While this one will not qualify as homebuilt, it does fit into the Air Racing category on the European side of the pond. So to try to bring a bit of life back into this group, here we go!

Messerschmitt Bf 109 V-13 speedrecord plane

Having had a few of the Tamiya 109E’s in 109Werke this one emerges as a fast plane

The story is very interesting and a bit long, and has been told before. This is of course a build-log, so I shall not tire you with a lot of words on the real plane, as it is easy to find online or in a well-stocked library. Some small bits may pop up during the build.

First, the early planes were most often filled smooth, and so the panellines have to go – here it is in company with tow more of the kits

Some Liquified Styrene (LqS) read how-to here is used as it will ensure a strong non-shrinking bond – what a mess

First, a lot of filing and sanding took place

And some more LqS – then filing, sanding, repeat until satisfied.

The intake were quite different from the Emil base-kit, and a lot of LqS and off-cut parts were used to smoothen things (in the light of experience I should just have used a piece of sheet-plastic)

And the parts so far – the wing bulges were addressed in my “Messerschmitt Bf 109 Werke” here on iModeler!

next up some more on the intake

This will be a neat one! Here's what I do when I use glue to fill seams, I put masking tape right up to the gap (or panel line in your case) on both sides, pour in the glue, wipe smooth with my finger and remove the tape. Usually requires little to no sanding, but sometimes more than one attempt to get the gap filled in enough to be flush with the plastic. (Perfect for if you're doing a NMF!) Here's a shot of the wing roots on my Monogram B-17. No sanding.

1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

Intake!

Work on the air-intake commences, and future trouble gets adressed

I started by marking the location, then chaindrilled the length of the intake to ease filing to final depth.

I cut a tube in half – not pleased with the result at all!

Some more filing, and in order to get the slope on the intake another length of cutoff was glued in place, and left to cure. Then it was filed and testfitted and filed and testfitted and. . . .

The result looked a lot better. The fuselage and cowling so far

I just dryfitted the lot

Looking a lot like it should I think

One thing with the Tamiya 109E kits are the ever lasting problem to get the rear of the wing/fuselage join to line up

And a piece of sheet solves that.

now it is once again on to other 109’s before this one gets revisited. Be sure to tune in again later!

Oilcooler and wings

The wings need a lot of support and the oilcooler trimmed down

I opened the lid on this one again today, and found the lower wing very warped. Probably due to the LqS treatment. Luckily the top skins were LqS’d while still on the frame, and looked fine.

So a lot of tape and a pair of supports, and it is off to cure.

The oil cooler needs to be a lot slimmer on this racer, so out came the saw

A bit of trimming with saw and file and sandingstick and knife later, it is where I want it. I took the cooler from another Tamiya 109E to keep things aligned while the glue sets.

And finally some sheet styrene was used to fill the exhausts as I need to drill these (just a small flush stub on these things)

And with that done, it is off to harden, and another long wait before the next round – hopefully not two months again.

Thanks for watching – tune in again later

Thank you my friend @fiveten

Breathe!

So, it was not two months, but almost 3 before returning to this one

Well – they say all good things come to those who wait? So just to get back into the loop, I dryfitted the cowling, showing off the new intake

And the wings got dryfitted too. They need a lot more work – like locked slats and such.

now, I feel fairly confident to say the next step will be the exhausts – but who knows? – tune in to check up!

Good to see progress on this one as well, Erik @airbum
Dry fitting does look nice.

Really nice progress, my friend @airbum!
Yes the SBS seat looks way better!

@jpatt1000, @fiveten and @johnb, minor update on this

Exhausting?

I plunged into my AM stash the other day, and lo and behold

I happened upon a conversion for a hooked 109. It contains some really nice PE exhaust covers.

According to the instructions it is not needed (well, one might debate that, depending on wich one you decide to make of the 109T testplanes)

Nice resin hook and arm and nice PE sheet

I had to see how it would look on the Versuchsmachine13. Not bad at all. Could work – but then I have to open up the hole again – and perhaps make some oval pipes for the exhaust tubes.

and with that, I have to admit I have been doing some more work on this one – more to follow as soon as I get the pictures taken!