The Last of the Last, Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4 "332700"

[Sturmovik]

Story time!

I went today to get my second dose of the COVID vaccine, only to be informed I had the appointment booked for the 1st of August. I then went to a cafe, and while looking at my Facebook group, I found that a hobby shop near me was selling second hand Hasegawa 1:48 kits. They also offered a 10% discount if the model was paid in cash. I promptly asked the seller to reserve me the Bf 109K-4. The kit came without the main sprue bags, but all the pieces were there. The clear parts were bagged, and the decals, though a bit yellowed, were in top shape.

 

Once I arrived home with my new model, I checked the marking options. There're two provided, Yellow 4 of Feldwebel Strebel, and Yellow 1 of JG27 (with the green RVD band). I first selected the JG27 scheme because it had an RLM 81/82/76 camouflage, but after looking for photos for it (none showed up), I stumbled upon a Bf 109K-4 numbered 332700. This 109 is mostly anonymous, no special markings nor numbers, only a black "700" hastily painted on both fuselage halves. After practising a bit with a fine brush and some black paint, I decided to go ahead with "700," because it has plenty of RLM 81 areas.

 

Here're the photos:

 

Here's a photo of "332700," no wings though, so there'll be plenty of guessing with this aircraft. Maybe I'll just paint the undersides in RLM 76, because my 84 is too thin and needs several coats.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by Sturmovik

[Troy Smith]

52 minutes ago, Sturmovik said:

I first selected the JG27 scheme because it had an RLM 81/82/76 camouflage, but after looking for photos for it (none showed up),

listed as yellow 1

The number and band do match the fuel filler triangle (the pic enlarges)

@SafetyDad  maybe able to add more on the image source. 

HTH

 

 

[Sturmovik]

1 minute ago, Troy Smith said:

listed as yellow 1

The number and band do match the fuel filler triangle (the pic enlarges)

@SafetyDad  maybe able to add more on the image source. 

HTH

 

 

 

Thanks @Troy Smith for chiming in, I'll keep the photo in mind if I ever decide to go back to the kit's scheme. For now, I'm comfortable with 700.

[SafetyDad]

'700' was one of two Ks photographed at Wunstorf in 1945, together with the SM.82 transport in the middle. There are better pictures out there - and she has one wing still attached - the starboard one.

 

She's been discussed here before:

 

This pic is from the thread above (Courtesy of Mushroom Publications Bf 109 Late Versions - Camouflage and Markings - posted solely for the purpose of discussion and intentionally photographed with some distortion to discourage further replication ). Some of the Mushroom picture interpretation is open to debate, but this one sits very well with the interpretation in the JaPo volumes - see the linked thread above.

 

Source:          Wolowski K W (2010) Bf 109 Late Versions Camouflage and Markings Mushroom Model Publications Hampshire

 

 

 

 

HTH

 

SD

[Deano353]

Nice, I don't know what's luckier getting discounted models in a local hobby shop or actually having a local hobby shop, closest one to me is 200 miles away in Dublin! Also.good choice on the colours I liie that scheme it doesn't look like the standard camouflage. I look forward to your build.

[Werdna]

The Hasegawa K-4 kit is very nice.  Montex offers a mask set for '700' (item 48096 in this link: http://www.montex-mask.com/en/ofertaShow.php?skala=1/48&maska=SUPER MASK&current=super_mask_1_48), but probably not much use to you if you are brush painting.  I built '700' from the Fujimi kit last year.  There is a pic on the thread which @SafetyDad linked to which shows a pic of K-4 'white 8/884' - which is the scheme I used as the basis for my build.  I did the uppers in green 82/brown 81 over 'buff 84' (for want of a better reference).  The cowling, I decided, (rightly or wrongly) was 77/75 and I did the upper wing camo in 82/77 (although I'd probably swap the 77 for 75 if I was doing it again).

 

Good luck with the build.

 

 

[Sturmovik]

Thank you all for the responses and links to the references.

@Werdna I have saved the Montex painting instructions on my phone, and I'll be using them when the painting time comes.

[Troy Smith]

5 hours ago, Deano353 said:

that scheme it doesn't look like the standard camouflage.

It does.  Looks like a standard K fuselage pattern, one of the very few K colour shots, 

 

note the very similar pattern of camo colours on the fuselage, and the last 3 of the werk nummer  repeated.  The camo colours may change, but the pattern is surprisingly consistent.  Note that the cowling is likely a supplied by a sub contractor pre painted, as were the tail units, and gives a typical mismatch.

 

 

see here for more

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-109K/Bf-109K.html

 

Only one photo of a non MTT built K-4 has surfaced, and the style of paiting on the K is pretty consistent.   The roughly painted last 3 of the werk nummer is also quite common,  as you will see in the link. 

 

 

[Deano353]

Ah ok fair enough I've not seen much variation in 109 camouflage as WW2 is not my thing but it's  growing on me. I think give it time and I'll like props as much as Jets ..............maybe 🤔

Edited August 1, 2021 by Deano353

[Werdna]

5 hours ago, Sturmovik said:

 I have saved the Montex painting instructions on my phone, and I'll be using them when the painting time comes.

 

While the mask set itself is useful, I have to say I don't think the painting guide is accurate, as it seems to go against photographic evidence of what '700' actually looked like.  For instance, Montex has the cowling colours as 81/82 (ie a continuation of the upper fuselage colours), which is clearly not the case - as even from the b/w pics, you can see the cowl colours are different.  White 8/884 has the same camo pattern and very likely the same colours on the cowl as '700', IMHO.

[Sturmovik]

Right, it's time I posted some progress with the K.

Wide wheel fairings glued:

 

Ready to glue the wings together:

 

Cockpit:

 

Propeller spinner masked. I find it better to paint the spirals than to apply a decal. It may look messy, but it looks more realistic:

 

Here are the fuselage halves ready to be glued together. You can see I attempted to paint two 700s inside, as a way to practise for the real thing. I'll buy a brush with a finer tip for this job.

 

Wings with the flaps and slats down:

 

Wings glued to the fuselage. Fit was tight, no seams visible in this union.

 

Ready to paint everything.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by Sturmovik

[Sturmovik]

Now that the plane is fully built, it's time for some painting. This was done with Revell Aqua acrylics and brushes.

RLM 81:

 

RLM 82 and 76:

 

700s painted. I think they came out pretty well.

 

Wings painted. The slat bays and inner part of the ailerons and flaps were painted in RLM 02.

 

And the undersides.

 

That's all for now. I've glossed the model and I'll see if I can apply the decals later today. They aren't cracked, but are a bit yellowed. Hopefully they'll release from the backing paper quickly (I'll try that with the swastikas first).

 

 

 

 

 

[Sturmovik]

Applied the decals yesterday. However, I didn't take into account that the emergency hatch located in the left side of the fuselage (and something I use to locate my crosses), had moved forward. The result, the fuselage crosses got located too far forward. I couldn't live with it, so I removed them (and the paint) with IPA.

 

 

Paint and decals removed:

 

Areas repainted:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sturmovik]

Here's the final photo. Onto the RFI it goes then!

[gummilippe]

great work: I compared it with the picture I have of 3 Me109 at Wunstorf may 45 where I see 2 Me109K4 ;one is cheron Bar and the second black 700 and a Me109 G  with withe or Yellow 9

Gummilippe