Detailed 1/72 scale assembly required plastic model kit of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, a World War II era fighter aircraft of the German Luftwaffe. This Fine Molds 1/72 scale assembly kit features the Bf 109 G-6 variant flown by the Suomen Ilmavoimien (Finnish Air Force). This kit comes with illustrated assembly guide and waterslide decals for post World War II Finnish Air Force version (HLeLv31, Summer 1948). ABOUT THE BF-109: Conceived by Willy Messerschmitt in the 1930"s, the Bf 109 became the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter strength and one of the finest fighter aircraft of the Second World War. With over 30,000 aircrafts manufactured during the war, the Bf 109 was also the most produced fighter aircraft in history. The Bf 109 was a modern all-metal, lightweight, monoplane fighter that featured a sleek fuselage, enclosed canopy, and retractable landing gear. The combination of a sleek airframe and a powerful Daimler Benz DB 601 V12 in-line engine made the 109 an excellent dogfighter with impressive high-altitude performance, thanks in large to the direct fuel injection system featured by the DB 601 engine. Armed with two wing-mounted MG 17 machine guns in addition to a Motorkanone cannon firing through the propeller hub, the Bf 109 also carried a powerful punch, although 109"s small size limited the amount of ammunition it could carry. The overall small airframe also contributed to the 109"s lack of range, a handicap that was most evident during the Battle of Britain, to the chagrin of Luftwaffe fighter pilots escorting bombers over the English Channel. Despite being partially supplanted by the excellent Focke-Wulf Fw 190 later in the war, the 109 was still the aircraft of choice for many Luftwaffe fighter pilots. Some of Luftwaffe"s highest scoring aces, including Erich Hartmann, the top scoring fighter pilot of all time with 352 aerial victories claimed, got majority of their kills flying the 109.