Eduard 1:48 Bf 109 E-1

[Garion77]

Hello everyone,
So having liked the experience of posting pictures of my build during the bomber Sig, I tought I would give my first real try in general building section. So the first idea of this project was to acquire more experience since I still consider myself beginner. And for that process I bought that kit 2 years ago and my goal was to follow Paul's revisited technique guide. I even posted a bit of my cockpit in an old post. But Paul decided to give it up and I got caught up in other things.

I got back to it after finishing the bomber Sig. So the build is already on the way. I'll write where I'm at right now and I've been taking pictures for a while aiming to post everything here. I'll try to keep it short but it still going to be a long post. So here is the kit :
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

I don't have any pictures of the sprues since the build is pretty far on. The only thing that is aftermarket are the resin wheels (no pictures). So when I started building the kit I had never tried PE and resin.

So here's where I was at when Paul decided to abandon the video guide :
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

Sorry for the blurry pictures. I was pretty satisfied with myself at the time because as it was my first attempt at weathering. It is a bit to much weathered now for my taste today and for what at aiming for the end project of the kit. The build when on by assembling the fuselages halves together and the wings. No major fitting issue on that part (but wait later !!). Except on the underside in the front of the plane
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

So I went on afterwards giving a try at the engine, only for practice because I wasn't going to show it anyways. After assembling it and painting it I realized that it didn't fit properly in the kit. So I had to saw thought it to get the connection point for the propellers
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

But the other problem I had with that is that all the exhausts stack where already glued to it !! Paying an aftermarket with shipping cost only for that wasn't an option for me. So I carefully removed them one by one and glued them back on a plastic sheet that I cut and glue inside the engine bay
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
I was pretty proud of my self ! First attempt at a kind of scratch building.

But then the fitting issues came along
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

A lot of filling and sanding that made me quite disappointed with the kit. Being my first Eduard kit and earring only good things about them. But I went on a realize I had broken a small part where the antenna connects.
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

So again an attempt at scratch building... but I was lucky ! Wondering how I could replicate the small part I realize I have an another 109 kit by Eduard but package by AK
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

So I took the fuselage halve that had the antenna and drew around it on 2 plastics sheets that I glued together.
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

I cut around it. Sanded it to the right form and thickness.
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
And glue it back to my kit
Bf 109 by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
A bit more sanding was done to make it better.

But now I'm at a dead end and this where I need help ! I'm in the process of assembling the wheels and landing gear. After painting everything and adding some scratches I look at a few pictures of the real plane and think I may have found a mistake in the kit. You see in the following picture how Eduard made the landing gear
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

But when I look at real pictures they don't seem to have the V shape in it... They seem straight and the V shape seems to have come along with the G version of the 109.
Anyone knows what it should be for a E-1 ?
So that's it for a really long post...thanks if you when trough all of it. Feel free to comment a criticize

[sheppsea]

Just check my Valiant Wings book on early 109s and although they (surprisingly) don't have photos showing it, there are a number of diagrams showing it there. The diagrams seem to have been take from the original manual as they're all in German and look old

[Garion77]

Just check my Valiant Wings book on early 109s and although they (surprisingly) don't have photos showing it, there are a number of diagrams showing it there. The diagrams seem to have been take from the original manual as they're all in German and look old

Thanks for the help !! I just order that book Sunday !