**** DONE: GB36 - 1/48th Bf109G-6/R6 - Axis Manufactured aircraft of WWII

[Airframes]

Thanks all, and yes Michael, it's a bit unusual for me to do more than one model, but I selected kits that would, or should be, straightforward, in an effort to reduce the stash, and get me back into the groove, as it were.
Andy, I agree. I initially had the fuel line running down to the floor, but test fitting of the instrument panel showed there would be some problems with interference, so I removed the vertical section.
On those pics I've seen of the G-6 cockpit, there was a slim cover panel, or guard, in front of the vertical pipe, so it couldn't be fully seen anyway, so i reckoned omitting it wouldn't really be much of a loss.
Fit of the instrument panel was nebulous, to say the least, with no real locating point, and I anticipated, and got, some problems when actually fitting the part, and was concerned that the paint work would get damaged. In the end, it was cemented to the front, top of the cockpit edge, with a piece of plastic strip behind it to reinforce the joint. The less than perfect alignment can be seen in the pics below.

PICS 1 and 2. Cockpit assembly fitted into the starboard fuselage half.
PIC 3. The exhausts had to be fitted, from the inside, before joining the fuselage halves. Not an ideal set-up, as I'd have preferred to fit them after painting the model.
PIC 4. Fuselage joined. Fit was fairly good overall, although some slight warping around the nose caused a bit of a miss alignment, mainly on on the underside, around the oil cooler bath, which will need to be sanded.
PICS 5 to 7. General shots into the cockpit. Not brilliant, but adequate for a closed canopy.

Given that my hands behave, i hope to finish the 'Emil' later today, and then get back to this one, correcting the nose joint problem, fitting the top cowling section, which I think may need some filler, and then starting work on the wings.
I have yet to decide whether or not to cut out the 'solid' wing-tip nav lamps, and add some clear sprue, sanded to shape, as the wing section is rather thin, with not much area to glue to. That said, it wouldn't look right without the lamps, so ................
Back later, but I may be some time !!

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Looking good

 

[parsifal]

well I'm glad that you are doing more than one terry. That cockpit looks bl**dy marvellous

 

[le_steph40]

Great start Terry and beautiful cockpit

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice work on the office Terry.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much chaps, glad you like it, and it's very much appreciated.

I decided to crack on with this build, and finish the 'Emil' probably tomorrow, as I wanted to get the corrections and faults out of the way. I got quite a lot done, and it's progressing well.
The joint problems on the lower cowling and oil cooler bath, due to some slight warping, have been rectified, and the top section of the gun cowling has been attached, without the fit problems I anticipated. The gun breech bulges and supercharger intake are in place, the wings joined and attached, nav lamps done, and a drop-tank rack fitted, along with a lot of engraving of rather soft panel lines.

PIC 1. The top cowl panel in place, along with the gun breech blisters and the supercharger intake, The starboard blister needs a tiny bit of filler at the front edge, which will be done with PVA. The rear of each gun trough has been filed and partially drilled, as I have some doubts that the muzzles of the MG131s, as provided in the kit, would 'sit' properly in the troughs.
PIC 2. The hatch for the stowage compartment has been engraved on the sloping rear bulkhead, with the piano hinge and retaining strap added, both from stretched sprue. The sprue has been scored to represent the piano hinge, and the sprue for the strap was flattened. Also visible here is some of the extensive engraving of panel joints and hatches etc.
PIC 3. With the wings joined, the lightening holes / access ports in the undercarriage leg tunnels were opened. Also seen here are the stiffening ribs added to the wheel wells. There should be a depression for the wheel well blister, but it was not possible to do this, as the actual blister is a separate, 'solid' part, fitted to the top of the wing, the pins for which can be seen in the well.
PIC 4. The wheel blisters added, the slats engraved to improve the appearance, and the notches cut out for the navigation lamps.
PIC 5. Clear sprue was first filed flat, and then had small holes drilled, with the relevant coloured paint filling the holes - red to port, blue to starboard - before attaching the sprue to the previously cut notches, using CA adhesive. Once set, the sprue was then filed and sanded to shape, and then polished.
PICS 6 and 7. The finished nav lamps. Look closely, and it will be seen that I drilled the holes a little to deep, as the surface of each lamp is just breaking through. Not a problem, as these very tiny holes can be filled with PVA.
PIC 8. I'm not sure yet whether I'll fit a drop tank, but the rack certainly needs to be in place. The kit part, at left in the pic, was a bit basic, so I decided to use the rack left over from the Tamiya '109E, as shown at right, which is more accurate, and better detailed, including the notch at the rear. The recesses for the mounting bolts will be drilled once the rack, now fitted, has fully set.
PIC 9. The rack in place, with the repairs to the lower cowling joint and front lip of the oil cooler bath. The bath lacked the shutter at the rear, so this has been roughly represented by engraving. Had I noticed this earlier, I might have tried to open the shutter area, and scratch-build the actual shutter flap. But it's hardly visible anyway, so this will have to suffice. The cowling joints, already quite 'soft' before the sanding during repairs, were engraved.
PIC 10. How things look to date.

Next step is to make and fit the shoulder harness, add the gun sight, and then mask and fit the canopy sections, before deciding what to do, if anything, about the tail planes.
As Andy mentioned, the tail planes seem to lack the correct 'rake' on the leading edge, and old reviews of the entire range of Academy / Hobbycraft '109s always mention a slight problem here too. Some reports suggest that they are too small in chord, whilst others agree with Andy's assessment.
I've had a very brief look at the parts, in comparison to two different scale drawings, and at first look they seem to be fairly close. However, I'll do a more thorough check before deciding whether to modify the parts, or leave them as is, and live with any slight inaccuracy.
Thanks again for the kind words and continued interest, and I'll be back with another up-date, probably tomo... er .... later today !!

 

[Crimea_River]

Great progress Terry. I was fortunate to have an extra set of tail planes from one of my Hasegawa kits that I used on my Hobbycraft build. I don't think that the fix would be easy otherwise.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Andy.
I'll probably end up just leaving the tail-planes as they are. If the problem is the rake, then there's not a lot that can be done about it - not without some major work anyway. If it's the width of the chord, then that could be modified, by adding to the leading edge, but it would be fiddly and time consuming to get it right.
I'm more concerned about the dihedral - comparing it to a scale drawing, it seems fairly close, but not quite exactly matching. But when viewed by itself, it looks a touch too 'shallow'.
I checked this with a dry fit a number of times, and even if the wing roots had been modified to increase the dihedral, I doubt it would make much difference, and, of course, there would then be a problem getting the wing root joint right.
Again, if it's wrong, then I'll have to live with it, not that anyone else is likely to notice anyway.

 

[Airframes]

I think I've solved the problem with the tail-planes.
Checking them against two scale drawings, they are actually correct, in span, rake and chord. The problem is how they actually fit, and the position they are in when fitted.
This is the same, or similar problem that Glen encountered on his Hobbycraft '109 build in this GB.
If fitted as supplied, they are then too far aft with, in this case, the elevators being in such a position that they would foul the rudder, if the latter was 'full on', as the straight edge of the elevator, forward of the angled section, protrudes beyond the rudder hinge line.
The solution, although perhaps not quite 100% accurate, is simple - very slightly reduce the length of the locating tabs at the forward end of each tail-plane.
This was done by carefully trimming the front end of each tab with a scalpel, checking fit until the leading edge of the tail-plane root, matched that of the tail-plane root fillet moulded onto the fin.

PIC 1. One of the kit tail-planes overlaid on a 1/48th scale drawing - virtually a perfect match all round.
PIC 2. How the part would look if fitted as supplied - note the line of the rudder hinge line in relation to the elevator.
PIC 3. How the part looks, loosely attached, after trimming the locating tab at the forward end.

Now that's sorted, I can go ahead and attach the parts, but I won't do so until the rudder has been painted (white) and then masked, so as not to obstruct the rudder when spraying.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Good fix. I have an Academy in the stash, a G-10 I believe. Mental note made

 

[Crimea_River]

Well, maybe your kit is different but I sure didn't like how mine came out.

Terry, I think the issue is not so much the shape of the tailplanes, as you have proven, but the angle that it makes with the fin. Note that you have laid the part out on the plan of the underside and that the glue edge doesn't really line up with anything so the angle is unproven.

Anyway, I think we're both satisfied with how we fixed our issues and that's good. Looking forward to the next steps. Paint can't be far off!

 

[Gnomey]

Great work so far Terry!

 

[mikewint]

Really, really nice Terry. All that with semi-working hands!!!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much all.
Andy, the part is overlaid on a scale drawing of a '109F, which had a slightly different inner edge to the elevators, 'cutting in' with a straight section from the angles inner edge, whereas the 'F' was like the the 'E', with just the angled edge to the hinge line.
I checked the parts against a drawing of a 'G' model also, and again they matched. However, the drawing of the 'G' didn't show up very well in photos, so I used the 'F'. I also checked the top, plan view, and everything matched.
As I mentioned, it may not be 100% accurate, but it's only a midge's out, and acceptable enough.
Didn't get any more done I'm afraid, as I had a short nap at around 10.00 hrs - and woke up at 23.00 hrs !!!
Lost a whole bl**dy day !
I'm now going to stay up, and re-adjust my 'body clock', so i'll get on with the masking of the canopy sections, after making and fitting the shoulder harness straps.
More some time later today .................

 

[Wurger]

 

[turbo]

Looking good Terry, really cracking along!

 

[JKim]

I think I've solved the problem with the tail-planes.
Checking them against two scale drawings, they are actually correct, in span, rake and chord. The problem is how they actually fit, and the position they are in when fitted.
This is the same, or similar problem that Glen encountered on his Hobbycraft '109 build in this GB.
If fitted as supplied, they are then too far aft with, in this case, the elevators being in such a position that they would foul the rudder, if the latter was 'full on', as the straight edge of the elevator, forward of the angled section, protrudes beyond the rudder hinge line.
The solution, although perhaps not quite 100% accurate, is simple - very slightly reduce the length of the locating tabs at the forward end of each tail-plane.
This was done by carefully trimming the front end of each tab with a scalpel, checking fit until the leading edge of the tail-plane root, matched that of the tail-plane root fillet moulded onto the fin.

PIC 1. One of the kit tail-planes overlaid on a 1/48th scale drawing - virtually a perfect match all round.
PIC 2. How the part would look if fitted as supplied - note the line of the rudder hinge line in relation to the elevator.
PIC 3. How the part looks, loosely attached, after trimming the locating tab at the forward end.

Now that's sorted, I can go ahead and attach the parts, but I won't do so until the rudder has been painted (white) and then masked, so as not to obstruct the rudder when spraying.


View attachment 481304 View attachment 481305 View attachment 481306

Nice work Terry! I can't be sure but it looks like Pic 2 is more correct than Pic 3, based on the line of the rudder hinge in relation to the elevator?

 

[Airframes]

Thanks chaps.

John, the elevator hinge line, and the tail-plane, should be further forward, as in pic 3. If it was as per the kit, then the rudder would foul the inside end of the elevators, even at around 1/6th rudder movement, which is the very reason that the inner end of each elevator is angled, allowing full and free movement of the rudder, regardless of the arc of the elevators.
The pic below is not brilliant, but it can be seen that the alignment I've illustrated in Pic 3 matches what it should look like.

I've now got the gun sight fitted, and the canopy sections, the latter needing a bit of fettling due to the head armour location, which I'll explain when I post the pics. I might get the rudder sprayed white later tonight and, when it's dry, mask it, fit the tail-planes (in the 'new' position), and prepare for the first painting stage.
Pics soon .............