This is the latest progress on my Bf-109, previously posted in the Luftwaffe GB. Any progress from here on in will have to be accessed in this WIP GB, likewise for the Stuka and He 111 builds, which I will post later. Sorry to all the kind folks who were following these projects, but being unable to continue previous threads is not my doing.

Here is the update. I masked the fuselage mottling work and sprayed the RLM 74/75 splinter camo on the wings and tail surfaces. The split flaps and slats were painted separately.

When I removed the fuselage masks, I decided to work a bit more on the mottling, especially on the port side. The next pics show the results of this work Now that this is satisfactory, I have removed the masks for the yellow cowling panel, red fuselage stripe and white rudder. This is an interesting stage of the painting process in that I find everything looks too flat and dull before the clear coat goes on. I got over the hump on that with my FW-190 a while back, so I remain confident everything will turn out OK with the Gunze colours. I look forward to getting this weathered also as that will darken things considerably so it looks right to me. Hope you like it at this stage. Please watch this space, if you want to see the build through. Happy modeling. 🙂

To me the paintwork, especially the mottling, looks great, Colin @coling

Paint looks great, Colin (@coling). I have thought this 109 with the red fuselage band is a particularly striking scheme. Well-done camo.

Thanks, Jay, John, Spiros, George and Woody. The mottles have been a challenge. The last time I did this style of camouflage was on my Hasegawa 190A 1/32.:

Fw-190a-5 1/32

The funny thing is that I completely forgot the lessons I learned from that experience. Anyway, in both cases I was having trouble at first with paint splatter while airbrushing at low pressures close up. Even with a tool as fine as the Iwata Custom Micron, the acrylic paint would build up on the nozzle cap until it eventually shot out in a puddle. Then I remembered that I went through all this before and had simply removed the nozzle cap. It's a risk in that it exposes the needle more, but it solves the problem. You want to be careful not to drop the airbrush or knock the tip on anything. I also use acrylic retarder now, which prevents the paint from drying on the tip before cleaning with water. Meanwhile, I re-learned how to use a paint brush to gently brush off wet paint while working. All that is needed with acrylics is a dab of water now and then to keep the nozzle clean. I have been practicing with scrap parts to do mottles and splotches in 1/48 of my Italian builds (MC.202 and SM-79). Still haven't perfected the approach but it is coming along. Thanks again for following. More to come soon.

That does indeed do the trick, Colin @coling

My experience with acrylics is also that the paint dries at the tip often.

Most of the time I use the airbrush is without the cap, just because it makes it easier to clean the needle during a spray session. I have tried acrylics retarder as well but that didn't help.

Still looking for a good solution because it is indeed very risky with the needle exposed.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions, guys. I will keep experimenting with the splotch spraying method. That's interesting about mixing in clear acrylic, George. I will try that. I do find that retarder has helped me in some respects, John, but I need to keep cleaning the tip as I go. I use water as a solvent, applied with a paintbrush and also pray water through the brush periodically. Still learning the best way for the finest lines and mist applications of paint.

Here is a small update of the Bf-109 that actually represents a lot of work! I repaired a lot of little details marred by overspray on the yellow chin panel, white rudder and a few details of the mottle.

I then did a Tamiya clear coat overall in careful stages. The most work was the spinner spiral. I originally tried to do this by spraying it white and masking the pattern with a home-made mask before a black final coat. The results were not good. The spiral looked ragged and not properly proportioned . Part of this was trying to use the Eagle Cal decal as a master but not having the decals flexibility when laying down the Tamiya tape I had cut. Anyway, I kept no pictures of that before stripping off the all the paint with Windex and starting again. The next time I painted the spinner black and clear to make it very glossy. I applied the Eagle Cal decal over the spinner and spent one entire evening and the following morning making sure it conformed properly to the spinner. I had to alternate between Micro Sol and a damp lint free cloth to get all the air bubbles out. Getting it to lie down seamlessly was a real test of patience but it really paid off. A final coat of Tamiya Clear eliminated the decal film. For the next time I do a spinner spiral I may get some Mr. Mark Softer or some other "hotter'' decal solvent to simplify the task.

Next steps this week will be oil wash, decaling and maybe a little bit of post shading for weathering work. I intend to take some time to do the typical large exhaust stain at the wing root. When all the markings and weathering are done, I will dull coat the model and remove the canopy masks. The very last stage will be to I will add the wing lights, antennas, and landing gear as these are delicate and would easily break off in general finishing work..

Perfect work done, Colin @coling.
The red color of the tail band looks indeed very nice now.
Also that spiral is looking awesome.

Thanks, Spiros. I appreciate the comment about the spinner. I hope to have this one finished soon. With so many projects on the go at once, it is time to focus on one build to bring it to completion. I completed the oil wash today and will let that cure overnight before doing decaling and small details. with one more day for a matt coat, I should have it posted by the weekend - fingers crossed.