Hobby Master 1/48 HA8751 BF 109G-6 "Hermann Graf" W.Nr. 15919, Co. of JGr 550, Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Germany, Sept 1943

The first Bf-109G “Gustav” entered service in March 1942. New features were a pressurized cockpit with three larger guns mounted on the nose and none on the wings but could be field mounted. The Bf-109G could overheat causing oil leaks; starting a fire forcing the pilot to bail out. The Gustav was produced in many variants including long-range fighters, recon fighters and bomber destroyers. The Bf-109G-6 lacked a pressurized cockpit but was the most numerous Bf-109 produced and the first to carry 13mm machine guns; equivalent to the American 50 caliber Browning.

Hermann Graf was a WWII German Ace with 212 victories in 830 missions and the first pilot to score 200 victories. In mid 1943 Hermann Goring selected Graf to form a special high-altitude squadron to intercept Allied aircraft. The new Jagdgruppe 50 “Karaya Quartet” was equipped with modified high-altitude Bf-109G-6/R2 armed with two 210mm Wgr21 unguided rockets, a 30mm canon, two 13mm machine guns and an engine injection system creating 1,800 bhp. Green 1 W.Nr 15919 is one of several Bf-109s Graf flew and it wore the red ‘tulip’ nose and white tail with ‘kill’ markings and his Knight’s Cross award.