Tim Moff Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 (edited) The next build I plan is of a BF109E-4/B. Reading through a bit of history, I became aware of the Fighter Bomber squadron, that was shortlived, but quite effective. Erprobungsgruppe literally means test group and were involved in the concept, with 2 x Bf110 Staffel and 1 x Bf109 Staffel. The fighter codes were smaller than usual on the units aircraft, about the same size as the cross in height, so again, great advice to use 1/72 versions! Having read a bit and become hooked, I bought a coy of Bombsights over England, by John J Vasco - a fascinating read for anyone interested in BoB history. But I expect plenty on this GB will know about the unit, the book etc. The Bf109E-4/B's had a ETC-500 bomb rack, I think it could carry 4 x SC 50KG bombs, or 1 SC 250 KG bomb? It appears I may have an SC 500 KG bomb in the kit? Can I gather that I should fit the SC 250 on my build? Also noted is the unarmoured Windscreen and lack of head armour, plus the latest 'square' canopy. Being a non Bf109 expert (I do see lots of German and RAF references to Me109 but won't go there as I have been warned!) I had to ensure I use the right parts on my build earlier on the chat, thanks for the help chaps! Will use part 26 Spinner Parts 3,6 and 8 for the canopy - think thats right? Will Omit part 36 Hintze flew the airframe from 1st July - 17th Oct, where it was taken off charge as it had flown 250hrs. He was shot down in White 6 on 29th Oct 40 right at the end of the battle, apparently by a Spitfire flown by Sgt Burgess of 222 Squadron. Hintze was wounded but managed to bail out and became a POW. Yellow 3 is also featured in the book, flown by Lt Horst Marx, shot down and injured, becoming a POW during the Croydon raid on 15th Sept 1940. That day was costly for the unit, with the loss/heavy damage of 7 Bf110 as well as Hintze's Bf109 Yellow 3. A Yellow 11 can also be seen in a pic, but I thought I'd go for Yellow 1 as it was the lead and was pretty much omni-present during the battle. The Staffel had a yellow painted spinner tip and a bit of non standard camo, appears to be the normal RLM 65 undersides and sides, RLM 71/02 wings and upper cam, but in place of the sometimes seen mottle, there appears to be a more stripe variation, using both RLM 02/71. Couple of builds here: http://www.hyperscale.com/2013/features/bf109e348rm_1.htm https://imodeler.com/2018/12/airfix-1-48-scale-messerschmitt-bf-109-e-4-b/ and a great 1/32 build here: https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/32278-bf109-e-4b-yellow-6-oblt-otto-hintze-3-erprgr210-1940/ Whilst doing some research, I came up with a tenuous personal link! I was posted to Dover for 5 years, spent a lot of time running along the white cliffs etc, being Dover we were always running up the hill at the end of the PT, as the camp was just behind the castle....one young officer liked to take us to the port once a week, running down the hill.....straight into the sea, swim out to a wall, swim back, run back up the hill, a weekly joy! However some of the routes were fascinating, along the cliffs west, gun emplacements etc...even our sports field dated back to a WW1 fighter strip, and Fort Burgoyne was inside the camp, used as a vehicle park was fascinating, with tunnels, rumoured to go to the castle. Camp is now closed and the Land Trust open up the fort. https://thelandtrust.org.uk/space/fort-burgoyne/ I digress....we had various annual fitness tests, a couple unique to our unit. One of which was the 2 miler. To be done in max of 18 minutes, carrying 29Lb of webbing/daysack, wearing 10lb body armour and a helmet, carrying a rifle. This is a quite tough test. The route was around the masts just over the road from our camp....Turns out this was the site of the Swingate Radar station here (you can see a scar to the west which is the old site of the camp, now demolished, with the fort intact to the north end. I remember thinking it must be WW2 related. Turns out it was targeted by Erprobungsgruppe 210 on the morning of 12 Aug 1940. According to page 28 of the Bombsites over Britain book, Hintze led this raid of 8 Bf109E-4/B's. Am I right in saying its a SC 250 KG on Yellow 3? Depicted in Graham Turner's painting 'Attacking the Chain Home Radar Sites' https://www.studio88.co.uk/acatalog/Attacking_the_Chain_Home_radar_sites.html So, I think I plan to build the subject, Yellow 1, in flight that morning. Edited July 7, 2020 by Tim Moff 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 Getting the parts off the sprue ready to prime - trying to get this done for all the builds so I can be most efficient with bench time painting and building the cockpits. A test fit sees the pins really tight in the holes - a bit of flash to get rid of as well. As ever with these WW2 builds, need some advice. Airfix have a few different colours in the pit but the model box build is of a later era. BF109E4 or E7. Mainly slate grays etc. My Eduard BF109E4 from BoB period has most of the inside RLM02? would the Eduard call out be best ? also should I fit the part labelled C ? Intriguingly there is no option C in the boxing only A/B! what strikes me is just how small the BF-09 was even compared to the spitfire and Hurticane. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Hi Tim, Yes, I would go with RLM02 for the interior, it did change to RLM66 but I believe this post-dated the period in question. As for part 'C' I think that is the bomb selector and arming/fusing panel so it would be appropriate for your build Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted July 14, 2020 Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 4 hours ago, Stew Dapple said: Hi Tim, Yes, I would go with RLM02 for the interior, it did change to RLM66 but I believe this post-dated the period in question. As for part 'C' I think that is the bomb selector and arming/fusing panel so it would be appropriate for your build Cheers, Stew Thanks @Stew Dapple thats really helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Not my scale but definitely a subject I'm keen on, Eprb 210 has long been of interest to me, I have several of Vasco's book on this unit & its successors. I'll be keeping an eye on this for sure. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 Got some time on my builds this weekend, so a bit of mass production of cockpit areas etc.... Priming done Mainly RLM02 interior, picked some bits out and done a basic IP. Thought I'd take the chance to get the RLM out on the paint mule wings and look at mottling. stripes etc, as 210 seemed to use stripes rather than mottle: Mr Paint and HP-C - I have never attempted mottling at all and will need on my Bf110 and other Bf109 build.... Mr Paint with SOTAR 20/20 and the sponge used around the area of the hole. Looks ok for me, the other Bf109 needs really tight mottling so will likely use the sponge. Will try Mr Color paint thinned a bit as well to see the affect as Mr Paint is really pre-thinned 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve 1602 Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 22 minutes ago, Tim Moff said: the sponge used around the area of the hole. Is that literally a piece of sponge dipped in paint and dabbed on the model Tim? Looks very effective if so. I’m hoping to build a 109 later in this group build (if time permits) but am very nervous of mottling- especially with my airbrush, so am keen to watch and learn! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 26 minutes ago, Steve 1602 said: Is that literally a piece of sponge dipped in paint and dabbed on the model Tim? Looks very effective if so. I’m hoping to build a 109 later in this group build (if time permits) but am very nervous of mottling- especially with my airbrush, so am keen to watch and learn! I placed some paint in a small dish, dipped a small piece of bath sponge in, then wipe off on some kitchen roll (similar to dry brushing) until literally dry, then dabbed on with some tweezers - the other areas are airbrush. I will be 'tuning in on a paint mule before the real dab! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 From what you've done already it doesn't look like you'll have any problems with the mottling Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 Always satisfying to button up the fuselage. Hopefully the rest will go together well and I will be finishing up the build soon before we get to the paint stage. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Coming together well. You must have quite a production line at the moment with all the builds that you are doing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted July 30, 2020 Author Share Posted July 30, 2020 Will have a bash at the seam, never seem to get it right! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonT Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 Hi Tim, don't hate me but: 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 17 hours ago, SimonT said: Hi Tim, don't hate me but: 🤣🤣🤣 - typical - it maybe the first time I’ve achieved blending in the seams and they were built just like airfix’s kit !! If history is anything to go by there will be a faint line visible that I’d normally curse but this time around will be the right thing 🤓 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted August 8, 2020 Author Share Posted August 8, 2020 It more done - hopefully ready for primer soon 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 Coming together very well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted August 10, 2020 Author Share Posted August 10, 2020 Much too hot to go in the garage and do anything build/paint wise ... so masking began - plenty to do 😳 rest have pre cut though 💪🏻 anyone have any ideas in the inside frame colour I should spray first ? RLM02? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 (edited) Hi Tim, Regarding bombs, Green says the normal load for an E-4B was either 4 x 110lb or 1 x 550 lb, which I would translate as 4 x SC50 or 1 x SC 250. I rather think an SC500 would be too heavy at around 1000lb, so I would say you are correct in your assumptions stated earlier. Sorry, so many builds that I have only just noticed your question. If in doubt Wiki says that the 250 was 164cm long overall of which 120cm was the actual body and the rest the tail, and the diameter was 37cm. I actually have a fuse recovered from one of these beggars that my Auctioneer Brother in Law was given by the ex Bomb Disposal chap who took it out - apparently.. Pete Edited August 10, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 Hi Tim, I went with RLM02 for the canopy 'underframing' Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted August 19, 2020 Author Share Posted August 19, 2020 On 8/10/2020 at 8:06 PM, Tim Moff said: Much too hot to go in the garage and do anything build/paint wise ... so masking began - plenty to do 😳 rest have pre cut though 💪🏻 anyone have any ideas in the inside frame colour I should spray first ? RLM02? Seems I fell for the box art and there should not have been a frame in the middle of the opening part of the canopy....too late! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 There is a center line or frame on the canopy. It is a lot narrower than the rest of the frame. The inside colour of the frame should be RLM02. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Got some Mr Surfacer 1500 on! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted August 27, 2020 Author Share Posted August 27, 2020 (edited) Got the RLM65 on. started off by marbling over the black base using Mr Color 318 Radome and a lightened Swedish blue. I then highlighted the panel lines using Mr Color 331 Dark Sea Grey. once done I then used a very thin Mr Color 115 RLM65 to slowly build up the main colour. Hopefully the process will leave some good tonal variation. one wing done next I need to add the RLM02/71. looking at references the camo comes fairly low on the fuselage before the ‘tiger’ type stripes. will use blue tac rather than tape - and as per @Stew Dapple’s build I’m thinking the airframe would have had RLM02 overpainted on the RLM70, so looking at doing the RLM71 first. also some of the 210 Erpro Bf109s had a wavy wing join rather than a straight line on the leading edge - again will use blue tac. Edited August 27, 2020 by Tim Moff 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted August 29, 2020 Author Share Posted August 29, 2020 More painting today some blu tac on to simulate the wavy leading edges Loose blu tac to allow marbling of RLM 71 using RLM02 and PRU blue Top cote on sorted masking marbling using radome and PRU blue RLM02 on RLM71 stripes on seems to look ok ? next some detail painting where needed and decals ! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Looks way better than OK Tim, nice work Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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