Battle of Britain GB 2008 - 21 June to 31 Oct 08

Stan & Frank...Nice work lads .

My bench time has been very limited recently, but I hope to get back into the swing next week.

Regards,  Rick

Aaron- Thanks for the info on the blister, I don't have a picture of my actual aircraft so I may leave it on just to simplify things.

Stan- Sweet paint job!  Looks like that's going to be a JG 54 bird?

Well I had a 3 day weekend and lot of time on my hands. That and these tamiya kits can be built in about 8 hours. The 109 is done. the only thing missing is the canopy prop becasue I need to find my wire.

The is a bf109E-1 "brown 2" of 6./JG 54. Work # and pilot is unknown at this time. This is a veteran of the french campain as well as bob. What drew me to this mechine is the early unusual JG 54 paint camo on a standered E-1. JG 54 was well kown for there non standered camo. many of you probable have seen the F-2's of JG 54 on the eastern front with a similer but more elaborate camo pattern. This earlier E has a more basic cross hatch pattern and lacks the flowing lines seen on the F-2's. I have never seen this done so I did it.

This E-1 was most likely taken from another unit and transfered to JG 54 to replace losses during the french invasion. The odd field applied camo, yellow still seen in the gun troughs, and fresh looking marking all indcate new or restored mechine. This would have been how it looked at the start of BOB.

As far as added goodies it's the typical stuff I add to all my 109's. PE cockpit detail, Scratch built detail in the wing radiators, brake lines and other such stuff, I'm sure those that know 109's will pick up on it. here a bunch of pics, you guys get the first look. I would post this to the aircraft forum untill tomorrow sometime.

Stan-

Absolutely stunning!  You really knocked this one out of the park, without skimping on any of the details.  I love the "used but not abused" look, very convincing.  You really nailed this one buddy, one of the finest Emils I have EVER seen.

Well done there Stan. I love the camo you selected. I want to try that pattern on a F series from the Russian front. How difficult was it to paint the cross pattern on the fuselage?  It came out awesome!

                                                                              Soulcrusher

That 109 is totally awsome. You really nailed the finish on it and it turned out great. Did you give this one a wash to blend it all together or some sort of mist coating ?. That 109 can escort my FW 200 any day.

Steve

Stan, that is a truly awesome lookinh Emil.

The camo looks great, and I really like the little touches like the yellow in the gun troughs.

Karl

Beautiful build Stan, but I would expect nothing less from your bench.  Well Done .

Regards,  Rick

Thanks guys for the comments. I figured since it was a tamiya kit and this one in particular had a reputation of falling together I give myself a challange with the camo. When viewed It looks like it would be very difficult. After I though about it's really only 65 as a base, with 71 lines filled in with 02. Well it turned out that it's not as hard as it looks but not as easily executed as I thought. Getting all those lines to look good was the biggest problem. I wanted it to look like the real deal with the cross hatch line not of even size or drakness, but not look like it wasn't scribbled on by an 3 year old.

Since the aircraft I modeled was a fresh repainted (fuselage) and remarked I did nothing to the decals, no dusting or weathering like I usually do even the radio hatch was left alone only the outline was bought out.  The wings seem to retain the original paint so they got a moderate amount of weathering. Even the underside got lightly weathered. Not as nice looking as the latter F camo but still an difficult and usuaual camo.

artist impression of brown 2.

 Unlike the hard crosshatch work on the E, The smooth flowing lines of the JG 54 F camo is more like a work of art and field applied camo. you can tell the painters of this aircraft took there time. the work on the E look like it was done in a hurry by comparsion.  

Stan, just fantastic work!   Your weathering is always just spot on, amazing!

I'm going to try to do two 109's for this GB, I've already decided on Illner's "White 2" from JG 51, I may do a JG 54 bird as well, they were never afraid to put out of the ordinary schemes on their aircraft.

And we've got her painted.  I'm a 1/72 guy and don't do a whole lot of bombers, not used to that much painting!  After the initial 70/71 application I went back with some lightened, thinned down 70/71 to simulate paint fading.  I'll be working on washing it out even more, a lot of the aircraft I've researched were looking pretty rough by September, the "Schwarze Men" were busy just keeping them flying and niceties like fresh paint often took a back seat.

The canopy isn't glued down yet, just thought it looked a little more photogenic with it on.

Looks great Mike.  Nice work on the splinter camo.  May I ask what paints you used ?  Don't usually see that much contrast between RLM 70/71.

Regards,  Rick

 The  109 camo makes me feel all squrimy inside. The Do-17 makes me jealous! I want to paint to..... almost there..... now I have to compete with those spectacular finishes.

 I have a question since I haven't been up to snuff on the gossip. I notice the Black Green/ Dark Green  German camo colors vary by brand. Example would be how the Tamiya doesn't contrast as much as say Model Master. Has there been a discussion on this ? Or is it just a matter of preference? My wife told me to paint it pink and white.

Photos of Luftwaffe aircraft in the 70/71 camo scheme show varying levels of contrast between the two shades depending upon the lighting and the condition of the paintwork.

Therefore I wouldn't worry about it.

Having said the pink and white might be stretching it somewhat.

Karl

sfcmac wrote:

..my wife told me to paint it pink and white.

PLEEEASE tell me you're not considering it!

Mike- Great progress on the DO!  Fading looks excellent, and she's gonna be done before you know it!

sfcmac wrote:

The  109 camo makes me feel all squrimy inside. The Do-17 makes me jealous! I want to paint to..... almost there..... now I have to compete with those spectacular finishes.  I have a question since I haven't been up to snuff on the gossip. I notice the Black Green/ Dark Green  German camo colors vary by brand. Example would be how the Tamiya doesn't contrast as much as say Model Master. Has there been a discussion on this ? Or is it just a matter of preference? My wife told me to paint it pink and white.

The luftwaffe paint standereds were pretty strict early on, but there still was varation. The differences you see is mostly due to operational condidtions. The reich paint was better then most for the time but all paint back then weathered and collected dirt like crazy. They didn't have the tech back then to make paint fad resistent or repell dirt like modern day stuff. What you are seeing would be considered exterme color fad and weathering by modern standereds.

Pink is a spitfire color. white ok

here are a few examples. The first is fractory spiliter camo. the other 2 pics are operation pics of front line inservice aircraft with splinter camo. It faded and collected dirt in a matter of a few weeks or months, not years.

As long as the colors are close, work with one another and the contrast is now too stark you should be fine. Lighter is always better then darker. scales effect and fade will kill the contrast between camo colors making them blend.

Rick- The 70/71 is my old stand-by, Aeromaster Acrylic

Stan- As a rule I usually don't do a bomber unless there's an Eduard pre-cut mask available for it, sometimes you gotta break the rules though.

There is definitely a lot of contrast between my 70 and 71.  Probably border line too much, MM 70 and 71 get a lot of flak for coming out the same way.  I'm hoping to blend them a little closer together with some weathering.

Mike, missed your pics early.

The Dornier looks to be coming along very nicely. 

To tone down the constrast between the 70/71 you could apply a very dilute coat of 71 to bring the two closer together.

Karl

Stan I am still amazed at the awesome airbrush job. I am extremly jelious! I hope i can come close to the great job you did on the fuselage camo when i build my F series. is your "Freidrick" a Hasegawa?

                                                                                  Soulcrusher

Hiya fellas!  Just thought I'd give a lil' update on my progress.  The Spitfire has all of her markings applied (thanks again Greg for the decals! ) and the '109 is in the paintshop.  I painted the spot on the cowl then masked it and sprayed the yellow.  A few days to cure then onward with more paint!

Well you could have fooled me there Stan. You E-1 looks pretty darn good to me. Frank is there anything that can slow you down. you are cranking out some awesome stuff so fast! have you been missing your plastaicholic's meeting agiant cause you were to busy modeling?! I made some more progress today. Fuselage halves together the wing is assembled and cleaned up and wheel well pained and washed. had to use some streched sprue to fill in a slight gap at the top of the fuelage waitning for the glue to dry. I'm still peddling to try and catch up with you guys. i got smoked right out of the box!

                                                                                             Soulcrusher

Been gone for a few days and just tring to catch up.

Stan, outstanding work on the Emil.  I second everything that has been said already.  Nicley done.

Aaron, Frank, nice progress guys. 

Nice work Frank .

Regards,  Rick

 Wow Frank that is real fantastic progress. That Spit belongs in a painting for sure! The Me-109 is coming along quickly and also looks as if it will be a looker.

Thanks everyone  for the help and advice on the colors. I have often heard much discussion but am glad you all gave me a consensus about the color contrast. I  have the model master enamels for all the correct RLM colors and will probablly go with them. I used Floquil RLM 02 that I had in the stocks. Really nice paint but getting harder to find.

 We be getting a good show of Aircraft here fellows! July has  only just begun and things are shaping up great in this GB!  I managed to work every single day of the weekend which makes for a good paycheck but poor modeling. I have managed to squeeze in the crew and close her up. My workbench is now totally trashed. The only clean thing on it is my model. After all the filling and sanding and resanding extc.... I used a spray can of Mr Surfacer 1000 to prime the whole shabang. I am really happy with the results. Smooth finish all ready to start painting at last! Er at least as soon as I clean up the area a bit and put my compressor together.

Now don't think I had no fun on my weekend. My son managed to run over a manhole cover in my yard with the lawnmower. Completely bent the shaft and cracked the engine housing. Good thing I had the overtime because a new mower cost me $320 bucks plus $8 to fill up the mowers gas can wow! Oh well easy come easy go. Keep it up fellows!!! Off to work.... again.....

soulcrusher wrote:

...have you been missing your plastaicholic's meeting agiant cause you were to busy modeling?!

LMAO!!!

Dang!  Did I miss another meeting?  One of these days, I gotta come up outta my basement and see what's going on in the real world.  Has the snow melted away yet?   LOL...

Thanks everyone for the comments, made my day.

Aaron- Bummer about working all weekend, and your lawnmower woes.  But this Dornier, beautiful work!  You are really going to town on this baby, can't wait to see more pics.  Especially some looking through the glass at the crew in action.  WOOHOO!!!

Frank and Aaron- Looking good!

Quick update on my Dornier, ruined one of the unit emblems during the decalling process, bonehead move on my part.  The decal sheet I'm using is long OOP so looks like 3Z+GS will go by the wayside, I'm researching alternate schemes right now.  KG 2,3, 76, and 77 all operated 17's during the BoB so I'm sure I can find something.

Mike, sorry to hear about that.

Hope you get it sorted.

Karl