First real plane for 40 yrs, a Revell 1/32 Bf 109 G 10

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Steve and Colin

Many thanks for the kind comments

Bob

[Guest]

Bob , well done , nice looking office .
We hear on the ground are a little concerned that you have been abducted by the wingies, a dangerous crowd of people who mutter about panel lines and lead in the nose !
John .

[Guest]

It’s something to do with banned images in Europe.....

The reason is mainly that in Germany, displaying a swastika in anything other than a historical or clearly anti-Nazi context is forbidden by law. Models and their box art are a bit tricky in this respect, but are likely to be seen as not a historical context. This has lead to a kind of gentleman’s agreement among the major European kit manufacturers to not include them on decal sheets at all, and others to supply them as pieces to be assembled by the modeller. This Fw 190 kit review provides a rationale:

[The kit under review] lacks swastikas, but as a result of subsequent correspondence with someone close to Airfix's decal development I now have a clearer understanding why they do not include graphics to produce this NAZI national insignia.

Essentially, as long as Revell and Italeri do not include swastikas in their kits, Airfix will not run any legal or market-exclusion risks by doing so. This is despite the fact that numerous other kit makers do provide for swastikas, including some from EU countries that experienced Nazi occupation. I see little point causing a flare up again by repeating my assertation. So instead I will say that it seems Airfix do have an excuse for not including the partial graphics to make swastikas in the decal sheet; albeit a rather timid one in my view.

[boatman]

Bob , well done , nice looking office .
We hear on the ground are a little concerned that you have been abducted by the wingies, a dangerous crowd of people who mutter about panel lines and lead in the nose !
John .

HI John whats this about bein abducted by the wingies an a dangerous crowd of people :rolling: we are rather timid an some times O T T :smiling2::smiling2::smiling2::smiling2: LOL
chris

[Guest]

Looks good to me :smiling3:.

[Wouter]

ola, Mister StuG is going wingy. What's not to like about a G-10...great looking plane. Looking forward to see you tackle this Bobster!

[BattleshipBob]

Hi John

Yes a slight wander off the path of the mighty Stug!! But still loving the beast!!

Thought a bash at a flying machine would go under the old radar??

Bob

[BattleshipBob]

Hi SWR, many thanks

Young Wouter, delighted to hear from you. Thanks for the comments!

Mind you theres always the flying Stug, the A10 warthog, only modern plane i like !

[Guest]

The reason is mainly that in Germany, displaying a swastika in anything other than a historical or clearly anti-Nazi context is forbidden by law. Models and their box art are a bit tricky in this respect, but are likely to be seen as not a historical context. This has lead to a kind of gentleman’s agreement among the major European kit manufacturers to not include them on decal sheets at all, and others to supply them as pieces to be assembled by the modeller. This Fw 190 kit review provides a rationale:

I always find this strange, Stalin's forces murdered more people, at least 50 million before and during the war than the Germans, and the RED star is not outlawed.
Where as the swastika caused more outrage.
For the Hindus and Buddhists in India and other Asian countries, the swastika was an important symbol for many thousands of years and, to this day, the symbol can still be seen in abundance - on temples, buses, taxis, and on the cover of books. It was also used in Ancient Greece and Rome, and can be found in the remains of the ancient city of Troy, which existed 4,000 years ago. The ancient Druids and the Celts also used the symbol, reflected in many artifacts that have been discovered. It was used by Nordic tribes, and even early Christians used the Swastika as one of their symbols, including the Teutonic Knights , a German medieval military order, which became a purely religious Catholic Order.
Just saying.

[Guest]

I always find this strange, Stalin's forces murdered more people, at least 50 million before and during the war than the Germans, and the RED star is not outlawed.
Where as the swastika caused more outrage.

The reasons for both are rather complex, but it pretty much boils down to two things: the Germans have had it well and truly peppered into them after 1945 that Nazism = BAD. On the other hand, in the former Soviet Union, Stalin is still seen as a hero to varying degrees (ranging more or less, from “not too bad a guy” to “best leader Russia ever had”). Saying bad things about Stalin in Russia is likely to get a lot of people up in arms against you, whereas in Germany you’ll provoke a similar reaction by saying good things about Hitler (in both cases: even if they’re true, because people are generally fairly ignorant of history but know what they like and don’t like).

Why swastikas aren’t in model kits is because all symbols associated with “unconstitutional organizations” are forbidden by law in Germany. This includes not only swastikas and other ancient Germanic symbols when used in a Nazi context, but also the red star insignia of the East German Communist Party, to name one. The exception is if use of the symbol:—

serves to further civil enlightenment, to avert unconstitutional aims, to promote art or science, research or teaching, reporting about current historical events or similar purposes.

Also don’t forget that laws vary from country to country. What’s seen as a gross illegality in one country can be entirely allowed in another — possibly even in the next one over. For example, I regularly see UK reality police shows on TV in which people get officially cautioned for being in possession of small amounts of cannabis, which — though technically illegal in the Netherlands too — wouldn’t cause any police action at all over here.

For the Hindus and Buddhists in India and other Asian countries, the swastika was an important symbol for many thousands of years

The problem isn’t the symbol itself, the problem is what it stands for: that a given symbol has been used for a long time says nothing about how people perceive it.

Most of you here are British, and using Nazi-style swastikas is, at worst, seen as being in a bit of bad taste in the UK as far as I can tell. Try showing one in the Netherlands (for other than clearly historical purposes), and you’ll probably get a much stronger reaction, especially from older people, as it’ll often be seen as downright offensive. The reason probably is, you have memorials like this in your towns:



whereas in ours, you can find ones like this:


or the left panel in close-up:


I don’t mean this as a judgement or indictment or anything, just trying to place things in a historical perspective.

[BattleshipBob]

Afternoon

some progress, however those of you who have the kits beware!! the plans are a bit confusing

24 and 25 show the fitment of the underwing coolant radiators, they seem to be the wrong way round, as I have found to my shock ,arrghh

Make sure that the taller one sound be at the front of the wing and the smaller at the rear, the plans show them the wrong way. I found out fitting the lower wing sections as they would not fit, I and to cut back the one and the other now does not fit the space so from the front there is a gap, bugger. Will teach me to dry fit first lol

otherwise fitted the wings and started to add filler to various joints and gaps (caused by me!!!)










The wheel wells should be aluminium, but used silver as I had none in stock! I am using this build purely as practice and have spotted a few issues.

so far I am pleased but need to read the plans more and take time , I am not leaving time for things to set and should have painted some bits before fitting

Please feel free to comment , I know its not up to the standards of some of the excellent builds but got to learn !!

thanks bob

[Jim R]

Hi Bob
A wingy thingy - well who'd have thunk it!!
Looks like you're off to a nice start. Cockpit looks fine.
Jim

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Jim

Hope you are well!

I know i am a Stug sado but its not all Stug you know lol, well not all the time

I have a few large scale kits 1/24 and 1/32 and my plan is to get the practice and yes i need it!! ready for two He 219 night fighters.

Thanks Bob

[Guest]

The wheel wells should be aluminium

Actually, they should probably be RLM 02 Grau, says a little quick research.

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Jakko

As this is a 'practice' build i have not been too fussy ref the actual colours so just followed the plans. As i hopefully improve i will then look at the rlm colours for acuracy


Had a look and i have got rlm o2 in a vallejo luftwaffe paint set, so will use that instead.

Thanks for the info

Bob