An RAF Me 410 B-2/U2/R2 - Meng 1/48. +++++Finished+++++

[mark.au]

In my old(er) age I'm less of a fan of building aircraft with swastikas on them than I used to be.  But, I am a fan of taking on the challenge of replicating the intricate and varied paint schemes those aircraft often wore.  What to do?  Captured aircraft, that's what.

 

A year or so ago I picked up a Meng 1/48 Me 410 B-2 for considerably less than the sticker price you see on the box below.

 

 

I've always thought the 410 to be a cool looking aircraft.  It's nothing like a Mosquito, and yet it sort of is.  Now, the Mosquito is my favourite WW2 aircraft (I'm not sure why I'm not building one, actually) so that comparison is not lightly made.  Some years decades ago, I built the Promodeller 410 and made a bit of a pig's ear of it.  

 

Exhibit A.

 

As I remember, the kit wasn't bad at all but my technique was, shall we say, less subtle.  Reviews suggest the Meng kit isn't a great improvement over the Promodeller.  Anyway, it's time to redeem myself and build a 410 to display but without the markings of the former effort.  Luckily, there's this one...

 

 

A captured airframe offers the challenge of the paint scheme with the markings of the good guys.  It'll be painted in the classic 74/75/76 scheme with a light colour - to be determined but it looks to me to be a light grey - covering the rear fuselage and fin.  I still get to try some mottle and paint the camo pattern on the wings, and that's the fun of it.  You may have noticed the Iwata box next to the kit box? I now have my new needle and nozzle ready to go, the Iwata will be back to its former ability to go really fine - I hope I am too.

 

I've ordered some PE for the radar array.  It might need a little modification and a bit of scratch building to get it close.  I have this shot too, for reference.

 

 

This is a filler project until a container load of goodies arrives from the UK.  The container has various bits and pieces for many of my planned projects for 2023.  I'm going to try my hand at jets, and I have acquired a few kits of that type, and am raring to go on them.  In the mean time though, I'll have a play at some German camo.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by mark.au
I like this title better

[Dave Slowbuild]

Good luck with this Mark.  I always take a reflex step backwards at the thought of trying to paint “mottle”.  Just typing the word gives me the shivers… 😬

I’m sure you’ll make light work of it though!
 

Dave

[AliGauld]

There's not much better than a captured version.

Quite partial to that myself.

Will look forward to this one eagerly.

 

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[mark.au]

Thanks for the encouragement, gents.

 

Progress on the cockpit bits and pieces.  The moulding is pretty good, quite crisp and detailed, and the plastic is a good compromise between the soft Airfix and the hard Eduard/Tamiya types.  I followed my usual process, base colour (RLM66), then a wash which I applied a little more liberally than usual because it's a dark base colour, and then some dry brushing with black for the radios and other boxes, then a lighter grey for the general structure, and finally some silver for some wear and tear.  I augmented the silver dry brush with some silver pencil works too.  Finally, I completed it all with the detail painting.  I used some images I found online for guidance but I'm not claiming the various colours and such are 100% accurate.

 

Pictures are worth a thousand words.

 

 

 

 

I've painted the seatbelts, next is attach them and then not much more to do before closing up the fuselage.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by mark.au

[AliGauld]

That is all looking rather good.

Done with such speed too.

Don't know how you manage it. 

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[mark.au]

1 minute ago, AliGauld said:

That is all looking rather good.

Done with such speed too.

Don't know how you manage it. 

 

Cheers,

Alistair

I see what you did there… 😉

[mark.au]

A small update.  The cockpit is complete and semi-installed.  The PE seatbelts gave me fits but I got them looking more or less ok in the end.  PE isn't really conducive to representing a fabric component...

 

 

Joining the fuselage will be the next major step, once I've assembled and installed the weapons aiming mechanism.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Winded Penguin]

Looking wonderful so far.

It's great that you've got so much detail to pop

on what are mostly moulded-in details. No 3D sorcery needed here 🤓

[mark.au]

11 hours ago, Winded Penguin said:

Looking wonderful so far.

It's great that you've got so much detail to pop

on what are mostly moulded-in details. No 3D sorcery needed here 🤓

 

Thanks WP.  Yes, the moulding is pretty good in that respect and it doesn't take much to get the detail to pop out.  I'm in two minds on the 3D sorcery; I like the convenience and there's no denying the detail and resolution but somehow it doesn't look scale to me.  Won't stop me using it from time to time, and I absolutely think it's the best representation of seatbelts, but I did enjoy this cockpit, for a change (*shock*).

[AliGauld]

That's all looking really nice.

You wouldn't know the belts gave you a problem as they look really good in the photos.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[hendie]

It's all looking good Mark and I'm with you on the PE seat belt issue. I could never get them to look right so I've resorted to using cigarette wrapper foil for that and other fabric surfaces. I find it much easier to control and I get a much better result in the end.

[Ratch]

Which one will you be building? I understand that the Fighter Interception Unit had Messerschmitt Me 410A-3 W Nr 10259 at RAF Wittering during August 1944 for evaluation. It was given the RAF code TF209. This one is of interest to me as I have a long term project modelling aircraft the flew from Northamptonshire.

 

[amos brierley]

On 12/23/2022 at 10:34 AM, mark.au said:

A small update.

And a small compliment - NICE.   😉

[mark.au]

On 24/12/2022 at 10:14, AliGauld said:

You wouldn't know the belts gave you a problem as they look really good in the photos.

 

Angles and lighting, 😂

 

10 hours ago, hendie said:

It's all looking good Mark and I'm with you on the PE seat belt issue. I could never get them to look right so I've resorted to using cigarette wrapper foil for that and other fabric surfaces. I find it much easier to control and I get a much better result in the end.

 

If only I hadn’t quit 10 years ago… 🤦‍♂️   But, I do have some chocolate wrapping that will suffice, I’ll get unlazy and get a try on the next one.
 

9 hours ago, Ratch said:

Which one will you be building? I understand that the Fighter Interception Unit had Messerschmitt Me 410A-3 W Nr 10259 at RAF Wittering during August 1944 for evaluation. It was given the RAF code TF209. This one is of interest to me as I have a long term project modelling aircraft the flew from Northamptonshire.

 

Not TF209, that one was painted in RAF camo colours.  I’m doing the 410B which was left in its German colours except for the mid-fuselage. The RAF coded it AM74, it was scrapped in 1946.  There’s a couple of pics of it in the first post of this WIP.  

 

9 hours ago, amos brierley said:

And a small compliment - NICE.   😉

Small response; thx.

 

No update to the model, just a Merry Christmas from the land downunder, I hope you have a lovely day with friends and loved ones.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[heloman1]

Ooooh, this looks interesting! I remember seeing a 210 at RAF Cosford, whilst it was still a storage facility, sometime back in the early 1960's. I liked the look of the aircraft.

I'm sure Mark you will do your usual excellent rendition of the cammo scheme. Regarding the four legged tail symbol. I'm not overly fUSsed about it, it's from a time in history. It can't be rubbed away, lime our government is doing!

 

I'll follow with great interest and seasons greetings.

 

Colin

 

PS, Another Wessex in the wings for next year, once I get my space set up. A yellow crab rescue jobbie.

 

[mark.au]

6 minutes ago, heloman1 said:

I'll follow with great interest and seasons greetings.

 

Colin

 

PS, Another Wessex in the wings for next year, once I get my space set up. A yellow crab rescue jobbie.

Thanks Colin, same to you and yours, hope you had a lovely day.

 

Ooooo, another Wessex? Me too!  I’m going to build a blue and red Lee on Solent SAR version from my childhood memories.

[heloman1]

1 hour ago, mark.au said:

Thanks Colin, same to you and yours, hope you had a lovely day.

 

Ooooo, another Wessex? Me too!  I’m going to build a blue and red Lee on Solent SAR version from my childhood memories.

Just after midday here ate, so still a lot f the day left. It's dank and raining!!!

 

Sounds good. I'm waiting, hopefully for Italeri to rerelease the HAS MK1, then I'll build a red-blue/grey rescue bird and an Aussie Mk 31. Basically a HAS Mk 1 with the cool gas generators in the nose intake for engine starting.

 

Colin

[mark.au]

23 hours ago, heloman1 said:

Just after midday here ate, so still a lot f the day left. It's dank and raining!!!

 

I seem to have mental block on the time difference to South Africa - I always think you're in front of us, not behind.

 

Some progress was made over the Christmas/Boxing Day period.  I completed the last of the internals, the weapons aiming gear.  I used the same process as for the other detail work, but was quite pleased with my steady hand on the detail painting.  As this is being modelled as a captured aircraft I will not include the weapons themselves, but I thought it likely that this gear may well have been left on the aircraft so I've added it to the model.

 

 

Then, I began to close the fuselage. My original plan was a closed canopy but this cockpit turned out well enough to display.  My dislike of cockpits is not a secret, but I actually enjoyed this one.

 

 

I have decided to attach the underside weapons bay covers and central panel as one piece.  The kit has options as to the weapons configuration which drives the parts engineering as it is.  The right side picture shows the parts in place but only dry fit.  I think this will give me the most control over the seams between the three parts this comprises.  Again, the weapons themselves won't be included as this is a captured airframe and they would have been removed.

 

 

Just before Christmas a care package arrived from BNA which included the Fug 202 antennas by Gaspatch.  

 

 

They really are exquisite and I think they'll look spectacular on the front of my 410.  While they may not actually be exactly as per the real aircraft, these were the closest I could get and will have to suffice.

 

Next session will see the fuselage closed and work beginning on the canopy.  I am hoping the wing to fuselage fit will be good enough that I can paint the fuselage and wings separately which will make things much easier all round.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by mark.au

[AliGauld]

That's all looking excellent.

I would agree that it deserves an open cockpit.

Those antennas look exquisite.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Winded Penguin]

More compelling loveliness heaped on the cockpit since the last time I looked in 👍

 

Those antennas do look exquisite @AliGauld and also a little scary to me.

I can only imagine the fun to be had liberating them from the sprue, without any mishap.

[jackroadkill]

Looking superb there, Mark.  Not an aircraft I know much (anything) about, so I'll enjoy seeing it come together.

[mark.au]

On 26/12/2022 at 21:51, Winded Penguin said:

I can only imagine the fun to be had liberating them from the sprue, without any mishap.

I need three, I have eight - hopefully that’s enough! 
 

Assembly has continued to the point where the fuselage is ready for paint.

 

 

I had just one challenge to overcome.  The starboard wing joint was off by almost 1mm which required some carving to ensure a good fit when the time comes.  In the pic below the end result is just about visible - I must have misaligned something in putting it all together.

 

The canopy on the 410 is one of its defining features and comes in seven pieces.  I didn’t follow the instruction sequence (which has the modeller assembling the parts first, then attaching the whole), instead assembling it in situ.  My theory was that I could control the alignment better this way.

 

 

It looks like all is good, a couple of smidges of filler and then a base coat of RLM66 will show up any issues.  Whether I can fix them now is another matter…

 

It’s going to be a bit over a week before any further progress as I’m away from the bench for a while.

 

Cheers.  

[AliGauld]

That is all looking absolutely fantastic.

This one seems to be pushing back a little, but I'm sure you'll show it who's the gaffer.

Will look forward to more.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[bigbadbadge]

Sorry I'm late, just caught up, crikey your motoring through this one Mark, great work on the pit, does look good and progressing very nicely. Looking forward to the paint effects. 

Chris

[Dunny]

Mark,

 

I also managed to completely miss this, but I do have a note! Lovely work in the cockpit, and a mottle scheme to look forward to!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger