Messerschmitt Bf109 E-4, 1/48 FINISHED (new picture added)

Started by Erik Gjørup · 99 · 4 years ago · 109, airbum, Bf109, Bf109 E-4, halfworks, japanese, me109, Messerschmitt
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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    What a surprise

    I finally settled on a 109 for this great groupbuild

    No – really, I DO have other Japanese aircraft in my stash, but they are all “taken” – not that I might consider going there too, but for now, it is an export 109.

    In my humble opinion 109 E-3’s for export all were Me 109’s, and the export version differed in some ways from the Luftwaffe planes. They were, as far as I am concerned all named with a suffix “a” for Ausland, thus we end at Me 109 E-3a for this build. I do know the jury is still out in the matter, but until I see the fact to tell me otherwise on a piece of paper that is it. (Hmmm sounds more bombastic than intended. . . )

    Now, before we begin a good wash is needed


    And with that taken care of, it is time to start. . time to start. . . come on now . . .

    Oh – it is not a kit, just a set of “overtrees” – no instructions whatsoever. . .

    OK – will pay eduard a visit one of these days to print out a basic manual.

    Nothing will happen till then – but feel free to comment on the ME versus BF – and how you think the Japanese 109’s were equipped and how the cockpit was laid out – I shall suck it all up for consideration for this build – be safe out there, and remember it has to be built away!

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    Tom Bebout said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    You're burning daylight Erik. Lets get some paint on that kit.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    That's a nice choice Erik. Bring it on!

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    @tom-bebout roger that
    @fiveten willco

    Oh - well, printed a set during my coffeebreak and will get started on some internals tonight. Incredibly with all the 109's in my stack I do not seem to have one 109 E except for "overtree" kits without instructions!

    Now, there are at least two choices of paint, one with LW standard and white-bordered hironomus, the other liiks like it is more akin Japanese colors, and has yellow leading edges. Any thoughts on that out there? - I have so far seen that Hasegawa had a limited edition with japanese markings, and Airfix had one boxing for their club with japanese markings. Should someone have a set of the airfix ones (that is if they built the RAF 109 in the same boxing) I shall be happy to help them getting rid of these. . .

    Probably be able to get something glued during the week-end as I am the lone guard at work today and tomorrow. Stay safe out there!

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    Hi Erik! I would do the LW with the whitebordered hinomarus; cause it would standout more. The other would be somehow Ki-61ish. Again, it's personal.
    Keep up @airbum!

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    George Henderson said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    I've only seen the photos of this one...http://www.j-aircraft.com/captured/testedby/me109/me109.htm

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    Louis Gardner said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    Erik, @airbum
    Welcome aboard !
    You did a fantastic job picking the Emil as your subject. There are some good pictures in the link that was provided by George. This is going to be a very cool looking bird when completed... and I can't say that I have ever seen a model of one built in these markings.

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    @blackadder57 thank you for the link (have to admit I had been there, but thanx anyway) The picture with the white squares has been reproduced elsewhere, and there you can see the "1" on the rudder, so these may be the same plane in different paintings. The white squares has been speculated in one reference to be new cover or paint, but is actually just frost with the sun having melted it on most parts of the sunny side, but the temperature inside the flaps has kept it frosted at the time of the picture. However that might be a really cool weathering!

    @lgardner Thank you for the invite - this turned out to be a great call to start the EoJ GB at this point. Who knows, more entries may come, but I have to clear a "in-progress" plasticbox first 🙂
    This is at the moment build no 10 in progress here at HalfWorks.

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    Whaddayouknow

    • commencing the build, I had a look at the plastic, then the few pictures, then back and forth a few times. It is NOT an E-3a. If it is, then it has a replacement hood! Most likely it is an E-4 or E-7 instead, and thus the title has now been changed, and I will have to consider if another kit is to be pressed into service.

    I do not have any eduard E-4/7 in my stash (even I am surprised!) There are a few Tamiya E-4/7, but I really wanted to get my hands on an eduard 109E as I have built a few Tamiya 109E's.

    Well - as the only difference on the trees are the clear sprue, I will press on with the eduard, and wash up a Tamiya, and see what happens.

    Hopefully some pictures soon as pure text may be a bit boring - please feel free to comment on the issue above!

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    Two for the price of one?

    With the research continuing I play it safe and started two kits

    It would appear that either the 109’s in Japan were E-3a modified with a E-4 hood, or they were E-4’s. Some sites say they are E-7’s but they have the open-end spinner whereas the E-7 has a capped spinner – as far as I can tell at least.

    And so the title changes once again to E-4.

    Well – as mentioned I do not have an eduard E-4 in my stash, but luckily all trees except the clear are the same for the E-1 through E-7, so all the basics can be made. I shall have to purchase a set of overtrees (or a full kit) for an E-4/7, and If that takes too long a Tamiya E-4/7 is pressed into service.

    I start with the cockpits, no surprise there



    The observant follower may see that the stick is forward on one, back on the other. Well that is so that I can use one for one picture I have seen, the other for another, and as they are two different paintschemes, the opportunity is there to make both versions.

    Do feel free to comment on my guesswork – I shall take it all into consideration

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    What a difference

    Tamiya racing ahead as eduard struggles with too many details!

    The Tamiya 109 races through assembly here at HalfWorks as both are OOB apart from markings and later on a lack of wing guns.



    The Tamiya kit is quite simple, the eduard not so – you have to assemble almost the entire engine and all just to get it closed.

    Now, it is not a bad thing – if you want to display an open enginebay, and the details are great. However, it would have been great if there were something like the part in the Ki-61 kit that allows you to assemble the plane without assembling the entire engine.

    with the speed of the Tamiya kit it will soon be ready for paint – and I haven’t even ordered a spare kit for the correct windows on ed’s 109

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    George Henderson said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    Good plan

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    Perfect progress @airbum! What I love the most is all this "surveying journey" to understand in depth the exact subject you are modeling. After this understanding, you plan your way. This, for me, is one of the many magic aspects of modeling!

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    Thank you @blackadder57 I shall do my utmost to stick to it 🙂

    Well @fiveten, I have to brag that my general knowledge on 109's is deep. - that is, I have a lot of litterature on the subject. Japanese aviation, however is not even represented by a single leaflet in my library, so I have to research elsewhere. And for that it is a very interesting subject these Japanese 109's that I had planned to dig into anyway, so you can say that @lgardner just sped things up by starting the EoJ GB.

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 7 months ago:

    Keeping up?

    Having spent some more time on the eduard kit, they are more or less equally distance to the finishline

    I struggled a bit to get the ed built, and all I can say is; read the instructions. . .


    Having fought the machineguns for many minutes, I read the instructions as they were a terrible fit. Turned out they are not to be used if you build the cowling closed – just the barrelends on a nice flat mounting. Super easy and nice when closed!

    The Tamiya has not been touched since last post, but lets have it again:


    The machineguns are just an easy block, and that’s it – will be added later.

    And now both of them together:



    They switch places in the two pictures as the angle may show one longer that the other.

    Now, I have to get moving on the glass for the ed – and source some decals!

    Most likely some wings next – stay tuned