Vintage Balsa Basics Messerschmitt Bf 109 Instruction Manual

Balsa Basics Messerschmitt Bf 109 -
Building Instructions.
Fuselage Construction
Build the motor and battery inner fuselage box.
1. If the standard ‘B’ type VMC*motor is being used (or similar), locate the motor mount ‘F2-B’ from Sheet 1
and former/mount ‘F2-C’ from Sheet 2. If the more powerful type ‘C’ VMC*motor is being used only ‘F2-C’ will
be required.
If using the ‘B’ type motor, insert the four supplied captive ‘T’ nuts into the pre-drilled holes from the rear of ‘F2-
B’. Alternatively, if utilising the ‘C’ type motor insert the ‘T’ nuts into the pre-drilled holes from the rear of ‘F2-C’.
*‘B’ Type motor length is 28mm (min) to 33mm as measured from the back of the motor mount to the face of
the propeller mount, and the ‘C’ type motor is 37mm (min) to 41mm.
2. Locate and remove plywood formers ‘F1’, ‘F3’, ‘F4’, ‘F4’, ‘F7’ ‘H1, ‘H2’, ‘H3’, ‘H4’, H5 and the two plywood
front fuselage sides from Sheet 1 and Sheet 2.
3. Dry assemble, (DO NOT APPLY ANY GLUE UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO) ‘F3’, ‘F4’ and ‘F7’ with ‘H4’,
using the lower slots on ‘F3’ and ‘F7’ with ‘F4’ being assembled onto the middle slot on ‘H4’.
4. Locate ‘H3’ and insert the two tabs into ‘F4’ with its front tab resting on ‘F3’.
5. While holding the parts together, place the assembly onto a plywood fuselage side ensuring that the tabs fit
into their respective slots.
6. Insert ‘H5’ into place between ‘F4’ and ‘F7’.
7. Place ‘H1’ with its two tabs into ‘F3’ and either side of the tab on ‘H3’ and into the tab on the fuselage side.
8. Insert ‘F2-C’ into place into the ‘C’ slot on the fuselage side and onto the tabs on ‘H1’ and ‘H2’.
9. Place the second fuselage side into position ensuring all the tabs on formers ‘F3’ to ‘F7’ and ‘H3’ to ‘H5’ are
correctly located in their slots.
10. Weight or clamp the fuselage sides together from ‘F4’ to ‘F7’. Make sure everything is square and that the
sides are aligned before wicking Cyano (CA) glue into all the joints and tabs – DO NOT APPLY GLUE TO ANY
FORMERS FORWARD OF ‘F3’.
11. When the glue has fully set, bring the front fuselage side together ensuring that the tabs on ‘F2-B (if used)
and ‘F2-C’ are positioned in their slots. Add former ‘F1’ to the front and clamp or tape the front together. Check
that everything is square and aligned and wick CA into the joints and around the tabs and allow the glue to fully
set before removing the clamp/tape.
12. Locate ‘F6’ and stick the former into the angled slot on the top of ‘H4’. The inner fuselage box is now
complete.
Fuselage and Fin Build
1. Locate and remove the following formers – ‘F8’ from Sheet 1, ‘F9’ and ‘F10’ from Sheet 4 and the right and
left hand balsa fuselage sides from Sheets 7 and 8.
2. Dry assemble the balsa fuselage sides onto the inner fuselage box, ensuring that the right and left sides are
correctly positioned (each is marked as ‘LH’ or ‘RH’). Clamp or tape in place.
3. Dry assemble formers ‘F8’ and ‘F9’ (both with ‘FRONT’ facing forwards) into their slots and then bring the
rear of the two fuselage sides together and insert former ‘F10’ (fin locating mount) with the etched guide lines
facing upwards into the slots on the top of the rear fuselage. Ensure that the fuselage sides are correctly
Balsa Basics Messerschmitt Bf 109 Vintage Model Company1

aligned with each other and that the fuselage centre line is straight before wicking CA into the rear joint and
around the formers ‘F9’ and ‘F10’.
4. Check that the tabs on ‘F8’ and the sides are fully seated against the fuselage sides and stick into place.
5. At the front of the fuselage, check that the balsa fuselage sides are correctly located on the former tabs and
that they are in full contact with the plywood inner box. Wick CA into all the joints, tabs and along the top and
bottom where the balsa and plywood sides meet.
6. Remove ‘F5’ from Sheet 4 and stick into the slot on ‘H5’ at the front of the cockpit opening.
7. Locate and remove keel formers ‘K1 and ‘K3’ from Sheet 1. Insert ‘K1’ into the top centre slots on formers
‘F1’ and ‘F2-C’ and stick into position. Stick ‘K3’ into the top centre slots of ‘F3’ and ‘F5’.
8. Remove nose longerons ‘2’ x 2 and ‘3’ x 2 from Sheet 4. Insert longeron ‘2’ into the slots on ‘F1’ and ‘F2-C’
either side of ‘K1’ and longeron ‘3’ in the remaining two slots on ‘F1’ and ‘F2-C’ and stick into place with CA.
9. The fin is an integral part of the fuselage and needs to be assembled before proceeding. The fin is made up
of 4 parts located on Sheet 4. Carefully assemble the parts noting that when correctly assembled there should
be a slot for the tail plane to fit into. Using a protected flat surface (use grease-proof paper or thin plastic film)
hold the assembled fin together whilst wicking CA into all the joints and allow the glue to fully set. Hint: to
ensure a good fit lightly sand off the remains of the ‘tabs’ that hold the parts in the carrier sheet.
10. Give both sides of the fin a gentle sanding and at the same time round the leading edge of the fin.
11. Two slots need to be cut in the trailing edge (TE) of the fin to take the Mylar hinges. It is easier to do this
now than when it is attached to the fuselage.
Measure 15mm from the top of the fin and make a small mark on the TE edge. Make another mark 13mm on
the TE from the bottom edge of the fin. Then draw a line across the TE 5mm from either side of both the
marks. Draw another line along the centre of the trailing edge between the two lines at the top and at the
bottom of the TE. You should now have two lines along the centre of the TE 10mm long. Using a sharp knife
cut two slots along the 10mm lines approximately 13mm deep keeping the knife vertical to the edge to avoid
the blade from cutting through to the surface.
12. Place the fin onto the rear of the fuselage locating the tab at the bottom of the fin into the slot in ‘F10’ with
the front of the fin inserted into the slot at the top of ‘F9’. Ensure the fin is vertical and aligned along the centre
line of the fuselage. The etched guide lines on ‘F10’ should be used to help get the correct alignment. When
satisfied that everything is aligned wick CA into the joints along the bottom and front of the fin.
13. Remove rear keel part ‘K4’ from Sheet 9. Assemble ‘K4’ onto the formers ‘F6’ to ‘F9’ locating the slots onto
the tabs at the top of the formers and slotting it around the fin. Wick CA into the joints and also along the join
with the fin.
14. Sand ‘K4’ to a rounded shape following on from the profiles of the formers ‘F6’ to ‘F9’. Then sand the front
of ‘K4’ to make it flush with the angled front face of ‘F6’.
15. Add the six 3/32nd sq. rear stringers (three each side) from ‘F6’ to the rear edge of the fin. Cut each stringer
slightly longer than required and taper the stringers where they attach to the fin. Dry assemble all the stringers
so that at the fin they can be positioned symmetrically from side to side before sticking them into position. At
‘F6’ sand the stingers so that they are flush with the angled face of the former.
16. Cut to length and stick the four 3/32nd sq. stringers at the front of the fuselage running from ‘F3’ to ‘F5’.
Battery Hatch Construction
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1. Locate and remove the following parts from Sheet 1 – ‘B1’, ‘B2’, and ‘B3’, ‘B4’ and keel part ‘K2’ from Sheet
4.
2. To get a good fit for the battery hatch is is recommended that the hatch is built ‘in-situ’ on the fuselage. To
prevent the hatch being stuck to the fuselage during construction stick clear thin sticky tape to the top of the
fuselage tops and to the faces of ‘F2-C’ and ‘F3’.
3. Place battery hatch base ‘B4’ onto the fuselage between ‘F2-C’ and ‘F3’ with the open end facing towards
the rear. Assemble formers ‘B1’, ‘B2’ and ‘B3’ into the slots on ‘B4’ and then slot ‘K2’ onto those formers.
4. Wick CA into the joints between the formers and the base and keel parts. Cut four 3/32nd sq. stringers to
length and stick into place.
5. The hatch is designed to be held in place using four 3mm diameter Neodymium magnets. If they are being
used then insert one magnet into the former ‘F3’ on the fuselage so that it is flush with the face of the former.
Wick CA into the hole in ‘F2-C’ behind the magnet, and stick into place. Repeat the process to stick a magnet
into former ‘F3’.
7. Take another magnet, check that it is correctly oriented so that is attracted (and not repulsed) to the one in
‘F2-C’ and insert it into former ‘B1’ on the battery hatch so that it is flush with the surface of the former. Do the
same for ‘F3’ / ‘B3’. Check that the battery hatch fits with both magnets holding it in place. If all is okay remove
the hatch and wick CA into the holes to the rear of the magnets on ‘B1’ and ‘B3’.
8. Stick some self-adhesive Velcro®type tape onto the battery tray. The other piece is attached to the battery.
9. Cut a piece of 20mm wide Velcro®type battery strap to a length of 15cm and from the top pass it through an
outer slot of the battery tray, loop it round and from underneath pass it through the opposite slot.
Install Servos, Electronic Speed Controller (ESC), Receiver and Motor
1. Mount the servos on to the servo tray from the underside of the fuselage with the servo arms fitted with
pushrod connectors pointing to the centre line of the fuselage and fix with the supplied screws. Run the servo
leads rearwards through ‘F4’.
2. Stick the ESC with double sided servo tape to the fuselage side between formers ‘F2-C’ and ‘F3’ passing the
motor leads through the hole in the motor mount and the battery lead up through the lower slot in ‘F3’ and up
through the slot in ‘H3’ to the rear of the battery tray. Ensure that the motor leads can be easily reached at the
front to allow the motor to be connected.
3. The motor can be installed now using the M3 screws or later after the fuselage has been covered.
4. Cut the elevator and rudder pushrods to an initial length of 500mm. The elevator pushrod needs to be bent
to reach the elevator control horn as shown in Fig 1 below.
5. Insert the rudder and elevator pushrods from the rear via the slots in the fuselage feeding them through the
holes in ‘F8’ into the pushrod connectors on the servos. Lightly tighten the pushrod connector screws to hold
the pushrods in place.
6. The receiver can be mounted now or after the fuselage is covered. The receiver can be mounted on a
fuselage side behind ‘F4’ using double-sided servo tape. Please note that the receiver should be mounted in
such a way that connecting the ‘Y’ aileron servo lead to the receiver is straight-forward.
Complete the Fuselage Build
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1. Locate and remove the two pieces of sheeting for the underside of the nose from Sheet 7. Start at the nose
and line up the correct part against ‘F1’. Stick the edge of the sheet to ‘F1’ and allow the glue to set.
2. Gently wrap the sheet around the curve of the nose a little at a time whilst applying CA to hold in place,
continue until the whole of the sheet is stuck into place. If you are not adding the chin radiator from the ‘Xtra
Detail Sheet 11’, take the second sheet part and stick it to the first and follow the same procedure to stick into
place. If you are fitting the chin radiator from the ‘Xtra Detail Sheet 11’ use the chin radiator base in place of
the second smaller sheet which should be stuck into place with the ‘F’ facing towards the nose.
3. The rear under side is covered using five sheet pieces located on Sheet 4. Stick them into place starting with
the sheet next to the rear of the wing saddle and working towards the rear.
4. Using sandpaper round off the edges of the underside sheeting where they meet the fuselage sides. Also
give the sides a gentle sanding to remove any rough edges or excess glue at the joints. The fuselage and
battery hatch are now ready for covering. Please note: do not cover the tail plane mounting base.
Tail Plane and Elevators
1. From sheet 9, remove the two lozenge shaped parts, it is recommended that the tail plane part is not
removed from Sheet 9 at this stage. Remove the lozenge shaped areas from the tail plane and discard. Place
the tail plane in its carrier sheet onto a flat surface protected by plastic sheet or grease-proof paper (to prevent
the parts being stuck to the surface) and if possible weigh it down. Press the two lozenge parts into the tail
plane, making sure they are the correct way round as they will only fit one way, so don’t force them in. Ensure
that they are pressed home and flush with the tail plane’s surface, before wicking CA into the joins. Allow the
glue to fully dry before removing the tail plane part from the carrier sheet.
2. Four slots for the Mylar hinges need to be cut into the trailing edge (TE) of the tail plane. To do this make a
mark on the left-hand side TE of the tail plane 30mm from the centre of the tail plane and then make another
mark 20mm from the first. Make another mark 85mm from the centre with another mark 20mm from that..
Repeat the process for the right-hand side of the tail plane.
3. Draw a line along the midpoint of the trailing edge between the 1st and 2nd marks and the 3rd and 4th marks
on each side. Using the lines as a guide and using a sharp knife CAREFULLY cut slots into the edges to a
depth of approximately 13mm, keeping the knife vertical to the edge to avoid the blade from cutting through to
the surface. Check that the Mylar hinge can be inserted to about half its length.
4. Sand the LE of the tail plane to a rounded profile.
5. Locate and remove the four elevator parts from Sheet 9 and the plywood elevator joiner from Sheet 3.
6. Use sandpaper to round the leading edge of the plywood joiner.
7. On a protected flat surface assemble the elevator tips onto the elevator parts and stick into place with CA.
8. Stick some thin clear tape along the TE of the tail plane. Assemble the two elevators and the plywood joiner
against the TE of the tailplane. This helps to ensure that the elevators and joiner are built straight. Hold the
elevator parts in place and stick the elevators to the joiner with CA and hold until the glue has set. Remove the
tape from the tail plane.
9. Use the hinge marks on the tail plane to mark the position of the hinge slots onto the elevators, and cut the
slots using the same method as for the tail plane.
10. Bevel the LE of the elevators aiming to produce a point along the middle of the edges in line with the hinge
slots that have been cut to allow for the elevators to move freely.
11. Round the trailing edges of the elevators as well the leading edges of the angled elevator tips. Gently sand
the surface of the parts to remove any excess glue and rough edges etc.
12. The tail plane and elevators are ready to cover.
Rudder
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1. Locate and remove the three rudder parts from Sheet 9.
2. On a protected flat surface assemble the lower rudder part (with slot) to the main rudder part. Hold the parts
in place and wick CA into the join and then do the same for the rudder top.
3. Align the rudder with the fin allowing 0.5mm gap between the rudder top and the fin top. Mark the position of
the two hinge slots onto the LE of the rudder. Cut the slots in the LE in the same way as used for the elevators,
and after cutting them bevel the LE of the rudder in line with the hinge slots.
4. Gently sand the surfaces of the rudder and it is now ready to be covered.
Wing Construction
The wings should be built on a protected (with thin plastic of grease-proof paper or similar to prevent sticking
the wing to the build surface) flat surface. DO NOT APPLY ANY GLUE UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO
1. Remove the plywood main spar from Sheet 3, and ribs ‘2’ to ‘11’ from Sheets 5 and 6.
2. Insert ribs ‘2’ to ‘11’onto the main spar on one side only.
3. Locate and remove one balsa main spar doubler from Sheet 5 and carefully slot it onto the assembled ribs
behind the plywood main spar.
4. Remove a RH or LH (depending on which side you are building) rear balsa spar from Sheet 5 and insert the
assembled ribs into its slots.
5. Locate and remove one trailing edge (TE) piece from Sheet 4 and slot into position on the rear of the ribs ‘2’
to ‘7’ with the two tabs located in the slots in the rear spar.
6. From Sheet 4 remove one wing tip part and assemble it into the slot on the end of the balsa main spar
doubler and the rear spar.
7. From the plywood Sheet 1 remove a servo tray ‘WSP’ and while holding the wing flat against the surface
insert the servo tray into the space between ‘W6’ and ‘W7’ and flat against the build surface.
8. Repeat steps 1 to 8 to construct the opposite wing panel.
9. Remove rib ‘1’ form sheet 5 and insert into the central slots on the main spar, rear spar and trailing edge
parts.
10. Locate and remove the leading edge (LE) parts from sheet 6 and insert them into the slots at the front of
the ribs on both wing panels.
11. Ideally weigh down one the wing panel on the build surface. Locate and remove one plywood servo
mounting plate from sheet 10 and insert between ribs ‘7’ and ‘8’ and between the main and rear spars so that it
lies flat on the building surface in-line with the bottom of the ribs. Ensure that the wing panel assembly is
square and that all the ribs and other parts are correctly located in their slots before applying CA to all the joints
and joins and along the top and bottom of the join between the plywood and balsa main spars.
12. Repeat the process for the opposite wing panel.
13. If you area adding the wing radiators from the ‘Xtra Detail Sheet 11’:- Locate the four wing radiator bases
two of which have the number ‘4’ and two with ‘2’ etched on them. Insert the number ‘2’ part next to rib ‘2’
between the main and rear spar with the number adjacent to the rib and level with the bottom of the rib. Do the
same for number ‘4’ part which is aligned alongside and level with the bottom of rib ‘4’ and stick both in place.
Repeat the process for the opposite wing panel.
14. Locate and remove the two TE plywood doublers from Sheet 10. Stick them into position on the underside
of the two trailing edges either side of the centre line of the wing from ribs ‘1’ to ‘3’.
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17. Screw into position the two wing servos, mounting them from the underside of the wing, with the servo arm
shafts facing towards the tip of the wing. Feed the servo leads through holes towards the centre of the wing
and connect them to a suitable ‘Y’ servo lead.
18. Gently sand the wing to remove any lumps and bumps and to round the leading and trailing edges as well
as the wing tips. The wings are now ready to be covered. Note: Leave a 3mm wide strip along the centre of the
top and underside of the tail plane uncovered to allow the glue to create a strong bond between the fin and tai
plane.
Construct the Ailerons
1. From Sheet 4 remove the two aileron bases and the leading edge spars. Build the two aileron together to
ensure that a left and a right hand aileron is built!
2. Dry assemble the leading-edge spars onto the aileron bases with the etched dotted line on the spar facing
away from the base.
3. Locate and remove the aileron ribs ‘A7’ to ‘A11’ from Sheet 5. Dry assemble the ribs into the correct slots on
the aileron bases and LE spars, ensuring that the end ribs ‘A7’ and ‘A11’ are at right angles to the base
together with the LE spar.
4. Stick the end ribs to the base and the LE spar, and then stick the remaining ribs into place.
5. The leading edges of both ailerons need to be bevelled to allow them to move freely.
6. Stick masking (scotch) tape along the etched dotted line covering the lower part of the spar. Tape some fine
sand paper onto a flat surface and sand the unmasked part of the spar to create a bevel that is flush with the
top front edge of the ribs.
7. Remove the tape and apply some more masking tape, this time covering the bevelled upper part of the spar
and along the etched dotted line. Sand a bevel to the same angle as the top. Do this for both ailerons.
8. Gently sand the ailerons to remove any lumps and bumps and to round the trailing edges. Check that the
aileron fits into its slot on the wing and can move freely. If it does not, then lightly sand the end ribs of the
ailerons until they can move without interference. The ailerons are now ready to be covered.
Final Assembly and ‘Xtra Detail Sheet 11’
1. When all parts have been covered, start with assembling the elevators to the tail plane. Insert four Mylar
hinges into the slots cut previously (cut the covering if required) in the TE of the tailplane and make sure half
the length of the Mylar hinge is in the slot. Test fit the elevator; the control horn slot should be on the left-hand
side. Insert the Mylar hinges into the slots with the elevator is aligned to the tail plane and with its LE about
0.5mm from the tail plan, check that the elevator tips don’t interfere with the tail plane when it is flexed up and
down. Remove the elevators, and after making sure that the hinges are correctly located wick CA into the join
between the Mylar hinge and the tail plane. Allow the glue to set and check the security of the hinges. Then re-
assemble the elevator into position and check its alignment etc. before wicking CA into the join around the
hinges. Gently flex the elevator for a few minutes while the glue sets to prevent the tail plane and elevators
sticking together. Check that the elevators are securely attached to the four hinges.
2. On the underside of the tail plane remove the covering from the two tail plane bracing slots and also remove
the covering from the underside of the elevator horn slot.
3. Remove the covering from the tail plane brace slots either side of the fuselage.
4. Insert the tail plane/elevator assembly into the slot in the fin. Make sure it is fully home, DO NOT apply glue
at this stage.
5. Locate and remove the two plywood tail plane braces from sheet 10. Note which ends are marked ‘FUS’ and
‘TP’. The braces are structural and support the tail plane, so need to be fitted. It is advised that they are
covered before fitting, leaving a small area at each end uncovered to allow for secure glued joints.
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6. Insert the ‘TP’ end of the brace into the slot on the tail plane and the other end into the slot on the fuselage.
The brace should sweep backwards from the fuselage mount to the tail plane. Repeat the process on the
opposite side. You may need to lightly sand one end of the braces to ensure a good fit when the tail plane is
level and at right angles to the fin. Don’t do this until both braces have been trial fitted and the tail plane
alignment has been checked. When the parts have been checked for alignment, wick CA into the joints
between the braces and fuselage and tail plane followed by the joint between the fin and tail plane.
7. Carefully cut the covering away from the control horn slot on the right-hand side of the rudder.
8. Cut one of the Mylar hinges in half length-ways creating two hinges each 10mm wide x 25mm long.
9. Assemble the rudder to the fin. Insert two Mylar hinges into the slots cut previously (cut the covering if
required) in the TE of the fin and make sure half the length of the Mylar hinge is in the slot. Test fit the rudder
inserting the Mylar hinges into the slots and check that the rudder is aligned with the fin and about 0.5mm from
the fin. Remove the rudder, and after making sure that the hinges are correctly located wick CA into the join
between the Mylar hinge and the fin. Allow to set. Then re-assemble the rudder into position and check its
alignment etc. before wicking CA into the join around the hinges. Gently flex the rudder for a few minutes while
the glue sets to prevent the fin and rudder sticking together. Check that the fin and rudder is securely attached
to both hinges.
10. Remove two of the control horns from Sheet 10. If using control rod connectors, the holes on the control
horns need to be drilled out to 2mm. Mount the connectors onto horns using the middle hole. Slacken the
screws on the control rod connectors on the elevator and rudder servos so that the rods can be adjusted.
Insert the rudder rod into the connector on the control horn and insert the horn into the slot on the rudder and
stick with CA.
11. Repeat the process for the elevator control horn.
12. If the motor has been installed and connected, make sure the propeller has been removed. Switch on the
transmitter and then connect the battery to the receiver. Check that the elevator and rudder trim switches are
centred i.e. at ‘zero’ - no trim applied. With the rudder and fin aligned tighten the control rod connector, it is
suggested that thread lock is used to secure the screw.
13. Repeat the process for setting up the elevators. Disconnect the battery and switch off the transmitter.
14. If the motor has not already been installed do so now and then check its operation and that it turns in the
correct direction i.e. anti-clockwise when viewed from the front.
15. Aileron assembly. Cut three of the Mylar hinges in half length-ways creating six hinges each 10mm wide x
25mm long.
16. Insert the Mylar hinges into the slots on the rear wing spars, (3 each side) leaving approximately 12mm
exposed. Ensure that they are square with the spar before wicking CA into joint between the hinges and the
spars.
17. Cut away the covering from the control horn slots on the undersides of the ailerons.
18. Assemble the ailerons by inserting the Mylar hinges into the slots on the aileron spar. Adjust them so that
there is approximately 0.5mm between the wing and aileron spar and that the aileron can be moved up and
down without interference. When happy, wick CA into the joints between the hinges and the aileron spar.
Gently flex the aileron up and down to check the alignment etc. and to prevent the aileron sticking to the wing.
Repeat the process to assemble the other aileron. Check that both ailerons are fully secure.
19. Connect the servo ‘Y’ lead to the receiver, switch on the transmitter and connect the flight battery. Check
that the aileron trim switch is centred i.e. at ‘zero’ - no trim applied. Attach the servo control arms and control
rod connectors to the servos so that the arms point towards the wing tips and then secure the arms with the
correct screws.
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20. Locate the two remaining control horns and cut two lengths of 18swg wire to 65mm long to make two
aileron control rods. If using control rod connectors drill out the holes on the control horns to 2mm Then pass
the rods through each of the control rod connectors and insert the control horns into the slots on the underside
of the ailerons and stick them into place.
21. Level the ailerons and tighten the screw on the control rod connectors. It is suggested that thread lock is
used to secure the screws.
22. Carefully trim the vacuum formed canopy to fit. The rear of the canopy fits to former ‘F8’.
If required mask off the canopy framing and paint the frames. Stick the canopy in place using either ‘canopy
glue’ or a ‘non-fogging’ Cyano glue. Do not use ordinary Cyano as it will cause the canopy to fog. It is
suggested that the glue chosen is tested on the trimmings from the canopy before using.
23. Exhaust stacks. The exhaust stacks are made by first laminating three exhaust parts from sheet 9 together.
If required sand each exhaust pipe to a rounded profile. These can then be painted before the top and bottom
plywood pieces from sheet 10 are stuck into place with the narrow end facing towards the front of the stack.
The top and bottom pieces are usually the same colour as the fuselage area to which they are stuck to.
On each side remove the covering from the square slot on each side of the fuselage nose (approximately
52mm from the front and 28mm from the bottom of the fuselage side) and stick into place.
24. Remove the covering from the four holes at the front and rear of the wing saddle. Cut two pieces of 1/8th
dowel to a length of 4 inches (100mm) and insert them into the holes so that the dowel has an equal amount
(16.5mm) on each side of the fuselage and secure in place with CA.
‘Xtra Detail Sheet 11’
1. The ‘Xtra Detail Sheet 11’ supplies some extra detail that can be added to the basic Bf109 kit.
2. The sheet includes parts for the addition of the ‘chin’ radiator on the fuselage and the two under wing
radiators and the air intake which is situated on the left-hand side of the fuselage.
3. The chin radiator is made up of four parts. A base with two slots, two radiator sides and underside sheeting.
Stick the radiator’s base onto the underside of the fuselage immediately ahead of the wing seat (in place of the
part supplied with the basic model). With this in place insert the two side parts (do not apply glue) into the slots
and stick the radiator underside sheeting to the side parts – be careful not to stick the radiator to the fuselage
at this point. Remove the assembled chin radiator and cover it. Stick into place once the fuselage has been
covered.
4. Each wing radiator is comprises of 6 pieces, two base parts, two sides, one underside sheet and a rear
sheet part. The base parts are added to the wing as described at step 13 in the Wing Construction section.
Insert two radiator sides into the base slots noting that the radiator side with the notch at the rear fits into the
slot nearest the wing centre line. Stick the radiator sheeting to the sides ensuring that the radiator parts do not
get stuck to the wing. Remove the completed radiators and cover. Stick the radiators into place once the wing
has been covered. The remaining radiator parts should be covered and then stuck to the wing trailing edge
directly behind and ‘butting up’ against the rear of the wing radiators. If required the rear sheet part can be
‘relieved’ to fit over the plywood TE doubler to achieve a better fit/finish before being stuck into place.
5. The air intake is made by laminating the four parts together. Sand the intake to a rounded profile and cover.
To position the air intake, make a small vertical mark 32mm from the front of the wing seat towards the rear
and in-line with the motor shaft. Then make a horizontal mark to intersect with the first in-line with the motor
shaft centre line. The air intake should be then positioned with its bottom rear corner resting on that mark.
Remove a small amount of covering where the air intake base sits and stick into position ensuring that it is
horizontal.
Recommended Steps before Flying Your Balsa Basics Messerschmitt Bf 109
Balsa Basics Messerschmitt Bf 109 Vintage Model Company8

1. Balance the propeller. Do not miss this step; an out of balance propeller will considerably reduce the
reliability and life span of the motor and other components.
It is recommended that a propeller balancer is used, there are a number available on the market, and it makes
the job easier to do. If you need to fit a replacement propeller that too needs to be balanced before it is used.
Lightly sand the leading and trailing edge of the prop to remove any sharp flashings. Place the prop on the
balancer. In most cases one side will drop, this is the heavy side. Rotate the prop by 180 degrees and see if
the heavy side drops quicker or slower. If it drops quicker then rotate the prop by 180 degrees again, if it drops
slower then keep it as it is.
To balance the prop, sand the trailing edge (not the leading edge) of the heavier side of the prop until the prop
balances horizontally.
Once balanced fit to the motor prop adaptor with the spinner base and tighten the propeller nut.
2. Attach the wings to the fuselage with good quality rubber bands, use at least four (ideally six), forming a
cross over the top of the centre section of the wing.
3. It is important that the model is correctly balanced if it is to fly correctly.
4. The Bf 109 should be balanced when it is held 7mm in front of the main spar (52mm from the leading
edge measured at the root rib ‘W2’) with the battery installed. Insert the battery into the battery
compartment (do not connect it) and secure the battery with the battery strap wrapped around the battery.
Adjust the battery's position - forward or back so that when the model is lifted at the main spar the model's
wing and tail plane are horizontal.
Set up for Flight
Step 1. Check that the control surfaces – the rudder, elevator and ailerons travel in the correct directions. For
instance, when you move the transmitter rudder control to the right the rudder moves to the right and that when
you pull back on the elevator control the elevator moves up. If any of these are not correct follow the instruction
for your radio set to reverse where required the direction of travel.
Step 2. Set the deflection distance for the control surfaces. Follow the instructions for your radio to set the
initial recommended travel for both the rudder and elevator controls to:
•Rudder: 15mm left and 15mm right, measured at the trailing edge of the rudder.
•Elevator: 10mm up and 10mm down, measured at the trailing edge of the elevator.
•Ailerons: 15mm up and 15mm down, measured at the trailing edge of the elevator.
The travel can be increased once the first flights have been successfully completed to suit your style of flying.
Pre-Flight
This model is a relatively easy one to fly (for a ‘war bird’) BUT IT IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS! If you are new to
low wing model or war bird flying it is suggested that for the first flights you get an experienced pilot to check
the model and take it for its maiden flight so that it can be checked for trim and balance and make any
adjustments so that the model will fly straight and level at a comfortable cruising speed.
Here is a suggested pre-flight check list to follow.
•Charge the flight battery(s) and check the transmitter batteries and change or charge if low.
•Check that the balance of the model with the battery installed is correct.
•Check control surfaces correctly centre, and for proper direction of travel, rate of throw, secure pushrod
connections and hinges.
•Check the condition of the propeller, if there is any damage replace with a new balanced one.
•Check the airframe for damage, warps and attachment of flying surfaces.
•Keep clear of the propeller. When connecting the battery keep clear of the prop arc.
•Complete a Range check. Follow the radio manufacturer’s instructions for performing a proper range
check.
Balsa Basics Messerschmitt Bf 109 Vintage Model Company9