Mig88 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Here is my 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 with Peilgerät IV "G9+GV", of 10./NJG1, at Köln-Osthgeim, Germany, in July-August 1941. I built it in 2008. It's the Academy kit with the Owl conversion set. The conversion set includes the parts for the PeilG IV device and cover as well as a new larger rudder and decals for two options. The Academy kit, although nicely moulded has a series of flaws which I corrected as well as I could. The following changes/additions were made: - Rudder replaced by larger Owl resin part. - Top engine cover replaced with that from an old 1970s Airfix kit. The guns on the Academy kit are too much to the sides. - A new oil cooler intake was scratchbuilt. Academy's is too narrow and shallow. - The outer ends of the wheel wells were filled as they were too long. - The wing cannon bulges were replaced with those cut from the same old Airfix kit. - The underwing radiators were replaced with parts of those from the Airfix kit and plastic card. The Academy parts are of the Bf 109F-type. - Tailwing struts replaced with parts from my spares box. - A gunsight was scratchbuilt. - The forward part of the supercharger intake was adjusted to be facing correctly forwards (not sideways). - One flaw I didn't fix as I only found out too late was that the engine exhausts are back to front!! The kit was fully painted with brush except for the flat varnish which was airbrushed. Thank you for looking and all comments are welcome as always Miguel 25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanC Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Nicely done, especially the vector thrust exhausts! Very interesting subject too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 Nice looking Emil ! ... This is another on my list of future builds. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toryu Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 Looks very appealing in its black guise. Great job on the conversions, too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 Very nice work I hope mine will look as good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 Thank you very much @IanC, @Corsairfoxfouruncle, @Toryu and @Walter! Miguel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 Very neat and ambitious '09! I wasn't even aware of this specialised version…😬 Considering how much research, corrections and additions you have lavished on this model, it's almost petty to point out that the prop is mounted back to front. Yes, it is – the more curved edge of the blades is the trailing edge, and vice versa. Sorry! Kind regards, Joachim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 27 minutes ago, Spitfire31 said: Very neat and ambitious '09! I wasn't even aware of this specialised version…😬 Considering how much research, corrections and additions you have lavished on this model, it's almost petty to point out that the prop is mounted back to front. Yes, it is – the more curved edge of the blades is the trailing edge, and vice versa. Sorry! Kind regards, Joachim Oh my.... you are correct!! 😳 Thank you anyway! Miguel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 24 minutes ago, Spitfire31 said: Very neat and ambitious '09! I wasn't even aware of this specialised version…😬 Considering how much research, corrections and additions you have lavished on this model, it's almost petty to point out that the prop is mounted back to front. Yes, it is – the more curved edge of the blades is the trailing edge, and vice versa. Sorry! Kind regards, Joachim Dang! Ya beat me to it. It is easy to do if you're not careful, as the prop fit over a pin on the rear plate. The right way: The Other way: Also, I disagree with Mig88's statement about the exhausts being moulded back to front. While not moulded that great, they are in the proper direction. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 18 hours ago, dogsbody said: Also, I disagree with Mig88's statement about the exhausts being moulded back to front. While not moulded that great, they are in the proper direction. Chris Thanks for pointing out how I went wrong, Chris. I've been checking another of these kits in my stash and I'm afraid I'm standing my ground on the exhausts. They are slanted from out to in looking rearwards when they should be from in to out. Unless, of course, Academy has rectified the sprues in the meantime, which I doubt. I have two in my stash and I bought them 10+ years ago. Miguel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 I'm not sure if Academy ever re-did this kit, to repair the faulty exhaust, if they were faulty. I've had my kit for a long time now, at least since sometime in the 90's. I know I got it not too long after it first came out. Compared to other 1/72 Me109E's, it does look a bit soft-moulded and not well defined, but the orientation looks okay, compared to other kits. Below are the other kits. First is Academy, then Hasegawa and last is Tamiya. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 Thanks Chris Here are photos of one of the Academy 109Es I have in my stash: The boxing I used to build this Bf 109E was exactly the same as the two I have in my stash. As you can see, the exhausts are back to front! This raises some interesting questions... Miguel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Oh wow! I see that. This is the kit I have. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted November 19, 2019 Author Share Posted November 19, 2019 Thanks again Chris Right, that's an earlier issue. Mine is from the early 2000s, the "Heinz Bär with Kettenkrad" issue. Strangely, looking in Scalemates in the kit's history, they make no mention of any change in the moulds. But it's very clear there was. The upper guns are more correct in your moulds for example. Can anyone shed some light here? Miguel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 11 hours ago, Mig88 said: Thanks again Chris Right, that's an earlier issue. Mine is from the early 2000s, the "Heinz Bär with Kettenkrad" issue. Strangely, looking in Scalemates in the kit's history, they make no mention of any change in the moulds. But it's very clear there was. The upper guns are more correct in your moulds for example. Can anyone shed some light here? Miguel I've gone over to https://www.super-hobby.com/products/MESSERSCHMITT-Bf109E-3-4-Heinz-Bar-with-KETTENKR.html#gallery_start and noticed that the propeller also fits on differently than on my kit. Academy did some weird crap! Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Miguel That's an interesting build. I will have to do one in my nightfigher collection. I might start that at the end of next year to commemorate the 80th year since the blitz. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 12 hours ago, dogsbody said: I've gone over to https://www.super-hobby.com/products/MESSERSCHMITT-Bf109E-3-4-Heinz-Bar-with-KETTENKR.html#gallery_start and noticed that the propeller also fits on differently than on my kit. Academy did some weird crap! Chris No wonder I got it wrong!! In the meantime, I bought a pair of Airfix Bf 109Es several years ago to "replace" the two Academy kits in my stash and in the middle I had an inspiration: make a two-seater Emil from the Academy kits. I later discovered that there was a project for it (the Bf 109S) but it was never carried out until the two-seater Bf 109G-12 was built. Miguel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 I keep coming back to this I like it so much 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapam Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 An excellent conversion.! The device inside the ventral dome - is it a photographic device? Some sort of radar or direction-finding apparatus? Just curious is all. 🤔 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, kapam said: An excellent conversion.! The device inside the ventral dome - is it a photographic device? Some sort of radar or direction-finding apparatus? Just curious is all. 🤔 It's a locating device, it proved pretty useless. Edited November 22, 2019 by Walter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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