Zvezda Bf109F-2 as F-4/Trop

[fishplanebeer]

This is just my second kit built since returning to the hobby after a hiatus of 25+ years so not up to the standards I regularly see on the forum but overall I'm still quite pleased with it even if I did make a few obvious mistakes, for example not cleaning the inside of the canopy to remove bits of dust before sticking it in place!

 

To make the conversion I added some 'Quick Boost' items such as supercharger intake, dust filter, aileron balances and pitot tube, tail wheel from an AZ kit that ended up in the re-cycling bin and aerial wire from EZ Line.

 

Normally I wouldn't try and weather a model for fear of making a complete mess but I've stumbled upon a method that seems to work-ish using artist's acrylic paints (the stuff sold in tubes) over a satin varnish, which seems to adhere reasonably well to the Humbrol Satincote (I'm an old time dedicated enamels user).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any comments and observations most welcome.

 

Regards

Colin.

[Hook]

She really looks the part! Thanks for posting. The addons look good. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

[fishplanebeer]

Thank you, I forgot to add that I've attempted to show the F-4/Trop flown by Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt albeit without the extra armoured glass windshield as this was apparently quite often removed due to dust and sand getting between it and the main canopy.

 

Regards

Colin.

[Gary Brantley]

Very nice Colin!   That's a good looking 109, and a similar scheme to the one I'm working on.   Good to see your work!  😀

[Tokyo Raider]

Looks great Colin!

[swralph]

Very nice build Colin.😀

[fishplanebeer]

Forgot to mention anything about the kit itself and the build so here goes.

 

Overall I found the kit quite easy to build and IMHO better than the AZ kits, particularly the wing root to fuselage join arrangement which with the Zvezda kit is much simpler and required no filler at all. The canopy is a wee bit too long and requires fettling and the tail joint means that there is a horizontal seam half way up the tail on the starboard side that is tricky to get flat and smooth.

 

The kit comes with a molded on pitot tube which will inevitably get damaged and broken (at least mine did) and it lacks the aileron balances along with the dust filter to build as a Trop version. I also drilled out the molded on cowling machine guns as they looked a bit unrealistic and replaced them with those from the AZ kit which I think looks better, plus it takes the pain out of trying to paint them - a real plus with my eyesight and unsteady hands.

 

Apparently those in the know think the shape of the Zvezda kit is more accurate than AZ which may well be the case but for me I'm just happy that it came out looking like a Bf109F and would certainly build one again once I've tackled a few more pressing subjects such my Airfix Zero and Revell F4U-1A. Maybe I'll even feel confident enough to move onto slightly larger subjects when I have a few more build under my belt, to which end I've got the new Airfix Mosquito BXVI and Hobby 2000 Beaufighter If on back-order.

 

Regards

Colin. 

[Adam Poultney]

Nice work, is this their 1:72 kit or 1:48 kit? I've got both stashed.

[fishplanebeer]

Sorry I missed this bit, it's the 72nd scale version but still very nicely detailed.

 

Regards

Colin.

[kapam]

Very nice!  I'd be happy with that!

Well done.  👍

[Michael louey]

Hi Colin,

 

Very nice build - Looks like you had to add the same stuff I did - pitot tube, mass balances. One thing of note -

 

The starboard front quarter window in a F-2 (and F-4) is not clear. It is a solid panel with a ventilation intake, like the G model. The port side is clear.

I've got lots of photos of this now that I know what to look for (i.e. the 109 Schiffer book by Prien and Roedike). I think the photos in this thread show this:

https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/85649-messerschmitt-bf-109-f2-of-9jg54-yellow-7-flown-by-alfred-dollefeld-wnr-8086-belly-landed-in-russia-28th-jan-1942/

 

Should be pretty easy to paint the panel in. I didn't bother to represent the vent in my build.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

[Sky Keg]

Welcome back Colin.  Your Desert 109 looks great!!!!! 

 

Mike

[Spitfire 123]

Great job, the artist's acrylic paints turned out great! 👏👏

Riley

[RMCS]

Lovley 

[fishplanebeer]

 

Thank you for highlighting the starboard canopy quarter panel.

 

I sort of knew about this but in the end decided to leave it clear, as with the 'Emil', as it then just looks more like a Bf109 to me, even though I know it is incorrect. 

 

Regards

Colin.