Colourful Kurfurst-Revellgawa 1/32 Bf109K

[stona]

It's about time I got a build underway and here's my intended victim.

Unusually for me I'm going to build it to a profile rather than a photo,unless of course I find one of this aircraft. I'm still looking!

I'll pose it in flight. The kit wheels are not very nice anyway and,by sticking it on a pole,I can fit it onto my shelves more easily!

There are plenty of Bf109 builds around so I'll just show the main steps and any problems that may crop up.

Don't expect lightning progress as it's still a time of year when free time seems to become 'visiting relatives at the other end of the country' time!

Cheers

Steve

 

[AlanG]

I have two of these kits to build. Can't wait to see it done Steve

 

[papa 695]

I like the colours Steve, and i know what you mean about visiting reatives when kits need to be built/finished

 

[spanner570]

Steve, as you might recall I do like unusual cammos on 109's, and this fits the bill just nice.

I await progress, once your relatives have been visited and yet more turkey butties consumed, that is!!

Happy New Year too...

Cheers,

Ron

 

[Ian M]

That looks pretty interesting does that!

I will look forwards to that one in the new year.

Talking of turkeys, we demolished the remains of our on yesterday, Turkey tikka masala. Yums!

Ian M

 

[stona]

Cheers fellas! I'd better get on with it. Cockpit first,I hope they've got it right as I'm doing this OOB.

I intend to squeeze a little (1/72) Fw190 in as I go along for the "Captured" GB as well. Still awaiting delivery of that one.

We managed to foist the rest of our turkey off on daughter number one today...Hurrah! The remains of the goose were curried and taste a lot better than it sounds. Unlike turkey it's not nice cold. Ham sandwiches for me,an excuse to over indulge in pickles.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Vaughan]

As Ron said the camo looks interesting.

Vaughan

 

[Brickie]

What actually is that camo scheme? Is it an experimental one or a unit-level mod or something?

 

[stona]

What actually is that camo scheme? Is it an experimental one or a unit-level mod or something?

These aircraft were assembled from pre-built sub -assemblies. Allied bombing had forced the dispersal of manufacturing plants. Apart from the oversprayed rudder this one is pretty much as it left final assembly.

The yellow section with putty still visible in the joins is unusual. I don't believe it is a primer as German aircraft at this time were painted with resin based paints that specifically required no primer when applied to aluminium and magnesium alloys. I have no idea why that section is yellow. The idea that these parts came from a G-14/AS W.Nr. 785800 is a possible explanation for the numbers stencilled on them. The two types had many parts in common and if it got one more aircraft off the assembly line why not? It demonstrates just what dire straits aircraft production was in by this late stage of the war.

The largely unpainted underside of the wings is quite normal as is the different versions of RLM 76 on other undersurfaces. The standard blue/grey version on the nose,ailerons,wing tips,and horizontal stabilisers and the greener version (sometimes called RLM 84) on the fuselage. The RLM 75 fin with its sharp edged (I've always suspected the use of stencils or masks by an increasingly less skilled workforce) is also entirely normal. The rudder looks like a replacement which has had some field adjustments to its original finish.Usually it would match the fin.

When the aircraft was found they hadn't even had time to apply a tactical number so I don't think it had seen much action. At least I won't need to worry about weathering

The scheme on the box art is one of the standard schemes,though the upper engine cowlings seem often to have been grey,frequently RLM 74 or the rarer RLM 77. I'd expect a wavy demarcation along the leading edge of the wing as well. Maybe the artist didn't fancy it!

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

I've made a start. They did get the cockpit correct,essentially you stick a new side panel and console in.

I've also started the pilot. I opened a new tin of Humbrol 148 to paint his parachute harness and,despite a very through stir,it is thin and the consistency of water! Terrible,I might be looking for a plan B for him.

Off to Blackburn for a family do so more in a few days.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

First minor quibble!

The model comes with the tail wheel doors molded as part of the rear fuselage and in the open position. They are rather thick and chunky too.

There were serious problems with the tail wheel retraction system on the K-4. Many units fixed the tail wheel down. On aircraft where the wheel was fixed down the doors were almost invariably fixed shut. Even if you are going to pose your model on the ground there is a good chance that you don't want the tail wheel doors open.

I'm posing mine in flight. I don't know whether my tail wheel was locked down or not so,in the interest of nice clean lines,I'm going to retract mine. This means I've had to saw off the molded doors and will have to fill the tail wheel bay before finally scribing the relevant panel lines.

Stage one (sawing) and stage two (initial filling with Milliput) are complete. I shall give the area a swipe of putty,hopefully sorting out my extra marks due to over enthusiastic sawing,before finishing the job.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Vaughan]

It looks like it will turn out fine Steve, with the retracted wheel.

Vaughan

 

[stona]

Progress continues at a blistering pace......for me!

Fuselage is now joined and occupied by a rather spooky headless pilot. I shall afix his head once I've fitted his upper seat harness. Main part of the wings is also ready to attach. I had to make my own outer main gear door covers as I couldn't adjust the kit parts,which are made for a "gear down" pose,fit.

At this rate I'll have to do my favourite job,canopy masking,tomorrow

Cheers

Steve

Edit: The blob of Blu-Tac on the fin is protecting the aerial attachment post which is molded on and fragile. Top tip there!

 

[treyzx10r]

Looking forward to this one Steve!

 

[stona]

Stuck the wings on with no major dramas. Minimal fettling needed.

I'm plucking up the courage to build the top half of the seat harness from RB productions. They look great but make your eyes feel like they are about to fall out!

I just think that the pilot needs a head

He's got a head and a harness now. Much less weird.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

I'm just about ready to prime this one.

So as I'm now at a point where there is a lot of waiting between various stages I'm going to start the thread for my "Captured" project in the GB.

Two models at once is a new one for me!

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

Some progress. I've primed the model with my favourite Halfords plastic primer and have made a start on the underside colours.

These are the major areas of RLM 76 and the late version which we'll call RLM 84.

The areas still in primer will be in natural metal apart from the outer gear doors which will be in RLM 76.

Next the fin and rudder which will take a while as it is a fairly complicated scheme in this area.

Cheers

Steve

 

[James Q]

This is looking good, I like the colour scheme very much.

 

[stona]

A little more progress.

There's a lot going on here. I've sprayed the upper cowling RLM 75 with a wavy demarcation and applied a light mottle in RLM 82 as per my reference. That's the easy bit as it's all done freehand.

I've also sprayed the fin and rudder in RLM 75 with a sharp masked demarcation to the RLM 76 on the bottom of the rudder only,you can just see this in the piccy behind and below the tailplane. Then I've sprayed hard edged blotches of RLM 82 on the fin and rudder. I'm convinced this was done using masks on the real thing so that's what I did. I made masks and tried to follow the photographic references I've got for this on other K-4s. daft thing is a lot of this will be partially over sprayed eventually!

Oh yes,though you can't see them here the outer gear doors have also been masked and sprayed RLM 76.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Vaughan]

That looks a very complicate camo Steve, but it looks like you will pull this one off.

Vaughan