Another AZModel 109...Hungarian "Friedrich"...

[John Masters]

Before I head back into the land of Spitfires, I figure I will get a few more 109 kits under the belt.  Nothing new to see about this one except for the plumage, really.  It is an AZ Model kit which I have found to be a reliable 109 build.  Good detail, decently fitted, nice decals...I have chosen the Hungarian Bf-109F-4, Uman airfield, spring 1943.  I like it because of the mottled camo on the body, the splinter camo on the wings and the oddly painted olive drab/grey-green nose.  The tri-colour tail feathers work for me too!  There are yellow bits, red bits, white bits, green bits...a very colourful bird.

 

The sprue is much the same as any of the other AZModel (or even KoPro) kist I have built so I won't bother showing it.  I have primed a few smaller cockpit pieces and will get into it in a few.

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by John D.C. Masters

[John Masters]

We have 9 Beaufort today from the south which means the air is full of red dust, grey dust, yellow dust and the splattering of occasional raindrops that feel more like a tepid shower than anything else.  Yuck!  So it is good day to be inside and building model airplanes!  Here is some cockpit work on Freddy...

 

 

The seatbelts are masking tape.  The CP is the provided decal.  The instructions called for RLM02 for the inside so I did that then a wash of black, then when that was dry a dry brush of aluminum.  It'll al be gone once I close it up, but it is fun to see here now.  The AZ Model/KoPro cockpits do not disappoint!  Always some nice detail, moulded or otherwise.

 

--John

[John Masters]

I have done a fair amount of work on this since last I posted, and have photographed it too, which is good!  The cockpit went into the fuselage easily, and the fuselage closed up without a hitch.  The wing sections were the same.  Afterwards, a test fit showed a decent fit with only a slight gap to fill at the wing roots.  The canopy was easily masked and attached.  I took the liberty of spraying the white onto the stabilizers and rudder and will mask a white section for the Hungarian tri-colour before I proceed with any priming.  Like many of these kits, there will be masking, unmasking and more masking.  After the primer, I will mask off areas for the yellow underside of the wing tips, the fuselage band and beneath the nose.  Then mask those...splinter camo, strange nose camo...the masking never ends!  In any case, here is what I have completed so far...

 

 

--John

[clive_t]

Looking good John - interesting times ahead for the camo pattern!

[John Masters]

Thanks Clive.  I think so too!

[John Masters]

Let the multiple masking sessions begin!  How many? 4 or 5 at least.  My first round was with some yellow for the wing-tips, underside of the nose and fuselage band.  I have let that dry and masked it. That will be the last unmasked.  

 

Then I continued with the RLM76 underside...

 

 

I made up my special RLM75 (Light Sea Grey and Oxford Blue) for the first topside colour...

 

 

I masked for the splinter camo...Vallejo Dark Grey for this...I don't have an RLM74.  After that had dried sufficiently, I reversed the nose masking and used Vallejo Air Olive Green for the initial nose colour.

 

 

 

Finally, down to the tri-colour...Red first (including spinner), then Green...then unmask the aircraft, canopy too...assemble the undercarriage, etc...almost there!  I'll tackle the decals this afternoon, then some weathering.  And on to something new!

 

 

By my calendar, I don't have any GeeBees until June 1 (FROG)...that means I can get another build or two in before then.  At least one more 109 (Naughty Pigeon!)...I am saving my next Spit for D-Day!

 

--John

 

 

Edited May 12, 2019 by John D.C. Masters

[John Masters]

Check the latest RFI thread...!