Jump to content

1/72 Airfix Messerschmitt Bf 110 E Trop +++ FINISHED +++


TonyOD

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, Jochen Barett said:

They are denoting the part numbers (the "Spant Kennung", frame number) of the 1/1 scale model.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_(nautical)

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spant

 

So in an easy case, they make clear communication easier ("Hans, go and patch up that bullet hole in Spant Nummer 9!" "Jawohl Herr Feldwebel!") and in a more complicated case it helps repair personal to build one or two "new" planes from 3 or more "wrecks" (naturally in real life you will always have the same segments damaged and a surplus of certain other segments, but it helps to assess the situation and communicate in a clear way).

 

 

Well this makes perfect sense and is enormously interesting. Was this common practice across Luftwaffe planes? This is my first bendy-cross build and KI haven't looked that closely at my other Luftwaffe stuff in the stash.

 

2 hours ago, Jochen Barett said:

"The Spant Kennung on zis plane was painted over venn it received the Tropentarnung." (never argue with any experts wether the RLM 78/79 Tropentarnung was applied in the factory, in a Werft along the way or in Africa))

 

In the wider sense, I often find myself pondering stencils as supplied and called out, and the likelihood of them still being there once a plane had spent some time in service after leaving the factory. Were stencils issues to ground crew so they could be repainted if necessary (in the case of repairs or application of new paint jobs in the field, as was possibly the case with the Tropentarnung you refer to), or would groundcrew have been familiar enough with the airframes not to bother with them? I have in mind a couple of Bristol builds (Finnish Blenheim, Israeli Beaufighter) which were painted up with their own camo schemes, so the original liveries and stencils would have been painted over and replaced with... what? Come to think of it the particular Blenheim I'm thinking of was built under licence in a Finnish factory so who know what it would've had in the way of stencils. It's a can of worms alright...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This will be the extent of my weathering, well not weathering really, just an attempt to add a bit of life to it. A mix of brown and dark grey Humbrol enamel washes thinned with lighter fluid and thrown at the panel lines. It might bear a last wipe down with thinner-moistened kitchen roll. After that, one last coat of Klear and then it'll be time for a matt finish.

 

spacer.png

 

spacer.png

 

 

 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As to the stencil thing. Here is a good shot of an Fw. 190 captured in Tunisia in 1943...

 

spacer.png

 

You can see that most of the stencils were carefully masked around when theatre and unit markings were applied, especially apparent is the one in the middle of the white fuselage band. 

 

When I was in the Army, every maintenance unit had their own stencil making machines and stencils were supposed to be reapplied anytime they were obliterated. However, it was regularly deferred until there was spare time, usually when aircraft was laying in overhaul or phase or on the line awaiting parts.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, TonyOD said:

 

Well this makes perfect sense and is enormously interesting. Was this common practice across Luftwaffe planes? This is my first bendy-cross build and KI haven't looked that closely at my other Luftwaffe stuff in the stash.

...

These tiny numbers are rather prominent on the Me 109, so for a second I thought they are linked to Messerschmitt's way of building the fuselages, but the Bf 108 seems to lack them (the Bf 108 was kind of a Messerschmitt pioneer or "prototype" to the all metal fuselage using halves riveted together) and some "profile artists" show them on the Me 410 and I never really noticed them on the Me 262 (or non-Messerschmitts). But to be safe we should always examine photographs of the real thing before applying the decals or posting our "knowledge" on the internet.

 

Here you see the numbers on a 110 https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-110/Bf-110/pages/Messerschmitt-Bf-110-Zerstorer-Schl-Stkz-DD+XF-Walter-Grahmann-Holland-1942-01.html

in other pictures it is way harder to tell.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nearly there now…

 

spacer.png

 

…but I’ve managed to put a very visible glue thumbprint on the canopy while sticking it on, which is infuriating. Going to have a go at polishing it out.

 

spacer.png

  • Sad 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not that it merits a picture, the polishing of the glue print o the canopy has improved things a bit, although I'm going to need to touch up the framing.

 

In other news, the panel inside one of the engine nacelles broke free while I was putting the landing gear in, the only way to do a good job of putting it back in place would be to dismantle the wing, and that ain't happening, so I've flooded the thing with Tamiya Extra Thin and am hoping for the best...

Edited by TonyOD
  • Like 2
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The "Arrg!" on the photo made me chuckle even though the thumbprint was an aggravating issue.  The framing is so thick I don't know how I would fix it, but it sounds like you improved it.

 

Wow, this looks great.  I find that I'm thinking more and more about doing a 110 in this scheme.  Before I was thinking of doing a night fighter.   Hmm... Might have to do both. :wicked:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, opus999 said:

The framing is so thick I don't know how I would fix it, but it sounds like you improved it.

 

Yeah that's pretty much where I'm at. I couldn't get into the edges but I've managed to shift the worst of it and then touch up the framing, doesn't look bad to the naked eye.

 

spacer.png

 

Anyway, the bird is finished. I'm happy enough with it, it's been a fun build and it is a nice looking plane. RFI pics and maybe a bit of commentary later. Many thanks to everyone who's looked in on this one.

 

spacer.png

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • TonyOD changed the title to 1/72 Airfix Messerschmitt Bf 110 E Trop +++ FINISHED +++

Very nice job. 

I'm quite fond of the Airfix Bf110 - no doubt nostalgia for the old Dogfight Double 😀

One thing I did with mine that I think improves the look quite a bit is to add Quick Boost mass balances to the undersides of the ailerons. It's another one of these "can't unseen it" things for me 🙄

John 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/4/2021 at 2:46 PM, Jochen Barett said:

Amen.

 

And it makes you wonder "WOT?" "WHY ...?" "WHAT ON EARTH ...?" "HOW ...?"   "It can almost be mistaken for a Spitfire with that!"

 

 

(never mind the panel lines)

That Trapattoni rant is still magnificent after all these years. The grammar may have been utterly wayward, but everyone knew damned well what he meant!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@John Got to be honest I don't even know what they are and I'm going to avoid looking them up to avoid spoiling it for myself 😆

 

The RFI pics are here if anyone's interested.

 

Cheers

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, opus999 said:

Oh yes, that turned out nice.  I really like it's look in that scheme and your weathering and wear.  


Thanks. I’ve had a few positive comments about the weathering… really nothing to it, just an enamel wash (brown/dark grey mix) diluted with lighter fluid, a trick I learned from @Troy Smith. For the effort I put into it (i.e. practically none) it doesn’t look bad, and it’s a skill level I’m comfortable with.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...