The Kit
This is another of the “golden oldies” in my collection. I wanted to beef up my Bf109 collection, and I remembered this kit, which I have had since it was first released in the 1990’s.
I also have AeroMaster 48-384, Augsburg Eagles, Pt. VI, which includes some markings for a G-2 model serving on the Russian Front.
The marking of a Bf109G-2 flown by Obst. Hermann Graf on the Russian front in Summer/Fall of 1942
I love AeroMaster decals. They have never let me down, but all of them are pretty old now. Great product. Too bad they went out of business.
The Build
The surprise to me was examining the cockpit parts. Sorry to say, but the cockpit is only a step or two above the old Otaki kits. Oh, well. Full speed ahead. I added some Eduard seatbelts and called it good. (Luftwaffe Fighter Seatbelts, 1/48, 48290) Ultimately I was not thrilled with them. They are colored with brown paint with the metal being left bare. The problem is the brown paint is easily wiped away in handling. My favorites are still Ultracast seats with the belts molded in.
Ultimately, I decided to leave the canopy closed, so the cockpit looks fine. Careful painting really brought out the details.
The fit of the parts is very good and the surface detail looks right on the money.
Also, I have been experimenting with Tamiya acrylic paints, and almost any German WWII aircraft makes a good subject. You need to mix two or more colors to get the RLM color you desire. I will see if the effort is worth it. My experience so far is these paints airbrush more easily than any other acrylic I have tried.
I was not able to find a formula for RLM 04 Yellow, but luckily I had some in my Model Master Acryl collection (#4771). I used this to paint the band around the fuselage rear, the undersides of the wingtips, and the lower forward cowl.
Tamiya Mark Fit Strong works very well with these decals, and all others I have tried it with. You need to work fast in placing the decal, as the product really softens the decal quickly. This product really makes the decals conform to the details under them. It may take an additional application or two on difficult spots, but the results are worth it. This is a different formula than the regular strength. See my blog entry in February 2017.
The Hasegawa BF109 kits may have been eclipsed by recent releases, but they are still pretty good. I enjoyed this build, and I think that the kit still merits some consideration.
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| I made my own masking from thin strips of Tamiya tape and my own masking compound (Elmer's glue with food coloring.) |
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| I used Tamiya primer from the spray can. The yellow area is masking tape. I added a primary coat of Tamiya flat white before I sprayed the yellow color coat. |
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| Decal application is almost done. |
Finished Model
As always, thank you for visiting my blog. Comments are always welcome.
