2015 Messerschmitt Bf 109 Group Build

Hi guys, progress is occurring on the cockpits and wings of my twin builds. I contacted my source for Eduard masks but the shop doesn't reopen til the 19th -- :-( !! So my plan is to press on with the D, I think I can mask that one from scratch, and get the E-4 built and complete short of the preshade stage before setting it aside. Today I'll see if I can get the props into 70. What the heck, I'm prepping a Fw 190 at the same time!

Depending on how things go, I may go back into armour mode for a while and complete a couple of leftover projects from last year while waiting on the mask sets, but will not be far from this GB!

Cheers, M/TB379

I had a few hours to work on the kit today.  Still waiting for the cockpit PE parts to arrive, so I'm jumping around a bit.

Craig

Put the radio pieces together and test fitted them.  I decided to install the radio gear and leave the access panel open.

I repainted some of the RLM 02 pieces.  The MM RLM is a little lighter and doesn't have that OD tint.   Not sure if the photo shows it.  Also started to paint some of the black parts.  Will be painting the engine soon.

Got the guns assembled and painted.

Impressive, methodical work, Craig, she's going to be a beauty!

I have a question that the experten here will probably know something about. The Aeromaster sheet I'll be using for my D I've just noticed does not feature stencil data. Was the stencil data for the D more or less equivalent to early Es? Does anyone specifically make stencils for the D, or is it a question of grafting over E data? The decal set (Aeromaster 48-496) makes no mention of stencils, and I'm grinding my teeth because I only just realised...

Cheers, M/TB379

Farther along on the cockpit. RB Productions seatbelts. I generally install the shoulder belts towards the end of the build. Quickboost stick. Been trying to use up the AM stuff I have. Not sure what I was saving it for and I'm not getting any younger.

That looks really nice, tucohoward!

Ditto -- sweet work on that pit!

Okay, my first minor progress report -- pits underway for the E-4 and D, along with gear bays, props and so forth. I added the pit for the Fw that's happening at the same time too..

Not a lot to show for a couple of days of painting and trimming, but I should be assembling come the weekend.

I'm thinking about sending away for some True Details wheels, the wheels of the Hobbycraft D are not very accurate.

Cheers, M/TB379

Thunder: Looks like your making some progress there. Keep 'er coming man. Got a close up of the side paneling?

Craig: Nice progress report. I'll be back in an hour or so with pic for you to show you the tail control surface cables that are visible through that open panel. Those are easy though, no sweat.

Jay: Outstanding attention to detail and love the weathering. What method did you use to get the paint chips on the seat back? I remember doing my 1/24 scale interior, which is very similar to this one, and using silver paint as primer and I scratched the surface after painting to get the effect. It's a slight variation of the look you have here.

From dang near three years ago:

Excellent work guys.  Excellent!

Thanks, guys. Joe, I use a small piece of coarse sponge, held with tweezers. and Citadel Mithril Silver. Dab it on something until most of the paint is gone, and then dab it on the model. Similar to dry brushing. Then a raw umber oil wash to tone it down a bit.

Jay

I have found one problem I will have to deal with. The area where the storage compartment is on the right fuselage half wasn't molded correctly. Never had a problem with Hasegawa before, so I guess I was due.

Jay

There was supposed to be a picture.

Guys, impressive work - keep it going!

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M/TB379 - good question about the 109D stencils.  I had to look at some profiles and what the decal manufacturers have available.  After some comparison, I'd say there are some differences, on the assumption that everyone's research is on the ball.

Here's what I noticed:

On the fuselage side, the 109D has the octane 87 stencil in another location (below the canopy) and it looks a bit larger too.  There is also another triangular stencil more forward (behind the port intake on the Emil) which is similar size, but slightly different  location.  On the wing tops, there are prominent lines in red, but are segmented or dotted?  Emil decals have these solid, either red or black.

I did not come across any 109D decal sets that has just stencils.  So if you are looking to purchase a set, it will have to include the balkenkreuz, etc.

regards,

Jack

Some great work there guys. This is getting off to a great start.

Thanks, Jack! This reinforces my own observations -- the D stencilling looks very close to that of the E, close enough perhaps to get by with E, which is more commonly available, however I'll certainly try for that sheet, it looks excellent. I guess with the early marks only really addressed by Hobbycraft there has been little call for them, but as Hobbycraft does not include stencils, and Academy barely included any on its sheet, you would think that stencils for this family of aircraft were worth a production run by some manufacturer out there.

I have also observed that profile art, typically based on good research, sometimes depicts the aircraft without data at all, which raises the question of whether in the late 30s data was always carried. My own understanding was that things were simplified over time, in the late 30s things were at their most complex and wasteful of resources, so I would have expected more data, not less...

It's a most interesting point! I have some time to make a decision on how to proceed -- I've ordered replacement wheels for the D and they'll no doubt take their sweet time finding their way to me, so I can expect the model to sit a month after completion of building before I can get to the paintwork. Hopefully I can either source a sheet featuring stencils, or go with E data. I'll go look for both right away!

Cheers, hope to have progress pics over the weekend,

Mike/TB379

Okay, glad to report I found both the sheet above and an Eduard E data sheet in stock at a firm here in Aus and ordered both at once, so I'll have my options in hand before long!

M/TB379

I finally received the PE set for the cockpit.  So I can get moving on that.  I also completely assembled the engine and painted it.  I used 90% RLM 66 and 10% flat black (both Vallejo).  It's not quite black, but it's not gray either.  Now I'm going to shoot the engine with Vallejo Satin Varnish.  See what kind of finish I get.  Then apply a wash and dry brush.

Craig

Looking good. Sounds like you have a good plan!

Heya Craig. Good start so far on the engine. If I remember right and somebody correct me if I'm wrong, I think the engine block black paint had a small amount of shine to it.

Ready to close up the halves now...

Lookin good so far Tom! Nice and "used".

You are right Joe.  I hit the block with some MM semi-gloss.  It has a slight sheen to it now.

Very nice cockpit Tom.

Yes sir it looks good!

Doug

Wow.  That cockpit is stunning, tucohoward.

Lot's of great work here in this thread.  Thanks for sharing.  Keep it coming!

Thanks, Milo. Was able to finish the riveting on the wings today. Fuselage is next.

Jay

Looking amazing, Jay, very fine-scale work!

Some progress today, I've got these cockpits nearly ready. I'm happy to say the Airfix control stick separated from the sprue okay, unlike that of the Mustang I did recently, and is now installed. Moulded harness has been highlighted and washed with oils on both kits and awaits only a speck of silver to suggest hardware.

Gunsights are installed, though the Hobbycraft item called for scratch building. I cannot imagine any other company attaching a gunsight unit to the sprue by the very optical glass itself, and it was carved away in the belief the part went the other way up. Ahem, clear sheet to the rescue...

Airfix first:

The instrument decals were, as usual, much too large for the panels they go on, so I did my standard trick of locating the decals more or less centrally, then when they were dry slicing away the excess with a blade. Now Hobbycraft:

My next task is the buckles, then I can start getting them together -- mounting the cockpit walls to the tub for the big one, and mounting the panel to the tub in the small, then closing the fuselage. I'm aiming to have the Airfix item assembled completely to the pre-painting stage tomorrow.

Cheers, M/TB379

I finally received my kit today.  Went to the LHS and picked up a few RLM paints to get me started and see how this goes.  I hope to have some pictures of my progress up tomorrow.

Craig: Cool dude! Hope you don't think I was trying to get all picky, just trying to help you out with the finer engine detail. Lookin' forward to the progress!

U2 Milo: Thanks bud. Say........grab a kit and jump in here.

Jay: Man that is some real detail you've got there.  What's the riveting technique and tool?

Thunder: Very good progress and scratchbuilding!

Craig, nice work on the engine, I like the colour you have come up with.

Jeez mustang (Joe) what time to you get up.  Says you're last post was at 5:15 my time.  Aren't you two hours behind east coast time

Mike, the pit is looking really good, some nice detail paiting there.

Jay, now that's a lt of riveting. Sorry if I missed it before, what are you using to do those.