Bf 110 Dackelbauch

[breadneck]

So i`m building the old 70`s Fujimi Bf 110 kit. Problem is it doesn`t have the fabric look of the real thing. I am of course assuming this underbelly tank never had a flush

appearance even though i have seen one such (questionable) image online. What if any is the easiest way to recreate this look? Don`t know what presents the most drag ;-)

This one looks like a flush tank. Any thoughts?

http://members.iinet.net.au/~joan.ahern/bf110d.html

Edited July 31, 2016 by breadneck

[GazzaS]

The fuel tank was canvas and plywood. It wouldn't be soft like the wing of a Sopwith Camel. It would be firm but still canvas covered... That is if I'm understanding what you're trying to say.

Gaz

[breadneck]

Well alright then, Mr.evergreen & Mr. dissolved putty, here i come. Wish me luck ;-)

[G.R.Morrison]

IF you have not yet glued the Fujimi 'belly' onto your 110D, you might instead seek out a spare eduard part (they are in the 1/72 & 1/48 offerings, in a variety of kit-nos., not exclusively in their "110D" boxings). Much better detail. I used one on a 'non-Fujimi' kit and the fit was pretty good -- only a bit of putty required.

That 'Dachshund belly' held both fuel and a supplemental oil tank. They were used by the I/ZG 76 in Norway, and although a very few were transferred to the NJG 1 (to extend their duration), it was discontinued by early 1941.

There was a cable from the cockpit that ran along the upper portside fuselage, to release the dinghy that was held in the 'squared-off' rear of the fuselage.

If, some time, you choose to do a 110D or 110E with the large 900 liter wing tanks, the Fujimi offerings are awful, but eduard, and an accessory kit by Italeri have better examples.

Good luck in your build. Despite their vintage, these old Fujimis aren't terrible (imaginary cockpits excepted), although their armored windscreen they provide was not usually seen on the early birds.

GRM

[breadneck]

Nope, still haven`t glued the belly to the beast. Easier to work with the huge droptank that way. Plan of attack is to glue some thin evergreen rods parallell to simulate the high points of the canvas and apply dissolved putty to it and hopefully it will create a sloping ridge on either sides of the rods, similar to the real thing and sand it down. I actually have a dozen! Eduard 1:72 scale Bf 110s in my stash, only problem, this one i`m building right now is 1:48 scale, lol. Still, i`m using the Eduard 1:72 part as a guide to help me along. I`ve heard that the Fujimi 1:72 scale kit has a too thin rear fuselage, but i don`t know about its big brother. I have to say it is a joy to put together even with the parts only 99.9% accurate for a mid 70`s tooling :)

I`m also enjoying the Osprey Bf 110 B.Green title. It has the very same kit featured in there and is highly recommended. The actual kit was picked up on ebay for cheaptimes ;-)

[Hawk10]

There Is a fair pic of a Dackelbach installation on a Bf 110 in Wikipedia.  My take is that the thing is built out of flat wooden strips, which are cut to shape and then glued together to get the shape (perhaps on some sort of mold). Then covered with fabric and dope, mold disassembled and removed and some sort of rubber tank installed).  And if "Fabric Looking" means those squiggles and straight line that kit manufacturers put on their kits to represent fabric covered areas, forget about it - they don't exist on the real thing.  Take a look at the sheets on your bed. note the size of the thread in the weave and count the number of threads in a square inch and then reduce that size and reduce it by either 1/72 or 1/48 then apply one coat of dope/paint.  You will end up with a perfectly smooth surface!  You may find on various a/c that they may have some low areas due to design, but no weave showing. And how many of you guys know that the rudder as origionally built and installed on a P51D is cloth covered! (sorry about the rant!)

Edited October 16, 2016 by Hawk10