2015 Messerschmitt Bf 109 Group Build

Okay, I've been able to recover and reapply all but one of the decals, the problem is they're bonded by no more than the capillary action of the dried chemistry, there seems to be no glue. Maybe it's a defect of the sheet... The only thing I can do is hose on the last clearcoat to lock them down and hope the spray doesn't blow them around in the process. What a drag!

M/TB379

Thanks, Brandon, the shades really look the part!

Progress on the E-7, or lack of it, I just did the wash to remove the decal solutions that mess up the final clearcoat, and NINE decals simply fell off in the process... I don't know what it is with this kit, first the paint falling off with masking removal, now the decals won't grip... I'll do my best to restore the lost items and I have some Am stencils I can draw on if need be, but this is a lot more ag than I'm used to!

I'm starting to imagine the mess there's going to be when I unmask the canopy...

M/TB379

Doug,

She's looking good. Man, that thing looks huge. 1/32? right?

TB,

The 74/75 is Mr Color numbers 36/37, straight from the bottle diluted 30% with Mr Color #1 white to fade them some. I've got a couple touch ups that may be chanllenging due to the fade. But, not today, I'm spent.

Thanks for the positive remarks, gents.

BK

Thanks Doug, Greg and PJ! The plan is to move her along today, and have her up on her gear as soon as possible.

Brandon -- excellent! The 74/75 looks great, did you homebrew the shades or use them from the bottle? If so they look an excellent match!

Doug -- sweet work on that classic kit!

M/TB379

Speaking of which... I did a bit more today too...

Got the wings on...

Same ole issue with the gaps in the wing roots however small they are. Just a piece of .010 plastistruct strip did the trick. I also had to insert a spreader in the port wing to achieve a better height fit with the fuselage.

I filled in the wheel well spaces with a .010 x .250 Plastistruct strip. I'll also be using white metal landing gear legs on this one. I don't trust the aged plastic legs and their mount supplied with the kit. The new leg mounts are round (.250) rods cut to fit snuggly at the wing root and drilled to accept the mounting tangs of the legs.

Much stronger then the originals would have been.

Starting the campaign and ID markings. A flat white base makes the top coat SOOOO much easier to apply.

And lastly for now, the yellow markings are now applied.

That's it for now... Happy 4th to all!!! Take care...

Doug 

Looking Good Brandon... Yeah, sometimes I set down and when I look up its been a few hours too! lolol...

Okay, now I'm done for the day. My back is shot. I have the splinter camo done and only need to touch up two planes. It's really starting to look nice now. I painted it with RLM 74/75 lightened up with about 30% white. Again, I am using Mr Color acrylics.

I only meant to get some touch up work done today and I found myself not stopping and the next thing I knew the mottled camo is complete. Well, on the to the splinter camo now.

Thanks gents and a Happy Fourth to all!

Tbolt

That paint and decals look awesome.

Greg

bending the belts is quite easy. I use tweezers to manipulate them and bending the angles so they are draped over the seat. I secure them with a dab of Aleene's Tacky Glue.

I have used no filler at all up to now on this ROG kit so the parts have an excellent fit. The Plat I Weld and Touch N flow applicator do an excellent job and filling in any small gaps as the plastic melts along the join.

 I also have the Zvezda kit you have which looks very detailed and very well made. That one should be an excellent build. 

Ernie, I was going to mention the fit before you even mentioned it. Can tell from today's pics it is quite good. Nice work on that supercharger!

What tricks do you guys use to paint those pre-installed gun barrels? This is one if my favorite assemble now or assemble later dilemmas.

Mike, looking crisp and clean and ready to finish up.

PJ... Good progress! Coming along nicely.

Mike... Your at my favorite part of the build, Dressing up and detailing. Looking Good!

Doug

Lookin' good, PJ, lookin; good!

I devoted today to the Has E-7 and the decals are now on:

The idea is to be into detail painting and final assembly tomorrow, completion maybe the day after.

Cheers, M/TB379

Thanks Mustang. It's a sweet kit and just got me a G-10 and I'm hunting for a K-4.

Greg

PPP is a God send. The stuff is fantastic.

Had time for only a couple of minor updates added to the airframe.

I punched out a plastic disk for the supercharger lip and stretched some sprue and glued it as the seam along its side, and textured with a  #11 blade while it was soft from the liquid cement. The disc was glued and sanded on the lip. I also drilled out and carved open the tiny nose scoops. The nose guns were drilled out and glued in place.

The fuselage radiator, well walls and inner top wing sections where assembled and secured with Plast I Weld.

I'm very impressed with the parts fit and the quality of the details. I am however, annoyed by Revell's way of numbering the parts on the trees without any logical order. You have to hunt down each part by going thru all the trees.

That is quite a bit of progress, Brandon. Looking good, and as you know I am watching this one closely.

Thanks Doug, it'll be an adventure. And if it isn't, I'll manage to turn it in to one.

What Bish said (about scratch building) Its fun, but a resin and or PE set is the tops!

Greg... Good kit! Looking forward to your progress!

Looking good Brandon!!!

I made some great progress today. I managed to get the priming done along with the pre-shading. I then painted the wing tips, cowl and fuselage band. After letting them dry for a couple hours I masked those off and laid down the primary color of RLM 76 under the bird and all along the side and tail.

I post shaded the yellow (RLM 04) by reducing the color about 30% with white. This lighted up the yellow to a more realistic, field applied and used look.  I also post shaded the primary RLM 76, but since it is so light I didn't reduce the color any and just painted each panel separately and then sprayed overall to reduce the pre-shade to a point I liked and then stopped. Nest I will begin painted the individual mottled colors on the fuselage. Once that meets me satisfaction I will then paint the upper wings RLM 75/76.

Thanks for looking guys.

BK

Soon as I clean up my work area a little, time to start picking away at this bad boy, a gift from a good friend. with some neat goodies inside....

This will be my first Zvezda and my first Messie. I will do my best finish by the GB deadline. I am very slow so maybe yes, maybe no.

Good point, Bish.

Greg

Rigidrider

............

 But you still cant beat a good ole Aires , or Eduard resin/PE set just to name a few.

Doug

You just made me realise I've never seen 1/32nd resin aftermarket stuff in person. I'll bet it's good looking and fun to work with!

(Except if I had your scratch building skills, wonder if I'd ever buy PE or resin again???)

I do enjoy scratchbuilding, but find it very time consuming. So I limit the scratching to when there isn't an AM source for what I want. Its goodcto mix the two.

Rigidrider

............

 But you still cant beat a good ole Aires , or Eduard resin/PE set just to name a few.

Doug

You just made me realise I've never seen 1/32nd resin aftermarket stuff in person. I'll bet it's good looking and fun to work with!

(Except if I had your scratch building skills, wonder if I'd ever buy PE or resin again???)

I confess a soft spot for Matchbox kits myself... I have a fair few in the stash, three of their big Spitfire 24s -- I won a small trophy with that kit 33 years ago and one day I'll build another!

M/TB379

PS: decaling that Has E-7 at this time...

Thanks all,,, Yeah, My wife and I do a lot of yard sales and estate sales and often run across a treasure trove of goodies. Shes into jewelry and hand bags and once or twice has bought items for pennies and made HUGE profits reselling them. It never ceases to amaze me though at the number of older kits like this that are still available. I for one love the old Match box kits and am always amazed at how many are still in circulation. I also love the old Monogram 1/48 scale Fw190 kit and have a few in stash, those I know were first released in the early 60s and the plastic has a way of becoming very brittle and need to be handled carefully if being built. Still a classic old kit (in dark green) lolol...

Yes indeed, Doug, anytime I see dark green mouldings I thing 'vintage!' Well done!

The Has E-7 has been getting some attention, I patched the bit of the yellow cowl where I missed with the masking, it took ten spot applications of MM 04 to cover it! Then I changed down to the fine tip to do the mottle spots but I had all sorts of problems with flow, plus I think the instructions are probably incorrect on specifying 02, they were more likely 71. In the end I made a small mess and cut my losses by repairing the 65 and calling it a day. Heck, it was only eight spots on one side and an unknown number on the other, as if the field camo guys had some paint in a spray gun they were looking to use up... Okay, it's not fully accurate but I just patched the satin coat and will move onto decals. there are one or two tiny touch-ups required, but nothing that'll impede me getting to the ten major markings today, and the stencils over the weekend. I'd be hoping to have a completion soon!

Cheers, M/TB379

Nice work Doug! You are definitely making chicken salad out of chicken bleep with this one. Just shows older kits can still be worthwhile building. That kit was first released in the 1970's, maybe even late 60's.

Jay

Thanks Bish... Much appreciated!

Yeah Greg, Being an older kit (1990 molding ) I think they just threw in a few things to make it look like there is something in there. I've built from next to nothing (Lindberg and Nichimo) to the better which I would consider the Tamiyas and the Trumpeters and even the newer RMG kits are far better then they were. The cheaper (Lindberg and such) still make a good base kit to add on to But you still cant beat a good ole Aires , or Eduard resin/PE set just to name a few.

Doug

Looking very nice Doug, I do like the engine.

Cody, looks like your little 1/144th is coming right along. I like the reference pic next to a 1/48th scale.

Doug, I'm surprised about the cockpit. I was away so long that if any 1/32nd kit lacked cockpit detail, I didn't know any better at the time. You did a knockout job with it. Looking into into it after your fuselage join, can't tell it was ever lacking anything.

Ernie, you're moving right along. That's 1/32nd as well, right? BTW, you were a main player in getting me to get a tube of Perfect Plastic Putty. Did a couple pieces of ordnance last week with it, very impressed so thanks for the incentive, mate.

OK, Moving right along... I finally have the engine installed and the interior completed... Should be starting paint this weekend.

Well that's about all for now, Landing gear, tires and wheels and such, and then, WooHoo...paint!

Have a Great 4th all!!! Back soon...

Doug 

I've exchanged gas cylinders so my AB is back in action. I've been doing touch-ups on the Hasegawa E-7. and will be into decals very soon...

M/TB379

Clemens, good to see you back.