nmayhew

ok, another small update... time to add the radiator PE parts and their covers i had read that the PE parts were slightly over-sized, and this did seem to be the case, but not by much with the right tools this is easy to fix: where they were too long i used my tamiya "snips" (i think they call them "xuron cutters" but not sure - either way they are small and only for small sprue cutting or thin metal), and where they were too high, i glued the part on and then filed the PE until flush with the plastic this was much easier than having to either cut or file before gluing i used a tamiya diamon file btw - seems like i am plugging tamiya stuff i know; sadly they are not paying me but their stuff is bloody good anyway here are some pics: i also used brass tube to better replicate the link between the flaps and the wing: the kit part has a plastic stub ...it looks so-so... but since the gap is quite large, i thought this would add a nice touch... pic is a bit crap sorry: but shows finished detail ok... i thought about using the PE radiator grills to show more detail but was concerned about them getting bashed about since the plane is still sitting on its belly, and it will be for a quite a while since this is in no way a "speedy" build! as a reasult, i'm almost certain i would have dented them... ...basically i couldn't be bothered!!! the radiator covers didn't fit that great - test fit before gluing as always - but in the end looks ok: elevators and rudder next - i'll try to update again soon as i am concious that this build is rather snail-paced compared to others on here, and i see from the traders' forum that it has even prompted someone to sell their kit!!!!! see you later Nick

nice looking bird - i've always liked the "sky" type colour found on some late late war Luftwaffe aircraft. if you really want to go town on all things aftermarket, then doesn't Jerry Crandall have some gorgeous 190 books to get extra references from maybe? i gather the price matches the "gorgeousness", but then again he is pretty much "Herr Dora" as far as i can gather! hope the build goes well Nick

wow what a lot of aftermarket -VERY jealous! lovely looking build so far can i ask, what markings are you using - got any pics of the specific aircraft you are making> cheers Nick

hello, welcome and....wow! how cool does that Mossie look????? lovely build / painting... does the kit go together well, and what if any non-kit parts are you using? thanks for posting Nick

thank you all chaps for your responses - i never thought to stir up so much interest! lovely pic Charles - this is visual proof of what Lynn said on HS; not that i had reason to doubt him, but it's always nice to have pictures to go with the writing!! kind regards, Nick

i then added the other cowling pieces, drilling out the small vent just by the starter crank port: i then added the two most ridiculously small PE pieces to the landing gear bays before i forgot them for good: next update soon...

then after a bit of dithering fit the main cowling on with the guns "loose" inside to be glued once the cowling was secure the cowling did not mate cleanly with the lines above the exhaust, and the left side had to be pushed out a bit, which i did using a toothpick (dental hygiene has added benefits!!) the only problem was that i ended up gluing the toothpick to the engine!! i tried to pull it out but could see the plastic crazing so stopped and performed some surgery with my saw... if you won't tell, i won't!! front view:

hi guys some updates after another busy week... first up, some info on new tools i started using tamiya quick type CA in a dinky little dispenser, and also their diamond file for filiing PE parts - both work very well indeed the glue comes in a hard case with grips that you squeeze to give decent control, and it has a pin cap to keep the glue from drying out so i like that anyway, i added some wiring to the gun area (interruptor mechanism??) as some of this stuff should be visible after it's buttoned up, then added a wash: test fit to see what i mean...

cheers guys very interesting stuff i guess i will go with flaps down, and both ailerons down as well (this is i think indicated in the kit, but it's good to have it backed up!) i'll update my build later today thanks again Nick

Ron, thank you kindly - niiiice pics! both the first and last pics lead me to another related question: what about the ailerons? would they both droop down, maybe at same angle of the flaps, or is it a case of one up, one down? cheers, Nick

Hi, I am labouring through Eduard's 109 E-1 kit and want to know if when "at rest" the tail planes could be angled either up or down, and if so by how much? given these pieces are supplied separately in the kit, i thought i might as well show them at an angle, if appropriate. i would be grateful if anyone could illustrate with pics if possible. finally, would the tail plane angle be linked to anything else? just so i don't have an unlikely or impossible configuration... many thanks, Nick

hey dennis out of interest, could you post this pic if poss, as i'm always on the look out for ref material? fwiw, i actually like your version better anyway!

hi, i think you'll find the font / colours for the DW coded aircraft is wrong? - wasn't it "chunkier" and outlined in another colours? (yellow from memory) sorry don't have refs to hand but can distinctly remember the pic (not a profile) from one of the Osprey numbers (Late Marque Spitfire Aces???) interested in opinions, as i have the PCM kit and want to "Radu" it into a XIV and am looking for decent but historically accurate WWII schemes (no interest in post VE Day) cheers, Nick

sooo... adamant that i was going to use the trough seals as installed on an actual aircraft, i worked out a construction sequence thus, because fitting seals to guns, then guns to gun deck then cowling on top could mean trough openings not lining up with guns/ seals, which would be very difficlut to fix... so, first fit the seals to cowling (note trough openings had been sanded to match more closely the very shallow angles of the seals) looks a bit wonky but no big deal; then added some liquid putty (ah yes, the putty mountain ) to fil the small gaps from the inside, as adding to the outside would be impossible to sand away so the cowling plus trough seals looks a bit like this: and once the guns are slotted in the trough seals, it looks thus (had trouble getting good shot in right focus, but it's an improvement, trust me!) i then sanded away the back of the main cowling and the front of the gun cover cowling, to replicate the "gap" that is present on real 109s - nothing glued yet, just dry fit for illustration - note that if you add the gap you must use full gun barrels / gun deck as that is what will be showing! next will be painting the gun deck and guns etc, and maybe adding the odd wire (i'll see), before gluing everything in place, but that will be for later in the week / next weekend all comments welcome... cheers, Nick

ok update time folks... this morning i turned my attention to the gun deck and cowling areas on the plus side, i have already made use of the lovely MasterModel brass MG17s, as supplied to me by JamesH... some issues... the main cowling does not fit well with the gun deck and engine installed, so i snipped off the two little "bulges" here... i sanded the cowling roof a bit, and also made some corrections to the shape of the cowling gun trough openings (more about that below) i also got rid of the supercharger protrusion, figuring i will add stuff back on afterwards, depending upon what will be visible i also added the "flaps" tp the bottom of the cowling in the closed position - Frank Crenshaw said these were a bit too short and added some plasticard to fill the gap - i found them a bit too small but nothing some glue didn't fill now, the instructions give you the option of cowling on, with "stubs" for the MG17s, or cowling off, and showing the full Monty. the former does not make use of the cowling seals which "join" the gun barrels to the gun troughs / the cowling itself you therefore have something which looks like this: which is not really how it should be so what to do???

you're welcome there are some members who "cross over", but please keep in mind LEMB is a research forum, and not a modelling one per se... i have always found them happy to help, but am also concious of not wanting to make a pest of myself by asking questions i could probably answer myself with 30 minutes internet research hth Nick

hi guys @ Charles sorry, not sure what happened with that link thingy! should be corrected now, although it will go to the first page of the build - is that what people generally do? let me know if i should change it... @ Crash thanks for the heads up re the Tamiya mag... cheers, Nick

@Matt yep, hanging in there!

hi Gary, thanks for the comments - yes a lot of the "problems" are self induced, but many are not Brett never posts a full step by step build - all you see is the nice "here is one i prepared earlier" stuff which, whilst it looks nice, is pretty useless if you are looking for instruction on what to (and not) do... just my tuppence worth... as to the rear fuselage, yes good spot - another reason to be wary of CA glue! by the way this has nothing to do with stuff round the chin area not lining up, as they were glued in completely separate stages have a i used a mountain of putty? well, one man's mole hill and all that... the way you mention Frank Crenshaw's build, you would think everything fell together!! it is his build i am following (although he is waaaaaay better than i am!), and i can assure you that many of the probs / issues (that are mostly easy to overcome) i have highlighted here have come straight from his build... here is the link, although i don;t know if he is still updating it, or is having a "rest" http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....howtopic=179259 anyway, i guess the gist of your comments is that i should pay a bit more attention to my build, and i accept that, but i am sorry if you don't think it is useful for you as i said before, i think the 5 step blogs and "ta-dah" it's suddenly done a ) defeat the object b ) aren't that useful for modellers who aren't masters, and who want to learn through common experience cheers, nick PS to re-iterate, i like the kit...

hi, it's a nice kit but do pay attention - it is NOT shake 'n' bake!! see link below to my build if you want some pointers / how not to bits etc! N

try the LEMB guys... http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/forums/index.php?act=idx

Hi Matt, Lovely work i have 2 of these kits so your build will be very useful when the time comes thanks for sharing Nick

begs the question how could PCM get it SOOOOOOO wrong??? anyway, nice looking "proper" 152 pit there - will you be making a version / changes so that it fits into the PCM kit, or would it fit in anyway you think? cheers, Nick

ok it's been a while and basically i haven't done much i scoured away with a dremel type tool a bit of the engine parts which were somehow distorting the line of the engine fuselage, pulling it off to one side it looks uuuuugly but does the trick: i think the reason this was required was probably hasty assembly, rather than the kit itself, linked to my having to "wedge" the engine in the first place hey ho... i also addressed the tail plane dihedral issue in one simple step looks pretty drastic but after (stupidly) supergluing rather than using normal glue and its asscoiated "wiggle room" (technical term) it was the only option. it was pretty easy to fix - i glued the wing, then filled the 1mm or so gap in the strut with superglue and putty, then sanded to naked eye satisfaction, and voila! strut looks a little thick but will sand some more in a bit... once i have sanded all the fuselage joints that need it i will then move on the gun platform in front of the cockpit, where i am still not sure how much detail to or what course i will take... cheers, Nick

cool stuff! any chance you will be doing a ventral bomb rack for a Spitfire for some of these babies? i know there were many "unofficial" / jerry-rigged versions, but something is better than the zilch currently out there... cheers, nick