Bf-109: Reich Defender GB The End

OK, I have been working on this one sporadically.  Was in Japan for a week and getting some things corrected on this beast turned out to be more of a project than I thought!

Lower Wing: Since this guy does double duty as a pre-assembled "collectable" it has some ugly holes where some poor, underpaid guy in China has to screw it together.  Obviously this doesn't work out for me so these require filling and sanding.  The wheel wells are probably the weakest part of the kit, detail is non-existent.  I lined the wheel bay with .010" sheet styrene and the strut bay with lead foil.  The strut stowage area should have four oblong ovals (lightening holes), I tried a couple of methods to do these but none were satisfactory so it will remain "as-is".  Next time I'll try a resin insert for this.

The landing and radiator flaps will be re-positioned for a more natural look.  The landing flaps were completely cut off and some 1/2 round oval stock was glued on then filled and sanded.  The upper wheel bays received some plastic stock to simulate the the ribbing.

The wing radiators also needed some help, I cast these intake screens myself to insert into the openings.

The screw holes in the fuselage were a real bugger to get filled in right, I'm not sure that they're perfect but I'm sick of messing with them at this point.

Should have some more pics up soon, getting ready to do some painting...

SC, I think that is why I enjoy late war Luftwaffe aircraft so much.

So many bizarre camo schemes.

Dupes, I've never had an issue with the base coat lifting off, but then I always use a primer, and allow 24 hours between one camo colour and masking the next.

Since my last post I've removed the masking for the 83.

There are a couple of areas where a re-touch is required, and I've buffed out any areas of over spray with a fine sanding pad and lots of water.

Tomorrow I'll paint the details like the exhausts and DF loop base, and spray the remaining mottle on the fuselage.

Karl 

Karl - your K is looking really good. Question about your camo masking method - do you ever end up lifting the base coat using that method? Or have your tape lose it's adhesive qualities? If it works, sure seems like it would make some tough paint jobs a lot easier.

Frank - I am indeed still "in progress" on my Revell G10...let me see what I can do about getting her done tomorrow (crappy weather permitting!).

Looking real good Karl. It is always alot of masking and spraying when building these 109's. I think that is why I like them so much. So many different colors. I have a very close pic of a K model taken after the end of the war. A bunch of them are parked under some trees in various state of disrepair. The pic of the tail is so close you can see all of the detail perfectly and I would have to say the spots on the tail were definetly spray through some sort of mask because the edges of the spots are very hard edged. Looking foward to seeing more of this great build.

                                                                                           Soulcrusher

Frank, many thanks for the kind comments.

I've just finished the 83. it took me longer to mask it than spray it!

As per usual I drew out the camo on masking tape applied over the ares to be masked.

I then remove the masking tape, and cut out with a new scalpel blade, then simply reapply.

Aeromaster have lived up to their Errormaster soubriquet with the painting guide on this.  I'm just glad I've got a picture of the real machine, or this model would have looked nothing like the real deal.

I'll remove the masking tonight, then tomorrow should be a case of painting in the details and the mottle, before applying a coat of future.

Karl

Karl-

Man, I am loving that one!  Your technique for the hard mottle on the tail is what I use as well, looks perfect!  The fading is superbly done, and the spinner looks very good indeed.  This is some awesome stuff, can't wait for the next set of progress pics!

You know, I am really wanting to build another one seeing your work.

The Revell K is finally coming together paintwork wise.

Like many late war 109s the one I'm modeling will have an 81/83 vertical tail which doesn't match the rest of the airframe's camo!

As it's meant to be a hard edged mottle, I simply sprayed the 83, then masked with blobs of Blu-Tak, shooting the 81 over the top. Looks like it's got some sort of nasty disease in the photo!

Once that was done I applied the RLM 75 to the upper surfaces.

Only the joints with the tail empenage were masked, as every thing else was soft edged, so I just free handed that. In the process I discovered a seam on the front edge of the wing that I hadn't dealt with properly, so out came the Mr Surfacer and sanding sticks.

As per usual I faded back all the panel centres for that weathered look.

Here it is with the prop on..

I think the prop is either an Eagle editions or some other AM brand, that I bought for my Hase K a few years back, and which has resided in the spares box ever since.

This afternoon, I hope to get the 83 on, which should mean I'll be ready to decal by Monday.

Karl

Ok Mike I know which kit you are talking about. I have that one also. It is the old Fujimi/Bachman kit. It is a very nice kit. I bought mine about 25 years ago believe it of not. It has been in the stash ever since. It does come with a monster decal sheet. The only area the kit is lacking is in the cockpit area. Other than that I like it. It should build into a nice kit.

                                                                                               Soulcrusher

SC -- yes, I remember the cowling debarkle! I checked the kit I have a shot at and this one is molded with the cowling integral with the fusleage halves (they must have realised the problem it was causing), but the tailplanes are molded separately! The decal sheet is huge, I'm seeing individual emblems and paired geschwader crests for nearly thirty subjects... Okay, I bought it!

Cheers,

Mike

Mike I have the G and the K boxing of the kit. The detail is not bad but there are some assemble steps that are a pain in the butt. Mainly the fact that the cowl is molded seperatly to get the most variants out of the fuselage. The cowl fit is not good. I trashed my K because of it. I should have attached the separate cowl sides to the fuselage halves first and then the fit would have been much better. The kit has some nice features like separate radiator doors which are always open when parked and cowl flaps. The other annoying thing is that there are holes in the bottom of the wing for the rocket launcher brackets that must be filled and sanded. Why they were not just flashed over like the other optional holes I do not know but it seems like a pretty stupid thing to do. It is a good kit if you can pic it up for about $15.00 bucks and then fix the above mention shortcomings.

                                                                                          Soulcrusher

Hi stik -- yep, cut-and-paint is sometimes the only way, I had to do that with the big upper wing insignia on my Mustang for the recent P-51 build. Hey, it works!

The weather today is still very patchy and I'm not going to get painting done before tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, but the day after should be fine and clear. I'd be hoping to get as far as the overall 76 stage in that round, with small parts mostly seen to and the prop done also.

Gents, did we ever have a concensus here as to the quality of the Fujimi 1:48 G/K? I have a shot at one for a good price and I was wondering about taking it! IIRC, it has recessed panel lines, fair accuracy, OK cockpit, needs some panels filled or relocated depending on the variant being produced, and has decent fit -- does that about sum it up? I doubt I'd be using the kit decals, and can replace detail parts with AMs as needed.

Cheers,

Mike

The Lair! Yes, why didn't I think of that? Thanks fore the link! Hopefully a little careful bending and adjusting and I'll add those pesky brake lines for the very first time.

Cheers,

Mike

Mike,

Great idea mate!  here's a link to the 109 Lair- great site for reference photos!

Hi Frank,

I binned the bad bottle of 02 yesterday and got a fresh one today. Unfortunately we had overcast, drizzly weather and even if I had somewhere dry to set up my gear I wouldn't trust solvent-based paints to dry properly with that humidity factor. We might have some clearer weather tomorrow, in which case I'll try to get something done, but I have an event to go to tomorrow evening and I have a feeling I'll get precious little bench time this weekend. GRRR, so near and yet so far! I'm really looking forward to getting this one done.

Oh, I was thinking of taking a crack at brake lines in fine wire, but that's one aspect I didn't get a really good close-up on when I shot the G-6 at Hendon. I can't bring to mind any particular references that have appeared on this thread -- can you recommend anything?

Cheers,

Mike

Carlos- The newer Aeromasters have given me some fits, like trying to get a piece of ceiling tile to lay flat on a beack ball.  Not gonna happen!  The 109 I built last year for the BoB GB had this problem, and numerous applications of Mr Mark Softer finally got them down OK.  Still not 100% happy with them.  Sorry you're having so much trouble with them.

Mike- Bummer about the paint and AB, but I think you made the right call on the 02.  Hope to see some more pics soon!

Hi all,

WIP -- got the canopy interior color on (the fit of the forward section was very tight and not 100% friendly):

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I should have been reporting more progress, as today I took my gear outside and set up to spray enamels. Unfortunately I found my RLM 02 had gone funny in the jar and I wasn't game to spray it, the effect would not have been up to par and I wasn't going to risk clogging my AB. The earliest I can replace it will be tomorrow. Then, on top of that, when I sprayed the RLM 70 for the prop blades I found my AB was still slightly moisture contaminated from the acrylics I last sprayed, so the green dried mottled. I need to lightly sand the blades with 2000-grit wet-or-dry and respray them, then I can get the prop together and the spiral applied (he says with an air of confidence...)

If the gods of plastic are smiling, I'll do tomorrow what I should have done today, and just maybe get a coat of 76 onto her too.

Cheers,

Mike

Karl- I like the effectsyou have acheived with the two sky tones, well done!  I have yet to modela 109 with that color, yet I always enjoy seeing one painted in it.  May have remedy that on my next 109.

Carlos- Sorry to hear that spiral is giving you fits, which decal brand are you working with?

soulcrusher wrote:

I say ship it to Frank and have him put it on

By all means, send it! 

Looking sharp there Karl. The lighter colors under the wing lend themselves to preshading so well do'nt they.

Sitkpusher thoses nose spinner decals drive me nuts! I have done the loosely spiraled ones with no problem but the tight ones are an absolute PIA! I say ship it to Frank and have him put it on. He is the only one I have seen put one of those darn things on and have it look good.

                                                                                           Soulcrusher

I am still having a few trouble spots withthat damned spinner decal..just can get a few spots to lay down smooth no mater how mcu sol I put on it... one way or anothe I will get it handled this weekend

I only have a day or so's work to get it finished

Got the 84 on the sides of the fuselage last night.

I used a combination of Tamiya & Gunze Sky, the latter being much lighter than the Tamiya, so ideal for faded paintwork.

And here's the underside....

I've just applied the RLM 83 to the tail. There will be more but from a masking perspective It's easier to do the tail seperately as it's 81/83 as opposed to the 75/83 over the rest of the upper surfaces.

Karl

Thunderbolt379 wrote:

Hi Karl, Just double-checking, is that Revell kit #5253? I might have a shot at one coming up shortly... Cheers, Mike

Not sure.

The number on the instruction sheet says 04599-0389.

I don't have the box, as I always bin the Revell end opening boxes, and use a couple of old Tamiya & Hase boxes.

RLM 76 is on.

Hopefully I'll get the 84 on tonight.

Karl

Cheers, mate, you're a champ!

And here are the split flaps, ejector-pin holes filled and sanded, and stiffeners added from triangular fillets of .020" styrene -- maybe a tad overscale but they're a detail meant to be only just visible from some angles. I'll shave them down a bit more too. Note the tissue masking the back of the rads, and the mating surfaces for the split flaps are masked with tape, top and bottom.

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Small parts and paint tomorrow!

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks for the quick reply Mike!

I'm looking forward to seeing your build.  If you need a little extra time, that's no problem.

Hi Frank --

She's ready for paint! Well, almost... I'm scratching the rib detail inside the split flaps, the bird was officially washed of fingerprints yesterday and needs three small bits adding, plus one extra locator hole prepping for the antenna wire, then I can spray the canopy interior gray, and blow on some 76 overall. Then I'm masking the camo!

Nine days -- I really want this badge!

Cheers,

Mike

Gentlemen-

Only nine days to go!  Of course, if you run a little over that no problem.  How is everyone doing?  I know there are a couple yet in progress.

Hi Karl,

Just double-checking, is that Revell kit #5253? I might have a shot at one coming up shortly...

Cheers,

Mike

Managed to get the pre-shade on this evening...

I don't bother pre-shading the upper surfaces unless they are particularly light, hence ending the pre-shade on the fuselage sides.

The underside on the other hand.....

After the pre-shade was applied I polished everything with a piece of kitchen towel to give a smooth surface for the top coats.

Since the photos were taken I've painted the wheel wells 02 and drybrushed them.

On to the 76 tomorrow.

Karl