1/48 Airfix Bf-109F

by Nick England

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Here are some images of my latest build, a Bf109F, built OOB, and finished off in JG54 markings from Finland,1942.

It’s taken a long time to finish off this kit, not because I took my time over it, but due to a house move, busy workload and loss of interest in it at the time, I really only started reworking it in October (having started it in April!)

There were no real problems with the build, which started with the cockpit assembly and painting, sidewall painting and assembly of the fuselage. I seem to remember the wings went on well, with no hassles at all. The only snag in assembly was with the engine covering, which had to be glued together first and then sanded down to make a flush fit with the rest of the fuselage. OOB it stood way too high.

Can’t remember what I primed it with (if at all), and then painting started. The canopy had previously been masked off and stuck on. I used an acrylic RLM 65 from Xtracrylix for the underneath, and a combination of RLM 70/71 for the topsides. I used a combination of Xtracolour and Revell for this, which I must remember not to do again, as the Xtracolour dried glossy, and the Revell dried matt. Looked stupid only until the final flat coat went on! I use trainer yellow for the rudder and engine undersides as I wanted a bit of extra colour for the kit.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

When it was all painted and cured, I brush painted with Future to seal it off prior to putting the decals on. The Airfix decals are a little rubbish, and the crosses for both sides ripped when I tried to put them on. I substituted these for two out of a Tamiya 109E kit I have. The rest of the decals redeemed themselves and went on well, and I added a couple of swastikas from a sheet of them I had bought from a mate. Another coat of Future to snuggle them down, and we were done for the moment.

Here’s where the fun began!

I wanted to do a very subtle panel line wash on the wings (I hadn’t rescribed the fuselage lines which are raised) so I looked up the ARC tools and tips page and went to work applying an oil wash of burnt umber and lamp black mixed with Revell paint thinner. Having misread some of the techniques, I sludged it on, and left it. Big mistake. The mix was too strong, and had eaten through the Future and paint, and left an ungodly mess. Damm!

It was at this stage that the previously pretty little 109 was now going to become a battle hardened, filthy as the Millennium Falcon, warbird. The ARC forum users who I had consulted about this also spurred me on to make it filthy!

I touched up around the really bad parts where the paint had been eaten to the plastic, and sludged on the mix I have at the bottom of a jar I’ve been cleaning my paintbrushes on all year. It was really dark brown, muddy looking and perfect. They were swiped off with qtips in the direction of airflow, and this was done all over the undersides, engine, wheels and exhaust. I used a metallic pencil to simulate paint chipping at the wing roots, and a little silver dry brushing was done around the prop and engine. When I was happy with that, I gave it an overall panel line CHALK wash and sealed the lot with flat Xtracrylix varnish.

A strand of hair was used for the antenna rigging, and voila.

It’s messy I know, but I kind of like it. I hope you do too.

Happy modeling for 2007!

Cheers,

Nick

Photos and text © by Nick England