1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/5/6 - Kit No 230 - *** FINISHED ***

[Toryu]

The new bumps look great. There's no OOB without OOS (out of the scrap box)!

[Johnson]

It's been a while since I built a 109 and I'd forgotten how complicated painting can be, especially when using enamels which take a day to dry.

 

First, the wings and tailplane get a coat of RLM75 Grauviolett;

 

(I'm using Xtracolor which calls RLM75 - Grauviolett, but I notice that Colourcoats now call this Mittelgrau)

 

Next colour is RLM74 Graugrun (Dunkelgrau-grunlich);

 

 

Fuselage masking;

 

 

 

Today the plan is to get the fuselage sides mottled. Hmmm... freehand or masks? A bit of experimentation is called for.

[Johnson]

In the end I did the fuselage mottle freehand with the airbrush, an old Aerograph Super 63 with a very fine nozzle which is great for this sort of fine work. I contemplated using a mottle mask, but masks can cause as many problems as they solve. The biggest headache with mottle at 1/72 is getting the size and the feathering effect right. A mask can help with the size but can cause uneven affects on the feathering and they are very fiddly to use. I'm happy with the results and it will improve with decals and a final matt coat. But before that lots of detail to add; paint the exhausts, pitot tube, gun sight in the cockpit, canopy to paint and add with the aerial mast. I think the trim tabs on the ailerons and rudder are usually red.

 

 

Once you reach this stage one can breathe a sigh of relief. Then start praying that the 20 year old decals behave!

 

Cheers,

 

[JeroenS]

Nice work on the paint Charlie. Now fingers crossed for those decals 🙂 

[PeterB]

Hi Charlie,

 

The subject of Luftwaffe paint names is complicated. I had a "discussion" with Graham Boak about this in I believe the Frog GB, and as he no doubt correctly states, the RLM did not issue "official" names, just things like "green" or "grey", but I have a book which includes what are claimed to be official paint scheme instructions issued to manufacturers and also a copy of an annual publication which is a paint-shop handbook of official German colours for the Wermacht, Kreigsmarine and Luftwaffe, both of which use what I guess were established common names for the colours. However, there was some variation between the handbook and what certain aircraft manufacturers called the paint in-house it seems. Here is a copy of the list of names the author produced in the book and you will see that Messerschmitt used a different name for the colours RLM 74 and 75 to that listed in the paint-shop handbook for 1944, as with Dornier for the maritime scheme RLM72/73. 

 

L.Dv appears to be the German equivalent of the RAF's Air Ministry Orders or A.M.O - official instructions on things like colours and markings (the source of "Duck Egg Green" as a description for Sky), I am not claiming any of the above is totally accurate, but it does seem to be from a fairly reliable source (Ullmann) - others may disagree!

 

 

Your Gustav looks good!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited January 13, 2021 by PeterB

[Johnson]

2 hours ago, PeterB said:

Here is a copy of the list of names the author produced in the book and you will see that Messerschmitt used a different name for the colours RLM 74 and 75 to that listed in the paint-shop handbook for 1944, as with Dornier for the maritime scheme RLM72/73. 

 

Pete, that's absolutely brilliant, thank you so much. Your post is definitely one to print out. I was intrigued by the difference in names between the Sovereign Hobbies Colourcoats and Hannants Xtracolor, this explains it completely. And I notice that the list doesn't include the semi-mythical RLM 84 (bound to get in trouble for saying that!)

 

Interesting that Dornier labelled RLM82 as Dunkelgrun/Dark Green. That must have caused confusion.

 

I've been a fan of Xtracolors for many years but have recently invested in Colourcoats which I'm looking forward to trying in the Bf 109 STGB later this year. Be interesting to see how they compare!

 

Best regards,

[PeterB]

Thanks Charlie,

 

 Glad you found it helpful, and I note Jamie has "liked" it so that suggests he does not disagree violently. As to RLM 84, yes there is quite a bit of uncertainty about whether or not it existed - it seems to have  looked a bit similar to RAF Sky according to some sources. Ullmann does not acknowledge its existence but Merrick shows a number of light "grey-blue" shades as he calls them, together with one he calls "green-blue" which is close to sky, and wonders if they were locally improvised mixes for RLM 76, though he does not use the name RLM 84 anywhere. By the last few months of the war the supply chain would have been knackered so I guess they just used whatever came to hand in terms of paint.

 

I have always found both Xtracolour and Colourcoats to be good, but mostly these days I use acrylics - I did however buy a clutch of Russian WWII colours from Jaimie a few months back as he has perhaps the best selection. as is also the case with the tanks I am about to hopefully build in the "Anything but Injection" GB in a couple of months. AFAIK he is the only supplier that has the full range of paint for British WWII armour, and he has got the "Silver Grey" right as well according to Mike Starmer - a sort of pale greenish grey not the blue grey shown in most illustrations and on the Matilda II at the Tank Museum, which I believe was based, perhaps mistakenly, on paint one or two units "borrowed" from the Navy for their rendition of the "Caunter" scheme. Building the Milicast Resin Kits will be easy - painting the ruddy things might be a bit more challenging, Imagine a WWI naval splinter pattern on tiny tanks in 3 colours - fun!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[PeterB]

Hi Charlie,

 

I wonder if the Dornier Dunkelgrun for RLM 82 is a typo and should be RLM 83?

 

Pete

[Johnson]

13 hours ago, PeterB said:

I wonder if the Dornier Dunkelgrun for RLM 82 is a typo and should be RLM 83?

Very likely Pete. 

For years Hannants Xtracolor RLM82 was labelled as Dunkelgrun and RLM83 as Lichtgrun. They’ve corrected it now but I still get confused!

 

Edited January 14, 2021 by Johnson
Hellgrun replaced with Lichtgrun

[fightersweep]

Looking great so far Charlie. Nice work on rectifying the bumps on the wing, and superb airbrush work, especially the mottling. Looks fantastic!

 

Steve

[Johnson]

6 hours ago, fightersweep said:

Looking great so far Charlie. Nice work on rectifying the bumps on the wing, and superb airbrush work, especially the mottling.

Thanks Steve. The old Heller is shaping up quite well I think. A bit more messing about with the paint today, and looking forward to seeing what the decals look like.

 

Cheers,

[Johnson]

The old Aeromaster decals went on fine. No real dramas apart from JG302 unit badge on the port side that stuck a bit too quickly and firmly... at slightly the wrong angle . I was very fed up with myself. But better than the Aeromaster instruction/profile (on page 1) that would have you stick them on facing the other way round.

 

 

 

The end of the tunnel is in sight!

 

Next up; a matt coat and add all the bits & bobs. Oh yes, and make a new aerial attachment for the tail which predictably broke off.

 

Cheers,

[Johnson]

I think this is done...

 

 

 

An enjoyable build - I can say that now it's finished. I've read that it isn't the most accurate 1/72 G-6 around, something to do with the rear fuselage being a bit short. But it looks like a 109 to me and it's interesting to compare it to the only other Bf109G I have on the shelf, an old Hasegawa kit that looks quite skinny next to the Heller. The nose profile of the Hasegawa is very different and from a comparison to the plans and photos, the Heller is the more accurate.

 

The basic airframe parts were well crafted by Heller, given it's age and the raised panel lines. All the detail was crisp, roughly in the right place and the fit was excellent, very little filler was needed. But it was let down by some of the ancillary parts. The 20mm underwing cannons are still a bit hefty and that's after I've thinned and chopped them. The prop blades are a bit short and undernourished. All the undercarriage components are simple or wrong and the enormous wheel well bulges on the wings will haunt me for a while. But I'm quite happy with the end result and it's a nice 109G.

 

I'll pop some pics in the Gallery tomorrow when the light is better for photos.

 

This is only my second entry in what's been an excellent GB. Many thanks to the hosts and to everyone who stopped by and supported.

 

Cheers,

[Toryu]

Looking forward to your gallery posting Charlie. Which unit is this?

[Johnson]

Hi Michael,

 

According the sources (Asisbiz and the decal sheet) It's from 2/JG 302.

 

I used old 1995 Aeromaster Decals; Reich Defense, part IV - Gustavs, which gave the number as Black 8. But if it really was from the 2nd Staffel, it wouldn't have been Black 8, but Red 8? From what I've read, just prior to the beginning of the war, colours were introduced to indicate the Staffeln within each Gruppe. These were White for the first Staffel, Red for the second, and Yellow for the third Staffel. But there were numerous black numbered aircraft and I just don't know enough about Luftwaffe markings to have a valid opinion. Anyway, it ended up as Black 8 on my model and it's impossible to tell if it's Red or Black from the photo.

 

 

 @AaCee26 tells me that the photo was taken in April 1944 at Malmi airport, Helsinki. He suggests, and I agree, that this aircraft carried some remains of white distemper at that time. I considered adding the remains of the white paint but decided that I would probably make a mess of it so I've portrayed the aircraft as it might have looked before the white paint was added.

 

I'd hoped to get photos in the gallery today, but the aerial wire I added yesterday wasn't right. So I've been messing about trying, not entirely successfully, to improve it. Now the light's all gone! So Gallery photos tomorrow.

 

Best regards,

 

[PeterB]

Looks good to me Charlie,

 

I would not worry too much about the colour of the "8" as I have seen one or two cases where towards the end of the war some units seem to have done their own thing - either that or the instructions were changed!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Johnson]

9 minutes ago, PeterB said:

I would not worry too much about the colour of the "8"

 

Thanks Pete, I'm not too worried, or don't think I am . Anyway - it's a bit late now! But I am intrigued about which aircraft might have been allocated black numbers. I've done some internet research but I can't say I'm much wiser. Bloomin complicated are Luftwaffe markings. As you say, the units did their own thing towards the end. I suppose that's half the fun of making Luftwaffe planes, that and what colour they might have been!

 

Cheers,

[fightersweep]

Lovely Gustav! Looks fantastic. Great colour scheme perfectly finished and a nice choice of markings. Not a unit you see depicted very often.

[Johnson]

7 hours ago, fightersweep said:

Lovely Gustav! Looks fantastic. Great colour scheme perfectly finished and a nice choice of markings. Not a unit you see depicted very often.

Thanks Steve, most kind! For some strange reason I wasn't entirely happy with it when I finished, but I couldn't really think why. But I'm pleased with it now. It was probably more to do with me (going bonkers  in the lockdown) than the model.

 

Anyway, all done and in the gallery.

 

Next!

[Toryu]

First class Charlie! Long wait for a Gustav, and here it is in superb finish. Michael

[Johnson]

I attempted to post a photo from iCloud - it failed!

 

I looked at the BM FAQs and @Gorby has provided some very useful advice on hotlinking photos.

 

Next attempt, from OneDrive;

 

 

It worked! Thanks  @Gorby !

 

 

Great, don't need to rely on Flickr!

 

Edited January 30, 2021 by Johnson
More stuff

[vppelt68]

This is a beautiful build of the old Heller kit! Good tips for improving my future Heller Classic "K", the mislabeled late G-6/G-14 from 1976. V-P

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/heller-074-messerschmitt-109-k--143921