Bf 109 STGB Chat

[Ray_W]

6 hours ago, Col. said:

for an extra week or two if it will help you lads finish off those projects

 

Tomorrow I will post Part 4 in my history of the Bf-109 in Bulgarian service with a G2. The variant that did most of the combat against the Allied bombing of Bulgaria 1943-44. I was planning not to. Surely three is enough. Well, yes it is and don't call me Shirley. I then had a chance to pick up a 1/48 Eduard G2. Well it was a must. This will complete the story with me planning it as a "Blitz Build".

 

Ray

[Col.]

Public Service Announcement

One Week GB Extension 

 

Our glorious leader Enzo The Great has granted us a one week extension to our GB  

The new closing date is now September 5th.

Happy modelling gang.

[Marklo]

10 hours ago, Col. said:

Our glorious leader Enzo The Great has granted us a one week extension to our GB  

The new closing date is now September 5th.

Happy modelling gang.

Thank you. I shall redouble my efforts to finish the fleet  

[planecrazee]

Thanks Col. 

There's hope for my build yet - I've made a good bit of progress over the past few days and was hoping that I may still get it done within the deadline but an extra week should hopefully guarantee it gets finished 

Kris

[Col.]

No need to thank me lads, I simply asked, Enzo was the one who made this happen  

[wayne 0]

Thought I noticed a change in end date.

 

Very handy indeed.

[Adam Poultney]

A little disappointed that even with the extension I haven't been able to find time to get a Bf109 build in, I'd really have liked to get the 1/48 Zvezda F that's in the stash built, but oh well, I'll leave that for another time

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

7 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

A little disappointed that even with the extension I haven't been able to find time to get a Bf109 build in, I'd really have liked to get the 1/48 Zvezda F that's in the stash built, but oh well, I'll leave that for another time

Its ok Adam we know life and other builds get in the way. You’ll get to it eventually and as you know plastic never spoils. 

[Marklo]

Yes me too. Even with the extension I’m looking at getting precisely none finished for the GB but tbh Rl events plus my ME have intervened, I’m feeling so tired today that even if I had the bench time I don’t think I’d be in the mood; and I’d rather finish the fleet well than quickly. I’ll probably set up a new thread in the WIP forum and post the builds in the RFI section as I complete them. Should still get them all done in September.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

2 hours ago, Marklo said:

Yes me too. Even with the extension I’m looking at getting precisely none finished for the GB but tbh Rl events plus my ME have intervened, I’m feeling so tired today that even if I had the bench time I don’t think I’d be in the mood; and I’d rather finish the fleet well than quickly. I’ll probably set up a new thread in the WIP forum and post the builds in the RFI section as I complete them. Should still get them all done in September.

Sadly I’m not going to finish either, life has conspired to drag out time this week and I just haven't been able to get to the decals. 

[The Rib Man]

Thank you to the organizers for such fun group build!  It was great to see the huge variety of types and paint schemes.  It seems one could build BF-109's for a lifetime without building two that look the same.

 

RM

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

36 minutes ago, The Rib Man said:

Thank you to the organizers for such fun group build!  It was great to see the huge variety of types and paint schemes.  It seems one could build BF-109's for a lifetime without building two that look the same.

 

RM

Im not pro nazi but do like building german planes. The camouflage continually changed and allows for such variance. I can only do so many Olive over Neutral grey, or Day fighter schemes before they become monotonous. 

[Graham Boak]

That's a bit of a false comparison: the the RAF operated in a wide range of theatres with a range of camouflage schemes.  Especially given how universal 74/75/76 was for most of the war - and most of the 109s!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

That's a bit of a false comparison: the the RAF operated in a wide range of theatres with a range of camouflage schemes.  Especially given how universal 74/75/76 was for most of the war - and most of the 109s!

True no offense was meant. 

[Graham Boak]

None taken, but it is a commonly-expressed comparison that, for all the joy of the varied Bf.109 colour schemes, doesn't really stand up.  For example, how many Bf.109 PR/FR colour schemes are there?

 

Even (with a generous pinch of salt) how many various shades are there of OD and NG?  Now IJN camouflage schemes: that is what I call restricted for choice.

[Marklo]

Have to throw in my 2 cents for many reasons I don’t like putting Swastikas on my models but the nazis were so cash strapped that the sold the 109 far and wide so I would guess that there are many more varied schemes for it than maybe the Spitfire, that said the Hurricane seemed to turn up everywhere.

 

I might also add that in my second modelling life I’ve learned to love  British WWI and interwar types but sadly they do mostly seem to be PC10 or Alumium and their German counterparts are much more varied and colourful. 

[Graham Boak]

Prewar Bf.109s sold more because the Spitfire wasn't for sale.  Postwar Spitfires widely outsold 109s. for fairly obvious reasons.  "Selling" in wartime is open to all sorts of interpretations, but: better think of operators.

Bf.109: Switzerland, Yugoslav, Spain and Romania prewar.  Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Italy wartime. I exclude the Vlasov Russians as unproven: you might like to count the RA and RSI as two different Italians.  Czech, Israel postwar.

Spitfire: No prewar sales but considerable interest.  Wartime: USA, Soviet Union, Turkey, Portugal, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Australia, South Africa, Poland (special case of semi-independence), India - not counting Canada, New Zealand, Czech, Norwegian, Belgian units operating as part of the RAF in Europe/Africa.  Possibly should include Egypt.  Postwar we can start with Czech and Israeli but where do we stop?

 

Even in wartime the Spitfire operated under more different insignia than the Bf.109.

 

As for different schemes, the Bf.109 certainly had lots but many of them are fiddling variations on 74/75/76.  For Spitfires I would point to Malta and PR variants to boost the numbers.  Schemes are there if you go looking for them.

 

Personally, I've made lots of models of both.  And a fair number of Hurricanes (although possibly not quite as fair in comparison).

[Ray_W]

2 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

As for different schemes, the Bf.109 certainly had lots but many of them are fiddling variations on 74/75/76.  For Spitfires I would point to Malta and PR variants to boost the numbers.  Schemes are there if you go looking for them.

 

I agree, if you hunt around you can find many colour scheme variations for most aircraft. 

 

My reason for ongoing enjoyment in building 109's is that I really like the type. I can usually find enough variation be it in the type, usage, theatre, country, colour scheme, weathering, latest and greatest kit (that reminds me I have to pick up the Wingsy E-1 effort) and the list goes on-and-on always giving me an excuse to do another. And, a great subject with many options available, if the fin marking is an issue. Besides, I am a long way away from building 30,000 plus 109 airframes. 

 

Yet I have similar passion for other subjects such as the Spitfire, Hurricane and P-47. Goodness me, I have now gone a whole year with no Spitfire builds. The Ministry of Production will complain. Time for one in the DFS - the Eduard Vb is calling me.  

 

Ray

 

 

 

[Johnson]

1 hour ago, Ray_W said:

that reminds me I have to pick up the Wingsy E-1 effort

Does look very good Ray;

 

http://www.hyperscale.com/2021/reviews/kits/wingsyd507reviewbg_1.htm

 

So many kits, so little time...

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

8 hours ago, Ray_W said:

that reminds me I have to pick up the Wingsy E-1 effort

Me too … more for the decals than the kit. It has Prillers E-1 markings which will aid in my ongoing Priller project. 

[Ray_W]

@Johnson @Corsairfoxfouruncle

 

And Wingsy has just released their E-3. Their E-4 and E-7 will be following quickly. Thankfully the STGB has now finished otherwise I may have been locked into a never ending cycle of 109 builds. 

 

Ray

 

 

[Col.]

Well done all of you for making this such an enjoyable event. There's been such a wide variety of markings and variants we've done a great job of illustrating some of the type's history from inception to present day. I'll get a poll formed this weekend if everyone is up for that.

[Johnson]

Has the poll in the gallery started yet? I see there are some questions but, having done very few polls, I’m a bit confused 🤔 and don’t want to press the wrong button!

If someone could explain how it works, it would surely help (did look in GB FAQs, maybe I missed it)

Thanks!

 

PS - Oops! Sorry @Col., I guess the poll is still to be activated!

Edited September 10, 2021 by Johnson
SNAFU

[Col.]

7 hours ago, Johnson said:

Has the poll in the gallery started yet? I see there are some questions but, having done very few polls, I’m a bit confused 🤔 and don’t want to press the wrong button!

If someone could explain how it works, it would surely help (did look in GB FAQs, maybe I missed it)

Thanks!

 

PS - Oops! Sorry @Col., I guess the poll is still to be activated!

No problem. It'll take me a little time to set-up as there's a lot of entries in the gallery! 

[jackroadkill]

Thanks very much for running the GB, Col.  I really enjoyed being part of it and finding out just how naff the Academy T is.