Global Scale Modeller

cor wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 4:37 am Cockpit detail looks fine

Cheers, the 109 had a pretty basic cockpit and once the glass goes on there will be very little to see.

RangerNeil wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 6:44 am Possibly waving a red flag in front of the bull - but - Kotare have announced the release of an 1/32 Me-109, I think around the end of July. Its a Me109-K4.
Be interesting to see how it compares to this build.

There's been a bit of a renaissance in 109 kits over the last few years. Tamiya released a new kit in 1/48 which is stunning by all accounts. Border Models have released one in 1/35 as part of their increasing 1/35 range, and there's the Kotare one as you mentioned.

I've got enough large scale aircraft in the stash to avoid the above. Tamiya Spitfire and Mossie in 1/32 and then in 1/24, Airfix's new MkIX Spit and a Trumpy MkIIc Hurricane.

And if I look carefully I've also got an Airfix 1/48 Hurricane MkI and Eduard's 1/48 Dual combo Spitfire Mk1.

And then there's Kinetic's 1/48 Sea Harrier but I don't mention that as it scares me

As the modeler's lament goes:

I've got enough kits under my bed, to keep me in plastic until I'm dead!

Stokesy44 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:50 am

RangerNeil wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 6:44 am Possibly waving a red flag in front of the bull - but - Kotare have announced the release of an 1/32 Me-109, I think around the end of July. Its a Me109-K4.
Be interesting to see how it compares to this build.

There's been a bit of a renaissance in 109 kits over the last few years. Tamiya released a new kit in 1/48 which is stunning by all accounts. Border Models have released one in 1/35 as part of their increasing 1/35 range, and there's the Kotare one as you mentioned.

I've got enough large scale aircraft in the stash to avoid the above. Tamiya Spitfire and Mossie in 1/32 and then in 1/24, Airfix's new MkIX Spit and a Trumpy MkIIc Hurricane.

And if I look carefully I've also got an Airfix 1/48 Hurricane MkI and Eduard's 1/48 Dual combo Spitfire Mk1.

And then there's Kinetic's 1/48 Sea Harrier but I don't mention that as it scares me

As the modeler's lament goes:

I've got enough kits under my bed, to keep me in plastic until I'm dead!

I started out with the strict rule of no aircraft, but after a 3 or 4 yrs it became more flexible. I now have 18.. 1/48, 28.. 1/32 and 3 1/35
One of those is AV-8B Harrier II from Trumpeter and yes no plans to build that in the next 6 months.

digger303 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 2:11 pm
I started out with the strict rule of no aircraft, but after a 3 or 4 yrs it became more flexible. I now have 18.. 1/48, 28.. 1/32 and 3 1/35
One of those is AV-8B Harrier II from Trumpeter and yes no plans to build that in the next 6 months.

If I'm reading this right, you've got TWENTY EIGHT 1/32 kits?

I'm off for a lie down. Those numbers have clean knocked the wind out of me. That is a SERIOUS number mate. I salute you

Stokesy44 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 6:52 pm

digger303 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 2:11 pm
I started out with the strict rule of no aircraft, but after a 3 or 4 yrs it became more flexible. I now have 18.. 1/48, 28.. 1/32 and 3 1/35
One of those is AV-8B Harrier II from Trumpeter and yes no plans to build that in the next 6 months.

If I'm reading this right, you've got TWENTY EIGHT 1/32 kits?

I'm off for a lie down. Those numbers have clean knocked the wind out of me. That is a SERIOUS number mate. I salute you

yeah and there are 12 biplanes in 1/32 in amongst those numbers, a couple of monoplanes and 3 tri planes
Can you see why I no longer worry what's in the stash.....it would kill me if I did.
I am going to build the old Revell Spitfire soon. So that will be one less.
Lets have a Tri-plane build next year maybe the Meng ?

digger303 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:43 pm

Stokesy44 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 6:52 pm

digger303 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 2:11 pm
I started out with the strict rule of no aircraft, but after a 3 or 4 yrs it became more flexible. I now have 18.. 1/48, 28.. 1/32 and 3 1/35
One of those is AV-8B Harrier II from Trumpeter and yes no plans to build that in the next 6 months.

If I'm reading this right, you've got TWENTY EIGHT 1/32 kits?

I'm off for a lie down. Those numbers have clean knocked the wind out of me. That is a SERIOUS number mate. I salute you

yeah and there are 12 biplanes in 1/32 in amongst those numbers, a couple of monoplanes and 3 tri planes
Can you see why I no longer worry what's in the stash.....it would kill me if I did.
I am going to build the old Revell Spitfire soon. So that will be one less.
Lets have a Tri-plane build next year maybe the Meng ?

You remind me of a childhood friend who would always do backstroke when swimming in the deep end. If she couldn't see how deep it was then it wasn't a problem.

I like the idea of a Meng Tri-plane build next year

digger303 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:43 pm

Stokesy44 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 6:52 pm

digger303 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 2:11 pm
I started out with the strict rule of no aircraft, but after a 3 or 4 yrs it became more flexible. I now have 18.. 1/48, 28.. 1/32 and 3 1/35
One of those is AV-8B Harrier II from Trumpeter and yes no plans to build that in the next 6 months.

If I'm reading this right, you've got TWENTY EIGHT 1/32 kits?

I'm off for a lie down. Those numbers have clean knocked the wind out of me. That is a SERIOUS number mate. I salute you

yeah and there are 12 biplanes in 1/32 in amongst those numbers, a couple of monoplanes and 3 tri planes
Can you see why I no longer worry what's in the stash.....it would kill me if I did.
I am going to build the old Revell Spitfire soon. So that will be one less.
Lets have a Tri-plane build next year maybe the Meng ?

Ooohhh - I do like the idea of a Tri-plane build next year.
Of course - thats the one thing NOT in the stash!!

Stokesy44 wrote: Wed Jun 25, 2025 6:41 am

digger303 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:43 pm

Stokesy44 wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 6:52 pm

If I'm reading this right, you've got TWENTY EIGHT 1/32 kits?

I'm off for a lie down. Those numbers have clean knocked the wind out of me. That is a SERIOUS number mate. I salute you

yeah and there are 12 biplanes in 1/32 in amongst those numbers, a couple of monoplanes and 3 tri planes
Can you see why I no longer worry what's in the stash.....it would kill me if I did.
I am going to build the old Revell Spitfire soon. So that will be one less.
Lets have a Tri-plane build next year maybe the Meng ?

You remind me of a childhood friend who would always do backstroke when swimming in the deep end. If she couldn't see how deep it was then it wasn't a problem.

I like the idea of a Meng Tri-plane build next year

"You remind me of a childhood friend who would always do backstroke when swimming in the deep end. If she couldn't see how deep it was then it wasn't a problem."

Yep close your eye's to how many and open your mind to the joy. Mind you I wasn't always thinking like that, I actually put pressure on myself to complete more and then I wasn't enjoying it. So I had a think and a reset of attitude and I'm fine....just cruising mostly except the thought of storage space does creep in occasionally.

After all the chin scratching and strategising over stashes, its back to the build!

There's a rather annoying gap where the wings meet the fuselage on both sides. If I glue the wings tight, the angle will to be too high and the wing uplift too much.





I decided to add a fillet to the fuselage on each side using plastic card. I cut a strip to length then cut that into three parts, one long length for the rear part of the wing which is flat and two smaller parts for the forward section. Once glued on I trimmed the pieces to match the wing joint then sanded them back to about half-width so as to be a snug fit for the wings.





I test fitted and sanded, tested and sanded until the wings were snug and (to my eyes at least) at the right angle. There's just a little filler required where the leading edge meets the fuselage but other than that it looks ok.





I then switched over to adding the two upper cowls as I am not showing the engine.





The center line join need a tidy but its a two piece cowl so there should be a join where the cowls are hinged together anyway.





Stabs and elevators and flaps up next then it will be joint sanding before the cockpit glazing.

Nice work on filling the gap. It's looking good.

Problem efficiently solved

Very neat save on the wing roots, Stokesy. The speed you build makes me feel like I should get more done.
Happy modelling!

Really nice save on the wing root !! Because I would have also put on a strip but after gluing the wings and then trim and sand it down... but your method is quite better because that way you kept your rivets mostly intact.

So far,..... so good!

Steve64 wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 5:03 pm Very neat save on the wing roots, Stokesy. The speed you build makes me feel like I should get more done.
Happy modelling!

Thanks Steve. I consider myself pretty slow compared to most! If you want speed, the likes of Ranger Neil or Digger are the ones to watch. I lose track of where they are with their stuff when they're really at it!

Garion77 wrote: Mon Jun 30, 2025 1:02 pm Really nice save on the wing root !! Because I would have also put on a strip but after gluing the wings and then trim and sand it down... but your method is quite better because that way you kept your rivets mostly intact.

Thanks, the surface detail was paramount in my decision process. If I had filled the joins there would have been no integrity in the fit and the filler would probably have cracked or sunk. I thought adding a shim the way I did was probably the easiest option. Doing it after putting the wings on would not have worked because I only had one thickness of card and that had to be sanded back by almost 50% to get the right dihedral angle for the wings or they would have been too flat.

I was up early this morning so I got in a quick session before work.

Putting the tail together. Parts are nice and detailed. The rudder is only test fitted as its going to be a different color to the rest of the tail.





The elevators were separate but the fit is really nice.



The tail is tiny. They beefed it up for the F variant so it didn't need the supporting struts as seen on the earlier versions but even compared to the Spitfire, its still really delicate.

I put the drop tank together too, nice and detailed although a fair bit of sanding will be required.





Hope to get a lot done over the weekend

Nice to see the fit is mostly good and the craft is shaping up well.

Coming together. That drop tank is pretty cool. Normally they're just a smooth surface

cor wrote: Sat Jul 05, 2025 9:28 am Coming together. That drop tank is pretty cool. Normally they're just a smooth surface

Yep, its a good looking tank. I've been working on the joins with a metal file to make sure all the indented ribbing stays sharp at the seam lines.

I've had the filler out working on the various joins and seam lines. I masked off the areas around the seams so the filler didnt get into all the lovely rivet detail when I applied it. The sanding dust has got into them but that's an easy fix.









There is a panel on the underside that you drop an insert into but the hole is too deep so the inserted panel sits too low. its not by much but it would really stand out when painted. I lad down masking strips until the hole was the right depth then added the panel. Nice and level now.





I've always known the engine is wonky which means the prop will not fit when mated to the fuselage. I proved this today when I test fitted the base of the prop to the shaft, Its well out and did not like being 'reasoned' into position. Its just too low. I decided to cut the shaft off and attach the prop direct to the fuselage. Not ideal.

However, the glycol tank attaches direct to the prop spinner and when I looked at it, I could see it conforms perfectly to the edge of the spinner base and I wondered if it would help the fit now the shaft was no more.



Absolute fluke but it fits perfectly and is tight enough to hold the spinner on.





Need to finish up the cockpit next, gun sight and rear panel so I can start on the glazing. Then it will be priming time. I'm going for the marbling technique so I need to get sorted in terms of what color primer I use and what I use for the marbling. All good fun.

Nothing like the occasional good luck, good for the soul.
The panel detail is quite nice and there isn't too much filling required from what I can see. I have a strong feeling it's going to be very nice once finished.

are you going to run some tubes from the tank into the plane

cor wrote: Tue Jul 08, 2025 9:04 am are you going to run some tubes from the tank into the plane

I might have to, now you've made me think of it!

I was able to get a little bench time this morning.

I put the prop together and test fitted it. The good news is the spinner and hub can be painted without the blades so that will take away any need for mucking about and masking. It really shows off how the 109 nose got beefed up from the F version onwards.





I then added the radiator flaps. They can only be posed open, which is a bit of faff.







I also fitted the gun sight but forgot to take pictures of it

Looks like it's coming along nicely!

Flaps only open is indeed a bit of faff. Whatever faff is.

cor wrote: Sun Jul 13, 2025 11:37 pm Flaps only open is indeed a bit of faff. Whatever faff is.

To faff - to spend excessive time on something that should be relatively simple or to spend excessive time on something that should not be required at all.

Its an impressive looking build!! Going to be interesting to see the paint go on and start bringing it "alive".

RangerNeil wrote: Mon Jul 14, 2025 11:28 am Its an impressive looking build!! Going to be interesting to see the paint go on and start bringing it "alive".

Thanks

I have a painting plan that is so cunning you could put a tail on and call it a weasel! Its positively Baldrickesq!

I'm as confident as a red shirt in Star Trek!

The primer is not far off now, just need to sort the glazing then its airbrush time.

I like the big fat spinners on these things. Showed the brits they meant business.

cor wrote: Tue Jul 15, 2025 9:40 am I like the big fat spinners on these things. Showed the brits they meant business.

On the E variant the glycol tank is U shaped and sits astride and under the prop shaft. On the F, if the kit tank is accurate, its almost a full wrap around version so the spinner and all the forward aerodynamics are bigger in circumference to fit it in. Bigger than the E but more streamlined (if that makes sense )

And it would only get bigger from here. Not the spinner but blisters would be added to cope with larger machine guns and then an enlarged rudder to cope with the increased engine power. Never a beast but certainly more muscular than the 1940 E variants.

I didnt realise I had not posted in over 2 weeks!

Yesterday I worked on the cockpit glazing, the rear piece needed a bit of gentle manipulation because it was a touch too narrow, only by about half a mil but because its a flat to flat join it really stuck out.

Then this morning I added the Montex masks prior to priming. The canopy is only friction fitted as I need to attach the armored headrest prior to finishing. I needed it on the kit for painting.







And then it was priming time. Time to check the joins. There's still a bit of work to be done in some places but nothing that requires sanding. I will mask off the relevant seams and then fill and wipe off the excess.











I love this self-levelling primer, it gives a superb result even when sprayed agriculturally by me!

Now she definitely looks ready for paint. All your work has paid off!

I don't think agricultural correctly describes it as it looks very good and smooth.

Steve64 wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 3:51 pm Now she definitely looks ready for paint. All your work has paid off!

DRUMS01 wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 10:21 pm

digger303 wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 1:47 am I don't think agricultural correctly describes it as it looks very good and smooth.

Thanks.

My reference to agriculture was about my technique. Short of actually squirting the primer at the kit straight from the bottle, this stuff lays down beautifully.

Stokesy44-It looks very nice.

Phillip1

Phillip1 wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 6:08 pm Stokesy44-It looks very nice.

Phillip1

Thanks. I hope to do the effects and then the base coats at the weekend.

It looks really nice. All the detail seems to be there

cor wrote: Thu Aug 07, 2025 10:11 am It looks really nice. All the detail seems to be there

Agree, the surface detail is lovely and crisp. For the price its difficult to argue against it.

Started on the painting today.

First up with the marble coat. 0.2 airbrush on a nice low pressure, secret is to get about 10mm from the kit and keep the needle moving, then its just a matter of keeping going until you have the coverage you want.







Then the pre-shade for the panels and rivets, similar setting but this time trying to keep the needle steady!





I've checked the paint stocks and I have the light blue so next up will be the underside. I've never done pre-shade WITH marbling so it will be fun to see how the paint layers up against the effects.

looks fantastic!

Looking very cool so far!

Paul

Quax wrote: Sat Aug 09, 2025 6:32 pm Looking very cool so far!

Paul

bfrd wrote: Sat Aug 09, 2025 5:13 pm looks fantastic!

Ah, Gentlemen, you are too kind. I'm in no position to give you money.

Got to work on the underside today.

I decided to mask where the upper color will meet the light blue for 2 reasons. I am notorious for not painting right up to the required line when spraying the first of a multi-color scheme and second, I did not want to spoil any of the effects on areas where the desert yellow will go.

It took a while as I kept building up the paintwork and reduced the effects beneath.









I also painted the underside engine cover and radiator housing. I dont know if its a combination of the yellow colour over the effects but its come out really nice and I have no idea why or how!







Next up is the desert yellow then the white fuselage bands and hull red for the rudder

Great color modulation so far, keep it up!

Deft touch with the airbrush.

digger303 wrote: Mon Aug 11, 2025 1:26 am Deft touch with the airbrush.

Cheers. I always forget how fun it is to spray the paint over the effects. Trying to judge the amount of paint going down and constantly playing with the airbrush settings. My airbrush is showing signs of wear (mismanagement) and I get a bit of tip dry as I work so I'm constantly fussing with it. Its all good though, I did think the pre-shade might be a bit too dark for the light blue and I may beef it up a little, particularly on the fuselage. Mind you the fuselage colours will be broken up by the markings so I may leave it as is.

Well that's come along really nicely since the last time I had chance to catch up on the thread.

The cockpit looks really tidy & great work on sorting out the various wing, panel & prop alignments.

The marbling you've produced looks stunning in its own right - it's almost a shame to cover it with the main colours!

Cracking airbrush work mate