Bf109E-1 Head armour

[Rodders 61]

Hi All,
I'm building the Airfix 48th scale Bf109E as a late BOB E-1 in September 1940 from an xtradecal sheet and in the kit instructions it says it has cockpit head armour. I've looked at pictures of E-1's but thy don't show head armour in the cockpit. Did the Luftwaffe retro-fit the head armour to earlier 109E-1's.
Thanks for any help,
Cheers,
Rodders.

 

[Wurger]

Yes, the later production Bf 109E-3s were equipped with pilot armour and many early production Bf 109E-1s and E-3s were retrofitted with the armour plate. By July 1940 some of the Bf 109Es operating over Britain had armored glass windshields as well as pilot armor.

Believing the caption ... Bf 109E-1 9./JG26 "Yellow 11" flown by Artur Beese crash landed near Calais 24th Aug 1940

and Bf 109E-3 of the 7./JG26 "White 13" flown by Walter Blume, Caffiers, France 1940

Bf 109E-3 of the 9./JG26 "Yellow 10" flown by Wilhelm Fronhofer August 1940

source: the net.

 

[Rodders 61]

Thank you Wurger that's a great help.
Cheers,
Rodders.

 

[Wurger]

My pleasure.

 

[woody_s]

There is a pic on Falcons site of a Jg53 E-1 bellied in in France with head armor and an E-7 spinner. I believe it's red or black 1.
Cheers,
Woody

 

[Rodders 61]

Hi,
After i asked about head armour in a previous post like an idiot i forgot to install it in the Airfix E-1 i'm doing as they were retrofitted as per previous post. I'm only asking as i want to do an E-1 with yellow nose and tail. But if i haven't fitted said head armour would i have to do it in the earlier scheme in the decal sheet i have as it lists an earlier scheme for the same aircraft.
Hope this makes sense,
Cheers,
Rodders.

 

[Wurger]

If you are going to participate in a modelling contest it may be a trouble. But if not and you assemble the model for yourself only .... I can't see any problem. So it depends on you only what you do.

 

[SaparotRob]

Put Red Bull decals on it.

 

[Crimea_River]

Model contests I've been to generally don't mark for historical accuracy but rather for elements of build quality.

 

[Wurger]

Actually, the best way would be found a picture of the kite.

 

[Rodders 61]

Hi All,
Thanks. I've found a picture but it doesn't give a good angle. Any colour profiles show it both with and without armour. Also, i am definitely not good enough to enter contests. I just like to be accurate for myself but maybe i should be a bit less pedantic and enjoy things more.
Thanks all,
Cheers,
Rodders.

 

[Wurger]

Could you post the pic?

 

[Rodders 61]

Hi,
Hope it is ok to post this. Please let me know and i will delete.
Here is what i've found.
Cheers.

 

[Wurger]

View attachment 795444

Hi,
Hope it is ok to post this. Please let me know and i will delete.
Here is what i've found.
Cheers.

It's OK. I have posted the same one plus one more in my post #2 above. That's the Bf 109E-1 9./JG26 "Yellow 11" flown by Artur Beese. The plane wore the early camouflage with the high demarcation lines for the top and side/underside colours. No yellow "nose" for the kite but the armour plate can be noticed. For sure it is the late addition to the cockpit hood and earlier there wasn't the armour behind the pilot head. Being so damaged I doubt she was repaired. For the reason I'm not sure if the "Yellow 11" should have the yellow painted engine cowling. Also if Beese got the another aircraft insted the destroyed .... it would be very likely one of the E-3 version. Just my three cents.

 

[Wurger]

BTW here are other E-1s of the 9./JG26 crashed at the early stage of the BoB. Please note no one had the yellow painted nose. Also please notice the lack of the armour plate in the cockpit.

the source: Asisbiz III. Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 26 - III./JG26

 

[rwout]

 

[Crimea_River]

Seen on Reddit. Colorized.

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2F3s4rxz36q7cc1.jpeg

 

[Wurger]

The Bf 109E-1 Wn. 3576, White 13 of 7./JG 54 crashed at the end of October 1940. Because the yellow cowling is the post-August 1940 marking so its nose could be of the colour. Earlier the yellow colour wasn't applied on the cowling rather. The Beese's "Yellow 11" was crashed on 24th Aug 1940 and there wasn't the yellow cowling what can be noticed in the pics above.

 

[Crimea_River]

Understood. Just providing him a potential alternative subject since he wants an E-1 with a yellow nose.

 

[Wurger]

Oh .. OK. Grasped.