Latest Project: Matchbox 1/32 Bf-109E-3

[dr_gn]

Here's my next model: a 1970's Matchbox 1/32 Messerschmitt 109E-3 (I think it's an E-4, but there you go). Swapped for a duplicate of my Spitfire stand, so I can't complain! It'll look great next to the Spitfire.



It's a great kit, even by todays standards - I've always rated Matchbox stuff quite highly considering the prices. Since this is a straight build as opposed to rebuild, I'm going to detail the engine bay, and add aftermarket (or even self-made) metal turned guns. Canopy will be closed, so I'll just add belts and an instrument panel, and try my hand at interior painting techniques. I'm looking at aftermarket decals, and a challenging airbrushed colour scheme.

Not sure when I'll get to make a start on it, but at least I've already built a stand for this one! I made it a bit taller than for the Spitfire.

[Eric Mc]

Brett Green's book (Osprey) on Modelling the 109E is worth getting hold of.

He might have extracts from it on his Hyperscale site.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Brett Green's book (Osprey) on Modelling the 109E is worth getting hold of.

He might have extracts from it on his Hyperscale site.

As you know, I've already got:

OSPREY - MODELLING MANUAL 017 - MESSERSCHMITT BF 109

...but it concentrates on the G model, and it's not by Brett Green. I'll have another look.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

dr_gn said:

Here's my next model: a 1970's Matchbox 1/32 Messerschmitt 109E-3 (I think it's an E-4, but there you go).

There was no significant difference between the E3 variant produced from the end of 1938 and the E4 variant produced from May 1940 aside from the fact that the former used the 20mm MGFF cannon in the wings and the latter used the 20mm MGFF-M cannon with improved ammunition.

The E-4/N introduced in late 1940 had the improved Daimler-Benz DB601N engine to replace the earlier DB601A.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

dr_gn said:

...but it concentrates on the G model, and it's not by Brett Green. I'll have another look.

Another option (if you can find it) is:

Messerschmitt Bf 109 Versions B - E
Classic Aircraft No.2
Their history and how to model them

By Roy Cross and Gerald Scarborough
in collaboration with Hans J. Ebert

Publisher: Patrick Stephens Limited in association with Airfix Products Limited
First published: October 1972
ISBN: 0 85059 106 6

The book was originally written for modellers of the 1/24 Airfix kit.

[perdu]

I'm going to sit back comfortably here and enjoy this

In general I am a major Matchbox fan too, that looks very nice

bill

[dr_gn]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

dr_gn said:

Here's my next model: a 1970's Matchbox 1/32 Messerschmitt 109E-3 (I think it's an E-4, but there you go).

There was no significant difference between the E3 variant produced from the end of 1938 and the E4 variant produced from May 1940 aside from the fact that the former used the 20mm MGFF cannon in the wings and the latter used the 20mm MGFF-M cannon with improved ammunition.

The E-4/N introduced in late 1940 had the improved Daimler-Benz DB601N engine to replace the earlier DB601A.

I think the most obvious thing is that the canopy upper edges were radiussed on the E3, and an angled edge on the E4 (like in the kit). so long as it looks good I'm not too bothered, but I'd at least like to use approximately the right markings and camo for the angled canopy variant.

[dr_gn]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

dr_gn said:

...but it concentrates on the G model, and it's not by Brett Green. I'll have another look.

Another option (if you can find it) is:

Messerschmitt Bf 109 Versions B - E
Classic Aircraft No.2
Their history and how to model them

By Roy Cross and Gerald Scarborough
in collaboration with Hans J. Ebert

Publisher: Patrick Stephens Limited in association with Airfix Products Limited
First published: October 1972
ISBN: 0 85059 106 6

The book was originally written for modellers of the 1/24 Airfix kit.

I was given a shed load of Bf-109 books by the person who gave me the kit, some in foreign languages. I've made some progress with them, but there is almost too much information to take in on all the variants. I built the 1:24 Airfix model in the distant past, but can't remember how I painted it (not that it would have been much good anyway!).

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

I'm going to sit back comfortably here and enjoy this

In general I am a major Matchbox fan too, that looks very nice

bill

Never mind sitting back, it's about time you made a start on something yourself Bill!

Revell have re-released a lot of the Matchbox 1:32 models for peanuts. OK they're not state of the art, but at least for my current skill level, they are more than good enough to practice some detailing on. I'm intending to sand all the raised engine bay wiring off the heads/block, bulkheads etc and replace with lead wire for starters.

I want to get a good representation of braided wiring (ie a colour with a tracer band). I was wondering about using strands of the two colours of wire and twisting them to give a consistent effect. Any other tips?

BTW, I won't be starting it (officially at least) any time soon :-(

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

dr_gn said:

I think the most obvious thing is that the canopy upper edges were radiussed on the E3, and an angled edge on the E4 (like in the kit). so long as it looks good I'm not too bothered, but I'd at least like to use approximately the right markings and camo for the angled canopy variant.

It's true to say that the E-3 entered service with the earlier canopy style of the B, C and D models but any number were retro-fitted by the time of the Battle of Britain.

I have photo's of the E-3s of both I/JG2 and II/JG3 showing formations of aircraft with both canopy styles.

Having said that, if you only have the later canopy style in the kit make it up as an E-4 or even scratch up a bomb cradle / drop tank carrier and do it as an E-7

Edited by Ginetta G15 Girl on Saturday 13th February 22:09

[dr_gn]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

dr_gn said:

I think the most obvious thing is that the canopy upper edges were radiussed on the E3, and an angled edge on the E4 (like in the kit). so long as it looks good I'm not too bothered, but I'd at least like to use approximately the right markings and camo for the angled canopy variant.

It's true to say that the E-3 entered service with the earlier canopy style of the B, C and D models but any number were retro-fitted by the time of the Battle of Britain.

I have photo's of the E-3s of both I/JG2 and II/JG3 showing formations of aircraft with both canopy styles.

Having said that, if you only have the later canopy style in the kit make it up as an E-4 or even scratch up a bomb cradle / drop tank carrier and do it as an E-7

Edited by Ginetta G15 Girl on Saturday 13th February 22:09

One of my favourite colour schemes for the 109 is this one:



Which I think is an E7 tropical version. If the only relevant difference is the supercharger filter and spinner, I'd paint it like this and scratch build the different parts.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

dr_gn said:

Which I think is an E7 tropical version. If the only relevant difference is the supercharger filter and spinner, I'd paint it like this and scratch build the different parts.

Aye that's an E-7 Trop of JG27, probably around mid 1941 in Sicily. I can't tell which Gruppe although it's probably I/JG27 because the other two Gruppen were in the Balkans. By the time the entire Geschwader were in the desert arena together they had re-equipped with the F model.

Edited by Ginetta G15 Girl on Saturday 13th February 22:33

[dr_gn]

Here are the machined guns (ha ha) I was on about. The original plastic ones are not very good, so it would be rude not to buy some for the sake of £7, especially since they are on full view when the engine covers are off. Can't figure out if it's cheating not to make my own though. Then again...£7 seems very cheap for something that would take me many, many hours to make to a decent standard...









Even if I completely cocked up the rest of the engine bay, it would still look great with those bad boys in there!

[dr_gn]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

dr_gn said:

Which I think is an E7 tropical version. If the only relevant difference is the supercharger filter and spinner, I'd paint it like this and scratch build the different parts.

Aye that's an E-7 Trop of JG27, probably around mid 1941 in Sicily. I can't tell which Gruppe although it's probably I/JG27 because the other two Gruppen were in the Balkans. By the time the entire Geschwader were in the desert arena together they had re-equipped with the F model.

Edited by Ginetta G15 Girl on Saturday 13th February 22:33

Apparently (2 refs) it's an E4 tropical version, not E7.

[dr_gn]

Right, I've changed my mind. I'm going to model this aircraft, since it has a small link to my family:



This is Bf 109 E 4 "White 5" of 3rd Gruppe/JG 53 (53rd Fighter wing, possibly based in Guernsey), shot down over Margate, Kent on 6th September 1940. The pilot was Unteroffizier Schulte and the aircraft crash landed near Manston airfield. The swastika has been painted out. That was because the Wing Commander, Hans-Jürgen Erdmann von Cramon-Taubadel married a girl who, in Goering's opinion, was not suitable (Jewish). He therefore ordered the unit to remove their "Ace of Spades" mascot from the cowlings of their Messerschmitts and paint a red band around the noses of their aircraft as a mark of shame. When Cramon-Taubadel was replaced, the “Ace of Spades” mascot was reinstated, but, in response to this, the unit overpainted the swastikas of their aircraft in protest.

The photo is taken in Barker's Pool, Sheffield. It was displayed in aid of the Sheffield Newspapers War Fund (some kind of fundraising effort where you could buy a sticker and put it on the aircraft). As a 10 year old boy, my Dad was shown around it. I have found the above little bit of history about this aircraft, but if anyone has any other pictures or info, I'd appreciate it.

Cheers,

Dr_GN

EDIT: You can just about see a wing and the canopy in the background I think.

Edited by dr_gn on Sunday 14th February 13:56

[dr_gn]

Thaks to a bit of research and (mainly) the good folks on Britmodeller, I've now got all I need to have a good go at it. Unbelievably, there's even a Flight Sim model of that very aircraft:















Eyyyyyyy what a romantic Valentine's day afternoon we're having. Never let it be said I don't know how to show a girl a good time.

[Eric Mc]

Same here?

I wonder if the unit got into serious trouble with their very obvious snub of the Nazi emblem.
It would have been quite a brave thing to do.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Same here?

I wonder if the unit got into serious trouble with their very obvious snub of the Nazi emblem.
It would have been quite a brave thing to do.

I just asked exactly the same question on Britmodeller. I'd have expected the consequences to be severe. Maybe someone misinterpreted the reason for obscuring the swastika?

[Eric Mc]

One of the great things about aircraft modelling is that interesting stories like this pop out of the woodwork.

[GJB]

Built literally 100's of plastic kits in my early teens. Vast majority were WW2 military aircraft and lots of Luftwaffe because I liked the unusual and sometimes menacing camouflage schemes. I'm now in my mid 50's and started thinking about having another crack at these but obviously now have the funds to do a better job.

Great to see threads like this that provide inspiration and great reading matter. Like the larger scale models and would probably start with 1:32 or 1:48 scale and try to stick with one scale for consistency amongst the collection. If I went for a collection made up of WW2 Luftwaffe aircraft which scale has the greatest range of these aircraft and are there any particular manufacturers you'd recommend?

Only slightly off topic.

By the way those machine guns for £7.00 look amazing. Didn't even know such `add-ons` even existed.