Building my first scale model: a 1: 72 Messerschmitt Bf109E-4

post some pics, we would love to see it.

Yeah, show us your work. And welcome to the hobby.

Here are some photos.

Dang, that thing is tiny for it being 1/72. Puts in perspective how small the actual plane was.

One thing you might want to consider in the future is painting the cockpit and pilot before they are mounted in the plane. That will make it much easier to paint them. But that's still good work. That's a good start.

Thanks JimNTENN I tought about that after it was done.  Next time I will know what to do.

Should I have painted some parts on the sprue or it's better to spray paint the airplane all in one shot?

As far as painting the body of the plane it will look better if you paint it after it has been assembled. That's a good way to start learning how to mask off areas you don't want painted. Some parts can be painted while still on the sprue. The pilot and cockpit tub are good examples of that as well as some of the really tiny parts. But how you go about painting the parts of a model and in what sequence is something that will become personal preferrence for you. I may occasionally leave parts on the sprue when I paint them but I usually remove them because I'm a stickler for filing or sanding off the mold parting lines before I paint them and it's hard to do that when they are still on the sprue.

Ok I understand.  For masking the areas I don't want to paint should I use a special masking tape?

I would suggest using a tape that is made for masking models. Tamiya masking tape is the best in my opinion. The main thing is to stay away from tape that has a lot of adhesive. Tape like that can leave a sticky residue on the model that can be hard to remove. It can also pull up paint that you've already applied. There will be occasions where you will need to mask off areas that have already been painted.

If you can't find a tape made for models I would suggest painters tape that you should be able to find at any home improvement store or any store that sells painting supplies. The main thing is to make sure it says "low tack" or something of that nature. I think most painters tape does.

What does low tack means?  Sorry but my first language is french.

Low tack means they don't have a lot of adhesive. Any tape that is made for masking models is gonna be low tack. And the painter's tape that people use when they paint their houses or some other structure is low tack so that when they remove it it doesn't damage the wall or some other paint that was previously applied. That's why I suggested it if you can't find tape that is made for models.

Ok I understand now.  Thanks again.