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Bf 109 E-4 Nightfighter (ICM in 1/72nd scale)


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Last minute entry!
 
I noticed that there are lots of other examples,  but none of this particular Emil, so I have decided to enter at this stage and try to do a quick build. 
 
It's one of ICM's kits from a couple of years ago, which famously "mimics" the Tamiya Emil's, but provides the correct rear fuselage length.  This one will be an OOB build, without any etch, resin or other such additions.  I will just add some seatbelts from wine bottle foil (lots of that left over after Christmas!), and will try the dreaded ICM decals......
 
Here are the box shots:-

 

boxtop.jpg

 

backofbox.jpg

 

And here is the single sprue:-

 

onesimplesprue.jpg

 

and the decals and transparencies:-

 

decalsandtransparencies.jpg

 

 

More tomorrow....

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

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I've got the Owl conversion for this aircraft but haven't got round to it yet. Does the kit include the parts for the Piel iv bulge?

Duncan B

 

Duncan - I have to say that I have no an idea what you are talking about. 

 

It is a very simple kit, so my guess is that it doesn't, but - just to expand my knowledge - can you tell me what is a "Piel iv bulge"??   Are they/ Is this the little bulges on the bottom of the wings to accommodate the wing cannon??   Perhaps the "Experten" could answer this.....

 

Philip

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Meanwhile - as the time is short - some progress on this build.....

 

cockpitandotherinteriorsdoneinrlm02.jpg

 

This was yesterday's work - out with the RLM 02 (Lifecolour, with a brush!), followed by some detail painting of bits of the fuselage sides (notably the silver
of the oxygen bottle and various greys and blacks for other bits, and of course the timber brown of the trim wheel on the opposite side). The various components
- seat, cockpit base and back - were also painted in RLM 02 and given a slight wash to bring out panel lines, recesses etc... In addition, I did a bit of RLM 02
on the wheel bays and then gave them a bit of a wash with Games Workshop Badab Black.   Items to be done include a wash on the cockpit sides, to highlight

shadows there, a light dry brush to highlight (in lightened 02), and then light brown/khaki on the map holder on the r/h cockpit side (it's currently black, as you

can see).  I will also do a bit of minute detail painting of various knobs - red and blue above the wheel for example - and a yellow cable on the r/h side near the map case.
 

The "Experten" can put me right if I have forgotten anything - it IS in 1/72nd scale, of course, and most will be hidden..but I will know it is there.....

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Philip

Edited by Prenton
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Duncan - I have to say that I have no an idea what you are talking about. 

 

It is a very simple kit, so my guess is that it doesn't, but - just to expand my knowledge - can you tell me what is a "Piel iv bulge"??   Are they/ Is this the little bulges on the bottom of the wings to accommodate the wing cannon??   Perhaps the "Experten" could answer this.....

 

Philip

Hi Philip

The Piel iv (I might have mis-spelt that) was a direction finder IIRC and the antenna was housed in a Perspex bulge under the fuselage on the centreline roughly just aft of the trailing edge of the wing. I've only ever seen a few photos of this kit fitted to Bf109's and it is quite possible it wasn't fitted to this airframe but was fitted to some night fighter 109's.

Duncan B

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I have just finished this kit and it doesn't have the Perspex bulge under the fuselage or the modification to the rudder as suggested in the Owl decals sheet - http://www.hyperscale.com/2010/reviews/decals/owl32007reviewmd_1.htm

 

Beware the decals are awful - I chucked the crosses away as there was a white outline all the way round. Have purchase a set of AeroMaster Early Luftwaffe Crosses (AN72229)

 

Robert

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@ Duncan B and Robert - many thanks for the info.  I won't bother with the conversion set, but if the decals are so awful (I have had "issues" with ICM decals in the past.....), maybe it would be worth getting the Owl ones anyhow.  They seem to have a set of decals without the conversion set.  I had a quick look on the site of a certain internet supplier over in Lowestoft, however, and they are out of stock of both....as are Owl themselves.  However, I have located another Czech retailer, so I will go ahead and get them.  Good advice!

 

Thanks, guys.

 

Philip

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Hi Phllip have a look at my build blog and gallery pictures in the group build you will see the Perspex bulge under the fusalage etc, but i warn you there are not many pictures out there of it.

Have fun building it any help just email me.

Richard

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Richard,

You have done a lovely job - congrats. :clap2:

I assume (presume?) it is 1/48th??? (If not, the fuselage is too short, tee hee, as the Tamiya has that silly fault (AFAIK)).

I intend to have this one as an OOB, to enter some local competitions, and as the ICM kit instructions make no mention of this little

contraption, I will leave it off, in order not to offend the Rules Police. :dunce: .

Thanks for the suggestion, and for the good example...

Philip

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Thanks Phillip yes its 1/48 and the persplex bit underneath is the observer canopy from a tamiya beaufighter sanded down to fit and a spare loop antenne i had.

Thank you

Richard

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Peter

Transparencies are nice, without any flash. Very similar to the Tamiya or Airfix ones in terms of thickness. It is a two parter, with the front and then a whole back, so you have no choice but to put them together as a closed cockpit. Pity. If it had been in three parts, I could have had the centre section open.

It fits with a little bit of scraping of the bottom, but no real difficulty - 10 minutes fitted it up tight It is now drying under a cover with its coat of Future, while the kit is assembled, bar the props and wheels, and has just had a primer coat misted on late tonight. I will check for seams/irregularities tomorrow evening and then - all going well - the one colour camo (black with a tiny hint of blue) will go on the following day, giving it a day to dry before glass coat, the decals, a little bit of weathering and a final matt coat. I should make the deadline of Sunday night....just!

I will post up some photos of the completed bird once I get the camo on - nothing much to see at the minute only grey primer.....

Philip

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Some progress on this little one:-

After two coats of Tamiya Nato Black, then one of Future/Klear, and then a rub-down with 12000 grit micromesh in the areas where the decals are to go:-

109withpainton1.jpg

109withpainton2.jpg

The micromesh resulted in some loss of paint off the wing trailing edges, so these will be touched up once the decals are on, and sealed up tight.

The next photos are today's, and show the model with the decals on. These have been treated with microSet and are now being left overnight to fully

dry out and for the 'Set to do it's business...

109withdecalson1.jpg

109withdecalson2.jpg

As a result of the extension to the deadline, I should finish on time....

Thanks for looking!

Philip

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Philip

That looks very nice, didn't know that the Bf109E was used so early as a night fighter. I have a 110 with the G9 codes and a 109G with the Perspex & Piel unit on the top of the fuselage.

Re the thick decals I have just tried the new Humbrol Decalfix on the old SAM IAC decals, which are thick and loads of carrier film and it worked out a treat. Very pleased with the results.

Colours are.very nice on the 109. What blue did you use & what ratio?

David

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Thanks, David

I used Tamiya acrylic Nato Black, with just a drop of blue in the little bottle in which I mix up paints and thinner before I put them into the airbrush with a pipette - not sure of exact measurements, but perhaps no more than 4%. I'm not sure if it is that evident.....

In the end, I bought the Owl decals and they worked fine, just using micro sol and micro set. The microset has worked well, the crosses on the wings have settled nicely into the panel lines. Owl also do a conversion set, with a perspex Piel unit underneath the fuselage, but as I noted above, this is an OOB effort, perhaps for the Irish Nationals competition next October 12th/13th in Dublin, and so I stayed by the rules for that, and the ICM kit doesn't provide for the Piel unit.....maybe it's not fully accurate without the unit, but who's going to know, since it's such an unusual version of the famous 109 anyhow (as this great Group Build has shown).

Just putting the wheels on now, and then I will do a small amount of weathering, and then a final matt coat.

Philip

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Well it looks great, and I look forward to seeing it at the Nationals. Good luck with the last bits.

BTW, it looks a nice kit, I am looking for a good Emil as I want to build a few in Swiss markings. Early period through to post WWII. I like the interior, looks nice. How does it compare with the new Airfix Emil?

Edited by Opadag
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Well - just made it on time.....

I was delayed by the need to put on a couple of filter coats on the decals. They just looked far too white and clean for me, for what was intended to be a nightfighter.

Then I decided to weather it a little bit more.....not fully pleased with the result of the weathering, but it certainly isn't a uniform black camo at this stage.

Learned a few things from this build - firstly, leave more time so that the finishing is not rushed (as this one was towards the end). Secondly, go for Tamiys kits, rather than ICM - this one needed a bit of filler. (David - I havent tried the new Airfix one yet). Finally, looking at some of hte other creations here - I need to up my game a fair bit.....

Thanks to Andy for "modding", and congrats to all those who finished.

gallery1.jpg

gallery2.jpg

gallery3.jpg

gallery4.jpg

Thanks for looking!

Philip

Edited by Prenton
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