Airfix 1/72 Bf109E3 quickie - finished

[AdrianMF]

I fancied a simple build as a break from my current conversion so I dug out this Airfix starter set 109E3:

 

The day it was delivered I was woken by someone struggling with the front door. The postman managed to fit the parcel through the letterbox, but only by crushing it so that the starter paint pots got crushed into the kit, breaking the windscreen. Luckily, I have an ICM 109E4 that has a spare E3 windscreen, and this fits with the tiniest bit of 10 thou shim:

 

I’ve had a very enjoyable modelling day:

I’m hoping to be able to stick it all together and get some paint on tomorrow.

 

[stevehnz]

I had a similar experience, though it was my fault I bust the windscreen. Building an ICM kit as a E-1, I was able to use the E-4 windscreen from it on the Airfix kit being built as an such. A perfect fit from memory. They are a nice build.

Steve 

[AdrianMF]

Pressing on, all the big bits are together now:

 

I ran the back of a scalpel blade over the panel lines to get them to go over the top and bottom joins after tidying the joins up a bit. I need a tiny bit of filler around the roots (my over-zealous sanding of the wing roots to blame there) and in a couple of spots underneath, then I will add everything but the wheels and get the flat brush out.

 

I built the tropical version of this kit a few years ago and I’d forgotten what a fantastic kit it is. Looking at the ICM kit that donated the windscreen, I’m expecting a much less enjoyable build with that one.

[AdrianMF]

Getting there slowly in my usual haphazard brushing fashion:

[AdrianMF]

Aaaand painted:

[AdrianMF]

And decalled. Four tiny pieces and the canopy to go on after weathering and varnish:

[stevehnz]

Blooming heck, you're not hanging around much are you?!

That looks good Adrian, I think you'll find the ICM one not too bad but not as good as these. I recall some of the fit being tightish but was pleased with how it went together.

Steve.

[AdrianMF]

Done!

 

Better photos in the gallery tomorrow.

 

I ended up breaking only one part (the aerial, replaced with a sliver of card), I added a throttle and a trim wheel on the port cockpit wall, and the lanyard that stops the canopy opening too far. OOB apart from that! @spaddad would be proud!

 

It is a gorgeous kit, one of Airfix’s finest I think. Thanks for a super GB - I will be back with the Heller C or the ICM E if time permits.

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

[stevehnz]

Came up nicely Adrian, I'm liking it.

Steve.

[abat]

That's a great build and soooo quick. I'd normally take that long to cut the parts off the sprue. Well done!

Andrew

[AdrianMF]

Photos are up in the gallery, here’s a sample:

 

[Ray_W]

Sorry Adrian, I blinked and missed your build. An excellent result. That windscreen, what an irritation to put it mildly. One question, you have probably answered many times, did you make or buy the grass mat? It has exactly the look I am hunting for.

 

Ray

[AdrianMF]

46 minutes ago, Ray_W said:

I blinked and missed your build. An excellent result.

Thanks Ray! It was fun to do and the spare ICM screen filled in perfectly. I’ve since looked at my pictures and added a drop of black to the cowling vents, and added an aerial wire, so now it’s finished-finished!

 

For the grass I picked up a small tub of “static grass” from SMW2017. I deliberately chose a uniform shade of dull green something like “meadow” rather than “Spring”. The base is simply a sheet of card painted with (surprise) dark earth with some very rough variations with lighter and darker. Cover it with a very generous 50:50 mix of well shaken acrylic Matt varnish and PVA, then sprinkle the grass over it generously and leave to dry thoroughly. When really dry, invert and tap it to free the stuff that didn’t stick and put it back in the tub/bag. Because I didn’t want the glue to have a chance to dry I had put more grass than I needed onto a sheet of paper and teased it out so that it was free flowing before doing the glue so that it was ready to sprinkle. The variation in colour is just the random variation in grass density. It doesn’t get a lot of wear but it doesn’t seem to be shedding even a couple of years in.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Carts]

Blimey,you turn your back for a day or two and someone cranks out a smashing build😀

[Col.]

Wow! An impressive effort there in every respect Adrian

[spaddad]

A very tasty build Adrian and oh so close to an actual, total OOB build but I knew right from the start you wouldn't be able to resist. The Quest goes on!

[Willie Heckaslike]

Well done on the finish