089 Messerschmitt Bf-109E-3 ++ Finished ++

[fightersweep]

It might be incredibly unimaginative (ok, it is incredibly unimaginative and very un-French), but the first of my next Heller pair to be thrown into the GB hat will be kit number 089, the Messerschmitt Bf-109E. I don't think we've seen Heller's rendition of the Emil thus far, so I thought I'd give it a go. 

 

This was a nice shrink wrapped example, which I presume to be an initial release from 1975 (when did Heller introduce the "black box"?). I feel a bit naughty ripping the shrink wrap off a 45 year old kit and I hope I haven't offended any collectors. Well, being that I collect classic kits too, I'll be offended on everyone else's behalf if it helps. As always with Heller, nice artwork on the end opening box;

 

 

Nice sealed poly bag with teasing contents within. 51 years old now, and I still get that schoolboy buzz when I open a kit, especially a vintage one.

 

 

...And here we have all the parts. It's a very nice kit indeed. Nicely detailed, crisp moulding and shape wise, it looks the part. If I may say so, I think it's a few streets ahead of the Airfix Emil that was released a couple of years later. We've got both the E-4 and E-1/3 style canopies provided, and these can be posed open. Nicely done, but perhaps a bit on the thick side (it's clearly 60mm armoured perspex). There's also a nicely mummified green glue bottle and two additional sheets of swastika decals, which didn't seem to be included in the black box versions that I have. 

 

 

I'm looking forward to this. Last time I built this Emil was around 1985 and I finished it in a desert scheme. I found a photo of that kit recently....I'll post it here next time. Being that it's the 80th of the Battle of Britain, I think I'll go with a classic BoB colour scheme, so the choice will be Leo Zaunbrecher's "Red 14" of 2/JG 52. Right, enough waffle from me.....I've got an Emil to build!

 

Steve

 

[fightersweep]

Mods! Could you delete one of my duplicated posts please? I clicked save, got a 053 error code, and then a ended up with two posts. 

 

Ta!

[Heather Kay]

Done. 

[fightersweep]

Thanks Heather! Trust me to break it.

[Wez]

I made this kit many times in my youth, I thought at the time it made a pretty convincing Emil.

 

It's good to see it in the GB, good luck with it.

[JOCKNEY]

Opening a sealed 45 year old kit, we will need to sedate @TonyW  !

Great choice Steve

 

Cheers Pat 

[Rabbit Leader]

Well played Steve. So good to see this Emil on here and better still that’s it’s an original crisp 1975 edition. I know collectors may shun at this, however kits were meant to be built so rip into it good and proper my friend! 
Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[fightersweep]

Thanks! Since I opened this up, I must say I'm looking forward to it myself. From the collecting point of view, the black boxes were more my era, but the box of this kit had been squashed by the shrink wrap...so I didn't feel so bad about opening it up. I enjoy both sides: having a stash of nice shiny classic kits, but there's also something really nice about building them as intended. I got that feeling when I completed the P,11. 40 odd years after coming out of the factory, It had finally got built just as it should have done, and that felt good.

 

Steve

[TonyW]

From this collectors personal point of view, once the shrink wrap has started to distort the box it has to go.

I'll happily do so, and have done so many times. At that point I'll iron the box back to straightness and be content to have an otherwise mint kit.

 

I would struggle to then open a sealed bag of parts if it was really rare, but happily these things were churned out in their millions back in the day and there's no shortage to be concerned about. The kits owner can do as they please, it's their kit! I keep things as original as I can, but I like a built model to sit alongside the unbuilt version as well.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing this one get built, it's a good looking kit and deserves it's moment of glory.

 

An early Heller Spitfire sat next to it would be nice...

 

Viva la Difference!

 

Tony.

[Toryu]

Nice idea to add an Emil. I think we've now got a B, C and/or D, and my Friedrich.

I understand your hesitation to rip open a sealed kit, but in my stash I wouldn't have any sealed ones - when I got them I was just too curious to see what's in the box...

Just recently I ripped open a Monogram P-47D Razorback box for a decal I needed and then realised that I had another one that was already open. I was heftily slapping my  face!

[TommyF]

Hi Steve - Snap! I've just added the same kit but slightly newer - #234 I think from 1979. I think I going for the paint scheme but with yellow instead of white for the lower cowling and rudder. Looking forward to seeing your progress 🙂 

[fightersweep]

@TonyW @Toryu

 

I'm pretty much the same with shrink wrapped kits. It tends to squash and distort the boxes on older kits, so I often take the wrap off and dry iron the box if it's a keeper. This emil was so squashed, I had trouble getting the kit out of the box. Not good. Funny you should mention the Spitfire Mk Ia. I so happen to have on en route from Kingkit for a princely £4.99 in a nice Heller/Humbrol box. As far as classic kits go and especially if it's one I built as a kid, I tend to have two kits. One to build and one to display. I think me and Tony are similar in our modelling habits.

 

@TommyF Glad to see another Emil in the GB. Wonder why Heller re-numbered the kit from 089 to 234?

 

Got cracking on my 109 today. Should have an update tomorrow.

 

Steve

[fightersweep]

Right! I figured that I needed to get some work done on the 109E, as the Karas has been side tracking me for a few days. I've decided that the scheme for this build will be this E-3. I've always liked this particular colour scheme, and it's very classic BoB Emil. 

 

 

So, we're under way. I was struggling with RLM 02 as the new Humbrol tin I have probably wouldn't give an opaque finish after 20 coats. So I tried a Xtracolour tin of 02 that I have, and that didn't seem to be working for me either. So after a rummage, I found an old unopened tin of Gloy RLM 02 which has to be at least 40 years old. Wow! What a beautiful paint. One lovely, smooth and opaque coat of brush applied paint with one coat. I'll be guarding this little gem with my life! I've only gone as far as picking out the details on the cockpit wall as I doubt any of it will be seen through the 60mm armoured perspex canopy!

 

 

I've also made a start on all the fiddly bits as I like to get these out of the way early on. Nearly there apart from some washes and details to be added such as the seatbelts.

 

 

Finally, the prop is done. Just needs some VDM decals that I'm waiting on and a matt coat. The blades and back plate look black here, but they are actually RLM 70. 

 

 

Well, thats where I am at the moment. Stay tuned for more progress this weekend.

 

Steve

 

 

[JOCKNEY]

Lovely work Steve

 

That prop, looks perfect 

 

Cheers Pat 

[Rabbit Leader]

I agree with Pat there Steve, this is looking very good and that’s a lovely looking prop so far, the VDM decals will make it sing even more. The details of this E kit are very similar to Heller’s B/C model, which I’m enjoying very much and will need to update soon. 
Cheers.. Dave

[fightersweep]

@jockney. Thank you Sir! It's funny seeing it on here about four times the actual size!

 

@Rabbit Leader .....And thank you Sir! I'm waiting for Hannants to restock the Kora Luftwaffe propeller decals. I'm not short on Luftwaffe decals, but not one aftermarket sheet I had included VDM prop decals....every other stencil but those. I hope they come back into stock soon! Looking forward to your 109B/C update.

 

Steve

[Rabbit Leader]

12 minutes ago, fightersweep said:

Looking forward to your 109B/C update.

 

Well in between another hectic block at work I’ve now settled on a Spanish Civil War colour scheme and version. The conflicting colour information that has been published over the years is so confusing, however I think I’ve settled on a paint combo that (I believe) is likely to be close. The research to build time ratio has been somewhere near 10:1. 

Cheers.. Dave 

[TonyW]

Very tidy work there Steve. The kits responding to its chance for glory!

[fightersweep]

Just for a bit of a fun interlude: I found this photo which is the last time I built a Heller Bf 109E back in 1984. I would have been 15 at the time, certainly more carefree, better eyesight and a damn sight slimmer! It's a bit naff and blurry, but I only have three photos of the many kits I built back then, this Heller 109E, a Heller 109K-4 and a Hasegawa F4U-1D. For one reason or another, it's one of those kits I still clearly remember making, so it's a lot of fun to re-visit it again and it's every bit as good as I remember second time around. Happy days!

 

 

 

[Rabbit Leader]

That’s a cracking result for a 15 year old Steve, I would have been most certainly pleased with that effort at that age. Something tells me though that this Bf 109 will be a good deal better and a reflection of all those hard years of modelling wisdom... at least that’s something to show for the decorating eyesight and excess kilos! 

Cheers.. Dave (who's not exactly Mr. Trim these days himself!) 

[fightersweep]

On 11/12/2020 at 11:20 PM, Rabbit Leader said:

That’s a cracking result for a 15 year old Steve, I would have been most certainly pleased with that effort at that age. Something tells me though that this Bf 109 will be a good deal better and a reflection of all those hard years of modelling wisdom... at least that’s something to show for the decorating eyesight and excess kilos! 

Cheers.. Dave (who's not exactly Mr. Trim these days himself!) 

 

Thanks Dave. I remember being quite pleased with it at the time, hence the reason I took a photo I guess. It survived for a fair few years too. I'm hoping the current 109E will show a bit of improvement.....maybe!

 

The repaint of the Karas has been side tracking me a bit, but I've got the main bits together ready to turn into something that resembles a Bf-109E. The fit has been pretty good so far, and once again, I'm mightily impressed with yet another vintage Heller kit. I threw in some etch seatbelts, which for an Emil, I think I've anchored in the wrong place. However, the kit seat is more like that of a Gustav and not and Emil, so that didn't help. It looks ok though. I don't think it;s going to take long to get to the painting stage.

 

 

 

I've not even finished this kit yet, and I already have an itch to build another! Lovely model and in my books, must have been the best 1/72 Emil at the time.

 

Steve

[fightersweep]

Well, the kit is all 109 shaped now and it doesn't look to bad either. No fit dramas at all and just a dab of filler here and there too. Lines up nicely with the Aerodata International plans too, except for being a little short in the wingspan by a 1mm each side.

 

 

 

Next step....mask the canopy. Luckily not as fruity language inducing as the Karas as I had a spare Eduard Tamiya E-3 canopy mask that fit just fine with minimal tweaking.

 

 

Right! I think we're about ready to attack this with a hairy stick and a mixture of Gloy and Humbrol Authentic paints. I do love my old paints (especially the unique smell of Gloy)

 

Steve

[fightersweep]

So I grab my copy of the Monogram book of Luftwaffe colours, and it clearly says RLM 70 and RLM 02 for the camo colours, so off I jolly well paint. Then I check a few other books and they say RLM 71 and RLM 02. Now I thought the contrast between the first two colours looked a bit harsh when I painted the kit, so now I'm not so sure. What is the correct combination? RLM 70/02 or RLM 71/02. Not being a total Luftwaffe colour expert, I'm a bit confoosed now.

 

Steve

[Heather Kay]

Well, this Airfix Emil was painted with 71/02/65. It matches another profile I have, and while it looks loud I think it is correct.

 

[fightersweep]

Thanks Heather (nice looking Emil by the way in my favourite scheme). The RLM 71/02 combination is the way I'm leaning too. I had a check through a fair few books I have, and the newer publications go with 71/02. A few of the older books I have like the Monogram book (1980 I think) state 70/02. I guess that was the thinking at the time. Well, I'll wait for that RLM 70 to dry over night, and jolly well re-paint it with RLM 71 tomorrow. 

 

Thanks again!

 

Steve