1/24 Trumpeter me-109 k4 OOB

[ScanmanDan]

Been a bit under the weather lately and my other builds were getting me down so I thought I'd do something to cheer myself up.

Set myself a bit of a challenge. No aftermarket stuff, only Radus' neato seat belts, and no mucking about straight from the box.

After one week I'm about here.

The kits gone together very nicely. No putty and only a few shims of styrene with a touch of superglue. Almost ready for paint.

Need to know from the 109 experts. Do I have to have the slats extended if the bird is on the ground?

Thanks for looking in.

Dan

 

[Airframes]

Nice work, and quick too. The slats were normally at least part open on the ground - they opened under gravity, and could be pushed back with one finger - but of course, there would be cases when they were retracted. The choice is yours.

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice work Dan. Agree with Terry that slats would normally be extended but it was air pressure that closed them, not gravity.

 

[stona]

The Bf 109 is a tail dragger and if the slats were pushed in on the ground they would stay in. It was normal procedure for ground crews to push them in to prevent dedris entering the mechanism. Take a look at photos of parked 109s and you will see the slats mostly in. There are exceptions and there are cases where one could be in and one out,like this.

The choice is yours.

Great job on that cockpit by the way.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Airframes]

Andy, I meant gravity (on the ground) opened them, but as Steve pointed out, to prevent damage they would be 'closed' on the ground by the ground crew in normal circumstances. There are, of course, many photos of various 'marks' of '109s showing the slats open, partly open, and closed, as well as both, as in Steve's pic.
On those '109 kits where separate slats are provided, I tend to model them only just open a touch, as if they've 'crept' a little, just to show them, and to take advantage of the separate parts. (And no, I don't do that with the irritating separate flaps on Spit and Hurricane kits - they're modelled as they should be on the deck, if parked - UP !)

 

[Lucky13]

Great work mate!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice little build.

 

[Wayne Little]

great work Dan!

 

[zaxos345]

Very nice work sir, love your cockpit painting and weathering!

John

 

[ScanmanDan]

Thanks guys for all the great info on the slats. Slats got put on pushed back( I like the look better, next one will have everything hanging dirty.). Gear built and awaiting paint as is the prop. Had to do something with the panzer armour. It's a solid piece on the kit. Why couldn't it have been on the clear sprue?

Cut out thinned down and then put some 5 minute epoxy in for glass, bubbles and all. Not great but looks better than the kit part, just.

Really close to painting time final once over tomorrow and then off to the paint booth!

Dan

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff. Could you not have used some suitable clear plastic sheet, with a plastic card frame, mounted onto the kit part?
Strange it was moulded as a solid part though.

 

[Crimea_River]

Cool.

 

[ScanmanDan]

Thanks guys. I used 5 minute epoxy cause I was lazy and it's quick but I couldn't let those blinking bubbles stay. Fearful of rising AMS I thought I'd whack in some 2.5mm acrylic I had in the parts bin. Thankfully my better half bought me a Trumpy G10 for my birthday so I had another headrest to butcher. After about five goes here's where I'm at, done, finished...

Not perfect as there are just too many angles to get it to sit just right and five tries is enough, but no silly bubbles either.

I'm off to mess with the prop and spinner now.

Spirals, sudder...

Dan

 

[Lucky13]

Excellent work mate!

 

[stona]

Strange it was moulded as a solid part though.

It's a Trumpeter thing,they do it at 1/32 too. I've used clear decal film to sort it out (at 1/32) but I do like the look of Dan's fix,very elegant.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ScanmanDan]

Took a sideways jab and decided to cast up some wheels. Three and a half hours from sitting down I got these;

I must say I love this Pinkysil casting mix. Works great and it's fast.

Some days life is good

Dan

 

[Wayne Little]

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff. I did ask in your Stuka build - but how do you make the 'pins' for the mould halves, and indeed how are the mould halves made separate?
I know how to make the mould itself, but it's getting the two halves to accurately fit which needs clarification.

 

[Crimea_River]

Echo. Would love to know this too.

 

[Lucky13]

Awesome!