ruzlkampf

Roughed out my radar suite. It still has a few small bits that I'll install after fixing the in place. And re-did the armor glass in front of the canopy. 'G's had a thicker pane with a different attachment method. Oh yeah, got the pilot armor afixed to the fuse sides also. Next progress pics will be of the start of the paint-job! Yippeeeee! I'm off,.....talk to ya'll later! Russ

Also added some fixed tabs to the ailerons, and placed the last scoops on the engine nacelle.

OK, enough research and boring drivel. Now that I have the info I need, I'm going to be elbows and tail-feathers getting this knocked out! It's all ready for paint tomorrow. Here's some other detail bits that I've been working on in the meantime. Had to scratch build and carve a tail wheel cuz I just couldn't find anything close. Kinda proud of actually getting some hub detail in there.

I've been grinding my way thru EVERY pic of an ME-110G I can find for the last 2 weeks. Weirdly enough, I found some more pics of that AC in post#176 I'm adamant about painting mine like. Found these looking thru some JU-88 pics of 8./NJG-1 after the war at Fritzlar. (This Gruppe never fully transitioned to JU-88's after March '45) EVERY AC I've found in this unit is painted in the 'Gekko blotched' scheme I'm looking for. This pic also confirms that G9+HT also had shrage-musik. So; I found a unit that was based in Holland, received these 110's in September of '44,(putting me in the sweet spot of my time frame with the then new Fug-220d radar) with the camo I'm looking for, with a pilot that had 5 confirmed (10 claimed he told me) victorys, that I actually met. COOOOL! All these AC ended up at Fritzlar after the war, which makes perfect sense as it's just across the border after they pulled out of Holland. Also, I just happen to know Oblt. Rudi Thuns code for his AC; G9 + AM.....because he wrote it down for me! Whoohoo! Don't have pics of this particular plane, but I can get VERY close using conjecture and logic. Some different views of those 110's I posted in #176 after they had started being disassembled. Here you can see the shrage-musik in the aft canopy.

Whoohoo! Whoohoooooo! My ME-110G impasse has been broken, and it's time to rock & roll on this once again! Whew, that google book source saved my butt Rick! After checking out all those claims and dates page by page, I discovered Lt. Barthel got his 4th and last victory in Feb. 1945. Gaaaaaaah, no love on that choice. But then, I had an epiphany, and everything started coming together. Noticed a name that was vaguely familiar checking out some profiles. Oblt. Rudi Thun of 9./NJG-1. See that AC in post #176 that I wanted to paint mine as? It's from this squadron! Things got REAL interesting when I realized I had met this man(along with Gunther Rall) in 1986, and it clicked that (now) Dr. Rudolf(the name he introduced himself as) Thun was the same guy! He was a Vice-president at Raytheon(a physicist) visiting one their main offices here in San Diego. I got this Monogram book when it first came out in 1986, and it has excerpts and quotes from him on flying the 110 in combat....and he signed the inside cover for me. I found out he passed away the next year in 1987 at the age of 66. Small world?!

Here's my dilemma; I want this 110G-4 to be outfitted and mottled like this AC here. (I just think this is a classic pic) Fug220d SN-2 with the canted aerials, flame dampners and drop tanks like this, with the shrage-musik. This radar suite came out in October(?) of '44, and they stopped production of the 110 in February of '45.....so I've got a narrow window of time any aces flew this combination. Here's an example. Top pic has earlier radar, but more of the camo I want to do,....bottom has the radar and equipment suite I'm looking for but not the markings. DRAT! Guess I should decide these things before I start? Was really amazed at the paucity of pics for 110 aces, I thought they'd be a dime a dozen....but I keep seeing the same photos over and over. May have to go with the 'unknown ace pilot' I see pics of,....where there's a soldier standing next to a rudder with kill markings applied but nobody knows who? Jury is still out on this one, but so far I've got it narrowed down to Lt. Werner Barthel (but I haven't found out if he was an ace) or this profile of Oblt. Martin Becker (which isn't my first choice). Hmmmmm, still pondering. Got lots of 110 nightfighter aces to choose from, but very few pics of actual aircraft. Whelp, more pics as things progress and decisions made, eh? Later, Russ

Last of my 'stalling for time' pics. These show most of the 'G' features installed and ready to go. (except the radar of course)

Underside of the wing showing the aerials for the height-finding radar.

Okay, I'm going to step back a bit and show some broad overview pics before I got this all together and pre-shaded. If I don't decide on an ace soon, next progress pics will be of this sitting there in RLM76 with a radar on it awaiting mottling and decals.

Test fit with the canopy on, and it all disappears. (unless under very close scrutiny) I'm not going to even attempt pics of that.

Last 2 top rails to install. The Revi gunsight for the upward firing cannons goes into the rats nest under these, and the reflector sight itself is installed under the canopy glazing. Again, none of this will be seen with the canopy in place. And a side profile of this assembly before painting and it goes under the glazing.

Another view. Can ya'll tell I'm stalling here?

Let me zoom in and show ya'll how much is NOT visible! heh heh. This is one cramped and tight cockpit!

Different view;

Next step was to install the gunner, and put the 'false canopy' framework over the top of the radar dude. I got 'fancy' and added a bit of wire to the blind approach instruments over his head. Also, added a bit more framework to the pilots roll bar in anticipation of some future rails that connect all this together. Broad overview as the cockpit slowly gets swallowed up by the canopy.

Because this area is so tight, and a lot of stuff gets crammed into it.....this assembly had to be a 'sequence of events' to get it all in. Next was to install the 'bordfunker' at his station permanently.

Whuh oh,....I'm stalled out big-time on this project. Can't seem to find a camo/radar suite/ace pilot combo that is palatable to my tastes. (oh yeah,...like I'm soooo discerning? ) Until I can find what I'm looking for, I guess I'll stall for time by working on the radar antenna and posting more pics of where I was days ago. This is pretty much built up now with a pre-shaded RLM76 finish ready to go. Just can't find an ace that had the type of mottling I want to put on it. These are the last set of pics before I run out of in-progress photos and have to resort to bland images of this build mocked up in a 'mono-finish' with it's radar afixed. OK, after installing the pilot and IP....I moved back to the radar operators station for a radar fit. A little bit of framework in front of the equipment, and a splash of paint is all this area gets....it just won't be seen. (you'll see that in a second)

Wow! Those exhausts came out great. I can't believe you got them so uniform dude! So the Austrian engine had 6 individual exhausts that came out like trumpets? Cooool. Nice work on the prop too, I did something like that on my P-51A. Sheesh, at least you're getting ready to paint your build,....I can't even seem to find an ace that had his AC equipped the way mine is, or close to the mottled paint-scheme I want. Guess I shoulda checked that out BEFORE starting my project? Maybe I can fluff my way thru with an 'anonymous unknown' pilot with a rudder full of kill markings? Seemed to be a lot of pics of soldiers standing next to rudders like that. Anyway, hope you have better luck with your red/skulls than I'm having with mottles/radar suite combinations. Blast! Looking good buddy, looking forward to the next set of progress pics!

I left a few details out, cuz it just won't be seen with the crew in place. With an open cockpit and no crew, this cockpit would look pretty tough detailed to the max. Dragon kit is very nice. Also had a chance to finish off the ETC rack in preparation of zipping up the fuse. And finally got a chance to put that pesky support rod in the center of my radiators underneath. Next update will show the radar installation and completed 'top-deck' of the cockpit from the pilots shoulders up, and the beginnings of my paint job. I'm going to let ya'll guess which ace I'm going to paint this plane as. More pics soon! Later, Russ

View from the top with the side panels before I installed them.

Here's what my crew morphed into. From the front and rear.

Onto the 'shrage-musik' installation. I lowered this a bit more and added the rest of the bracing. Also added the ammo can for the rear MG81Z's. I've got some PE ammo belts that will go down into this nicely. Top view showing the ammo can a bit more clearly.

Crappy pic of the lower bank of radios below the radar set-up in the rear pit. Again, not much of this is visible. Probably a good thing, eh?