Complete - Tamiya Bf 109 E-3

It looks very good Bob. You should be proud of it.

I hear you RadMax.  I'm lamenting the unavailability of enamels.  I tried Model Master acrylics and was not impressed.  I don't have much luck with spraying acrylics anyway.  Sooner or later I suppose I'll have to make the switch though.

Chad, overall I'm pretty happy with the mottling.  A few mistakes here and there, but that's to be expected.  Luckily most of them were covered up by decals or the exhaust weathering.  But I learned a lot and will apply those lesssons to the next one.  I have quite a few other Luftwaffe kits in the stash so I'll have lots more opportunities.

So now that you’re finished, are you happy with your first go at mottling? I really think everything turned out great! 

Bob,

Normally I love Model Master enamels, too. They’re getting harder to source at the LHS around me, and with all the discussions about enamels going the way of the dodo, figured it would be good to try them out. Plus, all my RLM colors were somehow Model Master acrylics (forgive me!) which have long exceeded their shelf life. 

Either way, fantastic build. 

Great 109! Admiring the crisp detailing of the cockpit

That's a nice-looking 109, Bob. And I agree, good work on your first mottling job.

Sorry to be so late chiming in here.

Thanks guys!

RadMax, I've heard good things about Mission Models paints, but haven't tried them for myself.  I grew up using Model Master enamels so that's my go-to paint.

Mike, I'll see if I can adjust the settings in my photos for future builds, hopefully that will help.

Good work!

I only wish that you had uploaded larger pictures to your image hosting site. I really harp on this but I love to see more details up close. I guess my eyesight is not what it used to be.

That looks amazing. Well done, Sir!! I really like it and you knocked it out very quickly too.

BK

Bob, 

Looks great! You did a really nice job on the paint, I’m very impressed! I’ve got new RLM paints to try from Mission Models and a couple Bf109-F’s to get to... just need the time. 

Thanks for sharing!

Nice clean build Bob - I have one in the stash along with a FW-190 and these will be first dip into German builds as well (outside of a stuka I did when I was 19... really ... 35 years ago!).  Looks great.

Nice looking 109, Bob.  You sure you didn't try to put a Monogram canopy on it by mistake?

Finished this up today.  I really liked the kit.  The only problem I ran into was getting the canopy to fit properly.  I got it the best I could and set it on the shelf.  I finally have a Bf109 on my shelf.  Any comments/critiques are welcome.

Thanks guys, I'm really pleased with this kit.  It's nice to do a simple, easy kit after wrestling a few old Monograms into shape.  Don't get me wrong, I love those kits, it's just a nice change of pace.

Mike, thanks for the kind words.  Teaching is tough, but I honestly can't see myself doing anything else and being as happy (well, maybe building models for a living).  I think a big problem with teachers getting recognition is everyone thinks they know what teachers do because they all went through school, but they only saw the surface of what their teachers did.

Bob,

Looks really well done so far.

Looking at your bio it seems you've done your stint in our armed forces. (I was 4F either fortunately or unfortunately depending on how one looks at it ) I can tell you from my experience that I think, if you're doing your current job well and really care about making a difference, it's one of the toughest jobs out there. I hope all teachers will someday soon realize the compensation for their work that they deserve - and it's a lot more than what they're getting now!

Nice!

Looks like a nice clean build so far!

Decals are on and so is the panel line wash.  The decals were great, I love Aeromaster.  A little bit of Micro Sol and they settled into the panel lines.  The wash is a thin mix of black and burnt umber acrylic paints.

I think you did a mighty fine job for your first go at it!  The more you do it, the more comfortable you will be with your airbrush. I used to practice on card stock and styrofoam cups until I found a technique I was comfortable with. 

Wow, I can't believe it's been a month since I posted on this...too much real life getting in the way.  

I finished painting, and overall I'm pretty happy with it.  This is my first attempt at mottling and I made a few mistakes, but most of them will be covered up by decals and weathering.  Any comments/critiques are welcome.