Bf109F-4 In Spanish Service
This build started several years ago with an excellent SBS resin cockpit that I happened to have. Actually, I built the whole model for it, and (as usual) it's not visible on the final photos. But anyway - I have some good WIP photos of it. And after I finished the cockpit, the kit sat on my shelf for quite a while. Recently I was cleaning out my stash and the kit showed up. And I remembered from the book about Spanish Bf 109 variants (Buchon, Tripala) that there were 109F's in Spain, and surprisingly, SBS has decals for them! That was the deciding factor to finish this old Zvezda 1/48 model. I like some unusual markings.
I added excellent wheels from RESKIT (3D print + resin), Master brass barels and pitot tube, Aires exhausts and turbo intake (unfortunately the ailerons from the same set were too short to install), and Eduard's masks. The kit requires some patience during assembly, and most of the panel lines had to be rescribed. And a lot of sink marks. But in the end it looks like a very accurate 109F.
The model is basically painted with AMMO acrylics - RLM66, 70, 02, 78, 79. And I used a lot of oils for the weathering. And that was the most fun part of the whole project.
Thanks for watching!
That cockpit really is detailed. Nice work on the 109 and it is interesting to see it in unusual markings.
@tcinla Thanks, Tom!
@starfar
First let me just say this is the first time I see this livery of the 109 F and it sure looks good.
Everything here is up to your high level of detail and paint mastering Dmitry, wonderful work!
2 questions if I may:
the exhaust stains are also made with oils?
why do you say the kit demanded lot of rescribing? I found this kit quite accurate overall, fiddly in some parts yes, but only some absent details for the ailerons as the bigger issue
@holzhamer Thank you, Pedro!
Answer your questions:
The base for the exhausts was done with just an airbrush and black paint. The tails were touched up a bit with oils to blend them into the overall weathering. And after the last coat of varnish, I touched it up again with a black pigment to make it matte.
I think it depends on the year of production of a particular kit. My kit had clear signs of mold degradation. Some of the panel lines have disappeared or were too thin. All the fuselage, stabilizers and some other parts had a very visible texture and were not smooth. I had to sand all of them, because this affects the painting process so much, especially when it comes to gloss paints - every further step makes the situation worse. And after sanding, I had to re-scribe almost everything. So it's not about the accuracy, it's just about the kit itself.
Fantastic result and a really nice scheme, Dmitry!
@fiveten Thank you, Spiros!
Great looking Friedrich, Dmitry @starfar
Looks beautiful in this Spanish scheme.
@johnb Thanks, John!
That is a beautiful build Dmitry, @starfar. You made the most of that additional detail in the cockpit and I love the paint scheme and how you did it. Very nicely weathered without being over done. I have never heard of SBS Decals but they really performed beautifully, your markings look absolutely painted on.
@luftwaffe-birdman Thanks, Walt! Yes, the SBS decals worked really well with Micro Set and Sol. And their resin aftermarket parts are really excellent.
Great '109, Dmitry! π That's a wonderful scale model, so well-finished @starfar! π
@garybrantley Thank you, Gary!
Well done, looks great in Spanish colors!
@chasbunch Thank you, Chas!
A real beauty, and I just added another scheme to my growing 109 project! I have several F's left in the stash not yet assigned to a scheme. I'm a big fan of desert/tropical schemes anyway, but with those Spanish roundels, it really stands out. Great paint and weathering on this.
@gkittinger Thanks, Greg!
I donβt know how I missed this, Dmitry. Excellent work. I always enjoy seeing 109s in unusual colors.
Thanks, John!