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Painting Bf109F-4 trop filter?


Mycapt65

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I need to paint the supercharger intake filter on my Bf109F-4 trop. I left the filter off because it complicated paint the demarcation on the cowling. The demarcation splits to supercharger intake but I'm not sure how to paint the filter itself. It's hard to make out in photos and I don't necessarily trust internet artwork. The kit is the Hasegawa 1:48 

Any tips or information would be greatly appreciated. 

 

20220731_183551

 

Cheers

Ron 

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Hi, not sure about the question and what it’s asking.

 

As a Luftwaffe specialist, sadly this is one thing I’ve not done. Everything but tropical..

I think you’re asking about the colours, I’d paint it solely RLM 78 blue. The restoration shows a demarcation 78/79…. I try my best to only use period photos, and have never seen a demarcation line……. Don’t mind being proven wrong…..

As the filter would be a mesh I’d give it a wash of dark brown or black as a last resort. I think the desert tropical filters were fitted as when required hence my comment of solely RLM 78. 
 

Hope this helps.     😉

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This one example seems to show a slightly darker shade on top of the closed portion of the filter,  Note too it is not applied in a linear line:

 

Me109-F4-Marseille.jpg-original.jpg

 

The main body of the filter am not sure.  If those narrow slits are meant for air to filter through the sides, then painting over them was not likely in the field at least.  Then sometimes that detail is gone and appears to be quite light/shiny:

 

Messerschmitt-Bf-109F4Trop-6.JG27-Yellow

 

Messerschmitt-Bf-109F4Trop-II.JG27-a-new

 

 

regards,

Jack

 

 

 

Edited by JackG
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The filter for getting air sideward in, when the 109 was still at ground or in a low ALT.

This item had to be changed or cleaned quite frequently. It is a steel mesh with eventually filter paper inside. No color, steel!

Front cap mooveable, like lips.

Happy modelling 

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A lot of the pictures of trop filters that I've seen appear to show them as being over-sprayed with the fuselage colours, although replacement filters fitted in the field would probably not look like that ( as in a couple of the pics above).  The last 109F that I built with a trop filter was painted the same way (ie with 78 & 79), but with some panel liner over it to pick out the surface detail of the filter itself, which ends up giving it a slightly darker appearance when compared to the scoop body or the clamshell doors at the front.  I don't think you'll go too far wrong with that kind of approach..

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Thanks all! Yeah it seams some were overpainted at the factory and some presumably replacement elements were bare metal. The opening end almost always seems to be painted. The opening end looks permanently and securely attached to the cowling so I wonder how the element was designed to be changed out? I also wonder why they would paint the element? I'd think the paint would clog or at least shorten the element's service life.

 

Eduard gives two different photo etch elements as one is supposedly an early and one late. That's just food for thought. I'm just going to use the kit plastic. I'm like a fat kid, me and PE don't get along. PE is physical education or gym here, if you didn't get the joke. 

 

Be well everyone, thanks for the information. 

 

Ron

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