Werner Mölders Bf109F-1, 1/48 Eduard
Mölders was one of the first to be issued with a Friedrich
And because it was one of the first, it was an F-1. The F-1 differed from later versions by having the wingroot fillet of the Emil. And to make this one I had to cut up two kits to make the correct wingroot.
The Friedric is from Eduards Royal Class packing that included some very nice resin wheels, and a tailwheel assembly with leather mantel for the oleo to keep dirt off.
It was decided early in the build to have the tailwheel at an angle, as that had to be done before assembling the fuselage.
The doors were thinned to be more scale-like, and Eduard photoetch seatbelts were added to their early Friedrich resin seat. One odd thing on Mölders F-1 was the lack of an opening quarterlight in the left front part of the windscreen – it was included in later F-models as indeed it had been on almost all the earlier 109 versions.
A Master turned brass pitot also made it all look just a bit better.
The final details included a porcelain insulator for the antenna where it enters the fuselage, and the antenna was the usual UvdR fine elastic wire
For all the mods and a build journal, go to the in-progress for this build here; https://imodeler.com/groups/work-in-progress-aircraft/forum/topic/messerschmitt-bf109f-1-werner-molders-eduard-1-48/
Again a massive thanks for all the constructive comments and words of encouragement along the way – it has made the journey all the more enjoyable
Man @airbum, you are the world expert in 1/48 mottling... I wonder how you do it (technique, airbrush). Without this skill, realistic 109's like this one seem far away for me! I beg to know your secret, my friend!
Kudos for this fine build and WiP thread!
Michel (@michel-verschuere), that was quite a statement! I just do my best, and learn as i go. For this mottle I used a high-end dualaction airbrush. I keep the air flowing (set at low pressure) to avoid the dreaded drop of paint when I have moved to the next spot. The paint is relatively thin (enamel) and when I think I am in the right place, I add paint in a short go, close the paint again but keep the air on. It takes a bit, but is really a joy when the right mix of paint, pressure and time is found.
Does that make any sense?
Thank you for the kind words. - by the way, the rather expensive airbrush was a gift from my girlfriend, and she got this 109 in return 🙂
Thanks @airbum, this dual action AB for 109 trade sounds epic! She's a keeper!
Actually Michel, she so far had two 109 🙂
Last year she got a Marseille 109, and this year this one. There may be a trend there - the 109 for next years birthday is in the planning, and resin has been bought!
Great looking aircraft
Thank you George (@blackadder57)!
Beautiful clean build. The markings and paint really make it pop!
Thank you Walt-B (@luftwaffe-birdman), one thing could make it a lot better; a 1/48 vehicle - right? (I saw some of your splendid 1/48 vehicles earlier) 🙂
Another fantastic build! And your build logs are an education into 109-dum (that came out sounding odd - was going for the "kingdom of 109's"...)
Greg (@gkittinger) Thank you for the words. How about 109werke? (Actually I go with HalfWorks as I live near a village called Hald, and the Danish word for Half is Halv, pronounced almost the same as Hald)
Who knows, I may reach 109 109s one day?
Seems you're bearing down on 109 109s pretty darn quickly! Faster than I can put out Phantoms... 🙂
Oh, you only need to make 4 F-4's 🙂
No, wait - is that 4 of each mark? - thanks Greg
Beautiful job, Erik! I love the way the mottling came out, gives me some encouragement to try that technique.
Jaime (@jetmex) Thanks - give the mottling a go, it may take a few trial and error lessons but it is very rewarding when you get to the point where you are satisfied with the result.
Another winner Erik!
Thank you Dale (@dtravis)
It became a wonderful 109, Erik @airbum
Thanks for taking us into your story of building this Friedric.
Thanks John (@JohnB), my pleasure!
A beautiful 109!
Robert (@roofrat), thank you.
The finished article is awesome, Erik (@airbum). The painted finish is immaculate!
And it was a real joy to have you along on the build George (@gblair)!
🙂 ... Greetings ... 🙂 :
A really elegant rendition of the BF 109 F-1 Erik, very well done.
Your mottle effect looks good.
Thank you @de4ever, even though not many F-1's were actually made, it is one of the versions with the most differencies - some with square intakes, some with very different wheels etc. This is not the last F-1 I will build.
Very crisp paint job. Looks great!
Thank you Emberson (@embersonfedders).
That's a fantastic finish of this journey I had the pleasure to follow along, my friend @airbum, 109 man!
The result is truly excellent.
Waiting for your next 109!
Thank you my friend @fiveten. It has been an absolute pleasure to have you commenting on the build. The next 109 may be just a bit away, but as you know a few are in progress in groups.
Erik, @airbum
You are definitely the 109 MAN !
I know who to call when I have a 109 question... 😉
In the very near future I see myself building a 1/48 scale Spanish Civil War Emil, using either a Tamiya 109E-3, or a Hasegawa 109E-1. This is something I have wanted to do for quite some time now.
I commend you on your Molders 109. I watched as you back dated it by changing the wing root out from another kit on your build log. I don't always comment, (I try to as often as I can), but I can assure you that I do indeed follow along with all of your builds. This one is no exception.
Now that you have recently finished up two of the many, do you have plans to start any more any time soon ? If so, you know I will be there, cheering from the sidelines.
Thanks for sharing these beauties with us. Your work is always incredible to look at. Take care and stay safe.
Far too kind my friend - thank you Louis (@lgardner)
I do have a few in progress here and there in groups, also a few Legion Condor ones. The one I'm nearly finished with is an Eduard Emil, and work is going on with a Spanish F, and some early 109's, a few of wich will most likely be Legion Condor.
Thank you for the kind words - stay safe!
Wow. Your Friedrich looks terrific. You really are the the “109 Man”. The beautifully done cameo mottling has convinced me I need a new airbrush. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, but what brand of airbrush did your girlfriend give you?
Eric - thanks, I do my best.
The airbrush is the Harder & Steinbeck Infinity, and it is rather expensive. It works extremely well once you get the hang of the dual-action I'm told (still on a learning curve here). My old airbrush is a Badger 150, and thet is OK for lots of work, but I really do not like the cup on that one (intake below the airbrush), so I just ordered a few bottles and plan to use that one for larger jobs, like uniform colors or large camo's.
Go check the net before you buy - there is definitely an airbrush for you, and as always I would reccomend buying the best you can afford from the beginning. (Both of mine were "free" - gifts that is) Oh - and remember to get one at a local store 🙂