This model is based on a conversion of the 1/72nd Hasegawa Messerschmitt Bf109G-14 'Gustav 14' (kit AP18). It represents an Avia S.199 of 101 Squadron, Israeli Air Force/Defence Force flown by Ezer Weizman in the War of Independence in 1948. As a first step, the nose of the Hasegawa Bf.109 was sawn off on a line from the rear of the exhaust stack aperture to the rear of the gun trough, and the nose of the KP Avia S-199 grafted on. This was then rescribed to match the rest of the model. There was some filing and sanding required mating the nose to the rest of the fuselage. The large under nose air intake from the Bf.109 was removed and replaced with the smaller exhaust of the KP Avia. The air intake provided for the left side of the nose (part numbers A14 and A15) was added to the right side of the nose, on top of a piece of 5 thou card to represent the mounting plate.

The cockpit interior (parts C3 and C4) was discarded and replaced with a True Details resin set designed for the Hasegawa Bf.109, along with the kit stick. For all intents and purposes, the Bf.109 and S.199 cockpits were the same. The over wing bulges were carefully removed from the KP kit, and then glued and faired onto the upper surface of the Hasegawa wing. The only other parts used from the KP kit were the propeller spinner and paddle blades. The gear legs were replaced with AV Resins' white metal Avia gear legs and brake lines added from copper wire. The main gear wells were painted RLM02 as per kit instructions, while the inside of the doors and legs was painted RLM66.

The centre line drop tank provided in the Hasegawa kit (parts A4, B12 and B13) was not used. Part C12, the spine antenna, was added (greyed out on parts call out as "not used"), as were the under wing gondolas for the cannon (parts A10 through A14). The kit canopy was replaced with a Falcon/Squadron 'Erla Haube' vac form canopy. The loop antenna on the spine was replaced with a piece of flattened and looped copper wire, and the radio wires added from stretched sprue. Wing tip nav. lights were cut out, and each was replaced with clear toothbrush handle which had been carved and sanded to shape, with a hole drilled in each to represent the bulb.

The cockpit was painted Gunze Sangyo H339 - a close approximation to RLM 66, and after the seat, stick and instrument panel had been painted, etched seatbelts were painted and added. The cockpit was washed in thinned raw umber oil paint, and when dry dry-brushed with pale grey. The rudder was masked and painted white, and then the red stripes masked and painted to give the familiar 101 Squadron candy-stripes. At the same time, the spinner was painted red.

The outside of the aircraft was painted a faded mix of RLM 68 using the mix recommended on the Ventura decal sheet (3:1 Humbrol 64 to Humbrol 90). Despite all the conjecture on the actual colours, until someone produces irrefutable proof of the correct colours, I'm happy with this colour mix. The Ventura decals were applied, though they had very thick carrier film and didn't react very well to the MicroSet/Sol system. It should be pointed out that there is some conjecture as to whether the centre of the fuselage roundel on D.120 should be blue, or the fuselage colour. I opted for the blue Star of David provided on the Ventura sheet.

When painting was finished, the aircraft was given a wash of thinned Raw Umber oil paint, dry brushed, and then weathered, before sealing with a coat of Humbrol Dullcote matt varnish. This was a nice easy conversion to do (don't forget to swap sides for the nose air intake) and produces a nice model of an aircraft which is not faithfully represented in 1/72.