Messerschmitt BF-109G2 Trop “Black 1”

The BF-109G2 has an incredibly detailed paint scheme. Painted in a dirty, desert tan color, the light tones of the plane allow for all the surface detail to stand out. Because of this light tone, the weathering applications are allowed to come to the forefront. Panel Lines, counter sunk screw holes and, exhaust burns give the exterior all the elements that make the toy come to life.  The panel lines and paint weathering are very small and seem done a lot better than BBi’s previous offerings. Weathering in their older craft, when translated into 1:1, would be enormous. Panel lines are sometimes highly exaggerated in their previous offerings as well. Nothing in either of those areas is overboard. Accurate markings are all present, except for the tail’s Nazi Swastika, but this can be purchased from a third party vendor. These are always removed for political reasons and even some markets, especially within Europe, don’t allow Nazi imagery.

 

One thing I cannot stress enough about BBi, i’ve even mentioned it several times in this article, is that BBi is incredible at striking a balance between form and function, durability and detail. They bring it all together in just the right way and they deliver it for a reasonable price too. Are there more details they can add? Of course. Can it be more durable? Well sure. You’ll probably hear me talk about that in every BBi product I’ll review. Obviously this doesn’t mean the piece is perfect.

 

The biggest negative for the plane was its landing gear. When tucked inside the fuselage for flight, the landing gear are tight. They are easy to get out without any force, and they don’t sag or fall out when retracted. When the landing gear are extended they “lock” into place almost unnoticed. It feels as if the latch that secures them in the lock position is very small and not substantial enough to grip the gear to prevent it from falling. Although it takes some effort, the plane can fall over when nudged in one direction or another, but it will not fall when simply being left alone or when on display. At least, my piece didn’t.

The figure is the largest disappointment with the entire piece. I don’t know how tall the man was in life, but the figure representing Franz “Nawratil” Schieß is an entire INCH smaller than a Modern Era GI Joe figure. It is almost a quarter to a half inch smaller than its other BBi and 21st century World War II counterparts. I can’t help but think that something went awry when they made this figure because of his freakishly small size.The figure is also severely limited in its articulation, limited to the same movements as a 1990’s Kenner Star Wars figure. The right hand is molded at a slight angle to look as if he is holding the flight stick in the plane when seated, although his hand won’t reach the actual stick. Despite these glaring disappointments, the figure is nicely weathered and the sculpt is extremely detailed.

The figure comes with two accessories. A flight helmet and a parachute. Both are weathered nicely. The helmet just slides on the figures head. It has a pair of goggles molded right into the mask.  The side flaps of the helmet are slightly curved to the contour of the figures face and allow the helmet to sit snuggly on the head without slipping off. The parachute fits into a small slot on the rear end of the figure. It plugs right in and fits really nicely. Unfortunately, the figure won’t sit in the cockpit completely with the parachute on. He almost makes it, but the hatch won’t completely close. The figure is nice for static display, but, as i mentioned, i can’t get over the limited articulation.

In researching this article I’ve come to know a bit more about Franz “Nawratil” Schieß. I don’t feel i know the man, inside and out, but I’ve seen what an incredible pilot this man was. Very few men can say that they have been immortalized in plastic. Schieß was an amazing pilot, but he isn’t as well known in people’s minds as, say, the “Red Baron.”  This particularly man has faded into the background of history in a way, but choosing to represent Schieß was an incredible thing to do on BBi’s part (or Merit).