Steve 1602

From what I can gather VF, the green came from Johnson’s recollections, but it does seem odd that he would have a green maple leaf when the rest of the wing had red - it seems they were decals as well so it seems odd to overpaint it. I’m sticking with red as well Steve

Second build for 2022 will be Wing commander Johnnie Johnson’s Spitfire IXc EN398 whilst commanding the Kenley wing. I think this is one of the first Spitfire schemes I ever built from the old Airfix 1/72 Mk IX. This is a very famous scheme, but there’s always been debate about the colour of the maple leaf (I’m going red, although the old Airfix one was green) and there’s some comment about whether a Wing Commanders pennant was carried on the port side - I’m tempted. The Spit was originally flown by a 402 Sqn RCAF pilot - F/O Ian Keltie- and this scheme is included in the new Airfix 1/24 Spitfire. I’m using a weekend edition of the Eduard Spitfire MkIXc with decals from the Victory productions ‘Aces of the Empire’ sheet. The only other extra ‘so far’ will be PE seatbelts. This site has been very useful in helping me formulate what my version of EN398 should look like in terms of bulges and bumps http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/johnnie-johnsons-spitfire-revisited.html Steve

That’s very kind of you. I’m pleased with how it’s turned out. Steve

Thanks LM! Thanks Dennis - and thanks for your comments along the way 👍 Steve

Incredible levels of detailing! I’m in awe at your skills (and hand-eye coordination!)

Thanks very much - and thanks for your comments and encouragement along the way! 😎

Bf 109G-6 R6 Trop Fw. Heinrich Bartels II./ JG 27 Kalamaki Airfield, Greece, November 1943 1/48 Eduard Weekend Edition Eduard ‘Look’ set with resin exhausts and wheels, PE seatbelts, canopy mask and instrument panel Top notch ‘Erla’ camouflage masks Eduard spinner spiral masks Kagero German insignia masks Vallejo model air paints My refugee from the Bf109 STGB is finished! Link to build thread is below:

All done! Thanks everyone for the likes and comments along the way. Very much appreciated. Some final photos of the model below - there’s a complete absence of sunlight, so they aren’t the best unfortunately. I still haven’t decided whether to pose the canopy open or closed, so it remains just pressed in position for now. I’ll move some photos to the gallery. Thanks to the hosts for applying a good KUTA to me! 😆 Steve

I think it’s a good list. I’m a bit of a Spitfire fanboy, so the 1/24 Mk IX Spitfire has real ‘wow’ factor for me and I’ll buy one. I’ll also buy the Spitfire 18 and XII - I already had plans to build an Airfix 14 as an 18, but may as well buy this boxing for the decals and rockets. I’ve also been keeping an eye open for a Mk XII on eBay - I’d built one previously and then sold it, but would like to add one to the line up again, so this becoming available again is good news for me. Others likely buys for me are the releases of the Blenheim, DHC Beaver, Harrier and Lynx. I also think the Anson and Buccaneer in 1/48 are going to be popular and hopefully excite others and sell well. For me it’s a welcome list and I’ve certainly got enough there to keep me busy. Steve

Thanks James. I agree with you on the painted markings. It’s something I’ve not done before and in this case from necessity rather than choice, but I’d definitely do it again. Final bits and pieces completed tonight and I’m now calling it done! The only bit I’m still unsure about is whether to pose the canopy open or closed - it’s currently just popped in place. A few photos - I’ll try to get some better ones in daylight and also move it to the gallery.

A little more progress - edging ever closer! I’ve used a panel line wash (Flory models) and sprayed on a flat coat (Vallejo). I’ve also fitted almost all of the ‘pingy’ bits. I’ve had a bit of a drama with the centre section - I’m not sure if the ‘looks like glass’ has reacted to the Eduard masks or if something else has happened, but there’s a pebble-like finish to some area. There’s a spare centre section in the kit and although I think that’s meant for a different variant, I can’t really see any obvious difference so I may just paint that up and fit it. Almost there 😎 Steve

Thanks 🙏 - I might hold off to the end of the month then and see if the Kate updates to the Hawk on the website in that case

Will this be the kit received by taking out membership of the Airfix club, or is it an additional purchase available to club members? I was considering joining this year, but the club kit listed remains the Nakajima ‘Kate’ rather than the Hawk. Anyone know what the score is with the Club kit and ‘when’? TIA Steve

I’ll definitely be getting one of these. No idea when I’ll build it or where I’d display it when I do, but I think it’s a ‘must have’ for me. The only problem I have is that I want to do a “one built/sold-one in” policy on the stash this year. Best I get on with that 1/72 Jet Provost or Gnat to make some space 😉 Steve

They look really good; I’ll follow along with your progress 👏 -44…. Eeek. That’s definitely not shorts weather….! Steve

Decalling complete and that satisfying moment when the aircraft is standing on its own legs… Thats as much as I’m going to get done until this evening, but I’ll hopefully I’ll be able to get it pretty much fully assembled and ready for weathering and a Matt coat tomorrow. Steve

Gloss coat on over the repaired area and unlike the villains in Scooby Doo, I think I’ve got away with it… Jobs for this morning before becoming “Dad taxi” for the day, are to apply stencil decals and start final assembly. Steve

Thanks Owen - I’m relieved that I have been able to make a regain on this one. I think the kit crosses would have bugged me, so it was worth giving this a go. Steve

This evening I’ve managed to add the upper wing crosses using the free masks in one of the Kagero Bf109 books that I have. I’ve never painted markings before, so these were a nice simple pattern to start on. I’m very pleased with how it’s all turned out - so much so that I may try this again. I’ll get some gloss coat on the newly painted areas tomorrow which will hopefully blend them in fully and then I can get on with stencil data. Steve

Good luck Dennis! The only bits of advice I can offer are: • be really careful when removing them from the packet - if they touch the self adhesive seal you’ll lose the top layer of decal film • be as exact as you can when applying them, they really want to stick to the first thing they touch. To be fair to them and to balance out my negative comments, they really do settle down exceptionally well when they dry - it’s just getting them to that point that’s the problem 😆 Steve

And the story so far…. Repairs to the paint done - obviously there’s a lot of contrast between the Matt and gloss coated areas but I think it will look ok. Painting the upper wing crosses is next on the agenda! Steve

Some lunchtime progress and I sanded off the remaining traces of the upper wing markings and ensured where the paint had lifted it was blended in. I’ve now masked off the area ready for a repaint - it’s a bit of a pain, but hopefully it won’t be too noticeable when everything is back together and the markings are painted on. The port wing requires green only but the starboard wing will require green and grey (along with remarking of the sawtooth camouflage) lucky I kept the masks after use! Steve

Thanks Dennis - I use the same micro scale combo as you coincidentally. I agree that Eduard decals are not the best, but these new ones with the additional decal film over the top are really difficult (for me at least). As you see from the post above which I made whilst you were posting, I’ve taken a dramatic approach to try and resolve things! Time to take a deep breath! Steve

So…. Plan B…. The upper wing crosses supplied by Eduard just seem too big to me. Where they are positioned (per Eduard’s guide and the norm for 109’s) they intrude onto either the slat or flap area. There are some good images of this machine on this site and I just can’t convince myself that larger crosses are correct. https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-109G/JG27-MTO.html I’ve measured the decals, and they are at around 24mm, rather than the ‘around’ 22mm on a ‘standard’ 109G upper wing cross. So…. I bit the bullet this morning and armed with some sellotape started the removal process. Unfortunately it’s lifted some paint in the process, so I’ll get busy with some fine grade sandpaper and then repaint the area. I have found some suitable masks in a Kagero Bf109G book, so I’ll use them and try to paint the upper wing markings. For the fuselage marking that disintegrated, I’ve found a match in another Bf109 boxing, so that should be a quicker problem to solve. Steve

A bit of decalling done this evening - most of the major markings are now done, with stencilling to be completed over the course of another session. I’ve really not enjoyed using the new style of Eduard decals. When removing them from the plastic sleeve, the sticky seal on the sleeve removed the top layer of decal film from a couple of decals. The upshot of this is that one of the fuselage crosses completely disintegrated, so I need to either find a spare from another kit (if I can find one in the right size), paint it on (which would be a first) or buy some aftermarket German markings. A bit of a pain tbh. The surviving decals were something of a challenge for me - there seems to be very little time to move the decal once placed. I’m not sure if that’s down to the decal, my setting solutions or the gloss coat I’ve used, but whatever it is, the decals stuck like something to the proverbial blanket, so positioning had to be right first time! I also don’t like the upper wing crosses; they look too big to my mind and don’t really align with the markings guide. I’m actually dreading using these new Eduard decals again unless I can find a better technique with them.