AZ Model Bf 109G-6, A post-war Gustav over Finland...

[John Masters]

I'm not sure which Finnish Gustav I will end up with.  (Yes I do!) The thing is, by keeping busy with my hobby, I don't smoke, so I need something to do while the Polikarpov Po-2 sets and dries...

I hope to keep up my usual high standards (Ha!) and build a little Messerschmitt...I haven't built one since I was a kid, so this will be fun.  The Finnish aspect gives it an interesting..hmmm...twist.  A popular dance in Helsinki, or so I've heard.  The Finnish Twist.  Tuleva vauva, tekisinkään kierre!

 

 

I am tempted to build I am building the one on the middle since it is post-war and includes both the new Finnish camo as well as the older German style.  Plus, the roundels supplied are in perfect register.  So why not?  Too bad Finland never joined NATO...😉  Note how the port profile has a tropical filter and the others do not.  Is this accurate?

 

 

Some interior work...I've dropped the contrast a bit so you can see it better.

 

 

 

And a nifty little cockpit that came in many little parts...11, actually.

 

 

And so it goes...

--John

 

 

 

[John Masters]

I found this excellent photo while searching for 'tropical ai filters on Finnish Bf 109'.  It was on Large Scale Forums, so I am not sure of its original provenance.

It nearly shows the larger air filter on a post-axis Bf 109.  Apparently they were not uncommon. Also, it shows an abundance of wear and tear on the paint--which could be fun!  Not sure of the colours, but it looks like this would be 'Yellow 2'...

 

 

--John

[John Masters]

Some pieces coming together...wings, fuselage, etc...sorry about the focus...🙁

 

 

 

 

That's it for the next few hours.

 

--John

 

 

[John Masters]

The dilemma is paint colours.  I don't have any exact RLM tones so I will wing it, so to speak.  RLM 74 seems to be a nice dark grey; 75 is a lighter grey and 76 is like a greenish-sky light blue.  The black and Finnish green parts are easier.  So the underside and nose would be the RLM 76?  Then the nose mottled with the 74 and 75?  This will be a first for me, so I don't want to mess it up.

 

I had also forgotten what a nifty little plane the Bf 109 was.  More of a way to make a huge engine fly around than anything else.  A real hot rod and smaller than the Spitfire.  

 

--John

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello ... Finnish G6 👍 ... It helps that Im part Finnish. Ok grabbing a seat for this one as well. Here is a paint sample i found online if it helps. Though i think the RLM74 should have a touch of green in it i think. 

I have a bigger comparison chart of RLM Colors if you need/want it ? I have some conversion charts for certain brands of paints as well ? Again if you interested let me know. I feel bad that i kept posting on the malta build. I hobestly wasn't trying to hog up attention. 

 

Dennis

[iJones]

Yes, filters were used in summer when available. Finnish airfields at the time were very dusty which was a big problem during the war.

[John Masters]

Thanks Dennis.  I have seen that paint chip too and it will be what I use to match colours.  74 and 75 are easy to match with what I have but the 76 is tough.  Not really blue, is it?  Almost more green...like a grey duck egg green.

 

And thank you too iJones.  I knew about the Finnish airfields and the dust filter makes sense.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

I usually mix 1 part UK light Mediterranean blue to 4 parts light ghost grey to make my RLM76. Sounds weird but i think it works ? Here it is on my recent Focke-wulf. Seems darker than the chip so its up to you. 

[John Masters]

Thanks Dennis.  This RLM 76 discussion reminds me a bit of the PC10/12 discussion of days gone by.  The best explanation I have heard so far regards the wartime supplies of pigments as well as the different thinners used.  Depending on what was at hand, the 'light blue' varied a great deal in the field.  If you add in the idea that fuel was sometimes used to thin the paint, then it confuses the issue even more since the paint would fade terribly, allowing some of the yellow oxide primer to show through.

 

So I will go with my gut and mix a little light blue with some tannish grey to achieve what I want.  

 

--John

[Courageous]

Coming along great. You don't let the grass grow under your feet with the rate of your builds.

 

Stuart

[John Masters]

This is true Stuart.  It's better than smoking. I actually have a third build in the mix, but I haven't posted anything yet...later.  A hint: a great loss in the Mediterranean.

 

I have the canopy on and it is masked.  I am using the Montex mask and although I like the precise cut, I find that fact that the curved section does not stay put annoying.  I'll have to make sure it is secure before I paint!  Bother...In any case, it is beginning to look the part...

 

Regarding the kit...one flaw I found is the exhaust pipes.  You have to have them in before you close up the fuselage, which means I have to either mask them (since they are already painted) and tidy them up after the paint is on, or just re-paint them afterwards.  More bother.

 

 

Wheel wells are painted a Dark Green.

 

 

--John

 

 

 

 

[John Masters]

My take on RLM 76...Light blue-green with some light grey added.  

 

 

The nose is RLM 76 but the rest of the aircraft will be Finnish green/black.  

 

 

What do you think?

--John

[John Masters]

The Dark Olive Green is on.  I think it looks alright.  The nose is masked off because it will retain the Continuation War mottled look.

 

 

 

I'm still very much a novice with the fine-line air brushing, but getting better.  Next up...Black!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

[Antti_K]

Hello John,

 

it is always nice to see a Finnish subject here on Britmodeller, especially now when our air force is celebrating it's 100th year🙂

 

Your build looks nice! A suggestion if I may: don't add green on the dark gray. Those little pieces I have seen of the real thing show a dark gray; no green hue visible. The medium gray looks close to British Dark Sea Gray but has more purple to it. The light gray (RLM 76) is a more complex subject. It can be a "pure" light gray or a light blue.

 

Here is a rather good photo of a post war Finnish "Mersu". Air force photographer and a pilot lt. Matti Wikman is sitting on the wing. During his career he took many high quality colour photos of Finnish Air Force planes.

 

 

Cheers,

Antti

[John Masters]

How does this look Antti?  I used a dark sea grey over the RLM 76...

 

 

--John

 

 

 

 

[Andwil]

On 11/21/2018 at 8:05 PM, John D.C. Masters said:

a great loss in the Mediterranean.

Ju-52??

 

AW

Edited November 22, 2018 by Andwil

[John Masters]

5 hours ago, Andwil said:

Ju-52??

An American aircraft...

[John Masters]

July 1944...

[John Masters]

...flown by a Frenchman...

[Andwil]

P-38 or is it an F-5, St Exupery (spelling?).

 

AW

[John Masters]

Ding-ding-ding...and we have a winner!  Yes...it will be St-Ex's F5A from RS Models...

 

 

I'll probably begin tomorrow or tonight.  Almost done with the Gustav...

 

 

Just some varnish, a bit of weathering and she's done.  I think I'll have to start a new shelf just for the Bf 109...beneath the Spitfire shelf, obviously.  😉

--John

[Roman Schilhart]

5 minutes ago, John D.C. Masters said:

Ding-ding-ding...and we have a winner!  Yes...it will be St-Ex's F5A from RS Models...

I wish you good luck with this kit!

I've built one of the recce versions earlier this year, and to be honest, it was the worst fitting kit I've come across for a while ...

It does turn into a nice model if you are willing to invest a lot of time, patience and sanding paper!

 

[John Masters]

Thanks Roman.  Knowing your skills, I will take that to heart.  I have had mixed luck with RS kits as well.  

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Your G6 is looking Real good. I hope to add a Finnish collection next to my Polish collection in the “Flags of my forefathers” models. 

[John Masters]

Thanks Dennis.  I'll wait until I have better light tomorrow before I take pictures, but suffice to say, the weathering is finished and the radio aerial wire is attached.  

 

I'll dip into the Lightning tonight, I think.