Thanks Jeremy, I appreciate your kind words. You've made a damn fine start on your 109, keep it up

Cheers...

Mike - Your Spit pit looks amazing! Wish I had some of that talent.

Nomad - Nice job on scratching that interior! Looks like it's going to be an interesting build.

Here's the kit I'll be working with... 1/48 Hasegawa. The kit comes with markings for seven aircraft. I think I've decided which one to build. More on that in the future.

I managed to slap together the cockpit tonight. I plan on going OOB with this one.

Are you going to the Space and Rocket Center?  I grew up not too far from there.  Lots of cool hands on stuff there as well as big rockets.

Have fun Cliff!!!! Make sure you get pics of the A-12 in Huntsville!!! Well lots of pics in general!! As if I have to say THAT to a modeller. Have a safe and fun trip mate!!!

Cliff have a great holiday

Nomad thats looking really nice, can't wait to see more progress.

Cheers...

Awesome Nomad! Nice to see something that isn't a Spit or a One-oh-Nine!!!

Gentlemen, I'm taking off for a bit of a vacation/holiday as well. Going to run by the NASA museum in Huntsville, Alabama, and then down to the U.S. Navy aviation museum in Pensacola, Florida. See you guys in a week and half.

Nomad I am liking your scratching!! All painted up should look great!!! I have that kit and am looking forward to seeing ur progress!!

Wow!!  everyone that has sent pics of thier work  good stuff exelent work. I have started on my airfix 1/72 scale Avro Anson MKI. All of the interior is scratchbuilt except the pilot compartment. Hope I will be able to see all that work once I install a falcon vacuform canopy. The airfix windows are like 1/16" thick. Well hope you like my work so far as I have enjoyed seeing all of your work. [:)

Gamera,

I would believe the top picture is of the mid-air collision. Under the 109 appears to be smoke and debris. A wrecked propeller would be of concern and the plane must have crash landed or he bailed out. Quite possibly the 109 survived the collision, most of the impact area looks intact. Food for thought. Thanks for the links, ill check them out!

SF-Yeah it looks odd but I think the artist was trying to give the impression of the high speed of the spitfires dive by distorting the prop.

I was first interested in Deere's plane because of his interesting NZ kiwi emblem. After doing an internet search I found out he had one heck of a life story. He lost NINE spits but survived the war to reach the rank of Air Commodore and pass away in '95. One of his spits was destroyed in a mid-air collision with a Bf-109. I'm not sure if the top painting was intented to represent this event or not though.

I assumed he was one of the many Commonwealth pilots called up to defend the UK along with the Polish and Czech pilots in exile but I found out he applied and was accepted to the RAF in 1937.

He's two good sites I found on him:

http://www.rafhornchurch.thehumanjourney.net/pilot_pages/deere.htm

http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/article.asp?id=deere

Gamera,

What happened to 'KL-B's' propeller in the top photograph? Did he clip the Me-109 on a head-on pass? I would be interested in hearing more about that picture and the story behind it. Also did pilot Alan Deere fly for a British squadron as a Commonwealth volunteer from New Zealand? I know more questions than answers yet the paintings sparked curiosity.

Cliff those marking will look really great, I looked for some after market ones but didnt get much joy so I'm gonna wrestle with the kit ones.

FastEagle, have a good trip. Daniel Zamarbide has a new post over on HS if you've not seen it.

Cheers...

Have a safe trip and catch you on the flip flop!!!

Spike,

Your cockpit looks excellent.  Really fantastic work.

Mates - I will be away on a business trip to Israel over the next few weeks and will be out of pocket.  In the meantime, keep up the great work and I'll be back in the beginning of May.

Cheers everyone.

simpilot34

Excellent work all around!!!!

Yes Gamera I agree!!!! IMHO, include them in every kit, it is up to you if you wish to put them on!!!!! Seriously!!! If you are a builder and that offended then burn the bloomin' things but please let them be put in the kits for those of us that feel that they do not look right without them!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean I am the last person that would want to offend anyone, However, any german aircraft I build should have the tail swastikas just for the authenticity of it, and no more!

 Hey simpilot, I agree 100% Very well put.  I would be offended if the kit didn't include them. I'd feel I was robbed or cheated. If the decals are going to be omitted to pasturize history, IMO, might as well paint'em a soothing salmon color with unoffensive polka dots, instead of standard Luftwaffe color's. Just my 2 cents.

 On a side note: According to Osprey's BF109D/E Aces, After Wilcke assumed command of III./JG 53 he retaliated against Goring's "political" banning of the Ace of Spades, by having the Swastikas obliterated on all of his groups machines.

  ... and more importantly, some fantastic WIP's everyone, looks like more on the way too.

Mike- looking good! I love Mister Surfacer, not sure how I got along without it.

I have some aftermarket decals for New Zealand pilot Alan Deere I'm intending to give a try:

Julez, nice kit. I eyed that one myself for this GB, I really like the Eduard kits, got a couple in my stash.

Richie, I agree about the swastika decals, we are just building scale aircraft and not making any political statements!! I don't know if it's any use but somewhere like Hannants sell them by the sheet, last you for ages and at least you'd know you always had some to hand.

Cliff, yup it's a Mk.1 production line for us. Thanks for the comments, I'm not sure if I've got the seat armoured plate in the correct position but it's good n stuck now. Have you decided on your markings yet?

I've done a 'first' today, chopped up plastic or at least I separated the elevators.

Also got the fuselage done up and also the wings.

Slowly filling a very slight gap with Mr Surfacer 1200 then wipe excess off with Mr Color Thinners on a Cotton bud.

Cheers everyone...

Mike, seems we're using the same kit and PE set! The cockpit looks great, I think the washes and drybrushing I did on my cockpit sides looks over done. I thought about repainting it but you can't see anything but the seat and panel anyway- and I'm happy with how they came out so I left it!

Julez, one of the guys in our club brought in one of the Eduard Bf-110 kits to show it off (he's an auto modeler so go figure ). Now that's a state of the art kit, a real masterpiece of modern modeling technology. I'm looking forward to seeing your build-up of her.  

I agree they should be on decal sheets, we modelers see it in a historical context not an idealogical or political one so i add em to all my luftwaffe kits.....

Suppression, congrats buddy for your 3rd place

Here it is........

Excellent work all around!!!!

Yes Gamera I agree!!!! IMHO, include them in every kit, it is up to you if you wish to put them on!!!!! Seriously!!! If you are a builder and that offended then burn the bloomin' things but please let them be put in the kits for those of us that feel that they do not look right without them!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean I am the last person that would want to offend anyone, However, any german aircraft I build should have the tail swastikas just for the authenticity of it, and no more!

Gamera,

Thanks buddy, it was a earned 3rd place. Excellent entries in every category.

Yes the second box cover has great figures in typical non-formal clothes. It depicts a very hot summer day and the guy napping on the wing is funny! It reminds me of documentaries showing the ground crew waiting for their plane to return. Also of pilots between missions where a quick nap in a sun chair that recharged their energy for the next sortie.

Ok i've had enough......I just can't sit here watching all this great work going on and not be a part of all the fun.

You guys have inspired mw and my bench is now clear so....I'm Starting

Great work gents....

Andrew and Cliff nice work fellas, keep the updates coming.

Luftwaffle, nice idea on the wheel well, looking good.

Congratulations SuppressionFire on your award, big thumbs up .

I've some photos for you chaps, some are a little dark I'm afraid. I've used Xtracrylics for the first time here, seems like nice paint but gave me a fews getting it to spray so this is the second attempt.

Been using the Eduard stuff and still have a few bits to add before zipping her up. Thanks for looking.

Cheers...

Thanks guys!

Luftwaffe- great work on the landing gear bays. I've never really superdetailed them since 'they're on the bottom and don't show'- guess that's why I don't win contests!

SF- Still congrads even if it's a third place. I haven't won even one of those in some time. Though to be honest I've been discouaged and not entered any in awhile. Probably won't be doing but a half a dozen figures. I really like the painting on the cover of the middle box. Looks like the ground crew in no hurry to get the fighter armed up. The one guy looks like he's going to take a nap!

Sim- never really understood the whole swastika thing myself. I can understand not putting it on the TOP of the box so that some Jewish grandfather taking his kids into a toy store won't have to be reminded of the Holocaust. But INSIDE the box???

Suppfire- Congrats on the award, well deserved!

Andrew and Cliff- Some seriously nice work on the offices there, looks great!

Some work on the wheel wells, OOB was a little lacking:

I applied some lead foil and textured it with semi round file:

Finished product, picture is not great but hopefully you get the idea:

I'm making pretty good progress on assembly, everything is going together pretty well up to this point:

Gamera,

Excellent work on the cockpit. Your Spitfire is progressing well, looks like you have a few choices for personal to complement the aircraft. Please keep the WIP's going, im interested in your techniques for painting the crew in 1/48 scale.

Everyone else thanks for the kind words, I was happy for a third place finish as the competition was tough all around with awesome entries in all divisions. I did look for my Spitfire 1a but no luck at the show.

Andrew and Cliff, Excellent work mates!!!!! Andrew, I will be watching ur build, was thinking bout getting an Academy 109!!! I just have gotten the 163 and 262 this weekend and really am getting rather annoyed at the current kits not including the swastikas for the tail!!! And when they do include them they are in multiple pieces!! I am sorry but ANY WWII german aircraft lacking the swastika on the tail would get points off in a contest if I was a judge!!! They just don't look right without them!!! After all, GENUINELY SPEAKING, it is no more than a good luck charm that was shamed by a certain A@&HOLE!!! Sorry to rant but great work guys!!! Only rant because the 262 had them and the 163 did not and they are both Academy kits!!

Hey congrads Suppressionfire!!!

Great stuff all 'round people!

I finished off the cockpit and got my kit assembled this weekend.

Not totally crazy about the dark brown wash but it looks ok inside the aircraft:

Buttoned up:

Found some figures of my own. Might do a few up with the Spit...

Cliff

Wow great jobs so far peeps. Well I got a little done on the thursday or friday after this started, then came down with a massive head cold and now am looking after 5 kids (aged 2-10) while the missus is off across the country with University studies, so I've had bugger all time for anything really.I havnt even touch a model since last Tuesday . Here is what I have gotten done.

OK Box, simple

Unstarted kit and Box

Work to date. Flash seems to have washed out the RLM 02 base coat, but it is there, applied over top was a moderate was to try and show up the cockpit wall detail before I paint the switches and lights etc in. Seat area is about 1/2 painted. So a long way to go yet on this little thing.

The missus gets back on Wednesday so I hope to get some more bench time soon after that.

Andrew