Messerschmitt Bf109 GB Feeler--Official GB thread now up

panzerpilot

Is it January yet??

Chanter

I'm leaning toward the smoke ring scheme

Hi Nathan.  I'm leaning toward the smoke ring scheme.  As much as I like the other one, I have no idea where to begin with it.

Bish - ya, I thought the Zvezda masks probably wouldn't match up to the framing on the canopy of the Hasegawa model, but I'm looking forward to trying my hand at painting the other marking instead of decals.

Allen

Not to me Jack... I also try to research my aircraft to see if they survived or not. Very interesting stories arise sometimes. I also do Allied subjects... I just prefer the Luftwaffe...(HA)

The linked books from Kagero are very nice.  I have the the copy on the 'F' version.  I think  many, if not all of the colour plates, are from their special pamphlet like publications that include decals in three scales.  I find  http://www.bookdepository.com/ is a great place to shop and compare.  Even if the price tag is only a dollar or so less, they do provide  free world wide shipping.

No doubt the Luftwaffe does provide an endless supply of aircraft profiles, but sometimes I like to research the markings of an aircraft that has been shot down by an Allied pilot   -   a bit of sacrilege I suppose for this GB.  

regards,

Jack

Joe... your right and even if I dont know who flew the craft that I'm building, I do have a great deal of respect for ALL pilots who climbed into their ship day after day, and usually facing sudden death in the blink of an eye.

A friend asked me once why I build Luftwaffe aircraft and not allied. Well, there are many many more Luftwaffe craft and pilots to choose from, and I also think the planes they flew at first were far more advanced then any that we could put up against them, at first.

Now also look at the aces that pile up hundreds of kills compared to the allied pilots, the thing that comes to mind is that most all of the aces of the Luftwaffe spent years on the eastern front, and putting aPK  or an IL or even a Yak or Stormavick against a FW190 or  a Bf109... come on , no contest.

However, when sent to the west the tallies go WAY down. I read somewhere that the majority of German aircraft that were lost were downed by ground fire, not the Russian pilots. But still, I respect them one and all nomatter who they flew for.

I can't say I have a favorite German pilot from WW2, but I found some interesting reading about Alfred Grislawski. So I figured I would base my subject on one of his planes, specifically a G-2 version when he was with JG52.

This is a big part of why I enjoy model building more now, than when I was a kid. The history knowledge learned not only from my own research, but from all of the FSM members is priceless!.

Glad to hear they are good books, Phil, my one on the F is on its way along with the Mushroom yellow series book and I have the E in my wish list.

For anyone building the E version (like myself) have a look at www.amazon.co.uk/.../8362878843.

For the F version try ref=pdbxgybimgy

MIne arrived last week and its a very nice book, lots of info, pictures and a good read too

Phil

Spartan, Doug, am I that predictable.

Allen, the mask's should work. The panels on the canopy should be the same, the only problem could be if the canopy of one kit is a different size to the other, in which case you may have to trim or fill in gaps.

I have a great respect for all of these folks plus an entire list of others, Galland, Krupinski, Barkhorn...etc. These guys had no choice but to go back up time and time again with themselves as well as their machines in crap flying order. Helluva "sitiation" to be in with not enough good pilots.

Chanter

So here is what I've collected so far for this build...I think I'm catching the bug.

Unfortunately, the vendor shipped me the Montex mask set for the Zvezda 109 instead of the Hasegawa, so I assume the canopy masks will be useless.  The rest should be fine though.

I'm not sure yet if I'm ready to tackle one of these 2 beauties, but that's what I'm aiming for at the moment.

Allen

Great choice Allen. Built this boxing myself awhile back. Are you doing the smoke ring scheme? 

Always been kinda partial to Werner Molders myself.  A very gifted pilot with tremendous leadership qualities,  cut down sadly at the young age of 28.  Interesting to speculate what he would have accomplished had he survived the war.

Rigidrider

Reasoned... I have to agree that the Star of Africa was indeed a gifted, deadly, and colorful  fighterpilot... BUT, It was said that long before he entered the room, that you knew he was coming towards you by the clanging of his huge brass nads... and that would be my favorite Luftwaffe pilot...The one The only... Gunther Rall. He once climbed into the cockpit of his "Black 13" with his leg still in a cast and wearing a sling , and came back with 2 more kills to add to his growing tally.

Well I know we all have our favs , and as you said, no offense to others... just my 2cents.

Doug

That's what makes speculation of "the greatest" so much fun, we'll never know.

I'm just glad I never had to go up against one of them, of course, most of the time their victims never knew what hit them by the time 20mm cannon rounds had ripped them up.

This should be the GB of all GB's, best subject, best group of builders.

Yeah... Rudell kinda came to my mind too Bish, LOLOL... Nowotny, another great pilot. That is why I love doing these birds... so many to choose from!

So here is what I've collected so far for this build...I think I'm catching the bug.

Unfortunately, the vendor shipped me the Montex mask set for the Zvezda 109 instead of the Hasegawa, so I assume the canopy masks will be useless.  The rest should be fine though.

I'm not sure yet if I'm ready to tackle one of these 2 beauties, but that's what I'm aiming for at the moment.

Allen

My favorite is Nowotny. He was good. And he was an Austrian. I don't need more reasons

Bish: Uhhm, I think it could be Rudel, but don't quote me on that. Just trying to guess right...

True, it is rather similar Jack. I have been looking for some others to try out.

Doug, I think many of us have our favourite pilots, mine however is not a fighter pilot (no prizes for guessing who ). It would have been interesting to see how Marseille would have got on if he had survived the war and spent it on the Eastern front.

Reasoned... I have to agree that the Star of Africa was indeed a gifted, deadly, and colorful  fighterpilot... BUT, It was said that long before he entered the room, that you knew he was coming towards you by the clanging of his huge brass nads... and that would be my favorite Luftwaffe pilot...The one The only... Gunther Rall. He once climbed into the cockpit of his "Black 13" with his leg still in a cast and wearing a sling , and came back with 2 more kills to add to his growing tally.

Well I know we all have our favs , and as you said, no offense to others... just my 2cents.

Doug

I'll see if I can put a badge together, and whoever else, then we can have a vote.  Agree with Bish, the illustration  posted on the first page does look good, but is also near the same as last year's badge - which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

regards,

Jack

Joe, I rather like that image on your first post. I don't know what others think.

Some good info being put out in here on Hans!!

We need some help here fellas. If we are going to have a killer GB then we need a killer GB Badge for it. Can anybody be of assistance here?

Chanter

 

It's nice to see all the interest in Marseille. He is by far my favourite subj of the LW.

 

Allen

Yes, the book "Star of Africa" really got my interest going on Marseille and would have to say (with no disrespect for Hartman and others with more kills), that "Jochen" was probably the most gifted fighter pilot of WWII.

There was discussion on another forum where someone had quoted the loss report for 14256 saying the A/C was "ohne Kennung" (uncoded)

I've only seen one drawing of it (from asbiz.com) but it is a speculative as anything else, given the lack of photographic evidence.  I've attached it below:

It's nice to see all the interest in Marseille. He is by far my favourite subj of the LW.

Allen

Well did some further digging on Marseille's G-2, because I had remembered a few years back on another forum the subject had been broached.  Someone had said that it had been proven that it had no personal markings, but never quoted a source to back up such a statement.

I've found some other forums giving the possibility of Marseille's mount still carrying it's delivery codes, and that perhaps being CH+KN.  The source is given from a book, where the author was able to look at the actual accident report.  In the space provided to include a description of markings, it was left blank.

Now that still seems inconclusive to me.  If the delivery codes were visible, why were they not copied onto the report?  The blank entry could also mean the fuselage was too badly damaged/burned to see concise markings, or maybe there really were no markings.   Still too much conjecture to arrive at a definite conclusion in my opinion.

This link has the latest I found on the subject, containing the name of the book author;

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1405455186/Really+excellent+build+of+the+Eduard+Me109G+by+Tolga+in+What%27s+New!

regards,

Jack

I had a little change of heart since some of you are building the machines of some famous Luftwaffe pilots. I didn't want to enter my Eduard Royal 109 in here before building the big Hasegawa one, but you convinced me otherwise. I'll build one of the 109s in the Royal Class kit completely OOB. (you heard right, Bish!) The kit is as close to perfect as you can get IMO and the AM bits in the box solve any small issues I have with it. As far as markings go, I'll build one of the kit supplied options. It's going to be the bird of a famous ace, but I ain't telling which one it is. It shouldn't be too hard to guess though with "only" 16 (damn, that's a whole lot actually) options to choose from and not even all of them being Luftwaffe birds....

Lion, that is interesting about the G-2 camouflage.   Looking at my library, I can only generalize that mottling re-appeared later in the Tunisian campaign.  During the course of the whole desert war though, aircraft units that were brought in from other theaters, such as Siciliy or even Russia, tended to have the more complicated camouflage patterns.

It's surprising to see it mentioned that Marseille's aircraft was devoid of personal markings.  Given the keen German propaganda machine, one would think his Gustav would of been all decked out for a photo op upon his return from another successful sortie.  

 I've only found this photo from another staffel - (5./JG27).  Found abandoned in Merdumastill Tunisia, 1943.  There is a better photo showing a plain colour wing surface here:
http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-109G/JG27.5.html

regards,

Jack

Lion, I know what you mean. But I like that one as it has the unit badge and I like the 100 kill's mark. I don't think he had the G very long either, but it is a shame there are no pics.