A Twin That Did Not Get Away - Eduard 1/48 Bf-110C ***FINISHED***

[Ray_W]

Well I'm calling this one done. What an enjoyable build. A subject that was not on the bucket list but I am certainly glad I picked one up. This Eduard 1/48 Bf-110 was a delight.

 

Here are some final pics from the bench. I'll take some in natural light tomorrow for the gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It will be amazing if I can get this one back to Australia in one piece. No where to grab without knocking something off.

 

Thanks to the hosts and everyone for their participation.

 

Pics in the Gallery here:

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235076190-battle-of-britain-80th-anniversary-gallery/&do=findComment&comment=3819226

 

Now time to switch to Pat Hughes' Spitfire.

 

Ray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Ray_W
Added Gallery Link

[Johnson]

Looks really good Ray. Super photo of the open cockpit.

[Ray_W]

2 minutes ago, Johnson said:

Looks really good Ray. Super photo of the open cockpit.

Thanks Charlie. Eduard did a great job on these kits. The cockpit is worth the price of admission alone.  If I didn't have "oh so many kits to build" I'd hook straight into a G-4.  

[Stew Dapple]

Superb job Ray, I look forward to seeing her in the gallery  

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[Ray_W]

Thanks Stew. Will do.

[Retired Bob]

15 hours ago, Greg Law said:

Yes i also have this kit. I have stolen the sight out of it for now as the Eduard one disappeared during construction.  I always seem to loose them. 

I plan to do my next one with it.

With the Dragon kit there is the issue of the raised strips over the main spars on both upper and lower surfaces.  I checked my references but could find nothing that looked like the way Dragon has represented this, so a bit of work with a modelling chisel and sanding stick and they are gone, just a few small areas to re-scribe.  If yours is the D-3 version, Dragon have it right when they callout RLM66 for the cockpit colour, a Bf110D was brought down during the BoB, it was shipped to the USA and colour photos show that the cockpit colour was dark grey.  Looks like this kit has been bumped up on my build list. 

[Retired Bob]

3 hours ago, Ray_W said:

Well I'm calling this one done. What an enjoyable build. A subject that was not on the bucket list but I am certainly glad I picked one up. This Eduard 1/48 Bf-110 was a delight.

A superb looking Bf110 Ray, the camouflage looks spot on with just the right amount of weathering, lets hope you get it safely back home.   Eduard have just re-released this kit as the "other side" for the BoB anniversary, not that I need anymore in the stash, but it has inspired me to start my Dragon kit when my He111s are finished.

3 hours ago, Ray_W said:

Now time to switch to Pat Hughes' Spitfire.

I will be watching with interest, and if you need any pointers I will be happy to help. 

[Ray_W]

12 minutes ago, Retired Bob said:

A superb looking Bf110

Thanks Bob for the kind words. Getting them home is now a big problem. Before posting on Britmodeller I would leave the breakable bits off. With the Group Builds I have been taking them to complete.  

12 minutes ago, Retired Bob said:

I will be watching with interest, and if you need any pointers I will be happy to help.

Feel free to jump in. Posts will be starting on the weekend and in the cockpit. I'll be scratch building the motor driven undercarriage hydraulic selector. I would have one back home in my spares but nothing here.

 

Ray

[Retired Bob]

14 minutes ago, Ray_W said:

Feel free to jump in. Posts will be starting on the weekend.

Looking forward to it, at the start of the year I knew very little about the details in the cockpit, having read all the information on this site to build my Tamiya and Eduard kits I feel a bit more knowledgeable, but still learning. 

[Ozzy]

Fantastic job Ray, I'm going to look out for one of these kits.

[Peter Roberts]

Now that has turned out really well - great build Ray!

[Ray_W]

7 hours ago, Ozzy said:

Fantastic job Ray, I'm going to look out for one of these kits.

Thank you Ozzy (hopefully got your name right),

 

They are a fiddly kit but not excessively so. I think some reviews overstate this. I suppose a warning if you expect Tamiya but most of us have now come to expect this of Eduard and I like it. My kit was in dark grey plastic so it seemed to me to be a more recent run on the moulds. 

 

I recommend the replacement of the exhausts. I used Quickboost. Happy with these but they need some fettling (simple filing and scraping) to fit correctly.  The kit wheels are OK although I replaced mine with Eduard Brassin. The kit guns are also quite good. You just have to drill out the ends. If I could of got brass (strength and appearance), in time, I would of replaced them. I used the Quickboost resin replacements and these are not a substantial improvement over the kit and typical of resin barrels were warped. In the end I broke off the extended resin MG (of course) and had to replace it with the kit barrel. The kit props are good enough for me. Canopies are good although if I do a G-4 I might thin them and work on the correct internal framing. As mentioned in the build, this may not be worth the hassle. 

 

You can get an excellent fit at the wing root (ensure it locks up tight) and the nacelles (file the leading edge to close in more tightly). I had no intention of posing the nose guns open so had to work to close these up neatly. I was happy with pinning the oleo struts to increase the undercarriage strength but this may not be necessary,

 

The landing light needs some work to fit nicely. It gives reasonable representation. Just needs some filing to fit in flush. 

 

In hindsight, I would spend more time thinning and improving the appearance of the gunner's seat. I would also check references as the harness may go through the slot in the pilot's seat. I installed per Eduard instructions. I would also correctly indent the wing tip and provide a bulb only navigation light. Check references though. By the Gustav it may of had the enclosed cover as I incorrectly modelled for a Caesar. Eduard also provide a RLM 66 instrument panel. I chose their call-our RLM 02 although if I was to do this subject again I would do the pilot area only in RLM 66. Gunner's bay still in RLM 02.  Typical of some aircraft during this period.

 

Hope you find one. Very enjoyable build.

 

6 hours ago, Peter Roberts said:

Now that has turned out really well - great build Ray!

 

Thanks Peter, you're very kind. Always learning. 

 

 

 

[Peter Roberts]

That is great info there Ray - very helpful. I have a G to do so notes duly taken. Thanks

[Rabbit Leader]

She’s turned out wonderfully well as it always looked as if it would through this great WIP Ray. A really lovely presentation of modelling excellence, one to be very proud of indeed. Bravo! 
Cheers and well played.. Dave 

[Greg Law]

Sorry Ray, miss the unveiling.  I've been distracted getting the Hurricane out, only to stuff up at the last moment. Looks like you will have a free range of the skies for a few days while I'm in for repairs.

Totally excellent finish. A great example of what can be done. Also thankyou for your help along the way.

I just added my brass nose guns and did the panel lines, so I won't be too far behind you.

 

By the way. Did you paint the insides of the canopies?

[Ray_W]

16 minutes ago, Greg Law said:

 

By the way. Did you paint the insides of the canopies?

Thanks Greg.

 

The only panels that I also painted the inside, other than the normal cheat of painting the first exterior frame in the interior colour, was the pilot's top panel and the two internal diagonal braces in the gunner's hatch.

 

33 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Cheers and well played.. Dave 

Thanks Dave.

 

I was thinking while building this that there is a reason why we often build another. There are a few things that I would do differently based on the experience.  I'll be very tempted to pick up their G-4 and do a Schrage Musik subject if I see it somewhere. This does not detract from what was a very enjoyable build and the final result was pleasing. 

 

Ray

[Bill Livingston]

Congratulations on a very fine build, Ray.

 

I have been following this Group Build very closely, your Me110 in particular. I will be able to start modelling again this weekend (I had a hospital required accident when I embarrassingly fiction burned both hands on a rope I should really have let go. The drop wouldn't have been a problem, but instinct takes over and when you start to fall, all rational thought goes out of the window and you just grab the rope and hang on!).

 

Anyway, as usual lots for all of us to learn from as usual and I may well pick up a 110 at some point. I have never built one, but they always look great. Lots to learn from here and I'm happy you report that the comments from a few reviews seem to be overstated in terms of fit issues. 

 

Looks absolutely superb. I can see why you say you would do more work on the gunners seat, it's surprisingly visible.

 

It's surprising how small an Me110 actually is, especially when compared to single seat fighters of the time. For some reason, they seem much larger in photos...

 

 

Edited September 12, 2020 by Bill Livingston

[Ray_W]

21 minutes ago, Bill Livingston said:

Congratulations on a very fine build, Ray.

 

I have been following this Group Build very closely, your Me110 in particular. I will be able to start modelling again this weekend (I had a hospital required accident when I embarrassingly fiction burned both hands on a rope I should really have let go. The drop wouldn't have been a problem, but instinct takes over and when you start to fall, all rational thought goes out of the window and you just grab the rope and hang on!).

 

Anyway, as usual lots for all of us to learn from as usual and I may well pick up a 110 at some point. I have never built one, but they always look great. Lots to learn from here and I'm happy you report that the comments from a few reviews seem to be overstated in terms of fit issues. 

 

Looks absolutely superb. I can see why you say you would do more work on the gunners seat, it's surprisingly visible.

 

It's surprising how small an Me110 actually is, especially when compared to single seat fighters of the time. For some reason, they seem much larger in photos...

 

 

Hi Bill,

 

Great to hear from you! I wondered where you had gone like slipped back into matters nautical or maybe pop up in the MTO Group Build with a Desert or Italian Campaign Spitfire. Now I know. Well done stopping your fall. Trust your hands are truly on the mend.

 

One pointer, watch out for the 110 aficionados in case they expect to see it called Bf 110 as named for the factory - Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, the prior name for the aircraft works before renamed Messerschmitt I think just prior to the war. 1938? Allies called it Me anyway so you can't be wrong.

 

I'm just launching into Eduard's 1/48 Spitfire Mk I - 5th Spitfire for the year 

 

Look forward to your next build.

 

Ray

 

 

[Bill Livingston]

Thanks Ray. Not my finest moment but I'm just down to a few finger bandages just on my left hand now... the right hand has had bandages off for a few days.... so all good.

 

In the meantime, I have been on and off modelling a 109G-6A/S which I hope to paint this weekend and then start my Spitfire for this group build. (I will get round to finishing the Hurricane at some point, but that was what I was building when I had my little accident and I wasn't really enjoying it anyway... the Eduard 109 got my mojo back again (and now all I have is a few fingers to deal with, but no nerve damage, which was a concern at first).

 

 

And here is where I am with the 109...

 

 

But getting back to your build... congratulations again... 

 

I will be joining you in the Eduard Spitfire Mk1 over the next few days...  it looks excellent in the box (and reassuringly familiar!)

Edited September 12, 2020 by Bill Livingston

[Johnson]

1 hour ago, Bill Livingston said:

just down to a few finger bandages just on my left hand now... the right hand has had bandages off for a few days.... so all good.

Very glad that it wasn’t too serious Bill, like Ray I was just thinking I hadn’t seen much of you.

Best wishes,

[Greg Law]

Ray

How did you do the exhaust?  What paint did you use?

[Ray_W]

46 minutes ago, Greg Law said:

Ray

How did you do the exhaust?  What paint did you use?

Very simple and effective process. 

 

First I undercoat the exhausts with Black Mr Finishing Surfacer 1500.

 

Colour coats are achieved with Gunze's Mr Metal Colour.

 

 

I start with a light spray of "Copper" down the sides. I then use "Iron" on the main body based on what I see in images of the actual aircraft. Finish with a very light polish where appropriate. I try to glue them in place very late in the build to reduce my handling and any unwanted polishing. Also, they do not need to affected by gloss or matt clear coats. Lastly, once in place, use the exhaust stain smoke mix to blend again depending on references. The Bf-110 was done this way.

 

I will use the "Stainless" and "Chrome", either spray or brush, to introduce other variability in the exhausts. That is, if the images of the actual aircraft show this. For example, that shiny first stack off the Napier Sabre typical with a Tempest or Typhoon or that variability in more silver appearance with individual Spitfire stacks. 

 

With this method, you get some very nice transitional colour effects.

 

Here are some other examples:

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ray

 

 

 

 

[Greg Law]

Thanks for that Ray. However slight misunderstanding.  I meant the smoke stain on the wing etc. 

By the way I just spent a hour and a half putting on the gear door cross bars. What a nightmare. 

I think I finally have them on, but there is a mess to cleanup now. 

I ask myself why do I end up having so much trouble when others clearly breeze through it.

[Ray_W]

4 minutes ago, Greg Law said:

I meant the smoke stain on the wing etc. 

Sorry Greg for the misunderstanding. The smoke stain is simply a Tamiya Flat Black and Nato Brown mix thinned with Gunze's Aqueous Colour Thinner (I suppose similar to Tamiya X-20A). Ratio was a bit of this and that until I achieved something not black but a touch reddish brown. I sprayed it through my Iwata HP-B Plus 0.2 needle. Pressure, if you can believe my gauge, 12 psi. Built up with narrow streaks close to the surface. Airbrush always moving. Often start the paint flow on my gloved hand to ensure I have the quantity I want and my trigger control is in order.  If unsure, attach a piece of paper or tape close to your spraying location and go to that to check spray. I find this handy also with mottling.  Darn hard to see on the aircraft until it's too late. Key thing, again, airbrush never idle to avoid pooling in a location.

 

Ray

[Ray_W]

22 minutes ago, Greg Law said:

By the way I just spent a hour and a half putting on the gear door cross bars. What a nightmare. 

I think I finally have them on, but there is a mess to cleanup now. 

Sorry again I'm late to the party. I used Gel CA to get a snap hold where needed, just on the oleo strut, then used a dab of Tamiya extra thin at  all touch points. This method of combining CA and Extra Thin is a process I use quite often.