I've been making some more progress on finishing the build but encountered some unforeseen problems (aren't all problems, by definition, unforeseen???) which slowed me down somewhat. Here's just a couple of quick, interim shots to update the build.
Picture 1. I reapplied and painted the aileron trim tabs and having finished applying all the stencils (yippee!!), I gave the model a couple more sprays of Klear to protect the decals before weathering. When dry (overnight) I washed all detail and panel lines in a very diluted mixture of Revell Antracite Grey mixed with Burnt Umber Oil Paint, diluted with white spirit.
This was left for about half-an-hour, then gently wiped off with a white cotton cloth with a drop of white spirits, wiping across the panel lines to avoid wiping away the wash within the lines. Then wiping any residue in the direction of the airflow.
Picture 2. This is the result. I tried to give a sense of the 109, in field service and seeing action, without overdoing it. I added some cannon smoke by dry brushing the above mixture. This will possibly be enhanced with black pastel later. Some oil stains were added with a very dilute mix of Rust Brown Black enamels, which was mixed for the exhaust pipes, which are now added.
As you can see the undercarriage, the pitot tube and the aileron balances have been added at this point. No problems, except with the main gear. These should have been pre-painted and assembled as per the instructions but I chose to assemble the wheels completely and add them when the legs were already in position. This was a problem, as the gaiters I added earlier were in the way of proper location. I had to cut and sand away the inside of the gaiters to give a surface I could get a good bond on, then I had to align the wheels so that the pre-flattened tyre bottoms were in the right position. All very fiddly and time consuming. Because of this I think the whole undercarriage is very fragile and won't stand up to any rough handling. Oh - and I had to search for the locating hole for the pitot tube, as I had stupidly forgotten to note it's position before I applied the crosses.
Picture 3. Top view. Although it doesn't look it, the panel lines and details have been subtly washed. Again, I didn't want to overdo it. There is still some attention to detail required. At this stage the engine and oil bath have been secured in place and the engine fits neatly.
I suspect that in scale, the engine assembly is about 3mm too long, (you can't see the bottom of the coolant tank through the opening in the bottom cowling, as you can in the real aircraft) but there is no way of correcting this, other than taking a chunk off the back of the engine and supercharger or taking 3mm off the depth of the ammo boxes, which would put them out of pro.
I had to disassemble the MGs, again, to get the saddle cowling to fit properly. After rubbing down the bases of the MG assembly, I assembled the guns individually, testing and fitting each component separately, until I was happy with the fit. These are now secured in place but need a bit of touching up because of the repairs. In fact, the whole gun bay needs a bit of a spruce-up. The rudder went on without any drama and now it's just the canopy, which might prove a bit difficult to pose open (a first for me), a few other small points of detail and of course, the aerials (another first) need adding.
I'm hoping that I will be able to complete this build by the weekend, notwithstanding any disasters, and will post a full set of photos of the completed aircraft as soon as I can.