Messerschmitt Bf 109E Shoot Out.

[John Symmons]

Messerschmitt Bf 109E Shoot Out.

An OTB & build review. Sort-of.

Having recently completed the four Revell Bf 109E’s and the original (1950’s) Airfix 109G, started almost 60 years ago to try out my then new airbrush. I’ve decided to make my first Airfix new tool release, the Airfix Bf 109E-7, and at the same time do a comparative build with the Academy 109E-3/4 Heinz Bar and a Heller 109E of unknown vintage. (At the time I brought the Heller they also made the B/C, F, G & K versions. I still have the B-1/C-1 & K versions in the stash.) This is to see if the new Airfix 109E is really is as good as it’s touted on the various forums. I see that the Academy 109E is still available, and priced in direct competition to the Airfix one, the Heller one is not featured in the new Heller catalogue, and probable will not be re-released, as there are the above two available in the price range. I can’t comment on the one from Tamiya (at about twice the price) or Hasagawa ( 2nd hand only at 2 to 4 time the price) as I’ve never seen them, but I have seen the one from Russian or Soviet origin, that to my mind was so over engineered, and complicated with so many small parts and brass etch as to be almost un-build-able & much much more expensive.

So at first glance how do the three compare: Firstly Airfix; two E-7 versions; tropical & non-tropical with alternative parts & decals, in their usual soft-ish grey plastic with 57 pieces (60 quoted on the box) with drop tank & bomb & pilot figure. Academy two versions (E-3 & E-4) with parts & decals (4 decal options; 2 for Heinz Bar from 1939 and 1940 plus two for Helmut Wick from 1940) in a harder green grey plastic (almost RLM 02 colour) total of 49 parts with an extra tropical filter E-7 spinner, bomb & two canopies. Also included is a 14 part Kettengrad with diorama pieces of generic ammo cases oil drums & Jerry cans (10 generic German? & 4 with US marking? go figure.), but??. Heller comes in one E-? versions in a plastic very simular to Airfix, but with fine raised detail, with a total of 39 parts, but the kit does include the tropical filter & canopy with none-cannon spinner, but only one decal option. (maybe later releases had better decals with stencil markings?) Airfix & Academy both have detailed colour guides (The Heller one is mono and a bit generic.) with complete decals & stencils. All kits have three part canopies that can be assemble open to show off the interior detail?. Airfix is the only one with engine detail, a pilot & weighted wheels & retracted undercarriage parts.

So at first glance maybe the Academy is the better value with normal & tropical parts, 4 decal options with the Kettengrad & diorama bits added. If you really need a Kettengrad & diorama pieces then this kit is almost worth it for those pieces alone, and you get an free Me 109 aircraft kit that has some serious short-comings even just looking at it in the box, although it does have the best interior detail of all three. Just looking at the fuselage the nose top decking it is too high & rounded & in consequence the guns are on the top sides, and not on the top where they should be, Heller & Airfix have this correct (incidentally so did Revell back in the 60’s). The intake directly under the nose is totally missing not even an indication unlike Airfix & Heller both have the actual opening; the Heller one is a bit large Airfix being the best, and the vents behind the breeches on the Academy model is more like a mono-vent, not two separate vents as in the other two. Finally Academy have moulded the engine exhaust venting backwards, they exhaust towards the front. The Academy has a hole each side just in front of the tail-plane, the Heller one nothing & the Airfix has two very small blind holes representing the holes, which to my mind is a better idea, these I take it this is the jacking or tie-down points.

Internally all kits have cockpit detail of floor, seat with harness detail (except Heller, no harness detail), instrument panel, control stick, rudder pedals, (Heller’s moulded onto the floor. Academy’s look too large, but very nicely detailed.) rear bulk-head, gun-sight, except Academy, & moulded side detail; Here the Academy scores well as the detail is far more pronounced and includes moulded throttle quadrants & panels and two separate tiny trim wheels. The Airfix is Ok-ish on the starboard side, but a bit kind-of minimal on the port side, & ejector marks which hopefully will be hidden by the instrument panel. The Heller detail is there but again only just and very minimal. Only Airfix supply decals for the instrument panel Heller & Academy have very pronounced raised detail which will be very awkward to paint. So all-in-all here Academy scores tops hotly followed by Airfix (for the decals) and finally a note-worthy effort by Heller being mainly let down by the detail, but hardly surprising seeing the vintage of the kit.

What was interesting was matching the fuselage halves to each other, in lining up on the cockpit rear, was that all the fuselage panels lines matched up to each other.

Looking at the wings Airfix is the only one with wheel-well detail, the Academy wheel-wells were boxed but no internal detail, the Heller kit has nothing, typical of the late 1960’s. The dry fitting of the wings revealed the possible need for shimming / filler with the Heller kit, the other two the fuselage / upper wing fit was near perfect, the underside will need some filler or some careful scraping in the Airfix one at the rear. The Academy wing has the cannons moulded on which can make them vulnerable to breaking off during construction. Airfix & Heller have separate cannons. In my example of the Airfix kit the lower wing part seems too thick and causing a step at the wing tips, leading edge slats, and underneath at the ailerons on the upper wing surface, & at the fuselage rear join. Looks like I’m in for some careful sanding.. Airfix missed the bye-fabricated front of the radiator ducts, (Should be easily fixed though.) the other two got that right, if a little heavy, with their ducts moulded integrally with the lower wing piece. (The Heller ones being a bit exaggerated in shape.) Airfix is also the only one with separate flaps that can be posed open or closed. Looking at the undercarriage both Airfix & Academy have detailed wheels & tyres the Heller one has plane bald tyres. Airfix is the only one with separate retracted undercarriage pieces. The Academy undercarriage also looks shorter than both the Airfix & Heller versions, the legs measuring out at 14 mm while the other two measure 16 mm the undercarriage doors similarly look too small on the Academy model. All versions have separate tail wheels again only the Airfix one is weighted. Because of the separate retracted undercarriage, weighted wheels and flaps the Airfix one comes out tops with some reservations over the thickness of the lower wing.

Airfix also is the only one with a separate rudder, all have fine detail parts like under-wing pilot tube, mass balances & aerial, the Airfix ones being so fine that separating them from the sprue is going to be a real test of skill, in this regard the Heller kit scores on this point as these parts look slightly stronger with fine gates that you can get at; Academy also have fine gates & are accessible, unlike Airfix where there are multiple gates that are often thicker than the parts, and cramped on the sprue that to to get at them can be a real problem. I’ve read many reviews on the Airfix 109 and one common complaint is of these fine parts breaking when being removed from the sprue. One other thing I feel Airfix have fallen short is the propeller blades are a bit on the anorexic side and could do with wider blades like the other two kits, which if I’m honest seem to have gone a bit the other way . As mentioned earlier all three have three part canopies & all are commendably thin and clear with adequate raised detail it remains to be seen if they fit. The gates on the clear parts are nice & fine on the Airfix and Academy models (Pity Airfix couldn’t have made them as fine and as accessible on the styrene parts.) the Heller being a bit thicker again showing the model’s vintage.

So for an OTB review as expected the Airfix comes out tops, the Academy is really let down by the oddities in the nose section & short undercarriage. Airfix mainly scores in the engine detail, options available & colour schemes offered, but I’d say definitely not for beginners because of the very fine parts being easily broken when removing them from the sprues. A more suitable kit being the Heller one which I feel is more user friendly especially for younger & or less experienced modellers, all it really needs is a better decal sheet.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Academy%20109%20exhaust%20with%20text_zpsjzttgbyv.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Academy%20109%20Interior%20Detail%202_zps5zspfoxu.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Academy%20109%20nose%20underside%20mod_zpscdo8sfsw.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Academy%20109%20Wing%20fit_zpsmknbggtt.jpg

Some views of the Academy 109 showing some of the things mentioned above

Below some views of the Airfix model for comparision

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Airfix%20109%20enginer%20detail_zpsuxbhyhfb.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Airfix%20109%20interior%20detail%20with%20text_zpsw1kyioqz.jpg

Engin & cockpit detail

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Airfix%20109%20wing%20fit%201_zpsgpeax7ls.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Airfix%20109%20wing%20fit%203_zpsqra4fpco.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Airfix%20109%20wing%20fit%205_zpsiumudqeq.jpg

Wing fit problems that'll need fixing.

Only one photo of the Heller showing the spartan interior detail, but it could be improved with some relitively easy scratch building.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Heller%20109%20interior%20detail_zpscrd85eub.jpg

That's it for now I'll continue with the build report after Christmas.

Wishing all at the Airfix forum all the best over the festive season, and merry modelling.

Remember we do this for fun               John the Pom

PS. Temerture today in Cape Town in the mid 20's C.     JtP

[nmcabecadas]

Thank you for your review.Academy have at least two different 1/72 Bf 109E, I have both and there are several differences. One have the rudder adjustment wheels, the other don't, so can be identified. The surface details are also different, and only my later model have included the side holes in the fuselage. These are the sprues for this kit:

http://www.model-making.eu/zdjecia/4/6/3/1377_1_aca2133_2.jpg

The exhaust seems now different, not correct, but not as bad as they are before.

/media/tinymce_upload/312910b332313b6531d4b064b4a20110.jpg

[John Symmons]

Hi thanks for that, I see they seem to have corrected the exhausts but not the gun placement on the nose or the underside intake, strange?

The's an interesting diorama youve posted of the Me 109 in the gun alignment butts, I have a series of pictures the an Aero photo publication of the Luftwaffer of just such a situation, wondered if that's where you got your inspiration.

Remember we do this for fun                John the Pom

[nmcabecadas]

I got a few pictures for compass alignment and got inspiration from them. Because there are no recoil from weapons firing, the aircraft don't need to be held in place by cables. This is the older Academy kit.http://fotos.miarroba.es/fo/65c4/2551E94D7B2951DAC4CE2E51DAB966.jpg

 

/media/tinymce_upload/b8a0f74ba65ff213ba5886957f3e354d.jpg

[nmcabecadas]

I've try to reply, but the post may be on hold because included a picture from the older Academy model.

The platform is the model for compass adjustment, there are several examples and a few different models. The aircraft didn't needed to be held in place by cables or wheel chocks because there is no recoil as in the sights alignment.Wish you, and all the forum members, a Happy Xmas :)

[John Symmons]

Building a Schawm.

This is quite long as it covers the build, painting, decals and displaying diorama, plus photos.

As usual started all three with the cockpit interiors. Every thing went OK, but reading various build reviews it seems the Airfix one with it’s “fine tolerances” virtually all parts needed to be scraped down especially the cockpit floor as if left as-is the fuselage becomes too wide and the wings don’t fit properly. I found this a common problem with the Airfix kit even down to the control column. The Academy one also suffered a bit with this but now-where as bad as Airfix. The Heller one was OK going together with no problems except the instrument panel needed sanding to fit the fuselage internal contour & gun-site fouling the canopy later in the build. The main awkwardness with the Heller was that the cockpit floor was too narrow and only really glued to one side at the front. As mentioned above the Academy one does have decent interior detail both sides and trim wheels. I tried to add some more detail to the Airfix model by adding some PE 600 scale funnel tops that looked about right for the trim wheels, the centre consol under the instrument panel, the two cylindrical things on the starboard side ( I think ones a heater.) and a panel plus throttle quadrant, ( To lazy to add the mixture control as well.). All this makes the cockpit look suitably crowded even though not much can be seen . The Heller one was left as-is with only masking tape belts added. All painted up in suitably colours and grubbied up with dark greys and steel to show some wear. The Airfix one obviously ending up the best especially with the added detail. I’ve since realised why the Airfix detail is so sparse on the port side, as when finished the only way it can be seen is through the canopy even with the canopy open, your main view is of the starboard side.

I decided to insert the interiors after joining the fuselage halves together to eliminate any fit problems. The wings and fuselages were made up without any problems except the Airfix one, where quite a lot of sanding and scraping was required to eliminate the step at the wing tips and trailing edge root. I used the retracted under-carriage parts to blank off the wheel-wells when airbrushing the underside, these also needed quite a lot of sanding down to fit correctly. In fact by now I’d realised that the Airfix model very little would fit without some sanding and scraping. Even the control stick needed thinning and the hole in the cockpit floor needed enlarging a touch, the radiators needed thinning down to fit without causing a step. The only parts that fitted without modification were the tail-plane struts all they needed was the removal of the seam line. As I wanted to show the Airfix model with the cowling off I added some extra to the engine including the guns under the cowling ( Made from fine brass tube) and had to thin the cowling down a bit to keep so it fitted when attached. One thing I forgot to do was the bi-fabrication of the radiator ducts before installation, but managed to add them afterwards. A bit fiddley but it can be done. Strange that Airfix left that bit out, they also left off the trim tabs on the ailerons, again strange, but both easily fixed. So airframes done and canopies temporally tacked into place with PVA glue, the same done with the Airfix engine cowling. When I assembled the armoured head rests I used styrene glue as I wanted a strong bond again the Airfix one needed quite a bit of sanding to fit correctly. The bomb and carrier on the Heller one is from the Airfix kit. As none is supplied with the Heller kit. The only canopy to give hassles was the Heller one, the back part was just too big to fit smoothly with the fuselage and required a lot of sanding to make it fit the top contour The canopies were tacked on using PVA wood glue, then masked. The masking took an inordinate amount of time, its bad enough to mask one canopy, but I had three to do, I started to mask the canopies with the parts off the model, but found I couldn’t hold them, so ended up doing the masking with the canopies attached. Canopies done, time to airbrush the undercoat with Tamiya matt white.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/The%20Build/Airfix%20Bf%20109E-7%20Cockpit%202_zpsyrchkxun.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/The%20Build/Airfix%20Bf%20109E-7%20Cockpit%206_zpsawmut18a.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/The%20Build/Airfix%20Bf%20109E-7%20engine%20detail%204_zpsdb94wdgd.jpg

Some views of the Airfix cockpit and engine after I'd finished with them.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/The%20Build/Airfix%20Bf%20109E-7%20fuselage%20mask_zpsp96xuoml.jpg

The printed mask copied from the decals.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/The%20Build/Airfix%20Bf%20109E%20yellow%20side%20flash_zpsbbys7itr.jpg

The Atrfix model after undercoating and yellow ready for the mask.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/The%20Build/Heller%20Bf%20109E%20underside%20blue%20tone_zpshxhyogkq.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/The%20Build/Academy%20Bf%20109E%20undercoated_zpss7l8wozd.jpg

The Heller & Academy models after undercoating

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/The%20Build/Messerschmitts%20Bf%20109E%20masked%20amp%20undercoated_zpskc3bsqcl.jpg

All three models.

Painting & Decals.

I’d decided to paint the Airfix and Academy 109’s as per the instructions choosing the Bulgarian version for the Airfix, and the Heinz Bar 1939 option for the Academy. The Heller one was going to be finished in the other Airfix option of the Western Dessert 1941. As I’m not a fan of large decals like the big yellow flash on the Airfix Bulgarian option, I airbrushed the area with yellow, (RLM 04 which on the Vallejo chart is their flat yellow 70.953 [ position 15] ) it also eliminates any colour match-up problems with the decal and cowling, which was then masked out before any further painting. The mask was made by scanning in the decals 1:1 then cut and pasted into Corel Draw then printed onto normal marking tape stuck onto a very thin sheet of Evergreen plastic. The printed masking tape was transferred to the cutting board and carefully cut out, then transferred onto the airbrushed yellow on the model. The under sides of all three 109’s was airbrushed with again Vallejo RLM 78 for the Heller desert camouflage one and RLM 65 for the Airfix Bulgarian 109 and the Academy Major Heinz Bar 1939 version. More masking and the RLM 02 Grey sides of the Airfix 109 airbrushed. For RLM 79 I used Humbrol dessert yellow No 93 for the Heller dessert scheme, the white fuselage band being the white undercoat just masked out. (I personally find Humbrol 93 closer to my RLM swatches than the recommended 118 US tan colour on the call-out.) Again more masking for the Heinz Bar and Bulgarian for the airbrushing of RLM 71 green using Vallejo German Camo Extra Dark Green No 70.896 and German Camo Dark Green for the RLM 70. Not the correct Vallejo call-outs for RLM 71 & 70, both being a shade lighter, but it does give slightly more contrast, and I feel you don’t get that darkening scale effect. (See my post on the Fw 189). The green on the Heller dessert camouflage I used Vallejo Camo Olive Green No 70.894 for the RLM 80 which is correct for the Vallejo colour call-out, and applied using a cotton bud to give the soft-ish edges. Then all the masking was removed and touch-ups done. I did suffer a bit from the same thing as Ratch with his Ju 87 build with the masking pulling off some of the paint, but no where nearly as bad. My main problem was some of the masking tape glue was left on the model and got painted over with the touch-ups, leaving a roughish surface. ( maybe a way of simulating the anti-magnetic coating on German WW 2 armour?) . I did manage to save the canopies by cleaning with house-hold Benzene which doesn’t touch plastic or acrylic paint, but does remove the masking tape glue. ( Word of warning. If you do use Benzene have plenty of ventilation, and be very careful with it, as it’s one of those solvents that can easily get into the blood-stream through the skin.) One small aside if you’re going to airbrush this model do not assemble the tail-plane struts until after airbrushing as masking around them is a real pain; I didn’t: as they can easily be broken.

Time to finish with the final assemblies and open the canopies and cowling. Even though I’d only tacked the canopies and the cowling on with PVA I was surprised at how well they were glued in place, had quite a job removing them. Decal areas brush glossed over with Humbrol Clear and the main decals applied. Using the Airfix ones for the Airfix and Heller 109’s, and the Academy one’s for the Heinz Bar model. All decals went on OK using some solutions in a few places, even the Academy ones behaved. The main problem being the underside port wing decal as the pilot tube is in the way on all three models. Ended up cutting the decals and doing them in two bits then touching up with paint. I would recommend that the pilot tube be only added after the decals have been applied. The other problem I had was with the Airfix’s starboard underside where I used he wrong panel line to position the decal and applied it too far out; my fault; unfortunately I only noticed it to late to change it, I’ll just live with it. The swastika’s were from my stash of old 1960’s after market decals; Altmark and Letraset. The stencils are both Airfix and Academy used on their respective models the Heller one I used the leftover Altmark BoB set for the 109’s, and some of my own I had printed for the Ju 52 and the Fw 189 builds, the only decals I didn’t used were the frame numbers. Finally finished with Vallejo matt varnish. Final bits added being the under carriages, rudder on the Airfix 109, ( you’ll see it’s not in the neutral position but angled same as the tail wheel.) propellers and finally the antennas. The wing assemblies on the Airfix and Academy models are not glued just push fitted the spring in the assemble holding them onto the fuselage. The Heller model was a bit looser so I tacked it in place with PVA wood glue.. I haven’t bother to rig an aerial antennas on any of the models, think I was getting a bit jaded by then, maybe will add them later if the mo-jo strikes me.

I defy anyone to remove the Airfix antenna without breaking it. I tried all the tricks in the book including separating the sprue from the surrounding sprue until I had it connected by one gate to a piece of sprue, but the remaining gap was so small that when I tried to snip it through the antenna broke, and I used my specially modified cutters that has been slimmed down to a very fine point, all to no avail, had to make one from stretched sprue. So Mr Airfix this seems to be a problem you’ll have to solve. It’s all-well-an’-good to have fine accurate parts, but if you can’t get them off the sprue they are of no use, I see this kit has been issued as a starter kit, and in my opinion it’s not really suitable although I do see a skill level 2 on the box. Skill level 2 for a starter kit?? I had simular problems with other parts not having sufficient room to separate the parts from the sprue, but thanks to my experience, and my special modified cutters I was able to separate the parts with-out breaking any more, the antenna was the only one that defeated me. If Academy and Heller can get this right,t why can’t Airfix? Oddly I’m building the Airfix PAK 40 and Blitz truck at the moment and found a simular problem with this kit????

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Academy%201a_zpscujqkqec.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Academy%202_zpscigcf0s6.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Academy%203_zpsxhttl5mc.jpg

Three views of the Academy Me 109E, Finished as the Heinz Bar mount in the summer of 1939.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Airfix%201_zpspvzw9v03.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Airfix%203a_zps4hcfppku.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Airfix%205_zpshw9ieiay.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Airfix%206_zps1ykq1xva.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Airfix%209_zpsc8akkmee.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Airfix%2011_zpsauoata3z.jpg

Note the decals on the underside are note symetrical on the airfix model; me not paying attention.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Heller%204_zpslkv6ekws.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Heller%202_zpsdq6fns5d.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Heller%203_zpstmmsnx9z.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Heller%204_zpslkv6ekws.jpg

Cockpit of the Heller not looking to shabby considering it's vintage.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20Heller%206_zpszeavim4h.jpg

Underside of the Heller model with Airfix bomb & carrier & a few home-made decals.

Displaying.

When building these 109;s I pondered how to pose them to show-off the detail especially the Airfix engine and add some interest. I had both the Airfix and Revell Luftwaffe air and ground crew sets and decided to use them. (I had used a few Revell figures on the Ju 52 build.) Experimented with various undercoats after washing the sprues. The best I found was to airbrush Tamiya surface primmer liberally thinned with cellulose thinners (The non acetone one) and tolurene. If you use this primmer DO NOT airbrush indoors otherwise the Boss will definitely have something very nasty to say, as it really really stinks. You’ll have to adjourn to the garage or garden shed. Look it’s not perfect but at least the acrylic paint stays on with handling and over brushing.

I also had an old ESCI Blitz ambulance kit I’d started many moons ago that I’d added some generic bits inside the van back, also added an extra box under the chassis on one side, and a huge long range fuel tank on the other side. (Field modifications if anybody asks.) So I thought it would make a good airfield hack. Finished the assembly with-out windows only one head light and a broken mirror, roughly painted over the sand desert camouflage with dark panzer grey and RLM 71 green stripes, with plenty of brown rust and dirt. Hey-presto! I had an old Blitz that has been commandeered by the Bulgarian Air force as an airfield hack. I think it looks quite cool, bit WIF maybe, but still cool. The other bit I built was some form of a piece of airfield, and a working platform for the ground crew to work on the engine. This was made similarly to the landing stage of the Ju 52/3m build, with of bits of evergreen. The barn type structure was something I’d build many years ago as an exercise for a desert scene but never used. I just couldn’t throw it out as it was my first attempt, so at last it makes an appearance. The airfield base was just an old bit of hardboard coated with my favourite tile cement sprinkled with railroad grass flock, then lightly sprayed with water, the concrete area was also sprayed with water to smooth it out and while still wet lightly scribed and allowed to dry, then painted with various greys actually mixing them on the tile cement. Quite pleased with the result, I’ll keep it for future builds. Below is the final result I feel it’s not too shabby.

I’ve recently seen and commented on several discussions on the scale of figures, and whether 1/72 or 1/76 could be mixed, on the Airfix forums. In the diorama photos I’ve mixed Revell 1/72 figures (25 mm) with Airfix’s 1/76 (23.5 mm) figures. The two working on the engine are Airfix, and the pilot in brown leather jacket talking to the staff officer are Revell and Airfix respectively. Do they look out of scale? Actually I think they don’t, just one is slightly taller ( Revell pilot) than the other (Airfix staff officer) as in real life; adds interest. As an aside the leather jacket, boots and caps were all given a coat of Humbrol Clear to take away the matt finish, and the insignia and badges applied with a tooth pick. (Thanks to who-ever posted this trick on this site.) The Airfix figures were all cut off their bases; about the only good point with the polythene plastic is the removal of the bases is very easily done with a sharp blade; and all figures posed using a tiny blob of blue tack. Anyone spot the dog?

So what of the shoot-out? In my humble opinion each kit has it’s good points, but overall the Airfix comes out tops as the better model of Willy’s 109 fighter mainly through the options offered like pose-able parts, weighted wheels, retracted undercarriage option etc and the cockpit detail while being OK could have been improved, but that can relatively easily be done by the modeller if needed. My main criticism being the overly fine tolerances; every part had to be scrapped and or sanded to fit without steps appearing, something I feel a novice starting out would not be too happy about or experienced enough to do especially with a starter kit: on the accuracy side the missing by-fabrication of the radiator ducts and the missing aileron trim tabs and nose guns (especially with the open cowling) is regrettable to say the least, at least they’re also fairly easily remedied. A very nice kit if not the easiest to build and the only one with a pilot, The Academy one, possibly offered the best value for money as it does include the Kettengrad and diorama bits, and plenty of decal options, and it does have the best interior detail, but that nose, gun troughs exhaust manifold, odd looking tail-plane struts and short undercarriage; I’m just not sure. Although when made up it does look like a 109E and came with dessert options and an overly large bomb, and was fairly easy to build, but I still feel that the Airfix one is a better buy. The Heller one to my mind was the most easiest and most fun to build, and looks like a 109E also coming with dessert options, and has acceptable levels of detail, an ideal beginners kit, just needs some decent decals, but as it’s no longer being issued; which I feel is a pity; (Maybe Heller is re-tooling it.) it’s a bit moot commenting on it, but if you’re a beginner and see one I’d say buy it. In the end and all-in-all I was quite pleased with this outcome the project.

I can across a question in the General forum about adding the aerial antenna wires and I wrote an answer so I thought I’d better practice what I preach so the final two photos is the Airfix Me 109 with the antenna wire added as I recommended. Luckily I hadn’t glued the wing on so was able to remove the wing and pull and fix the fuselage wire from inside.

Photos of models on my airfield setting.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20scene%20outside%201_zpsxuwcjwvm.jpg

Airfield setting without aircraft. Yes I know that the starter power unit is from the RAF set, but I'm sure they had something simular.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20scene%20indoors%201_zpsp8gqvlst.jpg

Photo taken indoors so rather heavy contrast.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20scene%20outside%203_zpsvdkekfgp.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20scene%20outside%204_zpso4uumbhl.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20scene%20outside%207_zpsgjf6dl9f.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20scene%20outside%2011_zpsf0g8wos0.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20scene%20outside%2012_zpsiku3z3by.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Final%20scene%20outside%2014_zpsa44wuaxt.jpg

The Academy model on diorama.

Just some fun a visitor arrives one of my "Bully Boys" the Henschell 123 together with the Airfix 109E.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/A%20Visitor%201_zpsjjgeofho.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/A%20Visitor%202_zpsqr6d4tks.jpg

And finally to show I tried to practice what I preached. the airfix 109 with antenna wire rigging. You might have to look hard but it is there.

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Airfix%20Me%20109%20with%20antenna%201a_zpswn1xm8en.jpg

http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y451/idiotone/Messerschmitt%20BF%20109E%20Shoot-out/Finals%20Finished/Airfix%20Me%20109%20with%20antenna%202a_zpswmxwqefg.jpg

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading my opinionated opinions, and maybe learnt something, enjoy the photos and have some fun. All comments welcome.

Remember we do this for fun John the Pom

P.S. Hope you all had a joyous Xmas with plenty of styrene bit to be glued. Looking forward to seeing the postings. JtP.

 

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[nmcabecadas]

Finally got the last Airfix Bf 109E kit and want to share it here, together with John models.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/0b34a19d24eccb65b267ac636ce38820.jpg

[DavidJC]

Approving images remains for the time being an Administrtor task. However, it might be a timely point to remind everyone that this is primarily an Airfix site: specific promotion for other manufacturers is to be discouraged; that includes photos of completed models.

 

That's not to say you can't make broad textual references to other manufacturers, but not the specific promotion of them.

[nmcabecadas]

Rules are clear: is not discouraged unless is active promotion.

Discussion of other plastic model kit manufacturers is allowed, however, active promotion or advertising of our competitors is not permitted.

Comparisons or discuting models from other manufacturers in context is allowed.

[DavidJC]

Which, semantics aside, is pretty much what I said  😉

[nmcabecadas]

Maybe semantics for Airfix, but a huge difference to me. If the rules said "discouraged", I never ever added anything from the competition, not even as a comparison. Its a matter of respect for the company who host the forum. As it talk about "active promotion", feel free to compare other models with the Airfix output, and in this case, I found his current producion Bf 109E the best of the class, so the promotion is for the forum owner :)

[Heather Kavanagh]

I understand and appreciate the rules regarding other manufacturers and their products. I've a couple of kits to build from another maker, and obviously they won't appear on this forum, aside from in a peripheral sense - as I did in the Dornier thread.

 

i have to say, I think the way John dealt with the parallel builds of the same type from different manufacturers was excellent. I feel it showed the Airfix product in a good light, and highlighted differences between the kits that were informative. perhaps it's not something that should be encouraged regularly, but done sensitively I think it works.

[nmcabecadas]

John did a very helpful and balanced article and this contents can help both Airfix and the forum. The more people come here, more can try to follow some experiments or building techniques and buy more Airfix kits, even if they also buy from other manufacturers. I really don't have problems increasing sales from the competiton because helps to expand the market, bring new modelers and in paralel will also boost Airfix sales.

[John Symmons]

Er: Ummm: B - b - b, but;  I only,  Er, Umm.

What I'm trying to say is after nearly four months silence, since I did this post now suddenly quite a discussion, but oddly not on the Messerschmitt 109E. This was not my intention and as the Heller model is no longer available I can hardly said to be promoting it over the Airfix one. The main thing I did feel the Heller one has over the Airfix model is that personally; I'll repeat that: personally I felt that it would be a better bet for the beginner mainly due to the ease of separating the parts from the sprue, one of the failings I found of the Airfix one; as have several others in their reviews; that really could put of a beginner at the start. The Academy one I felt had possibly the best interior in standard (OTB) form, but was let down in many other areas, and so overall the Airfix one is still the best of the lot; especially considering the price.

As for the photos; maybe it was The Administrator's Christmas present to me; any way I did use the Airfix decals and colour scheme on the Heller. Then what about the ESCI Opal Blitz, and the Revell v Airfix crew figures, all-in-all a witches brew of manufactures. My aim there was to high-light the figure differences, or should that be non-differences, and to show some different modelling things or techniques.

As for semantics all I do is parody Matt Damon in the opening scene of Dogma, "Semantic, Sell-manics, Meshantics", and spell administrator correctly. Any-way I hope you've had some fun, and again thanks to administrator of allowing the original post to go through.

Remember we do this for fun                        Johb the Pom

PS. Thanks a million to Heather and Nmcabecadas for their kind words and support. Maybe a few more comparitive builds between older models and new realises could be helpful in high-lighting the advances made and new techniques needed to needed to conquer them. I do have three Airfix Ju87 Stukas from the early 1960's through to the latest release. Now could be worth looking at. 

JtP