Colourful Kurfurst-Revellgawa 1/32 Bf109K

[stona]

Very interesting camo Steve. Makes you wonder where they got their ideas from and the reasons behind it.Vaughan

They were just building aircraft out of the bits that became available from sub-contractors and sattelite factories. That's why we've got a front end which looks like it belongs to another aircraft. The fuselage section which may well have come from a G-10 (the bit that will end up in a primer colour) is unusual. The RLM 75/82 tail section was common at this time. I've got a picture somewhere of a load of them lined up in what looks like a barn,such was the state of german aircraft production at this time. A lot of units obviously thought this was too dark and an RLM 76 overspray is not uncommon. I think this one has the overspray on the rudder only because it is a replacement or at least has been nicked off another aircraft.

It certainly makes for an interesting paint job! Time consuming for the modeller but that's fine by me. I've just started on the first of several shades of Alclad for the natural metal panels. Mask and spray....mask and spray...we all know how that goes

Cheers

Steve

[Centurion3RTR]

Thats some great work there Steve mate, you're right too. It's very 'colourful', going to keep an eye on this.

Have fun, John

[spanner570]

Excellent painting Steve. I do like different cammo's/ paint jobs, and this is no exception. Great job.

One thing springs to mind though when I see all the masking that has to be done..... Thank heaven I still use a brush!!

The barn picture you mention would make a great diorama. Any chance of finding it?

Cheers,

Ron

[Ian M]

A very Interesting scheme that Steve.

I know that you are no stranger to Alclad but I would like to tell you an amusing trick which is great for Bare Metal finishes. Simple as possible you paint the panels in different colours, green, blue black, grey and white, just as an example. Then spray over that with one 'colour' Alclad. Its an effect worth playing with. Once dry you can enhance the effect by picking out a panel here and there with a different one.

Give it a try with some left over paint the next time you are spraying.

Back to your build I must just say that I am in awe of the back ground work that you do. This is an area that I am terrible at and tend to skimp on.

Ian M

[stona]

Thanks chaps.

Ron,I think that one's in a book so as I flick through them from time to time I'll keep my eyes open for it. You'd need a lot of tail sections (empennages) to do the dio :lol:

Ian,I once tried "preshading", for want of a better description, various panels in different greys. I think it may have been on the bottom of a P-47. I found that the result was variable in the sense that from some angles the difference was very noticeable and from others invisible. Of course this may have had something to do with the fact that I only used greys and tend to mist on just enough Alclad to give me the metal look I'm after. Well,that or complete ineptitude .

I may give it another go with a greater variation in preshade as per your suggestion. Wouldn't I still have to mask the panels for that though?

On this one the panels (with the possible exception of the radiator flaps) were all essentially the same material so I want a fairly subtle shading as per pictures I've seen of the Messerschmitt assembly halls.

[stona]

Spot the difference!!!!

Two shades of Alclad,"Duraluminium" and "Dark Aluminium" on these two segments.

Mmmmmmmmm,no more visible difference to the naked eye. This bit will be oversprayed with a primer.....luckily!

Cheers

Steve

[stona]

Well meine damen und herren we have reached a significant milestone!

After the best part of four days of labour the major painting is done.

Here's the underside,I'm afraid I don't have the photographic skills to show the Alclad to best advantage!

I've drilled and fitted the tube to allow the model to sit on one of my custom stands.

I've now discovered that you can mask Alclad with Tamiya tape after a couple of hours which is handy to know.

Here's the topside.

This is painted with White Ensign Colourcoats which are enamels. Though the camouflage has been on for 24-48 hours and is "touch" dry I'll be leaving it in a nice warm room until tomorrow night before I will give it a gloss coat.

I'm off to make some custom decals for the W.Nr. on the primed section and then I'll be looking for something to do.

Now what did I do with that little Fw 190 for the GB !?

Cheers

Steve

[papa 695]

Looking very good Steve. And the custom stand is fantastic. Pray how do you make them , or is it a trade secret ?

[Guest]

My hat's definitely off to you & your painting skills Steve! I'd never tackle such a complicated job, not just the varied camo schemes, but using alclad on those individual panels.

Frankly it must have worked to deceive the Allies coz it barely looks like a 109 to me stationary let alone at 300-odd mph!

Patrick

[stona]

Cheers fellas.

Ian ,I did a thingy on here a few years ago about the stands. If I can't find it I'll do a quick resume at the end. Essentially it's an acrylic rod,bent to shape in a pan of boiling water,inserted into a clear acrylic base made from a photo frame.

Patrick,this one does look a bit odd. It's a bit of a mix and match! 300mph? he could well be doing about 440 mph at 24,000 feet!

At this time the camouflage SHOULD have comprised the principal upper colours (RLM 81 and 82). The Luftwaffe had reverted to a green/brown scheme in an effort to hide their aircraft on the ground,just as the early war RAF Dark Green/Dark Earth scheme was designed to do.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I guess that's a pretty clear indication of the changing fortunes of the Luftwaffe at the end of the war when the Allies had air superiority.

Maybe he'd have done only 300 mph if he was making his fuel last! Though probably not with a Mustang on his tail!

[stona]

I guess that's a pretty clear indication of the changing fortunes of the Luftwaffe at the end of the war when the Allies had air superiority.

Exactly so. This whole airframe pretty well demonstrates the problems they were having. It's sort of why I wanted to build this one. It's also worth recognising the effort and determination shown by the Luftwaffe that it managed to keep on fighting at all into 1945.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I'm with you there Steve. While I'd never condone the war or the Nazis, you've got to wonder how a relatively small country like Germany managed to keep going for so long, though I guess slave labour helped!

[stona]

I'm with you there Steve. While I'd never condone the war or the Nazis

Of course not.

I think they had plenty of incentive. We were bombing them into next week and those young men had been raised in a climate of racially and politically aggravated fear of "bolshevism" and the Slavic threat from the East.

It doesn't make it right but it is important to try and understand what kept them going.

And yes,the use of slave labour and all the appalling images that that brings to mind was a factor.

Cheers

Steve

[stona]

Got some decals on the 109 and a Klear coat on the little 190.

It all looks a bit shiney at the moment!

Cheers

Steve