Airfix 109E-3 1/24th scale

[ThatJeffGuy]

Mark, if it helps I have the 1/32 'S' from my Hasegawa E-3.....maybe you could scan/scale it up to 1/24??? Anyway it's yours if you

want it.

Wheel hubs, I would guess RLM02 but that is without authority....just SWAG

Seat-belts for the E-3.....I'll scan and post some pics from the AeroDetail book when I get home.

Hakenkreuse should be black with white border (overlay black on to white)....(SWAG + how I built mine :))

TTFN

[vvwse4]

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

I an only help you wth the swastika, black with white border.

Seat belt??

Rick.

[Mark M.]

Thanks, fellas!

Jeff, I don't have any of the decal printing tools required to resize/reprint it. My "noseart" (not really on the nose) is from Mike Grant, and the majority of the stencil decals are from his 109E stencil kit as well.

I ran across a Mark Mallinson reference (he did a nice 109E that inspired me to do mine the way I did) that said Mike Grant made a 1/24 sheet of squad badges, but I don't see it listed on Mike's webpage.

P.S. What does SWAG stand for? I always thought of swag as booty, loot, etc.

[ThatJeffGuy]

P.S. What does SWAG stand for? I always thought of swag as booty, loot, etc.

Sophisticated Wild Ass Guess

[Mark M.]

hehehehe, new one on me!

[Mark M.]

Touch-ups painted, all decals on, all clear parts good to go, seat belts constructed and painted (awaiting only some free time tonight to get the glued, and also glue the seat in place).

I have a very fine dull-silver colored wire. I'm just going to stretch it taut, smooth out any kinks, and use it as the radio wire.

I need to dullcoat this thing. I want to try some low-PSI airbrush weathering (which I have never tried before) and hopefully will get some exhaust stains and all that jazz. Weathering not til this weekend.

Anybody know if it's best to do this type of weathering before or after dull coat?

[vvwse4]

Touch-ups painted, all decals on, all clear parts good to go, seat belts constructed and painted (awaiting only some free time tonight to get the glued, and also glue the seat in place).

I have a very fine dull-silver colored wire. I'm just going to stretch it taut, smooth out any kinks, and use it as the radio wire.

I need to dullcoat this thing. I want to try some low-PSI airbrush weathering (which I have never tried before) and hopefully will get some exhaust stains and all that jazz. Weathering not til this weekend.

Anybody know if it's best to do this type of weathering before or after dull coat?

Hi Mark,

Looks like your 109 comes along just fine.

First the dull coat and then the weathering. At least that is what I do. two reasons, first if I do not like the weathering I can easely remove it and second, the real plane came out of the factory clean and got dirty later.....

When is your camera back, I am very curious...

Rick.

[Mark M.]

I'm in Denver, my sister is in Colorado Springs. They're fairly close, but still not a short hop. She comes up and visits on weekends (when not working through the weekend) and she should bring it back on Friday/Saturday when she comes back up.

She was going on a scenic hike and wanted to take some pics, so she took it last week, of course not knowing of my burst of hobby-related activity

[Mark M.]

I just remembered, I can capture still frames on my family's mini-DV camera. Not the best resolution, but can give you an idea what it looks like.

I'm really liking this model now. During the entire painting stage it was "oh that doesn't look so good" and "ew, that's not what I wanted, but it's what the profile shows" and then when everything's in place, clear parts on, decals, everything, I'm like "whoa, that actually looks pretty damn good!"

[vvwse4]

I just remembered, I can capture still frames on my family's mini-DV camera. Not the best resolution, but can give you an idea what it looks like.

I'm really liking this model now. During the entire painting stage it was "oh that doesn't look so good" and "ew, that's not what I wanted, but it's what the profile shows" and then when everything's in place, clear parts on, decals, everything, I'm like "whoa, that actually looks pretty damn good!"

Thought you would say that, happened to me also.

Rick.

[Mark M.]

Do you agree that the assembly was extremely simple (not many parts!), and that finishing and painting it took more work than anything else?

Also, I think the reason I didn't like any of the paint until the very end when it was done, is because I have never built in such a large scale before. I'm so used to 1/72nd scale 109Es that I get the big picture. On this I'm focusing on too small an area and have to mentally (and physically) take a step back to "drink it all in" and get the full impact.

[vvwse4]

Do you agree that the assembly was extremely simple (not many parts!), and that finishing and painting it took more work than anything else?

Also, I think the reason I didn't like any of the paint until the very end when it was done, is because I have never built in such a large scale before. I'm so used to 1/72nd scale 109Es that I get the big picture. On this I'm focusing on too small an area and have to mentally (and physically) take a step back to "drink it all in" and get the full impact.

The assembly was pritty easy, and there were not many parts. But the overall fit was lousy so it took quite a while to make something out of it. The paint job, well I did that twice because the first time I did not like what I saw. But I had a lot of fun with it and after all it doesn't look that bad.

Rick.

[Mark M.]

There are only 60-some pieces, and I didn't use a lot of them (motor mounts, headrest framing, E-4 canopies, several others). Heck, I've got a lot of 1/72 planes with 150+ parts!!

I was a little surprised, but you are right about the quality of the fit.

[Griffin]

A trip down memory lane.......

All good souvenirs from this old but always very nice model.

I personally don't remember anything that wrong about the fit of clear parts ( maybe the later copies can be less precise on molding...) and used to play closing and opening it at times, or spining the prop with the electic motor installation hided inside the Deimler.....it was lots of fun , something like 30 years ago, now

Keep the good job coming !

[Mark M.]

I finally have use of a camera again.

Not done yet. I wanted to do some weathering, including airbrushed exhaust stains. Wanted "before" pics in case I screw it up big time.

Cockpit shots (see my custom seat belts?)

P.S. I'm missing one tear-drop shaped bolt cover under the wings, and the radio mast snapped its elmer's glue bond as I was taking the photos. That's why the wire sags. It was taut before now.

Edited June 15, 2008 by Mark M.

[The Mikester]

Looking good, Mark!

[vvwse4]

Hi Mark,

It is a good looking plane to me!! All the things that broke off, same here.

Rick.

[Rocat]

I like these old 1/24 kits, you did a good work on it.

[Aggressor Supporter]

It looks great Mark. I'm always a bit weary of weathering, but hope it turns out well for you.

[martin_sam_2000]

great looking 109. Its amazing how nice these old models can be with a bit of patience and skill.

Sean

[Mark M.]

I shot some light grey on my Roden He111 today, had a little leftover so I practiced with it on my spray booth (an old cut-down box).

I tried playing with the pressure regulator, playing with the flow (it's not very precises, you unscrew the needle a bit and more comes out -- supposedly)

The result is that I just don't have the fine control I want to do any airbrush weathering on the Airfix 109E. Any and every experiment resulted in splotched, runny, markings.

Essentially my airbrush is only good for overall coats (or if you mask something off).

This means the model is basically done as-is. I will try taking some decent photos.

I won't risk ruining it when it's turned out so nice after all this time.

[vvwse4]

Hi Mark,

Have you considered drybrushing?

Rick.

[Patrick_Nevin]

I won't risk ruining it when it's turned out so nice after all this time.

It is indeed gorgeous. Should you - it's a judgedment call, looks very pretty to me, 1940 BoB you could imagine the ground crews were on best behaviour - wish to do so I see there's an ace article on washing etc in't current FSM. If that isn't kindergarten to you...

Patrick

[Mark M.]

I don't think dry brushing would look right. I usually reserve that for highlighting details.

I have mixed luck with washes, but I think I'll try something. I don't know if it looks too bare without it or not.

[vvwse4]

I don't think dry brushing would look right. I usually reserve that for highlighting details.

I have mixed luck with washes, but I think I'll try something. I don't know if it looks too bare without it or not.

Hi Mark,

Try ecoline, a liquid water colour. It is available in different colours and based on water, so no good just hold the plane under the waterhose. I use the colour warm grey, number 718. The company who makes it is Talens. You could drybrush exhaust stripes and the stripes around machineguns and so. I drybrushed the 109 Anklam.

Your 109 looks great anyway, if you weather it or if you don't.

Rick.