Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Welcome back!

 

I was sitting there looking through the stash and contemplating my next project, the re-released Eduard Bf 109G-6, when I had one of those "Eureka" moments. The G went back into the shelf and out came an overtrees Bf 109E-7 Trop. Now as those of you familiar with the overtrees concept are aware, you get the bare bones plastic in a plain box. No PE, no decals, no masks, not even a set of instructions. It is designed to be used after you build up a profipack kit and have some of those pesky decals left over:

 

C14F0D18-63DE-4BB3-808C-53FFD85521D4_zps

 

So I went to the stash and dug the instructions, decals and mask out of my Profipack kit and decided upon this scheme:

 

C4C14137-298B-497E-8D8F-03A5D02939FB_zps

 

Here is the sprue shot:

 

FC5F2ACD-5516-46AF-810D-D3DEACF9CBE1_zps

 

Very basic and probably stress free. But I ask where is the fun there? So I also dragged out the Bf 109E "Bigsin" box which contains almost absolutely everything in resin you could want to add to a basic build: cockpit, engine and radio, guns and wheels! Now we are talking! Throw in some extra Eduard PE, Master Barrels MG 17 and MGFF Barrels, Airscale LW cockpit placards and a set of Finemolds  "Nano aviation" German aircraft seabelts and we have a staggering amount of AM to test our mettle and frustration levels:

 

3986B987-78D0-4655-AF69-660940CF810C_zps

 

Let the games begin!

 

I started by getting all the PE frets out and coating them with Tamiya Metal primer. I do this now so it is done and I don't forget a fret later on:

 

DA8DF204-5C52-4705-8C80-BD2D3449354A_zps

 

Regards,

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The afternoon has seen me start at the most logical sequence....the Brassin MG 17 mounts:

 

807D5236-4FC2-458B-8009-EBA8323DC349_zps

 

Each piece was removed from the pour stub using one of my RB saws. It may not be as quick as some methods, but tried and true gets me there eventually. After about 30 minutes of sawing and cleaning, the three main pieces looked like this:

 

88DF485F-0152-4913-A247-0E7F457848E9_zps

 

EF93D1F7-2174-4224-A0A6-4D6D73707593_zps

 

....and that is main construction complete. The MG 17 Barrels had suffered badly from warpage but they were to be removed to make way for the Master Barrel set anyway. Using my RB ultra fine saw, I first cut down the barrel to retain some detail, then a few swipes and the barrel was removed. It's important on these fine pieces to let the saw teeth do the work and don't be tempted to press hard or force the saw:

 

38DB81AA-A9B3-425B-BDAD-CA25B7EE8FA2_zps

 

Almost ready to paint. The collars half way down the barrels will be removed,drilled and the Master Barrels passed through as they form part of the mounting points with some extra PE.

 

Regards,

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

nice choice and I love all the AM stuff!!

 

this has actually got me thinking, I should have done the "Star of Africa"  Hans-Joachim Marseille's Bf-109!! I totally forgot about him when I was thinking about this GB! :doh: Oh well!

 

But a Bf-109 in desert colour will still be something nice to see, will definitely have the  :popcorn: out for this one! I'll blame you if I end up buy bits for a Bf-109F....but there is a Bf-109 STGB coming up!!  :hmmm:  :D

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks chaps, 

Nice of you to say so. I take no responsibility for anyone's purchase decisions, I get into enough trouble on my own!

 

Brass plus resin equals bliss. I have managed to graft the Master Barrels MG 17 Barrels onto the Eduard receivers. Not without a certain amount of trepidation and graduated drilling. The resin fore end covers, which butt against the cowling openings are solid and took almost an hour of drilling, checking, dropping, searching, finding, repeat until I was able to pass the barrels through them! I have secured them in a box, inside a vault until I need them later. The idea of drilling through the mounting brackets half way along the Barrels went pffft....I will use some BMF and the supplied PE:

 

718B08D9-F02E-425B-9F21-E82B31FF50B8_zps

 

0AE05360-02D8-40B6-990A-5B49D16F57F5_zps

 

0F603433-DB00-43AD-85EB-043AB06AC366_zps

 

D0D5D38D-CA1B-4FF2-A24A-481F453C9C06_zps

 

49DD8D82-B382-4C73-BF35-39FFF3D84A25_zps

 

7D2F34CB-114A-4C07-AF8D-27A16180E82D_zps

 

44913496-4A32-4900-81A2-A6B90DF65564_zps

 

i have also cracked open the engine baggies and done some basic prep work on the DB 601. I have also actually removed both sides of the fuselage from their sprues so I can test fit all these resin components.

 

Regards,

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome back,

 

I like Eduard kits. Apart from a few clangers, they generally have a level of detail that exceeds most other 1/48 offerings. However some of their engineering decisions occasionally leave me bemused. Such is the oil cooler of their Bf 109 series, both 1/32 and 1/48 scale. To be fair, building an aircraft fuselage had always followed a set pattern, ie both fuselage halves are molded in their entirety from front to rear and join at the top and bottom. Fair enough, except if the aircraft being built did not have seams at the top and bottom. Now the Bf 109 is a mixture, seams at the top and bottom of the rear fuselage and mainly one piece bits at the front end, particularly the oil cooler. I am sure the engineering carried over from their 1/32 series of aircraft and the oil cooler is just not quite up to standard. As previously mentioned, I have joined the front ends of the fuselage, leaving me with this:

 

0F3F0F0E-F438-456D-86EB-82A9E4AA58FE_zps

 

DF3E9BF3-DF04-44F0-9694-75B8A2025E76_zps

 

By by no means an insurmountable task to rectify. However it is when you add the interior parts of the oil cooler that it all goes a bit pear shaped. The four part styrene, two part PE oil cooler is a module that in theory just drops into the oil cooler fairing. However it isn't always as easy. I have not added all the styrene nor PE but in test fitting you get this:

 

600D880A-4741-4AD7-8EFE-6066EA0C03D0_zps

 

8BE9D7B9-9D13-4F49-B6F6-E47B0B020FD6_zps

 

3FDD875A-020E-4FAF-AF74-BE828F9DBE16_zps

 

From experience on the bigger scale, the rear end will be fine, however the front step is a definite flaw. The join from fuselage to oil cooler ramp should be an almost seamless one, not the gappy step here. Some modifications to the kit part were necessary. I removed some material from the centre section to lower the profile a tad from the front end to make it shallower:

 

1DD514CF-F6A1-4B95-803F-90A3C27C53E3_zps

 

68180A0B-E939-4FA6-BEEA-4BC9BBC4AE96_zps

 

98CAA065-8BC5-4C9F-BA66-A640D584FB9A_zps

 

This leave me with this result, which is much closer to seamless or at least easier to rectify:

 

F9D81903-B26F-4AB8-8F23-BF3324527E9A_zps

 

393237C0-95C6-4CA3-B1D8-108C680539AE_zps

 

I have also chamfered the mating joints to about 45 degrees of the rear fuselage area to preserve the longitudinal seams. It may be a little stark at the moment but it should look good when cemented, primed and painted:

 

34665998-B69C-4ED0-8FD9-DFEE6A10B398_zps

 

21F54894-B1A7-4408-8351-0BF4BC90D7F6_zps

 

I can report that Eduard have rectified the issue in both their 109G and 109F kits as the oil cooler assembly housing is now a single piece that drops in from below.

 

Regards,

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had that same issue before on some other non-mentionable models!! Sometimes it's almost easier to use a resin conversion nose!

 

Nicely done though, and I like the "chamfering" of the fuselage seams. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, trickyrich said:

I've had that same issue before on some other non-mentionable models!! Sometimes it's almost easier to use a resin conversion nose!

 

Nicely done though, and I like the "chamfering" of the fuselage seams. 

 

Eduard were "this close" with the original design of the oil cooler but missed the mark (including the fact the internal sides should be closed off). Obviously engineering and production abilities have improved since then. Yes, "chamfering" I fear I am showing my age!

 

Regards.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 30/09/2016 at 9:41 PM, Biggles87 said:

Good work on the oil cooler.

I also like the tip on the longitudinal seams, it's always difficult to scribe them back in.

 

John

Thanks John, 

 

I would like to claim it as mine but I cannot. Read it somewhere on the interweb or in a book and thought it was a good one.

 

Regards,

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had the same oil cooler issues with mine, it was the only area where I had to use any putty and do any sanding (now that I reread this - are we getting Spoiled!?)

 

It took a lot of careful trimming and trial fits to get it seated, but once done, it left a nice panel line that required no fill.  Are you going to reduce the chord on the slats? Its a simple enough fix and makes a noticeable difference later.

 

Colin

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome back,

 

The last two weeks have been school holidays, so entertaining (and being entertained by) the kids meant not much time at the bench. I did install the oil cooler, leaving off the horizontal splitter plate, and associated PE. The final fit was quite good and only a thin smear of PPP to seal the join:

 

ABC45167-74BF-4ABE-BB08-D6EE4622454C_zps

 

5D255F86-6101-44B2-92E3-754EA83017B1_zps

 

The front of the engine compartment has been marked in Sharpie in preparation for its removal at a later date:

 

0D652599-CA12-4B47-AD68-3DDB7B9506FF_zps

 

B05914A7-5EF3-42CA-857D-FDB3336628C3_zps

 

59EA9B18-20FD-4C67-B00C-47A1FAC06FAE_zps

 

Test fitting the engine, it sits well on the top of the oil cooler assembly. I am happy thus far with the exhaust alignment on both sides:

 

5917168B-1C8A-4C6E-964B-B692848C6A53_zps

 

7040396F-60C0-4D95-A153-A534E6694301_zps

 

Whilst I had the AB loaded with Aeromaster RLM 02, I gave some of the other assemblies their base coats:

 

3C096DDF-2398-449F-88EC-0F6E8BB08D98_zps

 

Hopefully a few more updates through the week.

 

Regards,

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Calum,

 

Ever had this moments when you are just too damn clever for your own good? Cementing the forward sections of the fuselage meant that installing the radio insert in the back was more difficult. Not impossible, but just more trouble than I was prepared to give it. So the fuselage is now joined, with the Brassin rear wheel safely trapped between:

 

AE375F14-4190-4D36-A834-A619503379FC_zps

 

BF2CD306-DED2-47D3-B2F3-CF1C80C83525_zps

 

D6C9E56B-2050-4089-B0D0-AC3399B0A7E5_zps

 

962FA28D-A433-450C-B4FE-52AAF2EA8601_zps

 

652B5D77-DAC1-4CDF-9432-4D5AF6275478_zps

 

Added some PE to the cockpit area and fixed a small gap in the rear of the oil cooler insert where it meets the lower wing insert:

 

8450EBD5-C5A0-4CAD-81AD-5CB1BD0EFA6F_zps

 

7F441BC3-3786-4786-B4E8-6EA99246F4AD_zps

 

E0C3A4AF-2A50-41CD-A9BA-F241009AC086_zps

 

3E14E900-301D-4713-9FB9-24DCAB01BCE1_zps

 

EC05ACF6-DC0B-483D-840B-5C193F871BF5_zps

 

5B69D396-5704-46AB-AD71-B73FA00A52B8_zps

 

The excess styrene will be cut away and a more scale panel line will be scribed across the filled plastic.

 

Regards,

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...