Bf109G-12 (two seater) Revell + Alleycat conversion

[Zero77]

Hi,

 

I'm secretely working on this one for a few weeks.

 

Actually i made a small order from Alleycat last Christmas and couldn't resist anymore for this uncommon version of the 109.

 

I did not take a lot of pictures of the build, sorry. But the conversion is quite straightforward, requiring only a few adjustment. Not for beginers, but not really difficult either.

 

The fuelage replacement parts are very thin, and must be glued butt joint on the kit fuselage. So after a little fight to glue them the more flush possible, i applied a rather thick but even coat of JB weld on the inside, so it's now virtually undestroyable.

 

The cockpit was nice, not overdetailed (actually the front office is just a copy of the Revell cockpit) but it's correct. Actually i just added the wires coming out of the radio of the front office. A very nice LSP member kindly sent me a few (rare!) pictures of the rear cockpit, but finally i decided to not changing anything to the rear, as it looks quite good to me. Except the rear instrument panel, i added 1mm in depth, and add some lead foil all over so it looks like there is a cover. It looks better and more compliant to the pictures to me.

 

It will be a pretty fast build, actually i just want to have fun with an uncommon 109, have fun with the paint job, and i still have to make my mind if i make the canopy closed or open.

 

 

For the instruments, i used 2 old hasegawa instruments decals that i puched, and a few MDC Luftwaffe instruments. Unfortunately one of the hasegawa ones had a bit less constrast and was a bit more yellow.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Zero77

[Zero77]

The outside of the fuselage.

 

It looks a bit coarse on the pictures, but i took a great care to have a perfect joint (seam filled with CA, sanded and then Mr Surfacer). It's smooth like a baby's butt :

 

 

 

And i also finished the nice Alleycat exhausts. Painted with alclad manifold, various brown shades, a bit of flat black a some Mig pigments. Yes, there are some tiny holes in some pipes, i only noticed them on the pictures ! They must have rusted too much.

[LSP_Kevin]

Excellent work, Nicolas! I've had a long-standing goal to convert my old Revell Bf 109G kit to a G-12, but the introduction of this set from Alley Cat has diluted my desire somewhat. Looking forward to following your progress!

 

Kev

[BradG]

Sweet. I've been waiting for Hasegawa to do one in 1/48, much like the 2 seat zero, but it doesn't look like happening any time soon.

[Kagemusha]

Very nice work Nicolas, it's a conversion on my to buy list. Personally I'd leave the canopy open...

[andromeda673]

two seater BF109 in 1/32...............you bet I'm following this one! 

[Guest]

OH, I like !......Harv

[kkarlsen]

Wow two seater, and I thought I new a lot about Luftwaffe planes - great subject!

 

Cheers: Kent 

[mattlow]

It's a nice chunk of resin isn't it.

 

As you're the first I've seen doing this conversion. I hope you don't mind me adding a few shots that others may find useful when doing this themselves.

 

Part of original G-12 canopy framework - stbd side with the fixed panels. 

 

 

 

Rear 'pit

 

Upper rear instrument cluster which was usually covered with a simple metal cover...

 

Hope this is useful to some. Look forward to seeing some progress on your G-12.

 

Matt

Edited April 4, 2016 by mattlow

[Zero77]

Thanks a lot for the pictures Matt, they are almost impossible to find with google.

If someone has a picture of what the back of the rear cockpit looks like, it would be much appreciated, too !

The alleycat part i got is different than the one on their website, maybe they improved it? and you can also see on the pictures that the rear pit stops just at the fuselage slope (or even just aft), so there is absolutely no "turtle deck" like on the single seater. I just wonder where to fix the seatbelts?

[mattlow]

I can help there... I helped Alec with info...

 

Crashed G-12, belts visible..

 

 

Same machine, better angle... all clear now..

 

 

Finally, an Avia CS-99 (I think that's the designation) while the canopy is entirely different to the G-12. I think the inners here are essentially the same...

 

 

Hope that helps.. must get back to my Hurricane..

 

Matt

[Zero77]

Great !!!!!!

 

Thanks a lot, you just unstuck me !

Now, back to the build....

[Chek]

Yes, there are some tiny holes in some pipes, i only noticed them on the pictures ! They must have rusted too much.

 

 

 

Excellent effect!

 

And providing your paint scheme finish is equally worn out looking, you've got a winner in your hands.

[Zero77]

Excellent effect!

 

And providing your paint scheme finish is equally worn out looking, you've got a winner in your hands.

 

Lol !

I still have not chosen the scheme (actually i think the yellow 242, but still not sure, i already have so many yellow marking aircraft in my display !), but it wont be overworn. Just what's needed for a pretty used trainer in the toughest years of the war, but not more.

I think the tiny holes in the pipes are bubbles, or something.

 

 

I can help there... I helped Alec with info...

 

Crashed G-12, belts visible..

 

 

Same machine, better angle... all clear now..

 

 

I modified the rear bulkhead so it matches better what i see on the pictures. It seems there is no more door unlike the single seater so i sanded the details, cut the bulkhead and added a plastic sheet (1mm). Then i added the 2 belts fixation brackets. After a coat of primer it looks good to me. I may want to fill the small seam between the two plates, but not sure as there must be one on the full scale stuff (but hardly noticeable on the pictures).

 

 

The part out of the resin set :

 

Modified :

 

Dry fit :

 

Primed :

Edited April 5, 2016 by Zero77

[Zero77]

It's progressing slowly, but progressing.

I enclosed the fuselage and started to glue the wing. I also glued the side panels on the front and the corrected engine cowling for a G-4 from alleycat, and puttied and sanded everything.

I also tried a dry fit of the canopy, and it looks good so far. I may have to shape a very little bit of the rear canopy to match the fuselage width, but it's quite good.

 

However, i had a kind of bumb on the left fuselage side, but i grind it with a coarse grain sanding stick and it's now right. I dont know if it would have been noticeable anyway (i only noticed it with the finger or when putting a ruler aside the fuselage).

 

Here is how i reinforced the inside with JB weld :

 

 

and what it looks like at the moment. I really like the look of the canopy. The resin parts are very clear, except the rear one, which is a bit different, certainly because of the tricky shape. But i'm seriously considering keeping the canopy closed, to get the nice lines of the two seater. I dont care keeping sliding canopies open, but for side opening ones, i always find that it breaks the lines of the aircraft.