Airfix Bf109 E4 1:72

[72twink]

It reminds me of a friend who was racing his Sunbeam Lotus, he'd stripped so many donors that he'd filled a couple 15 litre emulsion tubs with nuts, bolts, clips and springs etc and after a long days prep he'd sit in the workshop with a fellow racer each with their own tub (and a beer or two) and blindly they'd delve into the tub, pull out a lucky dip item and then test each other on what and where it was used!

[perdu]

I play that game in idle moments too

I have truckloads of parts lying around from my career and from building up my Midget from "spares, it's quite therapeutic to see what donated what to let me bugger off to Le Mans next week

As to the undercarriage leg, I guessed American, fifties or early sixties maybe Maritime due to the obvious strength built in and the complex foldingawayfullness

But I didn't "get it" never built a Skyray

I did build a Grumman Cougar many years ago, on holiday at an auntie's in Scotland.


Dark blue plastic... I blagged some of her domestic "old paint in a drying out old pot" to decorate its white stripes

I think it must have been an Aurora kit from F.W.Woolworth...

Anyway, well spotted Twink

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

I play that game in idle moments too

I have truckloads of parts lying around from my career and from building up my Midget from "spares, it's quite therapeutic to see what donated what to let me bugger off to Le Mans next week

As to the undercarriage leg, I guessed American, fifties or early sixties maybe Maritime due to the obvious strength built in and the complex foldingawayfullness

But I didn't "get it" never built a Skyray

I did build a Grumman Cougar many years ago, on holiday at an auntie's in Scotland.


Dark blue plastic... I blagged some of her domestic "old paint in a drying out old pot" to decorate its white stripes

I think it must have been an Aurora kit from F.W.Woolworth...

Anyway, well spotted Twink

I have a lot of old models (from my bygone modelling years) in a chest of drawers.

Not sure what to do with them, but I wondered about sticking them in a blender and setting them in clear resin as an ornament...or a table top. We could play the "guess the fragment". Oh how the hours would fly by.

[GJB]

Blimey - Mike the Root Moderator must lead an exciting life. Over 1 million posts since 2007 thats over 201,000 post per year....eek.

Interesting reading your thread and as is often the case things get taken off in tangent and you end up with a messy thread. Amazing the pasion created for a kit that costs so little money. Still like to read your threads and see the quality of builds by yourself and others. I have my own business and by the time I get home I just want to collapse in a heap and have no inclination to rekindle the model building of my teenage years.

If you send your comments and photos to Airfix it would be interesting to hear of their response.

[Red Firecracker]

perdu said:

I have truckloads of parts lying around from my career and from building up my Midget from "spares, it's quite therapeutic to see what donated what to let me bugger off to Le Mans next week

Here's hoping for dryish weather, perdu, I don't fancy another 2007.

[dr_gn]

Nothing like a bit of preshading on a Friday evening.

Sprayed the canopy framing area with interior colour (RLM02), then overall base coat of pale blue (RLM can't remember), oversprayed panel lines with NATO black:





Then overpaint with blue again untill the black pretty much disappears:





The aerial I made yesterday snapped off at some point, never to be found again I guess. Probably becasue when I made it, it was too tricky to form a location spigot on the end to locate it into the canopy. The kit version had a spigot, which would have made a more robust joint, but I broke it on removal from the sprues becasue the gates are massive and in the wrong places. Got to remake another now. OK it's not the end of the world, but it's frustrating if you want a quick OOB kit to build.

ETA - shame the ailerons and radiator outlets aren't separate like the flaps, then they could be drooped too. Easy enough to cut them off and reposition them if you are into that level of detail though.

Edited by dr_gn on Friday 8th June 21:17

[perdu]

Well dr_gn I still like it even covered up with paint

If you dont have any I would advise getting an assortment of Slater's Plastic rod, it shapes nicely and has enough resilience to overcome an occasional "bending moment" unlike 40 year old Airfix 'moulded then modified' strutting

Sort out the aerial for you in no time It seems almost organic, as if moulded in layers so it is very strong, all my Wessexes have Slater's undercarriage units

I am getting the hang of the undrpainting preshade method and this is helping me a lot

Just need to get some airbrush proficiency though

Red Firecracker said:

perdu said:

I have truckloads of parts lying around from my career and from building up my Midget from "spares, it's quite therapeutic to see what donated what to let me bugger off to Le Mans next week

Here's hoping for dryish weather, perdu, I don't fancy another 2007.

I found the benefits of my Trekker type "trainer sandals" in '07, running water in over the top and drain out off the sides.

Blimey it was wet though, perlease not again even if Le Mans rain is warm...


Are you going? Camping or Giteing? Or poshnosh hotelling?

[Red Firecracker]

perdu said:

I found the benefits of my Trekker type "trainer sandals" in '07, running water in over the top and drain out off the sides.

Blimey it was wet though, perlease not again even if Le Mans rain is warm...


Are you going? Camping or Giteing? Or poshnosh hotelling?

I shall be taking up residence in Houx on Wednesday morning. Was on Annexe in 2007 but luckily we didn't flood.

[dr_gn]

Red Firecracker said:

perdu said:

I found the benefits of my Trekker type "trainer sandals" in '07, running water in over the top and drain out off the sides.

Blimey it was wet though, perlease not again even if Le Mans rain is warm...


Are you going? Camping or Giteing? Or poshnosh hotelling?

I shall be taking up residence in Houx on Wednesday morning. Was on Annexe in 2007 but luckily we didn't flood.

I'd love to go to Le Mans one year. What's it like from a spectating point of view? Fully sanitised like Silverstone these days I guess?

[Red Firecracker]

dr_gn said:

I'd love to go to Le Mans one year. What's it like from a spectating point of view? Fully sanitised like Silverstone these days I guess?

Sportscar racing is totally different from other forms of international racing. That may sound obvious, but I am talking from a crowd integration point of view. The teams and drivers are accessible and friendly, they talk to the fans and there is interaction both ways. For example, Ralf Juttner, the no 2 head bod of Audi, walked into me in the paddock last year. Full of apologies and had a chat. That just wouldn't happen in other series I could mention.

From a spectating point of view, it's very good. Tetre Rouge has changed, but you can see over the fences right into the action. Indianapolis and Arnage are incredible, absolutely mind blowing senses of speed change and power. You're not going to get to stand next to the armco on Mulsanne without some serious effort and risk of meeting rather large security guards.

It's a fantastic event and is so much more than just racing.

[dr_gn]

Red Firecracker said:

dr_gn said:

I'd love to go to Le Mans one year. What's it like from a spectating point of view? Fully sanitised like Silverstone these days I guess?

Sportscar racing is totally different from other forms of international racing. That may sound obvious, but I am talking from a crowd integration point of view. The teams and drivers are accessible and friendly, they talk to the fans and there is interaction both ways. For example, Ralf Juttner, the no 2 head bod of Audi, walked into me in the paddock last year. Full of apologies and had a chat. That just wouldn't happen in other series I could mention.

From a spectating point of view, it's very good. Tetre Rouge has changed, but you can see over the fences right into the action. Indianapolis and Arnage are incredible, absolutely mind blowing senses of speed change and power. You're not going to get to stand next to the armco on Mulsanne without some serious effort and risk of meeting rather large security guards.

It's a fantastic event and is so much more than just racing.

So you don't need passes to get into the paddock?

[Red Firecracker]

dr_gn said:

So you don't need passes to get into the paddock?

Before the race, no. You can also sit in any grandstand before the race as well, the Grandstand tickets are only valid on the Saturday and Sunday. Obviously the paddock closes for public access Saturday and Sunday as well. All day Friday is open pitlane as well, so you can wander along and chat to the team members. No privacy barriers such as F1 teams like to erect.

It is a very much more relaxed and friendly experience, but that shouldn't be misread as lacking competition. That is intense, but it is competition in the correct manner, with respect (unless you're a short, ex F1, English driver in a factory French car, it seemed at times...)

I highly recommend it. Sitting on a big wheel at 4 am with a cold beer watching race cars speed below you is something never to be forgotten.

[perdu]

Red Firecracker said:

dr_gn said:

So you don't need passes to get into the paddock?

Before the race, no. You can also sit in any grandstand before the race as well, the Grandstand tickets are only valid on the Saturday and Sunday. Obviously the paddock closes for public access Saturday and Sunday as well. All day Friday is open pitlane as well, so you can wander along and chat to the team members. No privacy barriers such as F1 teams like to erect.

It is a very much more relaxed and friendly experience, but that shouldn't be misread as lacking competition. That is intense, but it is competition in the correct manner, with respect (unless you're a short, ex F1, English driver in a factory French car, it seemed at times...)

I highly recommend it. Sitting on a big wheel at 4 am with a cold beer watching race cars speed below you is something never to be forgotten.

Is right!

feel free to wander over to Bleu Nord for a beer or some

Right side of the campsite with a BRG MG Midget up at the top end

I used to enjoy HA and was there myself in 07 (06,05,04,03)and 08 then because of loss of site use took residence in BN

Lost a gazebo in the massive winds one year, probably flying across the steppe even now

doc, I firmly believe Le Mans 24hrs is something any petrol head should do once

probably won't be once though...

[dr_gn]

Next year...I'll take the boy along too.

Back to more mundane things: Masked the undersides and applied RLM02 - preshaded of course. Strange how once you're used to doing a new process you do it anyway irrespective of if the subject really needs it:



Then masked for Black Green:



Remove the bandages (along with a tail strut and aileron balance dammit), and it looks OK:





Can't see this one needing a wash - panel lines are too dark for my liking already, but there's not much I can do about that; it's shadow.

Canopy framing turned out well too with the internal/external masking.

Tomorrow hopefully front of fuselage mottled, wing tips white and "newly painted" engine cover completed.

ETA Whoops - spot the deliberate tailplane camo mistake. It'll do.

Edited by dr_gn on Sunday 10th June 00:54

[Red Firecracker]

perdu said:

Is right!

feel free to wander over to Bleu Nord for a beer or some

Right side of the campsite with a BRG MG Midget up at the top end

I may just do that!

dr_gn said:

Next year...I'll take the boy along too.

Well worth it. Don't be put off by the constant 'it's full of drunk chavs' posts, it's not. It's a big place so it is easy to avoid the known places where the high jinks take place.

dr_gn said:

Can't see this one needing a wash - panel lines are too dark for my liking already, but there's not much I can do about that; it's shadow.

I think you're right. To me, it looks close to just tipping over the edge so anything extra might detract.

[dr_gn]

Wingtips & mottling done, cowling & rudder fitted. A coat of Klear and we'll be ready for decals:





BTW I've not made a huge mistake with the painting of the cowlings - they were newer ones fitted to Von Werra's aircraft, so there really was a colour and camo mismatch!

[Eric Mc]

Coming along rather nicely - in my opinion.

Funilly enough, this month's Airfix magazine has a 1/72 109E build, neither of which are the Airfix one. They are looking at the Tamiya and the ICM versions.

[72twink]

As mentioned elsewhere the tail plane mistake isn't worth the worry - I'd have kept schtum and seen who was on the ball It's funny I've been looking at that picture and the other one of it being disarmed and am trying to decide if the splinter of black green as called by Airfix under the rear cowl (left over from the cowl swap) is camo or shadow from the cowl not fitting properly?

[dr_gn]

72twink said:

As mentioned elsewhere the tail plane mistake isn't worth the worry - I'd have kept schtum and seen who was on the ball It's funny I've been looking at that picture and the other one of it being disarmed and am trying to decide if the splinter of black green as called by Airfix under the rear cowl (left over from the cowl swap) is camo or shadow from the cowl not fitting properly?

Pretty certain it's a shadow - the rear sections were notorious for flaring under air pressure, plus of course this one isn't the original.

I don't think there is a photograph of the actual camo pattern of this aircraft, so who knows the exact scheme? Mine's obviously now not as per the Airfix plan though. Having said that, the plan itself is incorrect in the front of windscreen area - it's shown as solid Black Green which it clearly isn't.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Coming along rather nicely - in my opinion.

Funilly enough, this month's Airfix magazine has a 1/72 109E build, neither of which are the Airfix one. They are looking at the Tamiya and the ICM versions.

Yeah I'm really pleased with the outcome so far - all things considered

I might pick up the magazine then - is it the one with the silver Spitfire on the front?