Eduard Bf 108 Weekend Edition — 1:48 Scale

Banned from developing combat aircraft by the Treaty of Versailles, Germany eventually began to quietly take steps to rearm itself in the 1920s and 1930.  Their development of gliders, aerobatic aircraft, and airliners held immediate lessons for the design and manufacturing of high-performance warplanes.  The Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun was one such sport and touring aircraft developed in the early 1930s.  It paved the way for multiple elements of the famous Bf 109 fighter, and itself was used in the war as a liaison and transport platform.  Here, Eduard has dusted off the molds from their original 2002 new-tool 1:48 scale Bf 108 as a Weekend Edition kit.    

In 1922, Germany was once again allowed to build aircraft under an addendum to the Treaty of Versailles which secured Germany’s surrender and the end of WWI.  Some ten years later, work started on Messerschmitt’s M 37, itself a derivation of the earlier M 35 aerobatic plane.  This was to be a single engine, all-metal sports/recreation aircraft that had a single purpose:  compete in and win the FAI’s 4th Challenge International de Tourisme in 1934.

The M 37 flew first in early 1934, and soon it was off to the sport plane competition in Poland.  Though Polish pilots in a lighter airplane won the contest, the M 37 was a hot rod.  German authorities started to produce them in numbers, and the M 37 was re-designated as the Bf 108.  The type started to set various performance and endurance records.  German aviatrix Elly Beinhorn quite famously flew her personal Bf 108A, which she had named Taifun (or Typhoon), from Berlin to Constantinople in one day.  The nickname stuck, and all Bf 108s were formally designated Taifun.

A total of 885 Bf 108s were manufactured during and even after the war.  Most were Bf 108Bs.  These models had a 240 hp Argus As 8C inverted-V piston engine powerplant that drove a two-blade (versus the earlier three-blade) propeller.  The tailskid was also replaced by a tailwheel.  The Luftwaffe absorbed and integrated Bf 108s into wartime service where they were used for light transport (e.g., personnel), liaison, and even air ambulance duty.

Eduard’s 1:48 scale Bf 108 Weekend Edition kit comes on three injection molded polystyrene sprues totaling 86 parts.  One clear part comes on one clear sprue.  The full color instruction booklet organizes the build over 10 pages.  Markings for two airplanes are provided:

  • Bf 108, D-IHDD, Manx Air Races, Isle of Man, May 1937
  • Bf 108, 258, Manchurian Aviation Company, Chanchung Airfield, Manchuria, 1945

Strengths:  This kit might be based on an older mold by Eduard, but its still quite nice.  They did good work back then, too.  The kit itself is simple.  I find it to be accurate.  There are not a lot of parts, fit is good, and surface detail is also very nice.  This includes really nice recessed panel lines and rivet details on the fuselage and wings, but one could also argue that they are a little overdone.  
The Bf 108 was not a particularly complex aircraft, and the kit reflects this.  The interior is relatively well represented and includes the instrument panel, rudder pedal assembly, flap control handle, the control sticks, cockpit sidewalls, and upholstered seats.  There’s also a nice engine that’s provided, but just about all of that detail disappears inside the cowling when construction progresses.  The two markings options are both really interesting, and they are not your “average” Taifun.  The prewar racer is particularly unique.
Weaknesses:  The injection-molded instrument panel is a little basic, and I would recommend using the kit-supplied instrument panel decal.  While seatbelts and harnesses are provided, they are also in decal form (not your reviewer’s favorite choice for belts).  As noted, the recessed exterior details are maybe a little overdone for 1:48 scale.  Personally, I won’t lose sleep over this observation, but a few builders might care.  It’s nothing a little extra primer might help!  Finally, the one-piece canopy is in the closed position.  It is not positionable.  

Eduard’s Weekend Edition kit of the 1:48 scale Bf 108 Taifun is indeed interesting and unique.  Fans of WWII subject matter will certainly enjoy this issue of the kit, and its relative simplicity, nice detail, and distinctive markings options extends a wider invitation to many scale modelers.  If you’re looking for more detail, Eduard, CMK, Quickboost, and Vector all do various detail sets, from new props to full interiors. 

Sincere thanks are owed to everyone at Eduard for the review sample.  You can visit them on the web at http://www.eduard.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EduardCompany. 

Haagen Klaus
Scale Modeling News & Reviews Editor
Detail & Scale