Airfix 1:48 Bf109 (New Tool)

[AlanG]

Excellent job Graham. Looks great.

[Guest]

Will I be buying more Airfix? Well, if they continue to release kits like this then I certainly will. Already have my eye on the 109 Tropical (just so I can have a drop tank lol) I think they are doing a new Hurricane, may even be out, but I am not sure. But yes, I would buy a kit of this quality again with no hesitation.

[stona]

Well done Graham,another very smart Bf109 to add to the collection. I wonder whose tropical aircraft they will do options for. Airfix usually go for the well known but you never know.There are some well known colour photos of Bf109E-7s of JG27 flying over North Africa. Best known is probably the one of "Black 8" over the Libyan shore line. It's a great camouflage scheme with green blotches over the sand coloured upper surfaces.

It certainly worked.

A bit of detail. The Luftwaffe showing off at Gazala,before we nicked it back off them.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Spot on as usual Steve, this is the link to the Airfix page, it is indeed Black 8 Link there are a couple of others to, click on the box art for a nice big pic of the box.

[Guest]

110% Graham that is one really fine Me 109, and I like the paint job. Don`t worry about the Alclad2 it`s easy, ones fingers look nice in chrome?

Excellent job mate.

Gareth.

[Guest]

Cheers Gareth, never though of chromed fingers lol. I am really looking forward to trying this out, warts and all. When I have made most of the mistakes, I will expect one of you masters to show how it should be done.

[stona]

Spot on as usual Steve, this is the link to the Airfix page, it is indeed Black 8 Link there are a couple of others to, click on the box art for a nice big pic of the box.

Don't know the middle one off the top of my head. Top one is a cracker and would look really good. Is the bottom one an "Emil"? It looks like it is marked for the Condor Legion in Spain,where there were a lot of "Bs" IIRC.

We'll have to wait until someone buys one LOL.

Cheers

Steve

Edit. Airfix are correct the one shown on the box is one of 44 "Es" sent to Spain. I'll look it up when I get home.

[Guest]

Will anyone buy one???? I will for certain lol. Quite like the idea of the Spanish one.

[AlanG]

I'll defo get one at some point. Need to add to my 1/48 Battle of Britain stash lol

[Guest]

Outstanding Graham beautiful, can't beleive it's airfix and that engine is sweet lovely job sir i take my hat off to you and five stars to boot.

scott

[Guest]

Great looking build Graham. After your first post of this kit review I've been itching to get my hands on one. But after a disastrous 1:48 (old) Airfix Spitfire where the decals flaked off on some parts and refused to come off on others, I've been afraid to start on another kit until I fixed it up.

Well I went out and got one anyway :woohoo:

I have no self control

Gavin

[stona]

Will anyone buy one???? I will for certain lol. Quite like the idea of the Spanish one.

If you go for it I may have some colour info for you. There is a bit of turmoil surrounding EARLY bf109s which MAY include the first Es. Lynn Ritger has turned up some original documentation which the experts are currently debating.It looks like the RLM02 we've been slapping in and on early Bf109s (A-D for sure) was not actually called for in the original painting schedule,rather a silver or silver grey laquer!

Anything BOB or later is fine. Your E4 would have had the RLM02 undercarriage and wheel wells and probably cockpit interior just as you've done it. There was an indistinct cross over to RLM66 cockpit interiors which occurrs around late Es and Fs and can even be seen on some repaired earlier Es. G-K definitely RLM66 cockpit interior.

Luftwaffe fun Eh!

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Fun indeed. Does that mean my FW190 and the 109 cockpit, which are a dark blue/grey are wrong? Should they be RLM02? I have used 02 for the inside of the engine compartment, wheel wells etc on both but not the cockpit. Don't get me wrong, if they are not right it is tough as I will not be opening them up for remedial painting lol. Really for reference if I do another.

I have had a thought about colours on things that may need a new thread rather than here so I will start one. Not sure if it will be your field though Steve but I bet you have some info.

[stona]

No. The fw190 would have an RLM66 cockpit. Wheel wells and other interior priming in RLM02 so you are fine! Which Bf109? Your E4 would have been RLM02 wells etc and probably an RLM02 cockpit,but it could have been RLM66. It seems to depend which sub contractor built it and in which production run. Some aircraft that had had major repairs,even in early 1940 came back into service with RLM66 cockpit interiors. There is no right or wrong. Contrary to popular belief there is plenty of photographic and documentary evidence for the use of RLM66 in interiors from very early or even pre-war. Check out the Ju88 being restored in Norway (JU88.net). It came off an early production run and most definitely has an RLM66 interior. Again,whichever you've done in your Bf109 is just fine.

The debate about the silver grey laquer only effects early aircraft. It seems to have a civil designation and may be part of the german subterfuge to get military aircraft into Spain under the guise of civil use,who knows. Remember that during the period of the Spanish civil war the German's didn't officially have any fighter aircraft!

I enjoy digging this stuff up but I'll say again that noone should beat themselves up over it,we're just building models and can only have a swing at replicating the look of the original. A nice model is a nice model and I for one couldn't care less if,according to this or that expert,some part is in the wrong shade of something or the other!

Cheers

Steve

I've just looked at a thread in another place where Ritger posts his stuff and have to say I am none the wiser! There is much gnashing of teeth and referring to books (which luckily I have) so I'll keep an eye on them and do a bit of my own reading over the next couple of days. Hopefully I'll be able to sum it all up in a sentence or two for anyone tempted by the rather nice looking "Spanish" Bf109.