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Triple Bf-109 Build....


ghodges

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There's a local "Bf-109" group  build that I decided to join in on since I had several in my stash. I settled on 3 different marks and decided to try to build them all together. They are all 1/48; the Hasagawa Bf-109G-6, the Revell Bf-109G-10, and the Gull Models vacuform Bf-109B-2.

I added resin interior parts to the Hasagawa and Revell kits only because they were in the box. Since I had a set of resin slats in the Revell box, I added those to it. I decided this would also be a good time to finally tackle the Gull Models vac as when I examined the bag it was in, I discovered it had many spare parts for the Bf-109 that came from 3 Emils that were destroyed in a shelving collapse years ago that would ease the work and help in detailing for it. On to some in progress pics!

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This pic shows the Hawkeye resin interior fitted into the Hasagawa G-6

101_0448.thumb.JPG.c27e6f7c356f44b3165cf675ed8c1f70.JPGThis pic shows the True Details interior fit into the Revell G-10, It needed some Eduard belts added to complete it.

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This shows the resin slat beds added into the Revell wing and the slats, which have yet to be removed from their casting blocks.

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The starting point for the Gull Models vac. All of the major parts have been cut from the backing sheet and sanded down. There's 3 canopies to choose from, though it turns out only the "kit" vac canopy can be made to fit. You can also see all of the detail parts readily available for the interior and exterior of the vacuform.

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The spare parts cockpit sides have been added and the spare floor modified to fit. 

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Here, the vacuform wing has been assembled, sanded, and rescribed. The flap and slat areas have been cut away to allow the addition of the spare flaps and slats.

101_0500.thumb.JPG.2c1fcf189e9151812f24c65c7377e50f.JPGThis pic shows the gear bays, which were built up using sections of soda straw for the semi-circular gear leg bays, and strip and sheet plastic for the walls and floor of the tire bays. It also shows the bottoms of the Hasagawa flaps, which had bulges for the "E" wing bottom radiators on their inner halves (radiators not on the 109B-2) that I had to grind off and sand flat.

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This shows the 3 cooling slots in the front top of the vac fuselage that needed to be added to make it a "B-2", as well as the guns that have been installed. You can also see the screening cut for the radiator chin and the vac chin lip.

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The 109B-2 had no exterior exhaust pipes, and you can see the exhaust and cooling slot holes added. A closer look will also show where semi-circular depressions have been ground into the sides to represent/better define cooling slots. You can also see slivvers of sheet plastic added to the rear canopy angle to better fit the clear vac part. This won't be rescribed until after its assembled.

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Test fitting the wings to the fuselage..... both of their exhaust areas have been reworked to allow the fitting of metal Moskit exhausts after all of the painting is done.

More pics when they're actually together!

Comments, questions, and critiques are welcome, as always!

Gil :cool:

Edited by ghodges
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Not just two “normal” kits, but a vacuform build as well? Wow! That’s a bold move.

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Thanks, but not very "bold" for me, as I've been building vacs for 40 years. In fact, I had my original Falcon 1/48 vacuform Bf-109E destroyed in that shelving accident a few years ago, and it's providing parts for this one now! Back then, I built it because it was the only 1/48 "Emil" besides the classic Monogram kit from the 60s. But then within a year after a built it, Hasagawa released their "E" (you're welcome! :smiley4:).

This is what the vac Bf-109E looked like...

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Gil :cool:

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Not bold in tackling a vacuform kit on its’ own, but bold in tackling one as part of a batch build. They just need more effort compared to a current standard injection molded kit.

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A little more progress....

This pic shows the first primer coat, after some more sanding. The fit of the wings to the fuselage was very bad, requiring the addition of a lot of ApoxySculp in the spaces inside the wings and the fuselage in front of and behind the cockpit. This was to add some backing in areas that would be sanded through. You can also see the ball of left over ApoxySculp in front of the fuselage. The wing roots required modifying, which meant the flaps had to be extended using the ApoxySculp as well.

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Here, all 3 109s have been completely assembled, canopy parts masked and added, and primered once again

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 I hope to get their paint jobs on them by next weekend. More pics then!

 

Gil :cool:

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finally got paint on all 3 of the 109s. I doubt the camo is fully accurate for any of them, but they're at least "period authentic". This is the first occasion in a long time I've tried to do any spot mottling, and while I was able to do it with more control than in the past, it's probably yet another element in the camo that could use more refining. The one thing these 3 builds has taught me is that I've been using paint that's too thick. I needed to double the amount of thinner (and more) to get the full control to paint these schemes, and thus this group build should help me a lot going forward. There's still some detail painting to be done, especially in the slat wells and wheel wells, but at least the camo schemes are complete.

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The Gull Models vac B scheme is based on another build I saw on line for the Spanish Civil war. Oddly, the thing I'm most proud of is building the prop from tubing and spare blades, as well as rebuilding the kit vac spinner to a much more accurate outline.

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The Hasagawa 109G-6 is in the standard 74/75/76 mid-war scheme, and the slat wells have yet to be painted.

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The Revell 109G-10 is in a later war scheme of Gray 74 and Bright Green 83 topsides with 76 on the bottom and wrapping around in a scalloped pattern on the leading edges. It also has the two colored home defense stripes on the fuselage. I had to cut my own spiral mask for the prop spinner, and it'll need a bit more touch up and refinement.

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Although I tackled these 3 just to clear them from the stash and participate in the group build, it seems it may well be they teach me a few things along the way!

 

Gil :cool:

Edited by ghodges
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Amazing work Gil! I think the patterns you chose do look authentic enough. Your spinner on the 109 Gustav is most impressive! It's great to hear of the learning opportunities here too!

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Gil, all three are coming along quite well. The camo schemes turned out great! 

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And the increasingly dreadful saga continues.....  🙃🙃🙃

The decals are on the 3 Bf-109s... and what a tale of woe! First: (with apologies to Luftwaffe aficionados..) ALL MARKINGS ARE BOGUS!!
 
I had 3 different sheets to use for the Spanish Civil war markings. The first sheet, used for the "X" on the rudder released the decals fine, but apparently had NO adhesive for the decals...so after a bit of trimming it had to be sealed in place with a coat of Future. The black circle X decals begrudgingly came off of their sheets, BUT tended to tear apart, so half of them had to be pushed back together. The only ones that worked as expected were the decals used on the fuselage sides.
 
I was going to use the Hasagawa kit decals for the gray 109G-6. The only problem was NONE of them would come off of the sheet! So..... start digging through the spare decals to come up with crosses, staffel symbols, numbers, etc. Found an Aeromaster sheet for crosses....BUT....they tended to shred after wetting....so I had to spray a gloss coat over the sheet and come back the next day. Between that sheet and 3 others (including a dry transfer rub on set) I was able to get some markings on the G the next day. You know how decals wrinkle after applying solvent and then straighten out by the next day? Well, the fuselage crosses did NOT.... and I missed that until after sealing them with another gloss coat..... Grrrr!
 
On to the Revell 109G-10.....and those kit decals wouldn't come off of their sheet either! So back to the Aeromaster sheet for the crosses and swastikas, but where to get fuselage numbers in German font? Aha! Found 4 "Yellow 14s" left on an old Marsaille decal sheet. I can do 2 "yellow 44s" with some cutting. I put the first 4 on the fuselage side AND THE CAMO MOTTLING WAS SHOWING THROUGH FROM UNDERNEATH! So..... double up the decals to make it "yellow 4" and eliminate the bleed through problem.
 
May be an image of airplane
 
 
Gil :cool:
Edited by ghodges
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