Bob's Airfix 1/72 Bf 109 G-6

[Guest]

Hi All, 


This is my entry into the GB. The Airfix 1/72 Bf 109 G-6


The Plan


To build the kit pretty much OOB, might add some seat belts to it. This kit has no cockpit; I will not add one either. I will keep this build simple. I will try out two new things with this model. I will paint it in the German scheme shown - though I might not attempt the spotted camo. 

1. First I will use Future Floor polish as a clear coat, and then conduct a panel line wash with Tamiya Panel line wash after the clear coat. It may seem strange but I have never weathered a model after gloss coating it, as I paint with enamels, I usually use acrylic washes over the enamel paint - this does damage the paint sometimes - thus I am trying this method.
   
   
2. Second I will try out building a kit with mainly Humbrol paints, I have decided to start moving my paint collection (from Tamiya enamels) over to Humbrol, but before I do that I want to see if they are as good as the Tamiya Enamels (especially the gloss ones).
   

So this project will serve to test out the above two purposes. Once the build is complete I will try out making a video with the model spinning on a turntable and see how I go!


Kit Details (From Scalemates.com)


Product name:


Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6


Product number:


A02029


Scale:


1:72


Type:


Full kit
[COLOR=rgb(136,136,136)]Includes: Plastic sprues, Waterslide decals, Clear parts[/COLOR]


Released:


2009 | Initial release - new tool


Decal options

1. Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6
     Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force 1918-Now)
   2./HLeLv 31 MT-422 (SSgt. Bjore Hielm)
   1948
   
   
2. Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6
     Wehrmacht Luftwaffe (German Air Force 1935-1946)
   11./JG 3 (Maj. Kurt Brandle)
   1943
   
   
3. Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/R6 Trop
     Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force 1935-1943)
   3° Stormo, 23° Gruppo
   
   
4. St. Cerveteri | August 1943
   

Scalemates Link: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/1002...mitt-bf-109g-6


Box Art





Kit Contents
































The Chosen Paint Scheme





I made a copy of one of the pages and tore the paint scheme page off, then put all the pages on the wall





Building will commence soon!


I hope you all liked the post. All comments are welcome. 

[Guest]

You're not going to do the mottle Bob? Shame on you sir! I've got to on my Airfix 109!


Future is also an acrylic gloss, although I'm surprised you've had problems with laying an acrylic coat over enamels - I've been doing that for years without any issues. I do leave the enamel coat to cure for at least 48 hours though.

[Guest]

You're not going to do the mottle Bob? Shame on you sir! I've got to on my Airfix 109!


Future is also an acrylic gloss, although I'm surprised you've had problems with laying an acrylic coat over enamels - I've been doing that for years without any issues. I do leave the enamel coat to cure for at least 48 hours though.

Guilty as charged! I just didnt have the motivation to do a 1/48 aircraft so sorry about that one Patrick mate. I wanted a 1/72 build and something that would be a bit quicker to build and paint. 


Also I have never had a problem with future over enamel - I just have never tried it, I have had a few problems with acryclic washes over enamel paint. Ill let the paint dry for 2 days though as you suggested before futuring it up. 


And so the journey begins again - here is the first build update 


So I started with the cockpit which wasn't hard to do, as all it included was a seat. I added a spare set of photo etch seat belts








The kit fit is excellent and build up fast - Kit is Ready for priming





Primed with Tamiya White Primer - from spray can





My first decent exposure to Humbrol paint - Propellar painted, will discuss this at the end of the post





Masked off and painted with base camo colour





Second Camo Colour painted on





Here it is... looks like I need to paint the base colour in some places again, but overall very happy with how it turned out. 














Well happy with this weekends progress, very nice little kit and I think the paint went on great for the most part. Will airbrush a bit more and then add a few details, and then think about adding the spot camo. 


Now Humbrol paints - my first experience was interesting - first off they are very very thick and I didn't understand how to get them into an airbrush without spilling, I tried a dropper but it just didn't absorb the paint as it was too thick. I then tried a syringe and that worked much better.


Thinning with mineral spirits is working fine. Humbrol enamel paint takes much longer to dry then Tamiya enamel. It also seemed to splatter at times, and I had to clean up the paint and respray .. so hopefully I get better at getting the paint to thinner ratio. 


The paint does look good once on, it is just a bit less user friendly than Tamiya. I do like it for now, and will eventually learn how to get it right. For brush painting I think I'm going to get some trays and a small paint spoon to get the paint out. 


Well  I hope you all liked the build update, time for me to sleep! All comments are welcome. 

[Guest]

Some very good progress there Bob. I wish I had time to do my one! 


I've never used acrylic washes, apart from a couple of homemade experiments. They dried way too fast for my liking though, so I stuck with oil washes.


If you're going to use mineral spirit as your exclusive thinner, add a bit to each Humbrol tinlet; say 1/5 or 2.8 ml if you've a measuring pipette. That will make mixing & decanting easier, whilst not making it too thin for brush painting. Humbrol enamels are very tolerant of thinning ratios - I've happily sprayed it very thinly, as much as 80:20.


A good way to decant paint is using straws. Pop one end into the tinlet, the paint gets drawn up, put a fingertip over the open end of the straw & the paint remains there unto your finger is removed. Much cheaper than pipettes & syringes!

[Guest]

Nice progress mate. These little kits build up quite quickly. Keep up the good work. I'm the same as you and mostly use tamiya paints. Have branched out recently and started using Vallejo and AK. Not a fan of enamel but they look great. Doing a great job with them.

[Guest]

Hey, it's looking good! I am in awe of how rapidly You can complete nice looking scale models.

[Guest]

Looks good coming together quickly as well looking forward to the next update

[Guest]

Some very good progress there Bob. I wish I had time to do my one! 


I've never used acrylic washes, apart from a couple of homemade experiments. They dried way too fast for my liking though, so I stuck with oil washes.


If you're going to use mineral spirit as your exclusive thinner, add a bit to each Humbrol tinlet; say 1/5 or 2.8 ml if you've a measuring pipette. That will make mixing & decanting easier, whilst not making it too thin for brush painting. Humbrol enamels are very tolerant of thinning ratios - I've happily sprayed it very thinly, as much as 80:20.


A good way to decant paint is using straws. Pop one end into the tinlet, the paint gets drawn up, put a fingertip over the open end of the straw & the paint remains there unto your finger is removed. Much cheaper than pipettes & syringes!

Thanks Patrick I use Vallejo Model Wash which is acrylic, it can go straight on to the enamel paint, but sometimes changes the colour of the base paint. I am going to give the straw idea a try.

Nice progress mate. These little kits build up quite quickly. Keep up the good work. I'm the same as you and mostly use tamiya paints. Have branched out recently and started using Vallejo and AK. Not a fan of enamel but they look great. Doing a great job with them.

Thanks Kreston, I use mostly Tamiya Enamels though not the Tamiya acrylics

Hey, it's looking good! I am in awe of how rapidly You can complete nice looking scale models.

Thanks Dave mate, glad you liked it

Looks good coming together quickly as well looking forward to the next update

Thanks Mick, you dont have to wait long here it is, albeit a small update


So I fixed up a bit of the paint job, and then did up the canopy which took me the better part of today. The canopy got scratched whilst I was masking it, so am just going to have to live with that now. 














Well hope you all liked the update. All comments welcome. 

[Ian M]

You might want to catch that overspray on the starboard wing before it's to late Bob. But otherwise looking rather nice.

[Guest]

You might want to catch that overspray on the starboard wing before it's to late Bob. But otherwise looking rather nice.

Great Pickup there Ian mate, I've fixed it before I went too far so a big thanks there!


Here is the latest update


I have finished the paint job, the tyres and weapons will be painted separately and then attached at the end. I have attempted the spots camouflage pattern and think I went alright for a first timer, the spots might be too big and out of scale, but Im not really going to worry too much about that. 














Now I can clearly see the panel lines on this kit, I do not know how that is, maybe its the humbrol paint which really sits deep in the panel lines causing them to highlight, but I'm not sure. 


I did not think that would be the case which is why I initially thought I would do a panel line wash after a clear coat. I am building a clean version of the aircraft , so I think I will put on the decals and might just seal it with a matte coat, instead of doing a wash, depends on how it looks, but at this stage, I do not think it needs a panel line wash. 


Well I hope you all liked the update. All comments welcome. 

[Ian M]

For a first attempt at a mottle (and in 1/72 scale ya nutta) that is pretty darn good. AS for in scale.... I don't think it was a measured pattern just small medium and large, or would that be light, medium and heavy....What ever Bob, you pulled it off!

[Guest]

For a first attempt at a mottle (and in 1/72 scale ya nutta) that is pretty darn good. AS for in scale.... I don't think it was a measured pattern just small medium and large, or would that be light, medium and heavy....What ever Bob, you pulled it off!

Thanks Ian mate, 


The kit is almost done, just have to apply a matte coat. 


I applied the tyres, the weapons, a small antenna, touched up the paint here and there, and finally applied decals. 


Here are the near final photos. 
































The final step is to apply the matt coat - Alclad II Flat coat. Once that is done, this one should be complete. 


I hope you all liked the update. All comments are welcome. 

[Guest]

Great work mate. The mottle looks great and in 1/72  superb work.

[Guest]

Really lovely build and paint job. 1/72 scares me with my eyesight and sausage figers!

[papa 695]

Great work Bob and very quick, I must get mine started.