Messerschmitt Makeover.

[Airframes]

Thanks guys. I hadn't noticed the profile wasn't there! I was posting at the same time I got an 'Internal Server Error' message. so I'll see if I can upload it here. Might be an incompatible file, so if it doesn't load. I'll scan it and post that way.
Mag, I'll see what I can do - if there are enough, I might be able to do a swap on one kit. PM me with what you've got mate.
I'll be posting a side-by-side review of the kit, comparing it to the Hasegawa version, hopefully sometime over this weekend, so you'll get to see what it's like.

 

[rochie]

looks good mate

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Karl.

 

[Airframes]

Got the Green 71 on, after a bit of b*ggering about. I thought I'd use a brand new tin of Humbrol 163 (the satin version of Dark Green 30, which is a close match for RLM71.), rather than use the remainder of an older tin. First of all, it wouldn't stir, being like semi-liquid tar, then it wouldn't thin properly. So, back to stiring, plunging, cursing and stiring, until finally I could decant enough to thin and, eventually, get it to flow through the airbrush - for one burst and a splutter! Where this paint is made these days I don't know, but it certainly hasn't got the quality or consistency of the original Humbrol paint range. Eventually, after spraying a section, cleaning the airbrush, spraying another section, and so on, I managed to complete the job, although the paint has dried patchy, and matt in some areas, almost gloss in others. Not a major issue, as a wash-down and then the clear coats should, I hope, solve this.
The pics show the progress so far. The next step, after a little tidying up here and there, is to replicate the varied RLM 02 mottle on the fuselage sides, before adding the yellow wing and tailplane tips.
Thanks again for your interest and compliments, and I'll post more pics soon.

 

[BikerBabe]

Looking cool! It's great to follow your work, thanks for sharing.

 

[Tony Hill]

Looking great Terry. Wrestling the spray gun sounds like fun!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Talk about pushing out projects like wabbits from a hat, do you ever sleet T. Yet again another demonstration of great skill.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much indeed, Maria, Darryl and Vic.
Maria, when are you going to get 'Dolfo's' bird done? The offer is still open for those books I mentioned.

 

[Wayne Little]

Good work Terry!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Wayne.
I've got the mottle done, in RLM 02. Heavy on the rear and mid fuselage sides, lighter on the nose and cowling, as per the description and profile in the Jagdwaffe book. Although the profiles in this series are very good, the printed colours look more like the family of greys, 74/75/76, which is a little off-putting when trying to match the patterns!
Anyway, next step is to mask the wings and tailplanes, ready for the yellow tips, and the bit I'm not looking forward to, masking the spinner for that narrow red/white spiral!
Hopefully I'll have some more pics soon, meanwhile this is how the model looks to date.

 

[rochie]

looking good

 

[ellis995]

I agree with Karl

 

[Catch22]

Looks great Terry!

 

[Crimea_River]

Looking good Terry. I'm wondering why you're still putting up with those Humbrol paints. The best nmessage to send to a supplier is plunging sales.

 

[BikerBabe]

Thanks very much indeed, Maria, Darryl and Vic.
Maria, when are you going to get 'Dolfo's' bird done? The offer is still open for those books I mentioned.

*pushes 109-propeller out of the way with a heavy clunk in order to gain access to comp*
As soon as I can fford the rest of the fri**ing bird!
Seriously speaking:
I haven't yet found a Danish dealer who has got any of Dolfo's 109's, but I'm still looking - especially for that new Hasegawa-one. *drools*
Internet shopping unfortunately isn't an option, as I'm not sure whether or not my credit card's valid for internet shopping outside of Denmark - I've gotta ask the bank, though. It would be nice to know for sure. *rubs hands*
In the meantime, I've got the other 109, a BMW motorcycle and some Luftwaffe guys to work on.
I got the final buckets of Humbrol that I needed for the three kits just before easter, so now all I need is time.

 

[Airframes]

It'll be nice to see it underway Maria. If you still have trouble getting the kit, let me know and I'll get it and send it over to you, with a C.D with a selection of books.
Andy, I'd change paints tomorrow, even after almost fifty years of using them, if there were alternative enamels available locally - all I can get are Humbrol enamels, or Tamiya acrylics. I'm not that keen on the latter, not that there's anything wrong with them. But as you know, they require Tamiya thinner, very expensive in the tiny bottles available here, and again, Isopropyl isn't available locally. So, it's either put up with it, or order via mail order, which I think I'll end up doing, and only get 'emergency' or basic colours locally if needed in a hurry. I'll probably try White Ensign Enamels or, if I change fully to acrylis, which I doubt, it'll be Vallejo.
Anyway, made a lot of progress today/tonight, although once again Bumbrol dropped another gooly. The tin of matt yellow I bought only around four weeks ago, opened and used once, has already gone hard! So, hunting around for something to use to paint the wingtips, tailplanes and rudder, I settled on Revell Aqua Color gloss yellow acrylic, which I'd been given, along with a bunch of other Revell paints, a few weeks ago. As this can be thinned with good old 'tapolina', water to the uneducated, I gave it a try, after first adding a tiny spot of red, to get the shade more like RLM 04, and test - spraying on an old model in order to establish the best thinning ratio and see how it performed.
With this done, the Emil was masked as required, and the yellow applied to the wingtips, the tailplane tips and the top segment of the rudder. The 'No Step' walkway lines were also brush painted at the same time, after laying down the pattern with Tamiya masking tape, using the handy Revell red acrylic. I'm happy to say that the results were acceptable, with only one tiny 'spike' where I apparently hadn't fully sealed the tape. I'd have preferred to use matt enamels, as I wanted to obtain the effect of the temporary distemper-type paints used for these I.D. colours, but I can work on this later.
The pics show the model masked, ready for painting the yellow areas, and the red walkway lines, and with the tape removed after painting.
Thanks very much again for your interest and complimentary comments, and boy, am I looking forward to the BoB GB!!

 

[Catch22]

Wow Terry, looks fantastic!

 

[Lucky13]

I say! Looking rather spiffy old boy! I see one has been bitten by the '13' bug what! Have a pint.....or several!

 

[Wayne Little]

Great transformation Terry!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much, Cory, Jan and Wayne. Just done a bit of panel line work and the clear coat, so once that's had time to fully harden, it'll be time to mess about with some home made decals and a bit of fine-line brush painting. I'll post some more soon - if I don't fall asleep for the rest of the day!