Airfix 109E-3 1/24th scale

[Mark M.]

I started this a long time ago, and It's an unofficial entry (it doesn't count -- was mostly done) but I'm using the GB as inspiration to complete it.

Here's the only uploaded pic I have of the progress so far:

I'm going to paint it as the third plane down on this list:

I've got Mike Grant 1/24th stencils, and Mike was so kind he actually made me the horse and knight for my paint scheme! Class act, that Mike!

I've got the rest in the default Airfix decals, from what I can see.

The problem is 2-fold. I don't have any references of the starboard fuselage, especially how it meets the wing root. I'm taking some liberty here. An educated guess. If anybody has any references they would be most appreciated.

The other problem is the kit itself. Extremely poor fit of the clear parts. The instrument panel is in the way of the windscreen, and the E-3 windscreen legs are too short to reach the fuselage, and the E-4 is too narrow! I ground down the top of the instrument panel but it still doesn't fit too well.

Well, as of last night, I've masked off a bit more for the RLM02. I know somebody once said "oh, such-and-such is a near perfect match for it!" but I can't remember what they said was the perfect match! I wonder if it was light ghost grey? Or Dark ghost grey? That seems to stick in my mind. I'll spray the 02 first then the green.

Edited March 25, 2008 by Mark M.

[Patrick_Nevin]

Well, as of last night, I've masked off a bit more for the RLM02. I know somebody once said "oh, such-and-such is a near perfect match for it!" but I can't remember what they said was the perfect match! I wonder if it was light ghost grey? Or Dark ghost grey? That seems to stick in my mind. I'll spray the 02 first then the green.

Go Mark go

[Mark M.]

Go Mark go

Heh, first I have to remember which grey was closest to RLM02

[vvwse4]

That is it Mark, way to go. Hope it turnes out good.

Rick.

[Mark M.]

I used Dark Gull Grey (I think, that or Dark Ghost Grey, I have both and can't remember here at work as I type this) as a substitute. It's not perfect, but it's close to some things I've seen.

I sprayed the masked off areas, but some areas definitely need touchups, including the wrap around the leading edge and the corners by the tail fins (they lifted up, I'm certain grey has seeped under them).

I'll be doing some more work soon, but probably not til the weekend. I'm a little worried about masking on top of the grey, as it's an acrylic paint, and might pull up in large chunks. On the other hand, it's on top of a primer of enamel, so I might not have any problems.

The green is next. Thankfully, I've got the proper green in stock.

er... last I checked. Now that I've said that I'll check on it and find it totally solidified, no doubt?

[Mark M.]

Sorry, changed hosts, had to reupload my files. They're now better organized too, so the old URLs don't work.

Here's the progress so far:

What this doesn't show (I haven't uploaded yet) is the recent work.

On top of that last picture, I masked off the areas for the RLM71 Dunkelgrun (RLM02/RLM71 splinter camo pattern). Then I went to the store to get some RLM71.

I recall actually finding Polyscale RLM02. I snatched it up for future projects, but when I got home I decided the grey I already had on the plane was close enough. Different tint, but similar shade. Good enough, considering the variations and debate about RLM02 that already exist.

So I looked at the RLM71, noticed the RLM70 next to it (Schwarzgun, labeled as "Black Green"), and recall putting it back and picking a bottle from the rack by the label RLM71. Only, when I got home, ready to airbrush some green, it turns out I now own a bottle of RLM70!!!!

What the heck!? Must have been a bottle in the wrong slot. Idiotic me, I didn't double check! (I KNOW better than that!!)

So I gave up til next week. I'll get the green painted then. I'll get a pic up of the masking job in the meantime. I just hope it doesn't lift all the grey up when I pull it off!

Edited May 12, 2008 by Mark M.

[Aggressor Supporter]

Pretty big looking 109 there. Keep it up.

[Mark M.]

I went back and got some proper RLM71 (dark green) and shot it through the airbrush today. I'm pretty pleased with the results.

You can sort of see how I masked it off in these. I didn't take pics of it until after I shot it with green. I had a lot of tense moments trying to take it off without pulling up all the paint underneath. Luckily a year in a box had allowed the paint to cure and almost none came up with the tape.

When I removed the tape a LOT of the dk ghost grey had seeped through the fuselage masking down to the ventral part of the fuselage. I sanded the bumps off but had to repaint over it a couple more brush coats of lichtblau.

You can spot some of the bleeding on the second picture there, as well as the ball-o-tape I made removing the masking!

I lot of cleaning up later, and I'm kind of pleased with the result:

[Jack-Swiss]

Nice job there on that beast!!!

cant wait to sse more of it!!!

Cheers

[vvwse4]

Hi Mark,

Looks impressive good to me, I am glad that you are finishing her. Cannot wait to see how she turns out!!

Rick.

Edited May 18, 2008 by vvwse4

[Rocat]

very good work so far :-)

[The Mikester]

Looking good, Mark. Should be an impressive looking build when she's finished.

[Aggressor Supporter]

Camo and colors came out nicely.

[Mark M.]

Thanks. It wasn't... er... uh... what I was expecting. I mean, I had some references for camo layout and such, so I had an idea, but seeing it in place on such a big model, it looks different.

I got the front/back canopy parts masked, painted, unmasked, and glued into place with Elmer's last night, but I don't think it's strong enough. The back already came off (not a good fit, going to need to do something to cover a gap on one side!).

I used to have a metal "glue pen" that was water-based super glue (not CA) and it never fogged my canopies. I lost it many years back and haven't seen it in stores since. Wish I could find it.

Anyways, I'm a little worried about the decals. There's a broken arrow (single chevron with horizontal bar between it and the black cross, single horizontal bar aft of the black cross) and it's supposed to be halfway down and the paint is supposed to line up with the horizontal bars.

If I've masked the kit wrong from the beginning, my decals are not going to line up with the paint (I have this problem on ALL builds where decals have to line up with paint! Agh!!!)

[vvwse4]

Thanks. It wasn't... er... uh... what I was expecting. I mean, I had some references for camo layout and such, so I had an idea, but seeing it in place on such a big model, it looks different.

I got the front/back canopy parts masked, painted, unmasked, and glued into place with Elmer's last night, but I don't think it's strong enough. The back already came off (not a good fit, going to need to do something to cover a gap on one side!).

I used to have a metal "glue pen" that was water-based super glue (not CA) and it never fogged my canopies. I lost it many years back and haven't seen it in stores since. Wish I could find it.

Anyways, I'm a little worried about the decals. There's a broken arrow (single chevron with horizontal bar between it and the black cross, single horizontal bar aft of the black cross) and it's supposed to be halfway down and the paint is supposed to line up with the horizontal bars.

If I've masked the kit wrong from the beginning, my decals are not going to line up with the paint (I have this problem on ALL builds where decals have to line up with paint! Agh!!!)

Hi Mark,

It is really a good paintjob but I can see your problem. You're good at the tail but it looks like you are following the hull of the plane instead of a straight line, that is why you are too high at the cockpit. Tough one because you are never going to get the decals on the right line. If you draw a line from the place where the dark green meets the gray to the end of the hull, because on the tail you are right, mask everyhing an make the camougflage across the hull a bit longer you are home free. I hope that you understand this English, my Dutch is better.

Like his but then in a straight line.

Rick.

Edited May 21, 2008 by vvwse4

[Mark M.]

I don't think that will work. There is a specific curve downwards by the cockpit, and it won't have that if I make a straight line. I'll put up a pic of the camo with a perfect side-shot as soon as my batteries are done recharging on my camera.

[Mark M.]

My camera's not ready, but here's a better quality profile of the camo. Note how it curves down. After the cockpit it's a level demarcation.

[vvwse4]

My camera's not ready, but here's a better quality profile of the camo. Note how it curves down. After the cockpit it's a level demarcation.

Wow this is hard thinking. Although your picture is not taken from the side of the plane, so the vieuw is a little bit off here, I should say make the curved line a little bit less sharp, so you will end up lower at the cockpit and then you can line up the decals. Mayby draw a line with a soft pencil first and the adjust the curve on the plane, then adjust the paintjob. But this one is a difficult one Mark.

Rick.

[Mark M.]

I think you're right. My curve isn't right. It was hard because I didn't have the canopy on when I did it. I masked it off, drew pencil on the masking tape, and then free-hand cut it with a fresh blade. I might be able to fix it, but I need to look at it again.

[Patrick_Nevin]

Mark,

Pretty model Are my eyes deceiving me, or have you done the slats on it?

Patrick

[Aggressor Supporter]

Thanks. It wasn't... er... uh... what I was expecting.

Oh really?

[Mark M.]

Patrick: I've popped the slats, dropped the flaps, dipped the ailerons (at full flaps both ailerons drop 5 degrees, it's a feature of the real plane), added wheel well detail in the wings, added framing inside/around one of the MG/FF wing cannons (also have set up that door to be open) as if one of the guns was being serviced, and opened up various intakes/vents and the exhausts themselves (bit sloppy, but it'll do).

Overall I've put a lot of extra work into minor details.

Raptor: I did a skin for a 3D model based off this aircraft (for a flight sim) once, and was sort of basing my starboard side on my previous efforts. I didn't have any sources for the starboard side, so I was making logical guesses. Looking at the computer game representation, then the actual model, I can see that it lines up, but it's two totally different worlds. So, not what I was expecting, based on what I'd seen before. Not necessarily "wrong" or "bad" -- just broke my preconceptions.

[Patrick_Nevin]

I've popped the slats, dropped the flaps, dipped the ailerons (at full flaps both ailerons drop 5 degrees, it's a feature of the real plane), added wheel well detail in the wings, added framing inside/around one of the MG/FF wing cannons (also have set up that door to be open) as if one of the guns was being serviced, and opened up various intakes/vents and the exhausts themselves (bit sloppy, but it'll do)..

Proper job, sir

[Mark M.]

My sister has borrowed the camera.

I adjusted the curve, as previously mentioned. I also cleaned up some things, and then applied Future clear coat for upcoming decals.

In an effort to ease my doubts I took the profile image i had from the decal sheet and resized it so that the cross matched the dimension of the decal cross, printed it out, cut it out, and overlaid it on top of my fuselage. The camo demarcation is almost perfect. The decals should go on flawlessly.

[Mark M.]

Camera not back til this weekend, but lots of progress.

Most of the decals are on. Had to work out some interesting techniques to get the decals to look right. I've got a chevron with a pointed bar behind it. I had a chevron and a square bar (I'm chopping up the kit-supplied decals, you see), and had to get it pointed without losing the white border.

Anyways, I found that Mike Grant's stencil decals work best with some carrier film left around them. Cut it too close and it shatters. Very fragile. I lost one "nicht anfassen" and shattered several others large and small (most I could get the pieces into position).

After much sanding and scraping I got the rear canopy piece to fit much better against the fuselage. One side of the fuselage was not straight along the edge the clear part must sit, but this may have been an assembly issue on my part, rather than a kit flaw. Either way, it's much better than it was. I've got the middle canopy piece painted as well. I'm undecided if this will be glued or not. I also need to check references on seat belts, as I need to scratch-build some before gluing the seat into the cockpit. Looks funny without the seat, eh?

Also, I had to use kit-supplied decals for the crosses and chevrons/bars. The microsol wouldn't work too well (it was okay, but not great) and the microsol and/or solvaset turned it into a total wrinkle-fest. Micro-sol literally beaded off of these decals like they were teflon coated. They were almost impervious to it. A lot of the wrinkles came out after much fretting and careful dabbing, but some remain.

What's left? Minor painting (exhausts, radio mast), a few decals, seatbelts, dull coat, weathering.

Major hurdle: I *THOUGHT* I had the Schlageter squadron badge (ornate white badge with black stylized "S") but it turns out I don't. What I have (on Airfix default sheet) is a playing card with an ace on it. I thought it was something else dadgummit!

I need this:

for a 1/24 plane. One for each side. Not sure if each side is identical or reversed (with a "leading" edge)

Areas I need help:

1) Wheel hubs. Currently RLM02. Should they be black??

2) Where to find 1/24 JG26 "S" badge

3) Not sure what kind of swasti on the tail. Looks like black with white border. I have black with black border and pure white. Not sure if I'm supposed to use the white as background to the black on Mike Grant's sheet.

4) Seat belt reference for 109E-3