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In-Box Review
132
Messerschmitt Bf 110C-7
  • Dragon_Bf110_Boxtop

by: Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]

My excitement over the arrival of Dragon’s 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Bf 110 was tinged with understandable misgivings at what I might find. After the mauling their P-51D Mustang received from most quarters, chiefly on account of its clumsy detailing, I was prepared for the worst…

Happily, all such fears were groundless and the Bf 110 and Mustang kits are as different as chalk and cheese! Gone are the ghastly overscale rivets and coarse texture – instead, the surface finish here is simply superb! It’s hard to believe the Bf 110 originates from the same toolmakers, because they’ve produced a real stunner.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to basics: the box. It’s massive and built like a battleship. The surprise, though, is how much empty space there is inside. The sprues are packed in so they are squeezed together depth-wise, but with loads of room each end. I know there must be cost savings in using a standard box, but that extra space could have been partitioned off to protect the clear parts which, as it is, are buried in the middle of the other sprues.

That said, everything arrived safe and sound and as you take each separately bagged sprue out of the box, you begin to realise just how large and detailed this new kit is, comprising:

409 x grey styrene parts (12 unused)
21 x clear styrene parts
10 x etched brass parts
Decals for 2 x colour schemes

The parts are faultlessly moulded, without a trace of flash or any sink marks. The surface detail consists of delicately engraved panel lines, some raised panels, and really subtle embossed rivets and fasteners. The fabric surfaces feature rib tape, stitching and even drain-holes but Dragon, like other manufacturers, have missed the part-fabric covered landing flaps (although they have included the drain-holes on them).

Preparation for a test fit is a little more involved than usual, because the sprue attachments on the major parts are actually on the mating surfaces and sometimes extend a little distance into the rear of the parts (e.g. the wings and tail). This is a minor inconvenience, as the stubs are easily removed with an etched razor saw - but the plus-side is a flawless exterior.

The fit of the main parts is excellent. The fuselage and wing halves line up perfectly and the wings have superbly thin trailing edges. The wings have internal strengtheners to preclude any chance of warping and there’s a sturdy double-spar/cradle to attach them to the fuselage. The fit at the wing root is spot-on. This is a kit devoid of gimmicks, so none of the control surfaces are moveable and the leading edge slats are moulded closed.

It's clear that more versions are planned - apart from the unused parts on the sprues for underwing drop tanks, the fuselage features the cabin air-vent that was introduced on the Bf 110D. The instructions indicate that this must be removed, but they don't mention the nearby oval oxygen filling hatch, which is also applicable to the 'D and should be filled and re-scribed as a circle for the 'C.

I'm always wary of relying on scaling up plans on domestic equipment, but I enlarged those included in Kagero's Bf 110 Vol. 1 and the kit's main parts match them happily enough.

A few details
Dragon’s Bf 110 is rather reminiscent of Eduard’s quarterscale version – that means plenty of detail, and over 60 parts go into a really well appointed “office”. The main instrument panel is finely detailed, along with throttles and consoles, radio faces, cannon mounts and ammunition, gunner’s position and an excellent MG 17. Etched seat harnesses are provided that are a bit basic for this scale, so you may wish to raid an Eduard set or go the whole hog and make up a harness from foil and separate etched buckles.

The nose gun-bay is neatly detailed too, with finely moulded machine guns and ammunition feeds, but surprisingly the nose fairing is intended to be fixed in place, hiding it all.

The kit includes a pair of 25-part engines, that attach to well detailed wheel-well inserts. Whether or not you’re interested in displaying the engines, you’ll need to at least partly construct them to support the propellers and cowling. The undercarriage dispenses with the Mustang’s gimmicky springs and vinyl tyres – instead it’s conventional and very crisply moulded, with sturdy main gear legs to support this large kit, and separate wheel hubs for the un-weighted tires.

External stores comprise a very nicely done ETC 500 rack, built up in two layers to give depth to the mechanism inside, plus wing racks for the SC250 and SC500 bombs provided.

The transparent parts are thin and crystal clear and the multi-part canopy is broken down into 7 sections to allow it to be posed open.

Instructions and decals
The assembly diagrams are well drawn and make clear the quite complex sub-assemblies. The construction sequence is mostly logical, although most modellers will probably want to leave the canopy off until last and also try to see if it’s possible to fit the main gear after attaching the wings (caution: I haven't tried that and it may not be possible).

With so much internal detail, the kit cries out for detailed painting instructions and here is the real surprise, because (apart from the camouflage guide) there are none provided at all! It's such a bewildering oversight in a kit of this quality, I'm sure it must be a mistake. Modellers probably won’t be too worried if they have sufficient references (or an Eduard kit to raid the painting instructions from), but Dragon really should try to include at least basic painting suggestions for the interior details in future releases.

Decals are provided for a pair of aircraft along with a camouflage guide that lists RLM numbers and Gunze Sangyo model paint matches:

1. SP L9, 6./ZG 1, Russia 1942
2. LN IR, 1.(Z)/JG 77, Norway 1941

The decals are printed in perfect register by Cartograph and the items are thin and glossy with minimal carrier film. Sadly, no swastikas are included. While good quality, the sheet is a little basic - apart from first-aid markings, there are no stencils, fuel servicing symbols, propeller manufacturer marks etc. provided, and in this scale the airframe will look rather empty without them.

Luckily, Eagle Editions (Jerry Crandall and Mark Proulx acted as consultants for Dragon on this project) are preparing a series of Bf 110 aftermarket sheets that will be available very shortly, so we can hope they’ll fill in the gaps along with providing some exciting colour schemes.

Conclusion
Dragon’s new Bf 110 looks set to build into a really beautiful model. They’ve more than answered all the critics of their first efforts in this scale and produced a kit that is almost certain to be the definitive large-scale ‘110 for many years to come and deserves to be a huge success for the company.

Beginners should be aware that this is quite a complex kit, but on the basis of the test fit, modellers with a bit of experience should find it a really enjoyable and challenging build. You’ll need plenty of space too – the Bf 110 is a surprisingly large aircraft and in this scale it’s bound to be a head-turner at model shows everywhere. Highly recommended.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.


SUMMARY
Highs: Beautifully moulded and finely detailed. Good quality (but limited) decals.
Lows: No painting instructions included for the highly detailed interior. The decals are rather limited, with no swastikas or stencilling.
Verdict: It's big - very big! - and beautiful. Dragon's Bf 110 is a very fine kit that appears to be both basically accurate and packed with detail.
Percentage Rating
90%
  Scale: 1:32
  Mfg. ID: 3203
  Suggested Retail: 3203
  PUBLISHED: Sep 05, 2008
  NATIONALITY: Germany
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.37%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 86.16%

Our Thanks to Dragon Models!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Rowan Baylis (Merlin)
FROM: NO REGIONAL SELECTED, UNITED KINGDOM

I've been modelling for about 40 years, on and off. While I'm happy to build anything, my interests lie primarily in 1/48 scale aircraft. I mostly concentrate on WW2 subjects, although I'm also interested in WW1, Golden Age aviation and the early Jet Age - and have even been known to build the occas...

Copyright ©2021 text by Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

Rowan, The captions in the three Kagero Bf 110 books regularly get the captions wrong as to the variant or sub-variant of the Bf 110 in the photo. If you get the latest book that Fernando Estanislau and I did (I presume that is the one you have on order?), then all will become clear. Hope this helps. John Vasco
SEP 11, 2008 - 10:12 AM
Hi John Yep, that's the one. It's actually just this minute arrived in the post (days earlier than I dared hope!). It looks fantastic. I'll refer to it throughout my Dragon build and review it shortly. All the best Rowan
SEP 12, 2008 - 12:12 AM
Hi All Brett Green of Hyperscale posted a list of errors in the instruction sheet on his site. I am fully aware that cross referencing to other modelling sites is very much disliked by some members of the board. Please bear with me, but there might be some members that might find this helpful to build the Dragon Bf 110 C. Bf 110 C-7 Instructions Errata List all the best Steffen
SEP 16, 2008 - 07:49 PM
Thanks Steffen Anything that helps us build better models is fine by me! Interlinking is one of the benefits of being a part of such a wide modelling community. I still haven't had a chance to start my '110 (or do any more work to the Zero). Only a week late already - and I'll be away next weekend, so that'll make it two... what's new! All the best Rowan
SEP 16, 2008 - 08:15 PM
Rowan we think alike, but I got burned several times in the past. I am using this kind of formulation to express my will to change or remove my post if PTB wish. If you want to see how a thread can go mad just have a look at the "New Tamiya Jagdtiger" thread over at Armorama ... it started as an announcement and is now at a stage of trench warfare between Tamiya likers and haters .. apples and oranges are rolling among each other and the tone is pretty harsh at times .. I do not want such stuff and thus I express my opinion (sometimes) with this kind of "disclaimer" (You know I can upset people, don't you ) cheers Steffen
SEP 16, 2008 - 09:43 PM
Hi Rowan, That was a good review . I have been pretty keen on this kit being released in this scale. Steffan ,thanks for the link . As an armour builder its hard to stay focused in that field when you have such a beasty of a plane like the 110 around. Thanks
SEP 16, 2008 - 11:06 PM
I will be getting one of these, probably at Telford. I have already produced the "wasp" mask, but I need to try it on a real 1/32 fuselage.
SEP 17, 2008 - 06:53 AM
just added this one to my birthday wish list...comin up in October... I'll keep my fingers crossed!
SEP 18, 2008 - 02:40 PM
Is anyone doing a build log of this baby? And does the Eagle decal set for this one have the stencilling?
FEB 09, 2009 - 12:09 PM
   
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Photos
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  • Dragon_Bf110_Contents
  • Dragon_Bf110_Sprue_A
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  • Dragon_Bf110_Sprue_C
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  • Dragon_Bf110_Sidewall
  • Dragon_Bf110_Instruments
  • Dragon_Bf110_Radios
  • Dragon_Bf110_Sprue_Seat
  • Dragon_Bf110_Guns_2
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  • Dragon_Bf110_Exhausts
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  • Dragon_Bf110_Undercarriage
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