A Trio of Emils

[Stew Dapple]

On 7/27/2020 at 9:28 PM, PeterB said:

First of all I will give it a coat of gloss varnish to try and protect it a little from my ham-fisted efforts, and let that dry for a day or two.

 

Prudent, but I'm sure you'll do fine Peter

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[PeterB]

So, after a bit of a delay whilst I did some work on three models in another GB with an impending deadline, things are moving again.

I put a couple of thin washes of RLM02 on the ones that are to be mottled, and will seal that with a coat of varnish. Then I will have a shot at the RLM 71 green mottle. Probably take 2 or 3 goes before I am happy, and then perhaps another thin wash to finish off, either 02 or 65 - we will see. Good job this is a long GB! With one of the other kits finished and the remaining two just needing a coat of varnish, I should be able to concentrate 100% on this GB for a a couple of months before the Heller Classic starts. Hopefully by that time I will be close to finishing the various builds for this one - must try and avoid having too many on the go at once. If the Xtradecal colour details are to be believed the one with the yellow nose had a smaller but more dense mottle than the other.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[jean]

2 hours ago, PeterB said:

So, after a bit of a delay whilst I did some work on three models in another GB with an impending deadline, things are moving again.

I put a couple of thin washes of RLM02 on the ones that are to be mottled, and will seal that with a coat of varnish. Then I will have a shot at the RLM 71 green mottle. Probably take 2 or 3 goes before I am happy, and then perhaps another thin wash to finish off, either 02 or 65 - we will see. Good job this is a long GB! With one of the other kits finished and the remaining two just needing a coat of varnish, I should be able to concentrate 100% on this GB for a a couple of months before the Heller Classic starts. Hopefully by that time I will be close to finishing the various builds for this one - must try and avoid having too many on the go at once. If the Xtradecal colour details are to be believed the one with the yellow nose had a smaller but more dense mottle than the other.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Hi Pete,

 

your 109s are looking really sharp. Impressive results, considering this kit is not a spring chicken any longer!

I am a real fan of these paint schemes!!!

You just scared me to death! I didn't know the Heller classic GB was right on the heals of this one!!! Or more precisely, I had forgotten.

I was not given the choice, but just told that as a Froggie, my not entering the Heller GB, may mean grievous bodily arm to me and my family. Some people take these GBs really seriously, believe me... I stupidly thought I would have time to escape to a safe country, but seeing how slow I build, that won't happen...

Damn!!! Forever stuck in GBs.

 

But I must congratulate you on your three 109s! Never mind Heller.

Keep having fun.

 

JR

 

[PeterB]

Hi Jean,

 

Thanks for that. Only a slight overlap with the Heller one thankfully, and I have only 3 qualifying kits - Mirage IV, Spitfire XVI and Mig 19. I know I always say I am only going to build one or two, but this time I really am limited as I have no intention of buying any more. I do have a LeO 451 but that is well over the 25% rule so if I remember it can  go in the next KUTA.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited August 7, 2020 by PeterB

[PeterB]

As I have said many times, I am not a great fan of mottling, so I have been putting this off, but I have finally had my first go.

When I first came across this subject it was I think in an article in an early Airfix Mag, and that suggested using a stippling brush. I chopped the bristles down on an old brush and gave it a try using thinned down paint and the "dry brush" technique where you wipe most of the paint off before applying. The trick, it said was to dab the brush on the surface at right angles, ie perpendicular. Well it never seemed to work for me, not even when I bought a set of proper stippling brushes which have much thicker and stiffer bristles, but I thought I would try again using acrylic paints instead of my old enamels. As a back up I was considering using a sponge, but the fuselage area to be painted is a bit small for that in this scale perhaps.

 

According to the painting sheet that came with the Xtradecals, Black 8, the one on the left with the yellow nose, had quite a small but dense mottle of RLM 71 and although the photo does not show it clearly, it has actually come out quite well when stippled. The one on the right, Yellow 15, seems to have had a more distinct sort of line type mottle so I did that with a long fine brush, just dabbing the paint on with the tip. Both are going to need some touching up to blur them into the solid colour on the spine and with RLM02 to break up any "clumps", but at least it is a start.

 

I need to get these finished and move on, before the Vietnam GB starts - only just noticed that one and have a few builds I would like to do, so maybe I won't do all of the kits I have that could go in this GB. Time will tell!  I have found I tend to have too many GB on the go at once which stretches me at times, so from now on I am going to try and take a more relaxed approach which makes it rather more enjoyable - after all, that is what this hobby is all about.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[PeterB]

Touching up finished and the various tabs "painted" red with a Sharpie.

I think that is about as good as I can get, so varnished and ready for decals! Most will come from the Xtradecal BoB Luftwaffe sheet but I also have some Techmod stencils - though they are very small so not many will get used I suspect - I certainly won't be putting decs on the trim tabs as they would be invisible!.

 

No prizes for guessing one of the kits on the agenda for the start of the Vietnam GB in just over a week! I will also make a start on my Hampden and Ju-88 conversion very shortly for this GB. How many more get done remains to be seen but we still have quite a bit of time thankfully.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited August 12, 2020 by PeterB

[Stew Dapple]

Nice mottling Peter  

 

Looking forward to seeing them with the transfers on  

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[PeterB]

Here's a puzzle that maybe some of the "experten" can answer. All the various "profiles" I have show the wing walkway lines and associated stencils on the upper wing in red, but the Techmod 109E stencil sheet shows the ones for the Bf 109E-3 and E-4 in black, and only the E-7 in red! So which is correct?

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Stew Dapple]

Could be that both are right Peter, I'm not an expert but with repaints or different production batches it's possible both might have been used, I suppose. I can't imagine there's a great deal of original colour evidence to conclusively prove one or the other were always/never used I can imagine a scenario where it was decided that the red lines were too bright and should be replaced with black ones, but for the size of the markings the potential impact on the camouflage must be negligible, or that the black ones were not visible enough to ground crew and should be re-done in red, but I would have thought that crews and ground crews were pretty careful about where they put their feet anyway - all that's entirely supposition on my part and I'm not seriously suggesting that either was the case  

 

TLDR: I dunno  

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[PeterB]

Well, I suppose it is time to introduce you to the three individual aircraft in this build.

 

According to the Xtradecal sheet and other sources, this is an E-3 of 3./JG 52 flown by Uffz Karl Wolff which crashed in France on August 30th 1940. On the nose it carries the normal badge of the Gruppe which is a black boar on a shield, but apparently some carried a temporary variant during the Battle, consisting of a black gloved hand clutching a Spitfire on a background representing the English Channel.

 

The remaining 2 are both E-4 starting with this machine flown by Oblt Gunther Bode who as the chevron indicates was Gruppenadjutant of I/JG 27 which crashed near Mayfield in Sussex on September 9th.

It carries the well known Gruppe badge of a lioness over Africa, which I mistakenly though was not used until the Gruppe actually went to North Africa later, However, it seems the first Kommandeur of the Geschwader, Hauptmann Helmut Riegel, had a thing about the various colonies Germany lost at the end of WWI and which he hoped they would recover, so I /JG 27 had this and II /JG 27 apparently had some artwork from the cover of a popular book on the lost colonies. He even had the names of the colonies painted on individual planes at the start - eg Samoa.

 

Lastly we have this.

This plane from 2./JG 3 was flown by Ofw Bernard Lempskemper and forced landed near Pevensey Radar station on August 29th. On its nose it bears the 

Tatzelwurm, a creature found in folk tales in the region of the Alps, under a several different names and variously described as a 2 metre long dragon or lizard, sometimes with the head of a cat, and having anything from 2 to 6 legs. This particular name seems to have originated in Bavaria and spread into Austria, and it was the insignia of JG3 from the start of 1940 to the end of 1941. There is a little confusion possible with this insignia as in January 1942 II/JG 3 became II/JG 1 and took the “wurm” with them, so it is seen later on the Fw 190 of that unit. With JG 3, the Stab wurm was green, I Gruppe white, II Gruppe red and III Gruppe yellow, and as you can see, whoever painted the nose of this one yellow left a rectangle of the original RLM 65 as a background.

 

So, wing crosses and a few stencils to put on next then I can complete the build.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by PeterB

[PeterB]

Speaking of the wing crosses I am finding that info on their placement is contradictory so I have posted a question in the chat section. My sources say the upper cross should have its centre 2 metres from the wingtip and the under wing one should be half way along the wing, though pics suggest it was a little further out than that, perhaps to clear the cannon bulge - any thoughts?

 

Later, Just spent a while looking at photos of the real thing and it seems there were differing interpretations of the "rules" regarding positioning of the crosses. On the early 70/71/65 finished ones the upper wing ones seem to have been nearer the wingtip but then they moved inwards a bit. Some do indeed look to be around 2 metres, maybe a bit more in from the tip whilst others could even be around half span. What the heck, I will sort something out.

 

Pete

Edited August 14, 2020 by PeterB

[PeterB]

Hi,

 

I must have built 2 or 3 of this moulding after it first came out and don't remember any problems and so far everything seems to have gone well, but when I just came to put the canopies on the 2x E-4 I found they were almost 2mm too narrow!. The fuselage has fitted perfectly with no gaps, so it looks like the canopies have actually "shrunk" when moulded. As luck would have it it is not a big problem as I can fair them in with a little PVA and once that has been painted it should not be too obvious. I don't know if anybody else is either building or thinking of building this particular version of the Airfix 1/72 kit which I believe dates from 1975 though mine is the 1988 "Aces" reboxing, but if so I would suggest you check your canopies! I would imagine the later 2012 moulding is OK. My Squadron vacform E-3 canopy is fine - if anything a mite too big actually.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited August 15, 2020 by PeterB

[PeterB]

A bit more progress.

The Techmod stencil decs are beautifully printed and much finer that the few Airfix provide with the kit, but most are so small they are virtually invisible. I must confess I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with stencils these days - when I first started modelling there were virtually no stencils and the kits, particularly post war jets, looked a bit bare so I was pleased when they started to be increasingly included in I guess the 1970's, maybe a bit earlier. Since then they have increased in number to the point where, at least in 1/72 scale, there are to my mind perhaps rather too many. Take the recent Airfix F-4K kit - it would probably take me most of a week to put all the stencils on, and frankly both my hands and eyes are getting too old for this, and so. as in this case, most of the stencil decs will remain on the sheet - I find that many of the small ones either curl up, or get "eaten" by my brush when I attempt to apply them anyway!

 

So, all the decals I am going to use are on, and I have fitted both the canopies and the "Master" brass cannon. Actually the ones Airfix provide are pretty good as were the cowling MG tips so I have probably made a bit of work for myself that was not entirely needed but what the heck! Everything is now painted except the props and spinners which are still in progress, so hopefully I should get the undersides finished on Monday.

 

I should get this build finished before I get embroiled in yet another GB next weekend - when will I ever learn!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited August 16, 2020 by PeterB

[jean]

Hi Peter,

the trio looks smashing, and after a coat of mat varnish they will really look the part!

I tend to agree with you re the stencils. Case in point on a 109 are the small numbers that relate to the fuselage sections, and that are supposed to be placed neat the bottom of the fuselage. This is ridiculous! They look like little black flees (actually flees are much bigger) and must be a nightmare to position.

Life is too short, definitely!

That is the sensible JR speaking.

But I know, that when I get to these flee-like stencils, the stubborn part of my psyche (that's about 90% of it) will insist on trying to place them, and waste precious life time...

Go figure.

 

Anyway, beautiful 109s. The finished Models will be stunning!

 

JR

 

[PeterB]

Hi Jean,

 

Thanks for that. I certainly agree with you about the frame numbers or whatever they are, and there are many more little circles and lines all that size or even smaller, none of which are going on!

 

Pete

[PeterB]

Still a little touching up to do inevitably, but otherwise they are ready for a coat of flattish varnish.

Then I will stick the radio masts on and they will be finished.

 

I realised I had made a mistake with the yellow nose on Black 8 - only the upper part was yellow back to the cockpit, so I re-touched it and we now have 3 styles of yellow/white nose. On the left the white goes all the way back to the canopy, in the middle only the sides and bottom are done back to the leading edge of the wing, and on the right we have a sort of hybrid approach - adds a little variety as do the spinners - Yellow 15 has an RLM 71 segment over 120^o and Black 8 has a 90^o segment with a red tip, whilst the middle one is all RLM 71.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited August 17, 2020 by PeterB

[AdrianMF]

They look great! A nice variation of schemes too. Shows what you can do with these old kits if you don't rush 'em! 

 

Regards,

Adrian

[PeterB]

Thanks Adrian,

 

After reading a recent post in Jean's build I realised I had not reinstated the little masts at the top of the fin, so those are now fixed and I must try and get them sprayed. Unfortunately my other half has been in "baking mode" for the last few days and as I normally do my spraying on the kitchen hob to make use of the extractor fan this has delayed me a little - one day soon!

 

Pete

Edited August 24, 2020 by PeterB

[jean]

Hi Pete,

 

how I wish my wife went into "baking mode" for days at a time!!! No such luck though.

Just do be careful not to spray the muffins RLM 71... 

 

Great trio!

JR

[PeterB]

So, after a 2 week delay, I have finally managed to spray the finishing coat and stuck the radio masts on.

I think I will follow Heather's lead from her triple build and post as 3 gallery entries.

 

Yes, it is an old kit and rather basic, but I think it still looks the part. Next up a fairly new Ju 87B and an ancient Ju 88!

 

Pete

Edited August 30, 2020 by PeterB

[Johnson]

I blinked and there they were done! Nice trio Pete.

[jean]

Hi Pete,

 

great finish! They sure look good, all three of them.

I still have two Airfix Emils, AND the same decal sheet you've used. So it is really tempting to follow in your footsteps.

 

Congrats!

 

JR

[Cookenbacher]

Impressive triple build Peter, especially the mottling, an ambitious project well executed.

[nimrod54]

Three smashing looking Emil's Peter. This is still a nice kit regardless the canopy issue, which was of no concern to me when I was younger. I built Karl Wolff's Yellow 15 for the 75th Anniversary GB, using the new Airfix kit. Your mottling has turned out much better than mine though.