By Floyd Werner Adding a Host of Aftermarket Parts to Hasegawa’S 1:32 Bf 109G-14/AS

Gusty Gustav, by Floyd Werner Adding a host of aftermarket parts to Hasegawa’s 1:32 Bf 109G-14/AS

Gutsy Gustav

Adding a host of aftermarket parts to Hasegawa’s 1:32 Bf 109G-14/AS 16

by Floyd Werner box, but are a little on the simple original Master Class video, I have side. There is plenty of room for plenty of experience with these kits. improvement. Enter the resin after- There are no big issues with con- y the summer of 1944, market people and for this build, struction, but there are some tips that the Bf 109 airframe was in particular, Master Details. It’s will make it an easier time. almost out of room for produced five simply marvelous Prior to adding the cockpit, I improvement – but not upgrades for the Hasegawa kit, partially assembled the fuselage. The quite. Daimler-Benz taking the whole kit through a meta- fuselage halves were put together Bengineers mated the large super- morphosis with details that touch by joining the front and aft portions charger of the DB 603 engine with the the entire model from nose to tail. of each fuselage half. This allowed standard powerplant of the Bf 109G, There isn’t a part of the kit that isn’t each half to be assembled with no the DB 605 A, to create the DB 605 addressed, but do they fit? We’ll soon need for filler. I used this time to fill AS. Putting this new engine into the find out. the panel lines that were required Bf 109G required a reshaped engine Like other Bf 109 variants, Hase- and to open up the required open- cowling and broad-chord VDM gawa’s Bf 109G-14/AS is packaged ings. This is all explained completely 9-12159 propeller, along with some in a sturdy box with five sprues of in the instructions. I planned to use other small changes. Adding the DB flash-free light gray plastic. Also the Parts-R-Parts forward cowling 605 AS also added the suffix “AS” to included is one clear sprue. The with its lower oil filler access panel the aircraft designation. About 700 Bf decals are typical Hasegawa decals, a and aligned scoops, so I had to cut 109G-6/AS and 1000 Bf 109G-14/AS little thick looking on the decal sheet the forward upper cowling off. I also were delivered to the Luftwaffe. but printed in perfect register. Decal cut the rudder off to add the Loon Hasegawa has set the benchmark options for two JG 300 machines are Models tail later. It is easier to do this for the Bf 109 in 1:32 scale. Their included. before the fuselage halves are joined. kits are accurate, simple and easy to Having built previous Hasegawa Now that I had two fuselage build. They build nicely out of the 1:32 scale 109s while filming the halves, it was time to work the

16 ipms/usa journal • september + october 2010 cockpit into the halves. The kit plug, that was pretty substan- on the sides. I used some CA cockpit is simple and OK out of tial. The G-6 kit would require glue added from the bottom the box, but I used the Master less work. I had to cut the plug and used accelerator to set it in Details cockpit. It contains a from the fuselage, but this was place. This filled the gap, but unique feature that isn’t found easy. not completely. From the top, on other aftermarket sets – the Assembly of the actual I used Apoxy Sculpt to fill the parachute pack. This nice fea- cockpit was very straightfor- remaining area. This made the ture adds some needed color to whole sanding operation easy. the otherwise bland cockpit. Once sanded smooth, I added This set is designed for the "Hasegawa the battery box and the other G-6 kit, and since the engi- Eagle Parts canopy release neering of the G-10 kit is has set the mechanism pieces. completely different there was Painting started by a pre- going to be some modeling shading of flat black. This was involved. First off, the G-14/AS benchmark followed up with Tamiya dark which I’m building would have gray. I added some white to had the battery box cover in the for the Bf 109 the mix and hit the highlights cockpit. How to address this with the lightened mixture. and still use the Master Details in 1:32, but A turpenoid-thinned wash of cockpit? I could use the kit part black artists’ oils added some but why do that when there is additional shadows. Once this the beautiful Eagle Parts bat- there is always was all dried, I dry-brushed tery box? some RLM 02 and silver to First, I used a micro-chisel room for get some wear and ultra- and opened the molded-on highlights. Some Apple Barrel cover from the Master Detail improvement." artists’ acrylic paints were part. Once this was done, the used for the colors of various rest was relatively easy. I did components. Silver pencil and not add the battery box at this a sponge dipped in Model time because I had to fair the ward. I used cyanoacrylate Master aluminum paint added cockpit into the opening. (CA) glue to add the cockpit random wear. Mig Pigments I followed the instructions for to the fuselage halves. The fit were added to the floor to dirty 17 the cockpit area and thinned was not great (again, because it up. The final thing for the the side walls. One thing I it wasn’t designed for this cockpit was a drop of Micro noticed on the Master Detail kit) and there were large gaps Kleer in the instrument faces to parts prior to assembly Dropped flaps, was the lack a new tank and of huge pour a new tail and blocks, mak- horizontal stabi- ing clean-up lizers are among a snap. I the aftermarket assembled additions to this the fuselage Bf 109G-14/AS. halves at this time. This was required to test-fit the cockpit, which showed that I had removed too much material. The back deck had to be removed and because of the engi- neering of the G-10 fuselage september + october 2010 • ipms/usa journal 17 Aftermarket, anyone? Here’s a collection of resin bits that found a home on Floyd’s Bf 109. At right, the Eagle Parts battery box after being added to the Master Parts cockpit rear bulkhead and seat (with parachute pack).

replicate the glass. By far the most daunting After-Market: Another thing that I added task was the thinning of the was the kit’s Revi-16 gunsight. area around the wheel wells. Master Details This required a scratch-built Master Details provides a • Messerschmitt Bf-109G mount as the Revi-16 actually unique filled-in wheel well that Cockpit rotated out of the way. It was is far superior to the kit offer- Item No. 32002 stored rotated 90 degrees and ing. I used saws and nippers MSRP: $24.95 closer to the instrument panel. to remove the big parts, then • Messerschmitt Bf-109G The fuselage upper cowling used a coarse sanding stick to Maximum Detail Set was added now. The fit was make everything level. I used Item No. 32004 good, but like normal I sanded 400-grit sanding sticks to get MSRP: $29.95 too much, so I ended up having the angle that was called for to fill some with Apoxy Sculpt. in the instructions. It sounded • Messerschmitt Bf-109F, G I also added the Master Detail difficult but was actually easier Detailed Flap Set 18 guns to the upper cowling than I thought. The wheel wells Item No. 32005 prior to adding it. This just fit well and looked fabulous. I MSRP: $9.95 made it easier to add and align. filled whatever gaps were left • Messerschmitt Bf-109F, G Before assembly of the wings with Apoxy Sculpt. A smart Main Landing Gear Set it is important to open up the modeler would have added the Item No. 32006 appropriate holes and fill the retraction mechanism on the MSRP: $12.95 panel lines as the instructions inside of the parts now before show. This includes squaring he forgot them. I completely • Messerschmitt Bf-109 off the wheel wells. This was forgot the retraction struts. Oh, Horizontal Tail Surface good time to open up the holes well – they are hardly notice- Item No. 32021 in the belly panel for the drop able. MSRP: $9.95 tank mount before I forgot. I added the bulges for the EagleParts wheels in the Floyd started • Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6, upper wing G-10, G-14 Battery Box the weathering so I could process by pre- Item No. EP#22-32 fill the small MSRP- $10.00 shading all the holes in the panel lines with wheel wells. Parts-R-Parts RLM 66. It is much • Me-109G Nose Fix easier to do Item No. PRP#20 this now with MSRP: $6.00 the upper and lower wings Loon Models separate. • Messerschmitt Bf-109K-4 Assembly Detail set of the wings Item No. LO32203 was straight- MSRP: $16.00 forward. I

18 ipms/usa journal • september + october 2010 Now was a good time to add A scratch-built the tail surfaces. Master Details mount for the replaces the horizontal stabi- Revi-16 gunsight lizers and elevators in its set. allowed it to be They fit great and are very easy displayed in the to use. The same can be said stowed position. for the Loon Models tail, which looks more like an AS tail than the kit and fits very nicely. I did have to sand off the protrud- ing trim tabs on the rudder, but that was easy. The Master Detail shell ejector port panel on the belly was really nice. I had to drill the panel on the kit out, but it was very easy. I needed to add the landing gear now as I had the resin flaps hanging down added some actuators to the would not line up at all. I had and wanted to protect them. front of the radiators before to sand the bottom of the truss Master Details offers a sepa- mating the wings to the fuse- assembly to allow the wings rate landing gear set, but also lage. The belly panel must to be moved into place. It was inside the maximum detail set be added at this point. Don’t nothing too bad, but I had is a set of wheels and landing forget to open the holes for the never experienced this problem gear doors. Do you need both? drop tank mount if you plan on before. That is up to you. The landing using it. Once they were dry I added gear set comes with a new strut I added the wing truss to the the Master Details flight con- and other smaller pieces that belly panel. I’ve built plenty trols. These little gems have a I thought looked great and fit of the G-6 kits and have never large amount of detail that isn’t better than the kit parts. There had an issue with the truss included on the kit parts and is a bending jig for making the assembly. This kit was differ- some very fine rivet patterns as brake lines, but I was never 19 ent. I added some .005 styrene well. They required no special able to figure it out so I just to the aft end of the panel to mounting and simply replaced did it the way I always do it align the parts at this point the kit parts. around a rod. The white metal and then added the truss to the I scratch-built a camera win- struts were added with five- panel. Fitting the panel to the dow on the left wing leading minute epoxy to allow me to fuselage proved that every- edge with a couple of pieces align them. thing fit nicely – until I tried of styrene punched out with a Now it was off to the sink to to add the wings. The wings Waldron Punch set. wash the model prior to paint-

Figures add a lot to Floyd’s pre- sentation of the model. Here, two pilots argue over which one will be shot down today.

september + october 2010 • ipms/usa journal 19 The exhaust stain was applied gradually, with earth brown going on first and moving toward black with each new application.

ing. I wash all my models with 66. This is the very first part of grease-cutting dish detergent. "I love to the weathering. The sky color It was allowed to dry and then (sometimes called RLM 84) was the model was wiped down weather my the first color down. I thinned with Polly-S Plastic Prep. it down so that the pigments After masking off the cockpit models, and were not as opaque as they with an old Black Magic mask normally are. This allowed the set and Tamiya tape, I sprayed pre-shading to come through. RLM 66 on the canopy area and after looking at After waiting a day, I masked then primed the entire model off the areas that needed to with Alclad gray primer and photos of the be protected, then used some microfiller. I love this primer; mixed Tamiya paint for RLM 20 it is the best primer for all sorts real thing, I 76. I added some white to the of modeling mediums. There RLM 76 and thinned it out were areas that needed some even more and reapplied it in a rescribing and refilling but couldn’t have splotchy pattern. I also painted nothing out of the ordinary. the flight control surfaces to After fixing these areas, the found a better lighten them up even more. model was reprimed. This gave me a good base coat I started out by pre-shading subject." for the camouflage. the entire airframe with RLM I used an old set of Cut- ting Edge masks for the wing The Parts-R- leading edge pattern and then Parts nose painted Gunze RLM 75 and makes Hase- RLM 83 dark green where gawa’s kit into necessary, and then white was a true G-14/AS, added as with the RLM 76. and only required After the RLM 75 had dried, I some care- blew up some drawings from ful cutting and an old Monogram Close Up on fitting. the K-4 and cut out the “spots” on the tail and painted the dark green. The cowling in front of the windscreen was painted RLM 74. I looked at the photos of the actual aircraft and elected to paint the oil cooler panel RLM 65, not the sky color that Hasegawa and Eagle Edi- tions recommend. Some small

20 ipms/usa journal • september + october 2010 The Master De- tails set includes things like the flare pistol and grab handles which help give the cockpit a busy look.

details here and there were have slightly more finesse, but I first tested with Micro- painted and touched up. The the Hasegawa decals are very sol and Microset and had no RLM 76 was oversprayed over good and don’t cost you any- issues. Then I tried Solvaset the tail surface to break up the thing extra. and again had no issues. Then camouflaged hard edges. A really nice touch is that I tried Mr. Mark Softer and A coat of Alclad gloss base Hasegawa offers the access had no issues. The clear film was added to the model to panels that make a G-14/AS – actually is very thin in practice prepare it for the decals. the lower oil cooler access and despite how it looks on the Many people do not like the cold weather starter – as sheet. Hasegawa decals. I have no decals for those of you who I normally apply a coat of idea why. Sure, they look thick don’t want to rescribe those gloss over the decals and then on the sheet, but have you ever panel lines. follow it up with a flat coat. used them? I tried three differ- The underwing crosses are This time, since I was testing 21 ent methods and, in practice, incorrectly positioned on the out the decals, I just added they are very good. How do Eagle Editions instructions, a flat coat and the clear film they compare to Eagle Editions, but Hasegawa got it correct, disappeared. which also does this same air- according to the photos in I love to weather my models craft? The Eagle Editions decals Eagle Editions’ JG 300 book. and after looking at the photos

The mottling on the tail was giv- en an overspray of thinned RLM 84 to blend the various colors together.

september + october 2010 • ipms/usa journal 21 The dropped flaps provide References: a view of the • The Messerschmitt Bf-109 Part streaking Floyd 2: ‘F’ to ‘K’ Variants-Modellers applied as part of Datafile 10, Lynn Ritger, SAM the weathering Publications, 2007, process. ISBN 0-9551858-1-5

• Messerschmitt Bf-109 F, G, &K Series, Jochen Prien & Peter Rodeike, Schiffer Publications, 1993, ISBN 0-88740-424-3 (If I was stranded on a desert island and could only take one 109 book with me this would be the one. Lynn’s book would be a close second)

• Jagdgeschwader 300- “Wilde Sau”- Volume Two September of the real thing, I couldn’t find me the oil stains I wanted. 1944-May 1945, Jean-Yves a better subject. It was well The next phase was to add Lorant & Richard Goyat, Eagle used and dirty. some chipped paint. I wanted Editions, 2007, I elected to start with a to experiment with a new silver ISBN 0-9761034-2-7 wash of burnt umber artists’ method. I borrowed my wife’s oil thinned with turpenoid. I silver Stampin-Up Color Box • Walk Around Messerschmitt flowed it into the panel lines pigment stamp pad. It helps Bf 109G, Hans-Heiri Stapfer, and then I used the artists’ oils that she is a dealer for this Squadron/Signal Publications, to add some visual interest by stuff. I never know what she 2006, ISBN 0-89747-503-8 flicking my brush over select has that I can “borrow.” I used areas where maintenance men a sponge on the pad and then would work. This added a applied it to the model. The 22 worn look to the model. Then, stamp pad lasted much longer with some Model Master alu- using a #11 X-Acto blade, I than normal model paint and minum for selected high-traffic added very tiny drops here and it gave me a lot of control. I areas and wing leading edges. there and then used a dry, thick used a #2 and a silver pencil to I wasn’t going to add a filter, brush and pulled it back in the add some other random chips. but I changed my mind. I used direction of airflow. These gave I also used the sponge method Sin Filters’ gray for panzer yellow, which muted the colors a The late-style little and imparted a nice effect. drop tank and The Sin Filters also helped in squared-off an area that I was never happy wheel wells with before, mud splatter. I both came from put some filter, in this case Master Details, brown for panzer yellow, on a although they thin liner brush and used my were in different airbrush to blow back mud sets. splatters on the lower surface. The results were phenomenal and exceeded my expectations. Some Mig Pigments were added to the wheels, landing gear doors and wing roots. I used European dirt and dried mud. I set them with the Mig thinner. This stuff is very con- vincing. The only thing left to do was add the exhaust stains. I used thinned Tamiya earth brown

22 ipms/usa journal • september + october 2010 and flat black, starting with my tank friends, there wasn’t Some people will have a prob- more earth brown and build- a lot left to add. The biggest lem with the squared-off spine, ing up the black progressively. piece was the unique-looking but I did not find it to be overly This was streaked loosely along drop tank from Master Detail. objectionable. The most notable the airflow. An additional drop I’ve never seen it in any sets or issue is the wing spar, which is of flat black was added and kits before, plus it is the style mounted too low. This is easily sprayed in the center of the of tank that was on the real fixed, but you should be aware exhaust streaks. A final touch thing. Its fit was good but it of it. n of some orange-red pastel did require some work to get it chalk was added just aft of the perfect. Loyd Werner IPMS/USA #26266 exhausts. The masks were removed Floyd became a member of IPMS in I took another look at the and the appropriate parts were 1988, while he was still an active-duty model and decided that I added to the inside, such as soldier serving in Army aviation. He needed some additional chip- the lights, flare gun and grab may not wear camouflage on a daily ping and mud on the wing handles from Master Details. basis, but he still flies; he works as a root. An antenna was added to pilot for the Baltimore City Police De- The final bit of weather- the canopy, wings and to the partment flying Eurocopter EC-120s. A member of both IPMS/Baltimore and ing was a thin application of fuselage. The canopy and navi- IPMS /Washington D.C., Floyd’s been Tamiya buff streaked fore to aft gation lights were added and building since 1968, when he first got on the wings and vertically on the model was done. his hands on Aurora’s classic Allosau- the fuselage. Finally, I pulled Was it worth the effort? You rus kit. Today, he focuses mostly on back a little bit and added more better believe it! I think this is 1:48 World War II aircraft, especially The wavy buff to the top of the fuselage my best 109 ever. I enjoyed the Luftwaffe subjects and Bf 109s in par- demarcation and wings. This mutes the build immensely. The kit is a ticular. His other hobby, photography, on the leading helps him expertly capture images of colors nicely and “attaches” the little expensive, but you can edge was made his modeling subjects. Floyd lives in using an out-of- model to the ground. use everything in the kit. I’ve Baltimore; he and his wife of 29 years, production set Since I like to add as much built plenty of Hasegawa G-6 Yvonne, have three daughters, Angel, stuff as possible prior to paint- kits, but this kit is slightly dif- Athena, and Alison. of masks from ing, a technique I learned from ferent and has its own issues. Cutting Edge. 23

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