**** DONE: Bf109E4 'White 6' I/JG3 BoB Group Build.

No! And you didn't call either!

Call??!!! I could only speak in hieroglyphics !!!!!!

Got the decals started, and was pleasantly surprised that the 36 year old kit decals worked without falling apart !
There was some very minor adhesion problems with a couple, but nothing a bit of Micro Sol couldn't handle. Some may need a bit of re-touching once fully settled, as some of the colours are a bit 'speckly' after all this time - I'll see what they're like after a day or two.
The home made decals have worked well so far, and again, just need 'colouring in', although this will be a bit more of a delicate operation methinks !
PIC 1. An overview of most of the main National markings in place, with the kit decals settling down nicely.
PIC 2. The outline of the white Tatzelwurm was printed onto clear decal sheet, and has held reasonable density, considering these were printed a few months ago, just as my printer was running out of ink ! The white background and red tongue will be hand-painted once a gloss clear coat has been applied to seal the decals.
PIC 3. The 'White 6' was scanned from an old 1/48th scale sheet, then 'stretched' and enlarged to represent the wider than normal numeral used on this aircraft. The original decal had discoloured and, rather than clean this up on the PC, I left the discolouration, the slight yellow tinge, to provide a contrasted background for hand-painting in the white. Again, this will be attempted (!) after a gloss clear coat.
PIC 4. the Werke Nummer decal was also made on the PC, and although lacking a bit of density, should improve a little once clear coated. The swastika is from the kit decal sheet, and is ever so slightly too big. Unfortunately, I didn't have one of the correct size in the same style - everything but, in fact !
Note that this is still settling when the pic was taken.
PIC 5. How the model looks so far.
I hope to get the remaining decals completed in the next couple of days, and can then spray the semi-matt clear coat, and move on to some more construction and detail work.
Thanks again for your interest and comments.

Wow, now that's impressive!!!

Smashing!

Thanks very much guys - not as impressive as our Swettish representative's latest avatar though !! Yum yum !!

Very Nice Terry. Was the W Nr done with a word processing software or did you scan it from somewhere? The font looks very realistic.

Brilliant bit of work Terry the close-up shots remind me of the way our Aboriginals painted the imprint of the hand on rock, spread the open fingers over a bit of rock, a mouthful of paint and splutter over the hand. Instant splutter stray just like the camo.

Decals turned out real nice Terry. They have a look that looks hand painted in scale. And I love the little dragon thingy!

The life is brutal......I have started to envy of your arthritis Terry. Fantabulous, my friend.

WoW!! Terry that is looking sweet there Sir.Cheers

Thanks very much indeed guys, I'm flattered!
Andy, the Werke Nr decal was made on the PC and printed onto clear (ink jet) decal paper. As far as I remember, I found a font very close to the Luftwaffe style - for some reason at the time, I couldn't access the Luftwaffe font I have(!). Thing is, I can't remember which bl**dy font it was!!
I do remember though that I couldn't achieve a small enough point size, so had to reduce it. The decals were made about 6 or 7 months ago, at the same time as those for the other '109 I refurbished, and those for Wayne and Guttorm.

Thanks Terry. I downloaded an RAF font but have not done a LW one.

Good stuff Terry....

Thanks Wayne.
A bit more has been done with the decals, although some of the smaller items, such as the oil filter indicator triangle, and the oil dipstick marker, were either too big for scale, or wouldn't conform to the curves and engraving of the cowling. So, rather than mess about, some of these were hand-painted, and / or adapted from other decals.
The 'filling in' of the 'White 6' and the Tatzelwurm has been started, with the first, thin coat applied, and the wing-walk lines have been hand-painted after masking the relevant areas.
PIC 1. The first stage of painting the white '6' and the Tatzelwurm. Following to old adage that the finest brush is not always the smallest brush, I used a Number 3 sable, with a fine point, which also has the advatge of having a nice, wide grip area on the shaft - great for my knackered hands!
The Humbrol enamel lived up to it's current low standard, and went on like diluted milk! No problem though, as I plan to get an even appearance using two or more coats, then touch in the black outline where needed.
PIC 2. A closer shot of one of the Tazelwurm, after the first thin coat. Again, this will be carefully built up, then the red tongue will be painted in, and the outline defined in black. Note the nice tip on the brush, this one from Italeri, at a very reasonable price for a sable brush.
PIC 3. Strips of Tamiya masking tape were laid down to mask the areas for the wing-walk lines, after determining their exact location and, in this case, the colour. These can be red or light blue, and the photos of Schnabel's aircraft suggest red in this instance.
PIC 4. Some of the hand-painted areas. Top to bottom:- the red outline around the oil dipstick hatch, the oil filter housing (yet to have a white outline), the oil filter indicator triangle, adapted from an 'Eagle Cals' methanol/water yellow, white and red triangle, re-painted as required, and, at the bottom, the factory data plate, in this case from the kit decal sheet. The brush-painted wing-walk lines can also be seen in this pic.
So, a few more stencils and other decals to add, then on to the second stage of weathering / staining before a semi-matt clear coat, and more detail painting etc.
Thanks again for your kind comments, and I'll post another update soon.

Nice done!

brilliant Terry, a braver man than I with the hand painting mate..

Thanks David and Wayne. The handing painting isn't too bad - it's £$%* awful !!

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amazing stuff Dogsbody, more so as i know how much you suffer with RA mate