John Masters Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Ok...I already have a couple of Finnish and Swiss Gustavs on the shelf, but these markings are different, so that's ok. The potential profiles... Swiss...1944... ..or an early Cold-War Finn...1948... To be honest, I am leaning towards the Finn, as a precursor for the next great Nordic GB! The decals...nicely registered roundels... The sprue...I have never built an Italeri 109. So this will be fun. Okey-dokey... --John 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 (edited) Tough choice. I’d just get another 109 and do both Which is more or less what I’m doing for the may STGB Edited January 10, 2021 by Marklo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 I have an Emil from ICM with some aftermarket Swiss decals... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 I'm sure you expected me to support the Swiss option but here's something for you anyway https://www.ilmailumuseot.fi/tuotteet.html?id=20825/249156 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 33 minutes ago, vppelt68 said: I'm sure you expected me to support the Swiss option You'll see by the new header that I have decided on going with my own personal favourite! Nothing quite so interesting as a Cold War '109 in the hands of these who knew how to fly them! Thanks for the link . The colour profile provided by Italeri is all wrong is so many way, including the cockpit. Terrible. Yes to BeNeLux '22... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 1 hour ago, John Masters said: The colour profile I guess this one was painted in the daylight 74.75/76 scheme too, so that will make it different than its sister in the cabinet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Another good subject choice John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Are the Italeri instructions correct in spinner colours? It should be white with a thin red spiral, a rare touch of colour in our Mersus! Prototype history: June 23 1944 delivered to 2./HLeLv 24, August 1 1944 transferred to 1./HLeLv 24, December 4 1944 transferred to HLeLv 31, June 17 1954 written off. 311h 45min logged flying hours. 9 scored victories by various pilots in HLeLv 24. Here are some pics, two from Finnish Airforce History-series Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia (SIH) 6b, Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6: Page 56, caption: "MT-452 of the nightfighterflight of HLeLv 31. The "bat" emblem of the flight was painted on both sides of the fuselage." Page 57, caption: ""Bat" emblems on Messerschmitts. Above on MT-452 of HLeLv 31 in summer 1948" CAUTION! Scroll down on your own risk only! A pic to scare some family members, like various in-laws: Yours truly in Finnish Aviation Museum some years ago with MT-452 in the background. It was on temporary display there in 2013 to commemorate the 70 years since Messerschmitts entered FiAF service. V-P 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 35 minutes ago, vppelt68 said: Are the Italeri instructions correct in spinner colours? It should be white with a thin red spiral Somewhat. I have found better examples of the thin red line on-line. Thanks for the pictures @vppelt68 Are are some cockpit shots...Not much for detail, but I did what I could. It'll all be gone anyway once I close it up. I dd replace the moulded seat harness with masking tape. And the spinner is white, awaiting its thin red spiral. --John 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 Some modelling from the last few days... The mask for the spinner... The result. Perhaps not as thin a line as it should be, but at 1/72nd I am not unhappy with the outcome. I have decided to give this aircraft a belly tank. As such, I am using a tank from an AZ Model spare box as well as the wheels. From research I know that the Finns retained the tropical filters to combat the dust. I will too. I have assembled the propeller. I am not fond of it. I might scavenge a prop from the AZ spares box... I have joined up the wing sections into one... The fuselage came together pretty well, with only some firm clamping and some seam clean up. I have attached the fire guards to the tops of the exhaust manifolds and am looking at the cowling pieces. This is an awkward way to engineer a kit! I have attached the tail section and the cowling pieces. These last two I glued separately, leaving an hour in between for stability. It looks very much like a Gustav at this point. Is that it for the moment? Yes...more later tonight. --John 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Great progress again John. Those spare AZ wheels have an amazing level of detail on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 It looks very much a Gustav, John! In the early days of getting back to this hobby I erred in buying and nearly completing an Italeri F. I admire your courage in the route you chose, I'd had added the cowling and tail halves to their fuselage halves before buttoning all up, but you seem to have succeeded in big way doing it your way 👍. Oh - that spinner is beautiful! V-P P.S. Thank God for all the Bf 109 spare parts AZmodel has supplied us with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 5 hours ago, vppelt68 said: I'd had added the cowling and tail halves to their fuselage halves before buttoning all up, Aha...that is the logical way. I had not thought of that. 5 hours ago, vppelt68 said: that spinner is beautiful! Thank you! 5 hours ago, vppelt68 said: Thank God for all the Bf 109 spare parts AZmodel has supplied us with I agree. I'll have to find a tail wheel too. The supplied item looks like caster wheel from a food cart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 1 hour ago, John Masters said: I agree. I'll have to find a tail wheel too. The supplied item looks like caster wheel from a food cart. I can send you a Hasegawa G-6 tail wheel or two, just to add to the mix of ancestry of that build . I have some of them extra as I plan to replace them with G-2 parts from... yes, AZmodel of course! Oops! Looks like you need an Erla-canopy too, unless you already have them (don't we all?) V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 Thanks V-P. I have them in abundance. Plus...it would take weeks to arrive. Thank you for your generosity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 A while ago I sent a whole AZmodel Gustav kit to a fellow Britmodeller who lives in Illlinois. It took only seven days, that's crazy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 13, 2021 Author Share Posted January 13, 2021 12 hours ago, vppelt68 said: It took only seven days, that's crazy... Yet a parcel posted from France to where I am in Greece was sent a month ago and is still in transit. 13 hours ago, vppelt68 said: Looks like you need an Erla-canopy too I'm not too specific with the canopies. I will have this one propped open, I think. What are my options? Aha...I see...yes...I have some Erla canopies in the AZ Model Joy pack. Unfortunately I might have to either leave it closed or cut it to allow it to be open...Strange that Italeri wouldn't supply the correct canopy here...maybe not strange. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reini Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 Good choice of scheme @John Masters And looking good so far 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 14, 2021 Author Share Posted January 14, 2021 11 hours ago, reini said: Good choice of scheme Thanks reini. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 14, 2021 Author Share Posted January 14, 2021 Some real issues with fit regarding the wing-to-fuselage stage. This required some fettling to get it to fit and even then there were gaps. The wing roots on the upper side were odd too, so they needed a bit of work. In the end one root was flush while the other had a pronounced step. I took a pair of hemostats and squeezed and it popped into place. That was a relief. I will be using the PPP now to fill in the gaps and smooth things out. Other than that, the 'wing' phase was easy-peasy. Sqeeeeze.... Clamp... Not terrible. PPP will fix all of this. One step beyond...this has since been corrected! The weather shifted last night and suddenly we are in winter. It is a balmy 9C outside, raining, with dark clouds brooding, rolling in on high winds from the north. A fine day to enjoy the indoors. --John 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reini Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 @John Masters I was just thinking the same thing, - 14 celsius here now and it goes down to - 20 celsius in the evening Beautiful day, though - but I think a grocery shopping trip will be enough outdoors for today and the rest will be indoor modelling related activities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 14, 2021 Author Share Posted January 14, 2021 9 hours ago, reini said: Beautiful day, though It ended up that way here too actually, The sun came out, etc...still chilly. Much the same tomorrow. early mornings rain then sun for a bit. I'll jump into t sea for my constitutional. The water temp is warmer than the air. Back at it...I masked the AZ Model Erla canopy and test fitted it. It's alright except it's a little short. The gap is wide so I think I'll run some plastic strip around the edge. Easy enough. --John 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 15, 2021 Author Share Posted January 15, 2021 OK. The shims have been glued into place. Note that I have also added the bulletproof armour... And then when secure I sanded for contour... And some Contacta has glued the canopy. I'l let that set overnight. Priming and painting begins tomorrow! --John 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 16, 2021 Author Share Posted January 16, 2021 Primed ad some spots refilled... All the small parts left. Note the wheels from the kit. Very large and knobbly. --John 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted January 16, 2021 Author Share Posted January 16, 2021 On 1/13/2021 at 9:48 PM, reini said: Good choice of scheme reini...I have seen two different wing camo designs, one os the splinter and the other is splinter with soft edges. What do you suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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