Bf-109: Reich Defender GB The End

sfcmac wrote:

soulcrusher wrote: Thanks to my good pal Frank I am now restocked with a white spinner decal agian. I can only hope my second attemp will be more suscessfull. It could have something to do with the fact that the first decal I tried applying was a crappy Academy decal. Thanks agian Frank. If I may borrow from Guy's vocabulary a million Ninja point for you!                                                                                            Soulcrusher To get them to reall snug down mount it superglue the prop. to your dremel bit.  To get a good even application you may need to plug a 110 volt dremel into a 220 volt system for full effect!

Made some progress on the 109 tonight. Getting all of the little bits attached. layed down some fresh black paint on the spinner so I can try and lay down my spiral spinner agian. Thanks to Frank I have two shots at it agian. I hope it goes smoothly this time. really want to get started on the Knoghts of the Sky GB. Like to put this one in the books. Added some very heavy weathering to hide some of the painting errors and it has worked pretty good. So here are some pics.

                                                                       Soulcrusher

Carlos- Sorry!  FOrgot to comment on your WIP pics.  I see what you mean about the detail on those HC kits, not a lot there.  But then again, the Hasegawa kits are a tad sparse on the details provided as well.

SC- Glad to hear the decals arrived safely!  Also glad to hear that you opted not to use Mac's advice, that guy is NUTS!!!  LOL...

I dunno what you mean about your paint job, it looks quite nice in the photos.  Can't wait to see her with a big spiral on the nose!

Decals went on this morning.  The decals I was using the Ministry of Small AIrcraft are horrible.  I have never seen such thick decals it took multiple apps of solvaset to get the eyes to snuggle.  The upper wing crosses I cut apart and applied in 4 separate pieces because the center sections were so visible.  I ended up throwing out the rest of the sheet.  This is the second time I have had a problem with there sheets.  NO MORE.

Man that really stinks John. I have never heard of that manufacture of decals before but they definetly sound like one to avoid. I hope you get them to lay down right because I like that particular profile. The eyes look really cool.

                                                                            Soulcrusher

SC looking sweet!  I think it's something about the off color cowl. I dunno but it looks like fine work! Really good paint scheme.

Then John! Your plane is staring at me!  You need to submit your blowing paint and beer out your nose mottle method as a reader tip!  Bet it smells aweful but it sure looks great!

 Wings and Things! Just incredible figutres and a scheme I have never see done before.  WOW!

Frank!  She's a propeller Freak! Propeller freaky!

She's a very camoed girl!

The kind you don't take home to mother!

She will never let your spirits down

Once you get her off the sticks!

She likes the boys on the bench!

She says that I'm her all time favorite!

When you put her on the bench it's the right time!

She's never hard to please!  Awl No!

That plane is pretty wild now!

She'a a propeller freak!

The kinda girl you read about...

In FSM Magazine!

I really like to paint her!

The girls a propeller freak!

Then put the future on her!

Everytime we meet!

She looks all right

She looks all right ! She looks All right to me..... yeah......

I'd swear Rick James just did a cameo apperance!  Aaron I think your cheese has officialy slipped  off your cracker! I can't wait to see whats next. I am sure whatever it is poor old Dave will be blamed for it. Going to tackle the old spinner this evening. Not useing the method perscribed by Aaron. I'm not insured for that kind of activity. Been working on automobiles and race cars for over 25 years and still have all my fingers and toes and I do not plan on loosing any of em' to a 1/48 scale plastic propeller!

                                                                                    Soulcrusher

John- Excellent pics!  With those eyes on her, she's kinda looks like something from the bottom of the sea.  Very cool stuff!

Aaron- I don't know about you, think you might have been dropped as a child LOL.  Probably Dave's fault!

SC- Glad to see you have your wits about you, and are not planning on following Mac's advice.  His methods are extreme, but it seems to work well for him.  DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS!  There, now with that disclaimer in place we resume our regular scheduled program.

soulcrusher wrote:

I am sure whatever it is poor old Dave will be blamed for it.

daywalker wrote:

Aaron- " border="0" /> I don't know about you, think you might have been dropped as a child LOL.  Probably Dave's fault! " border="0" />

My ears were burning, thought I'd better check up on you guys in the other threads!!!   

LMAO at the Rick James pics! As a side note, I was working county jail when he got brought in the first time for his kidnapping case in the area he would be housed. My partner would get him all riled up by telling him Prince was a better musician/entertainer...

Well more work was done on the 'pit. I got the drybrushing done, built the PE lap belts built, and put in some clear glue put into the instrument faces. All I need to do is install the belts, paint up the gun sight, install that, then assemble it all. More pics will be forthcoming.

Well two more spinner decals bite the dust tonight. I just can't get a flat decal to lay down on a round spinner. They want to fold instead of lay down evenly on the spinner. I tried a little decal setting solutuion but this only made them break apart when I tried to adjust them. There has to be a better way than this to d a spiral spinner. I have to find some type of masking agent that is able to conform to the round shape of the spinner and leave a smooth edge. The darn spinner is the last thing that need to be done so I can call it finished and start on the Knights of the Sky GB. This is really driving me nuts.

                                                                                          Soulcrusher

Thanks guys.

 The decals finally did conform.  Few minor wrinkles but nothing I can't live with.  I think that decal compnay went bely up.  Now I know why.

Oh its 20 degrees and snowing again.  Schools cancelled for the fourth time already.

Hi TJ -- glad the decals behaved themselves acceptably in the end! I agree, you get used to quality and take badly to it when a product falls short.

20 degrees and snowing almost sounds attractive... Here in South Australia, downtown Adelaide recorded 115 today, with the same expected for tomorrow, then a few days maybe ten degrees cooler, if we're real lucky. That's two degrees short of the all time record high in this town, but our own digital thermometer showed 117 in the shade thisafternoon. Yuck...

Mike/TB379

SC- Man, that bites.  What about hand painting it?  Here's a photo from Hyperscale of a G-6 in it's original paint, check out the paint on the spiral here...

Here's a link to the page where it is featured.  Not sure what else to do, lemme know if there is anything else I can help with on that one.

John- Too cold to snow here!  Temps hovering around zero to -5.  Bummer it's snowing there.  I'll send Charlene to the rescue.

TB379- ACK!  That's freakin HOT!!!  Too bad we can't all blend our ambient temps together to find a medium temp for all.

Thanks Frank for all of your help. I just can not get the hang of placing that spinner decal and getting it to stay in place. I painted it black and stuck it on without glueing it for now. I am going to try some way of making a mask for it. I am thinking of trying to use parafilm and make a home made mask for it. For now I am going to call it done with the black spinner. I will go back later and to the spiral. I really want to start the Knights of the Sky GB and I needed to finish something first.  So here are some pics I really was not happy with the airbrushing but some weathering and the dullcoat kind of soften the lines and blended them together a little nicer so I can accept it the way it is. At least the weird colors make it interesting to look at.

                                                                             Soulcrusher

Frank, that pic of the spinner is great! It's funny how when you compare how perfect modelers try to make markings, such as the spinner spiral, when you compare to the original item, and you see the imperfections there.

Here are a few shorts of the 'pit glued to one side of the fuselage with lap belts in place and all washes/drybrushing completed. The more small progress I make on this bird, the more I am liking it.

85*F in Melbourne? oh that sounds so nice...

darson wrote:

Thunderbolt379 wrote: 20 degrees and snowing almost sounds attractive... Here in South Australia, downtown Adelaide recorded 115 today, with the same expected for tomorrow, then a few days maybe ten degrees cooler, if we're real lucky. That's two degrees short of the all time record high in this town, but our own digital thermometer showed 117 in the shade thisafternoon. Yuck... Mike/TB379 same for us here in ye olde Melbourne town give or take a degree, we're melting!!!  Overnight it dropped to a freezing 85F, man we had to go and turn the heater on for that one.

Yo, Darson,

We clocked our all-time record 'low' last night, 33.9C/94F in Adelaide. Outside right now it's 137F in the sun, so not quite as bad as yesterday... Think I'll jump on the pool soon, it's at 90F water temp...

I'm really hoping my LHS will restock Model Master enamels this coming week as promised, and I can finally get my K-4 seriously underway. I'm really looking forward to doing my very first Hasegawa 109, and to playing with some weathering.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Frank I really appreciate the compliments. I must have spent about and hour trying to get the decal to lay down but apparently right now that skill is beyond my skill level. I am not giving up forever. I will find a way to add that spiral to the spinner. I jusy need to put my mind to work an I am sure I will figure out a way to pull it off.. I do not think I am done here yet. There are rumors of a G-6 that has been seen in the vicinity of my work bench in between idle times on my two GB. But I can not confirm this at this time. Anywho I will be seeing you in the KOTS GB in the next day or two my freind for sure.    

                                                                             Soulcrusher

Carlos- Yes, that is a great photo, isn't it?  Nothing quite like the real thing.

TB379- I'd be happy to trade some of this arctic weather for that warm trend.  What say you?

SC- Rumors of a G-6, I like that.   I shall keep my ears open for this one, sure hope they turn out to be true!   Can't wait to see you how like that Fokker D.VII, I have yet to get one of those for myself.

SC, I really like the way it turned out and to my eye its spot on. That scheme really shows what late war birds looked like. I say bravo and great job. Sorry about your spiral wows. It took me a while to get mine right. Dont feel bad.

Stick, very nice progress and god to see it comming along.

Steve

I finally have WIP photos to share!  The cockpit is mostly finished, just need to give the white oil paint used to color the gauge details a day or two more to dry before adding the lenses.  The fuselage is glued up, and the seams are mostly finished except for the bottom fuselage between the wing and tail.  I also thinned the blade openings in the spinner to better replicate the sheet metal spinner housing.  Just need to detail the rear cockpit bulkhead and paint it beforeadding the office.

Thanks Steve I tried to give here that fadded paint oil streaked cowl veteran look to cover up some of the spots I did not like and I think I managed. The weird colors on the cowl and painted over marking have made me like this one even though I was not to happy with my airbrushing.

Frank I can swear that I heard a DB605 going screaming by my bench while I was working on my Re 2000 tonight. Those rumors of a G-6 around the work area might be true! It sounded a bit like this

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5nj77mJlzrc

                                                                                   Soulcrusher

Now if THAT doesn't get someone to want to model a 109, I don't know what would!  That is one of my favorite You-tube vids, and I have watched it many times.  Here's another one, thought it fitting as I have a G-4 and a G-10 on the bench.

Messerschmitt X 2

Enjoy!

Thanks for the video links, there is some really cool stuff in there

Steve

Thats an awesome vidoe there Frank. I could spend all day on the net watching vidoes on youtube and googleing for WWII aircraft pics. Sometimes on the weekend I have to remind myself that there are chores to be done. The downside of living by yourself.

I agree about the photo etch. I like it for the seatbelts instument panels and radiator faces. I usally do not use all of the tiny little levers or any parts that are suppose to represent anything tubular. streched sprue always looks better IMO. A combination of both usally looks best in my eyes. I almost never go crazy in the cockpit. Like Aaron said most of the hard work will not even been seen. Like Frank once I finish a model I rarely take it out of the display case and shine a little light in the cockpit to see the instrument panel. I prefer to focus most of my attention on clean seems good airbrushing and makeing sure the decals lay down right. These are the things I notice when I look oin my display case.

                                                                                 Soulcrusher

Thanks fellas!  I agree, could sit and watch those videos all day. 

SC- Yeah, I agree that PE has it's own uses, and I have used a little bit of it here and there (like the PE gun cooling jackets on a Fokker D.VII, as you will soon see!).  Still, some things are better off made of 3-D items.

dupes- It's the Hasegawa 1/48 kit, and I agree- allowing the builder to add the office AFTER assembling the fuselage is a real boon.

Did some to my 109 tonight, fabricating the hatch on the rear cockpit bulkhead from .005 styrene sheet.  Hinge is from styrene rod, as well as the reinforcing bar.  Brackets are also .005 strene sheet.