration, a subtle stall and very nice overall behavior.

If you use foam-cores, cut them with 1/8-inch washout at the tips. Sand them lightly and cut out the openings for the servos, the servo wire channels and the hand-hold wells. I installed the Y-harness and extension leads before attaching the 1/32-inch wing sheeting. Use a contact cement such as Southern Sorghum from Dave Brown Products. If you use a more powerful brushless motor, sheet the wing with 1/16-inch balsa or 1/32-inch sheeting with carbon-fiber reinforcement.

Glue the two panels together, and wrap the joint with nylon tape and epoxy. Cut out the servo holes and hand-holds, and line them with 1/16-inch balsa. Cut out the ailerons, face them with 1/8-inch balsa, and bevel the leading edges. Cap the aileron area with 1/16-inch balsa. Glue the wingtips on and then make the radiator scoops; I used basswood for durability.

The built-up-wood wing is assembled in halves over the plans and uses 3/32-inch medium balsa ribs, 1/32-inch wing sheeting, an 1/8-inch-ply wing joiner and 1/16-inch vertical-grain balsa shear webs glued to the spars. The ribs have building tabs to keep them in proper alignment; these have to be removed before you add the bottom sheeting.