This kit is just to get my fingers back into models, but I was wondering if this is the same plane as a Bf 109? Any tips on the build would be appreciated! Once I get a couple of AA fodder kits out of the way I can get back into armor…just kidding…no really!
John
Bf & Me are interchangeable as far as 109’s go. The Me is more correct for late models & the Bf for early models.
Regards, Rick
Thanks for the clarification Rick! Can you tell me if what color the interior of a Messerschmitt would be?
John
dark gray… forget its name but its dark gray.
Hi, John!
Up to November 1941, German figthers’ cockpits were normally painted RLM 02 Grau, a sort of greeny-grey. The seats and control panels were normally RLM 70 Schwarzgrun, a very dark green. After November 1941, cockpits were normally painted RLM 66 Schwarzgrau, a very dark grey which is also a good choice for the colour of aircraft and vehicle tyres. Sometimes the seats and instrument panels were painted RLM 66 as well.
RLM stands for ‘Reichsluftfahrtministerium’ or ‘(German) Empire Air Ministry’, who had a range of paint standards similar in concept to the US Federal Standard colours. A number of model paint manufaturers produce RLM-matched paints. In the US, the most easily available is probably Polly Scale, though the relevant colours in the Testors range are fair matches, and probably easier to get hold of.
The topic of German aircraft interior colours has been discussed at length in journals, books, and on the web. If you do a Google search on ‘Bf. 109 interior’, you’ll find a huge amount of stuff, but to get you started, here’s some pictures of a Bf. 109 E cockpit:
www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/1997/07/stuff_eng_detail_bf109e.htm
and here’s a rather good model of the later Bf.109 G:
http:\hsfeatures.com/bf109g10fs_1.htm
If you’re modelling a Bf. 109 F or K, the cockpit was pretty similar to that of a Bf. 109 G.
This site gives an idea of what the various RLM colours looked like:
www.xs4all.nl/~rhorta/jgrlm.htm
Hope this helps,
Chris.
One pretty good preserved Me 109G sits in the Speyer Museum in Germany if you got the chance to go by. Maybe you can find some pix of it in the net.
Thanks for all the info guys, If I ever get back to Germany where is th Speyer?
John
Speyer is on the River Rhine, just off the A61 autobahn. It is about 25km south of Mannheim, and about 30km south-west of Heidelberg.
Chris.
Check out the websites of the two museums in Speyer/Sinsheim. I have visited the Sinsheim one three times over the years and it’s very impressive:
Wow I was in Hanau for almost two years in84 and 85. Too bad I did 'nt know about anything like that was there…too many beers in Frankfurt I guess!
John