Tamiya BF109e4/7 1/48

Post by **heel** » Mon Dec 29, 2014 3:47 pm

Maybe not the most exciting subject matter as this one has been around since 1998, but my second project back into the hobby, looking to avoid a sophomore slump. It looks like there's a couple other 109s being done right now so it will be neat to see how the kits compare.

no flash on the kit. A few sink marks that I'll attempt to tidy up. Quite a few ejector pin marks, but nothing that needs attention other than one in the cockpit seat.

I have a few aftermarket pieces on the way. Quick boost exhausts and guns and a canopy masking template.

I've started minor cockpit assembly and the pieces actually fit - a far cry from the Revell p47n I just finished. Now I know what it means to "fall together. "

Post by **mincemeat** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:44 pm

Please keep us updated!

Post by **heel** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 3:25 pm

No major updates yet as things have been busy. I did get a spray booth and paints needed. I also got the aftermarket parts today. A primer of tamiya micro gray applied also to the cockpit.

Need to go back and clean up the seat pin mark. I think I'm going with the desert paint scheme.

Post by **db41073** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 9:32 pm

looking forward to this

Post by **heel** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 7:57 pm

Moving at a snail's pace but got a few things done. Primer on the control stick and inner fuselage. Base coat on the main cockpit.

Post by **heel** » Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:45 pm

A little more progress. Some dry brushing done and color added to fuel line and oxygen parts. I'll be adding a custom fuel line hose with 22 Gauge metal wire primed and painted. I'll also try to make a custom piece to connect the respirator to the oxygen regulator.

yes they paint inside the fuselage sprayed horribly but I think the exposed sections are passable. Unintentional weathering.

thanks for looking

Post by **heel** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 5:15 pm

Instrument panel and line added. Close up of resin aftermarket pieces.

Post by **JohnModeller** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:54 am

Looks great mate. Ever tried using decals for the dial faces? They are a cheap alternative to photo etch. Attention is always drawn to the seat belts and the dials in terms of cockpits, so it is worth putting some effort there.
Cheers, John

Post by **heel** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:04 pm

Thanks John!

I'm going to put a clear coat down today before work and will definitely consider using the decals on the panel. I wanted to see if I could freehand the dials, but those bottom ones are just too small for my 00 brush and hand control.

Post by **heel** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:07 pm

Thanks for the tip, John. You were right about the instrument decals. They add a lot, even if these are slightly out of register in a couple spots. I added these with coffee hands so it was a little tricky, just nicking up the bottom right dial on the top panel a bit.

Hoping to get a wash done today.

Update:

Did a light wash this morning of umber/od. Took out some ejector pin marks (should have done that about 20 steps ago)

I then went back this evening for a final flat clear and mixed a drop of buff to give the interior a sandy look since I'm going with a desert scheme. Some might call it frosty - not sure if I love the outcome - but it is kind of what I was going for...

I also threw on the seatbelt decals. Probably wouldn't use them again, at least not without a dimensional backing, but this is a practice bird. Cheers.

Post by **heel** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:59 pm

Fuselage halves joined together then minimal amount of putty needed, sanded, and scribed. Gunsight got added at the end which will get a dab of future on the lens.

Will need to clean up a little excess before any primer goes down. It all seems pretty flush to my untrained eye.

Post by **JediBoer** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 6:36 pm

Awesome job with the cockpit!

Post by **heel** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 12:02 am

Thanks Jedi!

I'm going to see how the pilot comes out. He may cover up those seatbelts or I may have to scratch build some. Those current decals aren't going to work.

Post by **heel** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:16 pm

Some more progress. Canopy took a future bath and cured for 4 days. I'm not sure if that was enough, maybe because of cool Temps in the basement, but I went ahead and masked it off, inside and out, with the masks and primed. Wings and horizontal stabilizers applied and then filled. Still need to clean up some excess. Flaps will be down for this model.

Post by **gustavlekstal** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:34 pm

Looks great. I'm a afv modeller and when you say bath... Do you soak them in gloss varnish?

Post by **heel** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:45 pm

Thanks gustav. I'm definitely not the one to be asking, but it is a quick dip in future floor after rinsing in windex. At least, that's how I've done it. When the masking comes off I'm not sure what we'll see honestly. This future didn't quite cure like the last canopy I did.

Post by **heel** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 7:16 pm

Some more done on the 109.

Undercowl

attached along with the nose

Radiator grills that go under the wings

A decent fit. Took this off and sanded the front edges a little

canopy masking

masking started to peel up on the top front and back piece. I took them off and traced new ones with tamiya tape.

Excellent. Only... a seam opened up on the nose and right wing during test fitting/gluing everything. Sealed back up and taken outside and laid down some primer.

Post by **heel** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:16 pm

Thanks. Here we go with some more:

Tamiya fine surface primer

My first attempt at preshading. Plenty of room for improvement. Used a thinned xf1.

Post by **m0rce** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:01 pm

Hi
Tamiya's canopy has lovely rivet detail.
Cant say same bout airfix's.
Overall tamiya's seems a nicer kit. Especially the rudder area.
Love what you're doin' with it.
Looking forward to more

Regards
S.

Post by **heel** » Thu Feb 12, 2015 8:14 pm

Thanks m0rce.

I have another update. I masked off and sprayed xf2 for the rear fuselage stripe. I wanted to avoid using the decal for that stripe and it turned out well. I then masked it back up.

Then I went ahead with the spinner.

and finally some black on the propellers

Enjoying this one.

Post by **heel** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 3:49 pm

I finished the "spinner base."

Then went down with some aluminum on the prop casing. This will get a wash later to give it some grime.

The exhausts had a spray of gunmetal as a basecoat.

Then I took the leftover red, white and aluminum, added some red brown, and did a heavy dry brushing of the exhausts. I have no idea if it looks accurate, but I like the outcome. A wash will finish them off and then some weathering later.

That's all for now. Thanks for looking in.

Post by **heel** » Thu Feb 19, 2015 4:36 pm

A wash to the spinner, exhausts and prop.

Sprayed the underbelly and sides with a custom AS-5 (RLM76) of XF-2, XF-23, and XF-7 mixed 50/50 with Ultimate thinner. I hope to soften the line that runs along the top.

A few other parts that need the RLM76 got painted as well.

Post by **heel** » Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:42 pm

Now I put down the brown on the wings and on top of the fuselage. The paint went down nicely. I sprayed some darker areas on a few panels and then went back with lighter coats. I was trying to simulate a plane that has been baking in the sun. Overall I like how it turned out. There were a few mistakes. The bottom paint needed another coat so I laid down a top coat with a little but of over spray with both coats to soften the divide. This will be a "three footer" as you can definitely see too much over spray if you get enough. The mottling should help some.

Thanks for looking.

Post by **heel** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 4:08 pm

All mottled up freehand.

First time trying that technique. It's a lot of work!

Post by **peppie** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 4:57 pm

Great result on the painting

Mottling is one off the hardest things to do.

Post by **heel** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:04 pm

peppie wrote:Great result on the painting
Mottling is one off the hardest things to do.

Thank you! It was a battle the whole way

Post by **Goose** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:31 am

rubegoldberg wrote:that some very solid paint work, sir. good job!

+1 love your panelling effects

good job!

Goose

Post by **m0rce** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:33 pm

Looks great mate

Post by **heel** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:47 pm

Thank you guys. Having studied all of your craftsmanship, it's much appreciated.

Post by **heel** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 4:19 pm

I lost a landing gear strut while doing a wash/dry brush. It literally disappeared into thin air. I ripped the basement apart looking for it. Called in to Tamiya customer support and they were able to find the part (and another tiny piece that goes under the wing) and are shipping replacement parts free of charge. Great customer service from Tamiya.

Post by **AndreFerro** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 6:25 pm

Very nice work, I should say!!

And U did the spots without masking??

Man, U R BOLD!!!

Post by **Puj** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 2:59 pm

Wow - That's a stunner !!

Can't wait to see the finished item

Post by **UKguyInUSA** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:08 am

Cracking paint work so far mate, she's looking a beaut!

Post by **heel** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:17 am

Thank you all. Glad you like the looks and it's much appreciated. I hope I will continue to do it justice. Updates will be slow for the next bit as I get into some decaling/weathering.

Post by **heel** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:54 pm

The decals went down but didn't settle into all the panel lines as hoped, even after multiple applications of microsol. They are thick and glossy, as I've read about. I should have used hotter water to lessen the glue effect. A touch of silvering but nothing too bad. I didn't apply every one, as some are minute.

Had some microsol eat into the paint a little. Not too bad though.

I did a panel line of Payne''s gray on the rlm76 and burnt umber on the green brown. I cut the decals to get them to conform better, but I'll have to touch them up again as it's a little sloppy in some places.

Post by **Puj** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 6:54 pm

That is very tasty..... likey likey

Post by **heel** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:45 pm

thanks puj! It's been a great build and should be finishing up just in time for the Navy GB. I plan on putting together a little dio for this one.

Post by **heel** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 4:24 pm

Hey guys just a quick update. This one is nearing completion. Not perfect but I know next time some things to avoid. Also, the nose guns were unusable as they became too brittle after I painted them. Had to revert to oob. A few more steps to finish, but here's a look at where it stands now.

I should have the final reveal up within the week.
Thanks for stopping by and all comments.

Post by **Nige201980** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 6:08 pm

Cracking build mate she is coming up a treat.

Post by **shortCummins** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 6:26 pm

great build

Post by **heel** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 8:01 am

Thanks Nige and John. Much appreciated.

I have a dilemma that I realized about halfway into the paintwork. There is a piece of armor plating that goes directly behind the pilot that I failed to attach before closing up the canopy. Do I risk damaging the paintwork around it in order to open it up and attach? Truthfully the cockpit looks a little barren without it, but I'm afraid I'll get some cracks or chips, or worse, should I perform surgery. If you notice in the first picture above, the paint looks connected from the center canopy to the fuselage.

Any comments or ideas are welcome. Thanks again to all for the support during the build.

Post by **patrickroos** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:12 pm

Nice build!
just had good look through.
Nice overall work onthis one, cockpit, paintjob and the exhausts look perfect.
Reg the canopy there is only one way Im afraid.
Good sharp blade, carefully cutting the canopy loose.
Damage to paintwork would be minimal if the blade is new and sharp.
However careful You are there will be some touching up to do.

Nice 109!

Post by **UKguyInUSA** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 6:43 pm

Pardon me, I just drooled!

Post by **heel** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 9:02 pm

Hey guys thanks for the kind comments.

I promised a dio and it is under way. I'm going to ignore the canopy conundrum for now.

I started with a shadow box and some mod podge, masking off the frame.

Then added some texture. Cat litter, pastel shavings. Down with cheap primer.

Now, there was supposed to be a large rock, as you could see in the above photo. It didn't like the primer and shriveled. Looked a bit like cat poop, if you will. So I took that off. At first I thought I made a huge mistake, as the podge began peeling back. But the end result was great, as it gave it a different texture of dried dirt and runoff.

I made a jerry can out of a beer can a few weeks ago.

and this dead German thyme will represent some desert foliage

Cheers fellas

Post by **heel** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 3:07 pm

Painted the base.

And a look at how it will rest. Just a few more details before it is done. I'll probably keep the jerry can but scrap the tree for fit reasons.

Post by **DaveTheMinion** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 4:43 pm

Very Nice, love it...

Post by **patrickroos** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 12:51 pm

Very nice!

Post by **ThomasBrown** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 2:41 pm

Excellent work!

Post by **heel** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:56 am

Thanks very much Dave, Patrick, and Thomas!

The compliments and feedback I've gotten from the ISM community pushes me to try harder than I might if I was the only one to see the results. Special thanks to rubegoldberg and everyone who commented as it came together. I will have the finished gallery up in Air Gallery sometime by Thursday, with natural sunlight shots included.

Post by **patrickroos** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:49 pm

Great looking "Emil" in a classic paint scheme, well done!

Also like the "desert floor" dio base, very realistic.