Matchbox Messerschmitt Me 410 A-2/U-4 (PK-113)

[klr]

This is a placeholder for my first build in this GB. I hope to start it by tomorrow. I had originally planned to build jt in 2020 for the "Kit you built as a kid" GB, but COVID-19 travel restrictions prevented that.

 

I first built this kit on Christmas Day 1978, some time in the early evening. This had the original artwork, describing how ZG 26 was "bounced" by Mustangs, suffering terminal losses.

 

I am building a re-release from the late 1980s, with the same box-art as on an earlier re-release. I bought this in 1990, probably late in the year.

 

 

 

 

 

I can't remember if Swastikas were included when I first built the kit, but by the late 1980s, they were definitely verboten. I will have to dig into my after market sheet.

 

Edited January 15, 2022 by klr

[klr]

A couple of pointers for the build. I won't being straying much from what's in the box, but the interior could do with some sprucing up. I will probably replace the seats with something more realistic, and add some basic instrument panels and a control stick. I may or may not use the crew figures. I've never been a fan of Matchbox crew figures, but they might help take the bare look off the interior. Or (sacrilege!) I could use Airfix crew figures from the same era, of which I have a good supply.

 

 

The one-piece canopy is crisply molded (for its time), with well-defined panel lines.

 

I plan on building the ZG 26 A-2/U-4 subject with the 50 mm BK-5 cannon. The recommended colours for both subjects are Hu 91/30 over 65, as in RLM 70/71 over 65. Obviously, Luftwaffe colours were poorly understood in the mid-1970s, and Matchbox never bothered to check and revise them, not for this kit anyway. I will be applying the standard mid-war finish of RLM 74/75 over 76, unless my research throws up something unexpected.

[davecov]

@klr I am looking forward to your build. It was one of the Matchbox kits I built in the 70's and it was one of my favourites. I can confirm that the original release did have Swastikas.

 

Dave

[fightersweep]

Along with @davecov, I'm really looking forward to this build too although I didn't get to build this one back in the day myself. My best mate did build it though and I remember really wanting the 410 myself after that. I do have one in the stash waiting in the wings, but I'm really keen to see this build take shape.

 

Steve

[klr]

Revisiting the colours: For the B-1 of KG 51 Edelweiss, RLM 70/71 over 65 would be correct. This remained the standard bomber camouflage for most of the war. But that would be just too easy, especially as it's a bog-standard scheme with no mottling. For the ZG 26 A-2/U-4, it is RLM 74/75 over 76 (as expected), but with RLM 02 included in the mottle along with RLM 74 and RLM 75. At least, that's according to the instructions for one of the Eduard kits.

 

Also: Contrary to what is implied by the narrative on the cover of the original boxing, ZG 26 remained active after being bounced by Mustangs. However, it was relocated to Konigsberg, presumably taking time to work back up to something approaching full strength.

Edited January 15, 2022 by klr

[Graham Boak]

The 70/71/65 was indeed the standard bomber camouflage for the period - except for those going for lighter tops and black undersides.  This scheme has been shown for decades in profiles and model instructions, and I made my Matchbox one like that, but I've never yet seen a photo of any Me.410 in these colours.  Were I to do another I'd stick with 74/75/76.

[JOCKNEY]

Hi @klr

Another space filled on the build list .

Always fancied one of these, but never managed to  find one when looking for it.

Best of luck.

Cheers Pat

[PeterB]

Hi Kir,

 

When I built my 410 for the Frog GB I looked into the colours and AFAIK all the fighter variants would have been 74/75/76. There is however some argument in favour of the 70/71/65 on the bomber version at least in respect of KG 51 but if you are going to do the "Pulk Zerstorer" version the grey should be correct.

 

This is how I did mine.

It is based on the Me 410A-1/U2 which was preserved at Cosford - the Mushroom book on the 410 has lots of illustrations, and they show the clogs to be either white or yellow with either white or black outline and angled as shown - they are usually pretty accurate but no guarantees!

 

Pete

[Rabbit Leader]

Nice to see this WIP thread up and running @klr and we very much look forward to watching this kit come together during this ever growing GB. Now I don't recall having this kit myself, however do remember my friend showing me one partially painted up.  He had painted the wheels Gloss Black and I knew way back then that tyres should really be painted grey. I often think about this kit whenever I build something myself and the tyres don't quite look right.! 

Cheers, welcome aboard and best of luck.. Dave  

[klr]

As I like to do, I am building the interior, etc. on just one side, and checking that it is aligned properly by-dry fitting the opposing fuselage half as I go.

 

 

There is a small gap at the top of the nose transparency, which I confirmed by dry-fitting the canopy. However, as the nose glazing is painted over in this version, there will be no sign of this gap that had to be filled in.

 

When dry-fitting the canopy, I noticed a slight "overhang" at the front. So I sanded down the upper fuselage where it meets the rear of the canopy. Problem solved.

 

Many of the other parts are being painted on the sprue, mostly the garish blue one. The Matchbox paint guide specifies the defunct Hu 92 Iron Grey for the tires. I used Hu 32 instead. Hu 92 is also specified for the cockpit, implying RLM 66. Looking at instructions from the likes of Eduard (1/72) and Meng (1/48), the cockpit could be either RLM 02 or RLM 66. I haven't decided which way I will go yet, but it will probably be RLM 02 (Hu 31). I am also using this for the wheels, rather than painting them black as Matxchbox would have me. I have also applied a couple of coats of white to the spinners, obliterating any sign of that blue plastic. The propeller blades are RLM 70 (Hu 91), but there will need to be a small metallic section visible at the base of each blade once the spinner has been attached.

 

 

[PeterB]

No idea how accurate it is now, being in a museum, but the pics in the Mushroom book show that the few bits of the cockpit interior not covered with black panels/consoles are what appears to be a bluish grey, darker and less brown than 02 and certainly lighter than 66, more like RAF Ocean Grey to me, but of course that could be down to the lighting. Mushroom kindly gave me the go ahead to show a few of their pics when I did the build, so here is one FYI. In order to allow a view through the nose glazing the IP is split - some up the side and an engine instrument panel on the floor. I believe the black leather pads are leg supports, not that I expect you will be doing too much detailing on this Matchbox kit - I did have a token go on my Frog one, but I was younger then and slightly mad!

 

Pete

Edited January 16, 2022 by PeterB

[Walter]

Nice project good luck with the build

[klr]

Now, where was I? I decided to press ahead with the wings, engines and propellers, but I deferred painting the red whirls on the spinner until later.

 

More progress. For RLM 76 Lichtblau, I am using Xtracolor X208. Like most Xtracolor paints, it has a glossy finish, and takes a very long time to dry.

 

Now, that bare cockpit. I found an unused cockpit "tub" in the spares from an Academy Me 163, which has parts for both single- and two-seater versions. The replacement seats are also from the spares, and look to be from another Matchbox kit, although I don't know which. At this point, I planned on using the crew figures from the kit, but ended up leaving them out, as they would have been seated too high.

 

The scratch cockpit takes shape. It doesn't have to be accurate, it just has to be more realistic than the original, which was not hard at all.

 

The tin of Hu 32 I was using for RLM 66 had seen better days, so I had to go in later and sand it down a bit. At this point, I also attached the wings, tailplanes and main undercarriage legs. Doing all of these at once meant I could check that everything lined up before it had set in position.

 

 

The wing to fuselage attachment was odd, in that they only mated around the edge of the wing root, something I also recall seeing with the Airfix He 177. I didn't want to mess with this, as the wing chord was already a bit too "shallow" at the root. I positioned it so that the upper join was flush, leaving a nasty "step" on the underside to be cleaned up.

 

The canopy was a very good fit - be thankful for small mercies!

 

The wheels were attached, thereby completing the kit except for the aerial mast on the cockpit roof, and a pitot tube near the port wing tip.

 

Of course, you can't see the wheels in the above photo. Here they are, with the tires painted Hu 67 Iron Grey. At this point, the lower wings, engine cowlings and tail planes have had two coats of paint, but the lower forward fuselage just one, to confirm that that no more sanding is required. What looks like a blemish at the lower front of the port wing root is nothing of the sort. It is exactly the same as on the starboard side, so just a trick of the camera. I left the underwing intake fairings unpainted for now, so that I can I have something to hold onto or clamp while doing more painting, and varnishing. The Xtracolor paint may be glossy, but it doesn't seem very hard-wearing at all. The barbettes have already had to be re-touched.

 

There is still quite a bit to do, although the kit itself is all but complete. Next up: The canopy framing, which will require at least one undercoat of RLM 66 before applying the top camouflage coat.

[Greg Law]

I envy the simplicity of your kit. I'm looking forward to see how it turns out. 

[beany]

I like what you have done with the cockpit. That step in the wing undersides is annoying and I'm assuming not correct but wouldn't know for sure. I have the Monogram 1/48 Me.410 and may dry fit the wings on that to see if there is a "step". I have made the Matchbox one decades ago but don't remember finishing it and I still have some of the decals somewhere. I am a fan of the shape of the 410 and always stand and admire the one in Cosford whenever I go there. Very much enjoying your build.

[mike romeo]

I think your cockpit additions look really good.  Nice job.

 

Rgds

 

Martin

[JOCKNEY]

Hi @klr

You were well on the way to being finished when we last heard from you, have you completed it ? 

cheers Pat 

[JOCKNEY]

Hi @klr

We have a 2 week extension on this GB, so an ideal chance to return and finish this one 

Cheers Pat