**** DONE: GB-36 1/72 BF 109E-4 - Axis Manufactured Aircraft of WWII

[parsifal]

This is the progress after this last weekend. Decalling is complete, ive painted and attached both the tail rudder and the tail wheel.

I had some issues mounting the RDF mast and the connecting wires. The kit supplied dorsal mast had a mounting post at its base, but brok as I attempted to attach the mast to the dorsal area of the model. I overcame this by fitting a 0.8mm dia needle to the base and using that as the foundation for my now damaged post. Looks okay, so i continued. I also used some spare PE stuff to try and simulate that mounting bracket thingy for the secondary wire. I drilled a small hole in the dorsal area above the fuselage crosses, poked some of the invisible thread into that hole with a coating of CA glue. Getting the thread into the hole, first time, without smearing CA glue onto the paintwork was tricky.

Primary wire went on fairly well, but the secondary wire is not so good. Ive not yet trimmed either of the wires, so I can still go back and adjust things if need be.

Next I mounted the flaps, Starboard side is fine, but port side will need some adjustment . Its not too bad, but the gap to the main part of the wing is not parallel and noticeable. Did I sasy ive finished the decaling.....not quite true as ive got to mount those big red stripes at the wing root yet.

Having (mostly) gotten through the rather nerve wracking exercise of the rdf mounts, I mounted the canopy, in the open position. Then I finally attached the LG .


These are the progress shots to date:

Just received word via text message that a bushfire (two actually) are within 10 km of my residence. bit of a surprise really. no great risk but we have initiated our emergency plan. my wife and son will spend the night at my sisters house, some 40km away. We have battened down all the windows and doors, made sure the gutters are clean. I have drums of water and all hoses are connected and ready. the firefighting tank is full and the emergency pump primed. main risk is ember attack, and smoke inhalation.

I am staying with the house.

See you guys on the other side I suppose...

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Hope your okay Michael, watching on the news, I see they have the big boys out with aerial spraying. On a side, you model looks great and you have certainly had your ups and downs. Stay safe mate and hope to hear from you come morning.

 

[parsifal]

wind has shifted, for the moment at least the pressure is off

 

[Vic Balshaw]

That's good.

 

[Airframes]

Good to know the fire has moved away, and hope all is OK.
The model is looking good, but just two small points - are the undercarriage legs pushed fully home, or are they on back to front ?
They don't seem to be located properly.
Also, the antenna wire is for a HF radio, not RDF.

 

[Wurger]

I'm with Terry. The landing gear looks a little bit odd.

Stay safe Michael.

 

[parsifal]

Its smokey, but the fire has turned away to the south, away from us. lots of smoke in the air. I spent the evening checking the hoses were laid out , damping down around the house, making sure all the windows are closed. the water tank is full (with 20000l) and I have another 1200l in drums on the four corners of the house. There is no immediate danger from fire, and only a very slight chance of ember attack. Thanks for the concern guys, but ive done this many times. its the waiting that's worst. You can never afford to be complacent, Id rather get up tomorrow and feel like a goose than have lost my house.

Anyway. back to the important stuff.......I don't think the LG struts are back the front, but they are not sitting in the holding lugs correctly. I will have to trim them back a bit unfortunately.

The big red wing flashes are on, and I also put the prop decals on. I had to remove the centr hood piece and then paint and fit the back armour plate . ive painted the HF (oops) mast and also the bracket for the secondary HF line. Painted the 20mm cannon barrels and the under wing pitot tubes

 

[Crimea_River]

Hopefully things have calmed down there Michael.

 

[turbo]

Prudent fire prep Michael. Model looks good too (once you've fixed the LG up!).

 

[Wayne Little]

Doing good there Michael....glad you didn't have to tackle that fire....

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Doing good there Michael....glad you didn't have to tackle that fire....

You and me both Wayne, it gets scary watching embers floating down around you, hoping and with fingers crossed.

 

[parsifal]

Phones are down today. no school for the boy. Ive taken 2 hours off work because of the smoke.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Looking at the weather, no wing about anywhere which means the smoke will linger.

 

[parsifal]

I think that's why there is so much smoke. wind has died down and the RFS spent most of the night carrying out extensive back burning operations. The temperature has actually dropped quite a bit, but I think the smoke is now trapped close to the ground (up to several hundred metres I would estimate).

We need a shower of rain to get over this.

 

[Crimea_River]

Our last summer here will be remembered for its smoke from forest fires. Hope it clears soon for you.

 

[parsifal]

That's worse than this fire Andy. here is a photo that I took today while out on inspections for work. my house is off to the right. ive taken this photo at approximately 10km away from the fire front. its heading in a southerly direction and with the heat of the day the smoke has largely dissipated.

Two days ago it was much closer and much more intense.......

 

[parsifal]

In the last hour the fire has swung around from the SE heading, back to a ENE heading. It has jumped one of the containment lines, but not the main one

The following photo was taken from the western edge of the city, about 1000m from my place. I estimate the fire front is about 5-8 KM away. Wind speed is approximately 15 knots and rising. Temps are stable. no smoke. We are for the moment not in the path, no smoke or the fire, but I'm uneasy and watching closely. monitoring the situation as they say......

Off to the south, the fuel loads are much heavier than near my place. Biggest problem I think is the long dry grass. We don't have that near us, thankfully.

Other problem are that most of the air assets have been redeployed.

if the fire gets past the containment lines and there is another wind shift and the wind picks up, we could be in for a wild night. lot of ifs in that, but still.....

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Keeping my fingers crossed mate, but no rain on our radar for some days and wind picking up tomorrow with temp of 32C.

 

[Wayne Little]

Fingers crossed down here too....

 

[Wurger]

With all here Micheal. Keeping my fingers crossed ....