Red Tulip...1/48 Messerschmitt Bf109G-6, JGr 50
All good things come in three, after the Bf109K-4 and Fw190A-5/U7, this is my dad´s third and last red tulip so far. Built in 2018.
Eduard kit Bf109G-6 early version. Regarding the decals, funny thing is that the kit´s tulip decals are too long, my dad had to shorten them. No "Dödel" included in this kit so my dad used W.Gr.21 from Eduard´s Brassin line. In the configuration with the WGr21 this aircraft wore no unit insignia at cockpit height. Brake lines and antenna wire added.
The aircraft seemed to be a testbed for outer landing gear covers, these came from the sparesbox. It wasn´t uncommon that the "Experten", to say the Luftwaffe aces, often had the opportunity to test some new features. It´s also possible that these things weren´t landing gear doors but some kind of blast protectors, couldn´t see if they head bulges or not and their exact shape in the pics of the aircraft.
Painted with Gunze and Tamiya acrylics. The typical Erla zig-zag camo pattern on the wings was done with masks from AML.
Like with the Hasegawa 109s, also Eduard got the legs 2-3mm too long. This was the first time my dad shortened them to get a more realistic look.
Aircraft of Major Hermann Graf, CO of Jagdgruppe 50 in the second half of 1943 in Germany.
It’s funny that so many profiles and kit makers never took notice of the outer wheel well covers. Nice touch indeed Reinhard.
It’s also the first time I read anyone shortening the UC of this specific kit, and I’m not too sure if it looks more realistic or not, but they certainly don’t seem out of place. The only thing I can add is that this machine, and others in this special gruppe, were so waxed and polished that the paint is worn out in many places, giving them a very special look, and one that it’s hard to replicate in a scale model (at least to me). The tulip is just perfect!
Very nice looking model, the scalloped paint job on the leading edge of the wings looks great. The red nose and camo is realistic. It still surprises me how small the 109 is even compared to contemporaries. Every time I see one in a museum I find the fuselage so narrow and the canopy frames so obtrusive.
Awsome paintjob with a very sporty look thanks to the tulip nose. Erla 109s must have been the first to have a "digital" camouflage in the aviation world. The G-6 model has always been a favourite of mine, ever since Airfix´firebreathing boxart, 45 years ago.
Very nice result, Reinhard.
Paintwork is awesome, the curved lines look great.
Another nice Tulip nose.
Love the third tulip as much as the other two ones, Rienhard!
Interesting story behind the outer covers!
Nice! And once again, I'm wondering if I need to do one of these in 1/72! I've never seen that saw-tooth camo pattern, and combined with the red tulip nose and white tail, it just really stands out as a unique bird. Beautiful.