Firstly please note, that I havnt denoted wether this is a Bf or an Me. If the little nit picking rivet counter that I met today is reading this I am deferring to his instructions, "if I dont know, don`t say!". [XX]
Any way MY Me 109G-12/R3 is coming along as the photos show. In just a week the Kubel and Oil Cart have been painted and detailed. Even the bit I have been dreading (canopy) has been relativly trouble free. I hate canopies. One of these days Im gonna build a beached BoB 109 with an ejected mid & rear, leaving just the front screen to deal with. For some reason any defect in this area, on my models, draws my eyes to it like a new kit on a shelf at the shops altho others either don`t notice or are to polite to say…sorry two gripes and no pics yet.
For reasons mentioned in my last WIP update this model had to be fitted to the dio base early, and as this was a vacform canopy I was not looking forward to this job as I have had problems with this type in the past. Still this is a Falcon kit and my worries were groundless, a quick trim, a light sand and he fit was surprisingly good/near excellent. Finished in painted decal strips I am reasonally pleased with the result.
Included below are some of the dio accs. Im happy with the Kubels hood which I discovered a new trick. In the past I have been annoyed by the tissue colour showing thro` on the inside of the model. In this case I mixed some water colour from an old xmas present into the diluted PVA and hey pretzel problem solved.
As usual all comments are appreciated and welcomed, and as an aside, I have recently been given a motorized turntable, and was wondering if it was possible to post moving pictures and how one went about it?.
Regards to all Gary[8-]
Just looked at the preview and I appologise for the picture quality. Not my camera.
Gary, I LOVE the two seat Bf109! [8D] I missed your other posts relating to this build, what scale is this? I did read that it’s a Falcon kit? I have never heard of them before but I want one [:D] Again it look great.
Thanxs for the compliments. The kits by a New Zealand co. to 1:48. They are the people who make Squadrons canopies. If I remember right they make/made several G-12 kits. This one which is a limited run injection mould with great detail and nice thin decals (used on the model) but like all low run kits has build issues. A vac formed version complete kit based on a G-6 and a vac form conversion which has just the fuselage/canopy but also includes a 190S trainer. If you want to see more on the G12 go to my post WIP Updates.
The hood on the Kubel is tissue used single ply. I use really cheap toilet roll as most have quilted patters impressed into them. As the tissue is so thin I run very thin sprue superglued between the hood irons to support the wet tissue till it sets. Tighten the sprue with a light heat source to avoid sags.
The oil cart is from a set Revell put out some years ago which is often seen on Ebah at silly prices when the level of detail is considered. It give you a Luftwaffy oil cart and bomb hoist, an RAF oiler and trolley accumalator, and a USAAF Clarkson tractor and bomb trolley as shown below. They all need a bit off work and detailing but there a start and avoid scratchbuilding.
Thank you very much for the information. I was wonder how hard it would be to scratch build a two seater 109. Your work is outstanding. In my opinion the 109 is a great looking aircraft.
excellent work grayallum. I like the molt on the tail and down the sides. I have a G-12 in 1/72 scale but have yet to even open the box. You got to like when you have 3 or 4 colors on the side of a 109, makes a real interesting camo. You pulled that off very well, that,s the kinda a job that catches eyes at a show.
As for your nit picking rivit counter issue you can correctly call it a BF. messerschmitt was part of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke until 1938. Per RLM aircraft built before this still carried the old manfacture prefix hence BF109, BF110 but ME-210, ME-163. In your eariler post for info you will notice I called out BF on the 109 but used ME to describe the 309. When I correspond on the research board where people really know there stuff you have to be correct, in the moldeling world I don’t think it really matters. That info will not help you build a better model and this is not a techinical or history forum so the aircraft perfix designation will not make a difference. This seemed to bother you so I thought I’d help you out garyallum don’t take this the wrong way my friend, just putting the info out there.
No offence taken or even considered and thanks for the kind words. It just annoys me that there are people who have to be so correct, and these are generally the kind that never get involved in actually building anything. Years ago I used to work for Beatties Models at their London store in the model railway department, and to hear the rivet counters on that side of the hobby moan was unbelieveable. They would take a range like Hornby, one of the cheaper manufacturers and complain that the buffers are the wrong height or that the windows were not set flush etc etc for hours on end. Or they would take out every wagon or coach of the shelf and run it up and down a piece of track just to see if the wheels wobbled. Incredible. But then being able to tell them that if they wanted a scale model they should model in HO and not OO as the scale gauge of the track was wrong and everything was out of kilter anyway was most enjoyable. As to Bf or Me, Im not really worried. The main thing is to be able to communicate and both parties understand what your talking about. Years ago I used to be a freelance modelmaker and enjoyed being paid for what I liked doing anyway. These days its just for fun.
Thanks for your interest. I know it`s a Bf109, but in general conversation if you mention a Messerschmitt everyone knows what your refering to. To the average bod the 1o9 is familiar but the prefix of Bf just confuses the issue.
I have a great interest in gardening and when I talk to people I don`t go on about how their ley is covered in Bellis perennis and Taraxacum officinale, that the Viscum album is making a fine crop for Christmas on their Malus.[%-)] Tell them that the lawn has a good covering of daisies and dandelions and that they have Mistletoe on their Crab apple and everyone knows what your talking about.[:)]
There is a time and place for technical jargon, but in a general conversation the simplest description is often the best.
My original gripe wasnt that I didnt know the difference, but his insistance that I shouldn`t speak unless I used the correct terminology. I have quite a good command of the english language but for people like him maybe just two digits raised in a vertical manner should be quite sufficient.
Well put Gary. Again great work on your Me109 [:D] How is your Dragon Bachem Natter coming along? I have one in my stash and was wondering how it builds.
Wow, nice work on the G-12! That’s not something you see everyday! I’m going to have to see about building one of those for my Bf109 obsession/collection.
The funny thing about the BF and ME designations as that both were used and you’ll even find some with Bf and Me used interchangably on the same aircraft when you look at the various placards etc. and the paper documention from the Messerschmitt factory records. I’ve even seen backup that had Me and Bf on the same document refering to one individual airplane.
Gotta love “rivet counters” who always think they’re right even when they don’t really have a clue. Too many of them buy into the myths and mistakes that were made in much of the early published works from the 60s and 70s, when in fact both designations are correct. If I get a chance, I’ll either scan or type up a great explaination and clarification from one of my 109 reference books which will give you great ammo when dealing with those so called “experts”. [:)]
Your a sharp cookie espins. I didn’t think anybody here would know this. You are right, I have seen both factory and field papers refering to it as both (sometimes on the same paper). Outside of the RLM reports this does not make a difference. The actual offical degination of say garyallums 109G-12 would look like this in offical RLM papers. 8-109G-12, 8= fighter aircraft, 109=airframe build, G=varient, 12 sub varient letter perfix. RLM never used ME mostly either 8-109 or rarely BF. If you were to look up me109 on some sites (name deleted) you would get this aircraft does not exist. The RLM never offically accepted me for the 109 so the hard core sites do not accept it either. If you ask question on the forum and use ME they will either ignore you or really give a verbal beating. I know they have ripped me up for this and other infractions several times (kinda like the trouble garyallum had). Very knowledgable people, but not too friendly. The only time I have seen the hard core nit pickers accept ME is in referance to the K series 109. But agree with you espins if the guy who built it doesn’t care why should anybody else. But if dealing with a real hard liner use BF or more accuracy 8-109 and save yourself a beating[B)]
Garyallum now you know this guy is probably one of those take no prisioners types and got if off one of those sites. Espins you made me type too much, but you keep me on my toes[:)]
Big mistake I make is calling them german aircraft[xx(]. germany did not exist in WWII after hilter declaired the rise of the thrid reich, hence they are reich aircraft. Reich defenders
I was wondering, though. That tractor, what is it from originally? As chance would have it, I was given one of these tractors, but without assembly instructions. Any chance I could get you to send me a PDF or a scan of your instruction sheet?
I have been working on the engine and had a problem with the etched engine frame, but in the main this kit is so simple even Dragon can`t make to many problems with it.
Hi Modelnerd,
Hope this helps details of kit above.
Hi Pheonix,
Ref 8-109G-12 This is a trainer - not a fighter- no guns [:D]
I didn’t think of that. I not 100% sure 8 would be the corrrect identifyer for that 109? I know the codes for a fighter, bomber, and glider off the top of my head but don’t think I have run into a trainer. that’s what I get for thinking again[:I]