Messerschmitt Bf 109E – Yellow 1, 6./JG 51, Josef ‘Pips’ Priller, Luftwaffe, France 1940

Corgi Aviation 1/72 scale AA28001: Messerschmitt Bf 109E Yellow 1 of 6./JG 51, Josef ‘Pips’ Priller, Luftwaffe, Mardyck, France, October 1940. Limited Edition of 1,800 models

Length 5 inches Wingspan 5.5 inches

Already a Luftwaffe fighter ace by the start of the Battle of Britain, Josef ‘Pips’ Priller and the pilots of JG51 would be heavily involved in the fighting against the RAF over the summer of 1940, with many of his comrades falling to the guns of the British airmen. Priller and his Bf 109 were to score at least 14 victories during the Battle of Britain and was to eventually end the war with an astonishing 101 victories from 307 combat missions flown. Within this number, Priller claimed at least 68 Spitfires destroyed, which was the highest Luftwaffe ace tally against Britain’s most famous fighter. He was also one of only a small number of Luftwaffe aces to fight solely in the skies above Western Europe, against the best aircraft available to the Allies.

Designed to meet a Luftwaffe need for a single-seat fighter/interceptor, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 was first flown on May 28th, 1935. Its all-metal construction, closed canopy and retractable gear made the Bf 109 one of the first true modern fighters of WWII. This versatile aircraft served in many roles and was the most produced aircraft of the war and the backbone of the Luftwaffe, and was flown by Germany’s top three aces, who claimed a total of 928 victories between them. Armed with two cannons and two machine guns, the Bf 109’s design underwent constant revisions, which allowed it to remain competitive until the end of the war.