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1/24 Trumpeter Bf109G-14 "Black 10" (Picture Heavy)


mustang1989

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  I don't usually build 1/24 scale aircraft but there's a small story behind this one. While I was overseas in Iraq back in 2006/2007 , the recreation center stocked model kits for soldiers and contractors to build in their spare time off. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a Trumpeter Bf109K in 1/24th scale there in the mix. Wow ya know?!! I snagged it with every intention of building it. Instead I had built a Hasegawa Bf109G-10 while I was over there due to the fact that hauling a completed 1/24th scale build back on a plane internationally wouldn't have been a smart thing to do. Anyways, the G-10 got built and while it was better than my previous attempts at modeling, I still had no forums that I was a part of and didn't directly know anyone that could help me out. It was detailed out though as I've always liked the details.

 

My 1/48 scale Hasegawa Bf109G-10

 

Bf109G-10001.jpg

 

   Bear with me one more paragraph while I tell you the rest of the story. Let's fast forward a couple of years to my return home from overseas. I'm not going into all the gory details but I developed a drinking problem starting when I was overseas and it was to continue for the next few years. One night at home in a drunken rage I ended up deliberately smashing that Hasegawa build along with some other stuff in the house before leaving the house. I scared my wife and son half to death and I drove off into the night not having anything to do but consume more alcohol. What a mess those days were. I went to a 30 day inpatient recovery where I started trying to beat alcoholism. Throughout the next 3 years the periods of sobriety kept getting longer and longer and I decided to replace drinking with something that had a more positive and productive outcome. Folks June 13, 2013 was the date of my last drink and me as well as my family are surely grateful for that. This build took place during the time that I was starting to come out of the vicious cycle of addiction in 2012 and is a symbol to me of my sobriety. It isn't a perfect build but the point of it was to replace that 1/48 scale Hasegawa Bf109G-10 with something BIGGER, BETTER and more satisfying than the one I smashed. In short , my worst day sober is one HELLUVA lot better than my best day drunk. 

 

 Now on to the details of the model. There are some things throughout the model here and there I know could be better and have been working on those in the last few builds but I'm fairly proud of my first time creation using weathering effects and more proper painting techniques. I have built this as a Bf109G-14 and have it displayed as it was in May of 1945 with JG5. The pilot was Helmut Nuemann and with this machine he managed to achieve 62 aerial victories. The addition of the 20mm wing mounted cannon is incorrect for this particular aircraft but I couldn't help myself but to build one of these "up-gunned" beauties! So without further delay I'll turn to the presentation:

 

Some of these pictures are either yellowed or too dark but they were taken at the start of my model photography career so please take that into consideration when viewing. smiley16.gif

 

The 1/24 scale Trumpy Bf109G-14

 

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I built the engine first by painting and assembling all of the plastic kit parts. I used the Verlinden update set #2062 which has some engine updates and a few parts of the firewall and ammo boxes. It also has a bunch of stuff for the cockpit but we'll get to that later. The engine coolant pipe was a piece of copper wire that came in the update set. I used electrical wire heat shrink that I acquired from Radio Shack cut to the proper length to simulate the rubber hose sections and heated up to shrink and actually "look" like sections of rubber hose. The hose clamps were a combo of left over PE sprue and .015" solder that was flattened and formed in the shape of clamps.  The supercharger inlet screen was taken from a Chevrolet 4.3 litre V-6 distributor that I removed as part of a GM service Recall at my dealership. (You just never know when youre gonna need stuff like that!! I weathered everything later when I started learning more about that.
On to the cockpit:

 

Cockpit2010.jpg

 

I then started on the cockpit floor. I painted it a coat of silver and then after that dried shot a coat of RLM 66. After that dried I chipped away the 66 from the high areas to allow the "aluminum" floor/skin to shine through. Then I started installing the aftermarket seat belts that I acquired (cant remember the brand but I bought em through Squadron). The rest of the goodies came from the Verlinden update. You know the stuff like rudder pedals, control stick, drive chains for the control pullies on the L/H side of the seat, cannon all that stuff! More completed shots of this coming up.

 

engine005.jpg

 

Almost forgot that top view of the engine with the guns and coolant crossover pipe /hoses installed.

So anyways back to the cockpit:

 

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I built the R/H wall first concentrating my attention on the oxygen apparatus and all that stuff. The hose came from the update set as did the guages on the wall. I used instrument panel decals from another kit in the guage holes with a drop of clear on top of them. The knob is from an aftermarket nitrous oxide bottle I had from a 1/24 scale car upgrade set. The chain/ sprocket arrangement in the foreground was a little off center but it doesn't show when viewed from the other side. Also have the shoulder harness seat belts installed here.

 Skipping to fuselage assembly

 

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I really hated to have to "button this thing up" because I couldn't get over the amount of detail that was in this thing. This was quickly turning out to be a favorite build of mine even though I was still learning all of the tricks of the trade at this point( and still am really).

 

Edited by mustang1989
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Next: The fuselage assembly and wing installation.

 

WingsInstalled002-1.jpg

 

Here it is all  buttoned up with the wings installed. No primer, no paint.....nothing. Had the gaps filled and all the panels buttoned down. As a first time for doing it this way I glued a spare canopy on and sealed it off. No paint inside you know......

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Here she is primed and ready to go........using Tamiya "rattle can" primer.

 

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I had mixed feelings about the mottle effect. Looking back I rightfully should have faded the edges a little bit but this was my first time ever applying such a crazy camo pattern. I used an Eduard 1/48 scale mottle mask from a 109 masking kit. I would apply anywhere from 1 to 5 or 6 mottle patterns at a time. Hell my then 8 year old son even applied one!(and no I can't remember which one was his!!lol). Even without the fading I was decently pround of what I did. The scheme is just friggin wicked!.

 

After I applied the basic camo theme and the mottling I moved on to the decals:

 

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Before this I knew nothing of really HOW to apply decals. I had the whole gloss coat thing down but never used decal set or Microsol until here. I will never NOT  use them again!!! These decals were a dream too. They were Eagle Strike decals #24006.

Moving along to the plane with a few more items on it and opened back up after the dull coat was applied

 

GettingthereBf109G-14002.jpg

 

I used after market wheels too. Can't remember the manufacturer but those turned out decent too. The dang tail wheel strut broke early on in the build so I had to wait till this stage to drill out the strut going up into the fuselage and the other half that was still attached to the tailwheel side of the strut. I then inserted a metal rod into both halves and pressed fit together using epoxy to secure the rod at both ends. It worked!!! And this is a heavy bird!!

A little up close of the engine detail and weathering of the nose:

 

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I also weathered the engine here after I had learned some tricks on how to do it!

 

And finally some finishing pics:

 

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This is the only picture I have with the cowlings closed. I should have taken a couple more this way.

 

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..............and with the cowlings open.

 

This next one below is outside and though it's unfinished, it shows the color off well.

 

GettingThere4.jpg

and then there's the scratch build deluxe for me on this whole build pictured below.  I bought a 1/35 scale 3.7cm brass ammo kit and used the shells from it. I opened up one of the wing gun pod access covers, sanded the door and inside of the pod to scale and displayed the 20mm cannon. This was SCREAMING  for something stoooopid in here so I cut the 3.7cm shells a little short so that they would fit into the ammo chute of the wing cannon. Then I used aluminum tape to scratchbuild the belt links and weathered the ammo and belt links. I weathered the cannon as well and drilled out the cannon barrels at the ends. Here's all that stuff in a picture:

 

Underwingcannondetail.jpg

 

And that's that in a nutshell. All in all I was happy with it. It took me about 8-1/2 months to build largely because of my inexperience and my taking extra precautions as to not do double work or screw this thing up. I will say this: 1) I have gone back to building 1/48 scale stuff because that's where I belong , 2) that Trumpeter has to make some of the most over engineered stuff I have ever seen. You know, 8 parts to accomplish building something that should have only taken 2 or maybe 3 and finally, 3) the friggin ejector pin marks!!! Good Grief there were tons ......and all in the wrong places!! Really I got past this build ok. While looking back and knowing that there were some things I wished I could have done differently or better I also feel a sense of accomplishment.....and had fun doing it. Thanks for looking, Joe
 

 

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Joe, first off, Welcome Home Brother. Good on you for making it out the other side. The build is very good. Not a big 109 fan or 1/24, but I do like well done models and I like yours I think it is a worthy replacement, don't you ?.........Harv :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:  :punk:

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Joe.....welcome home, and thanks for your service.

Love the work on your 109...Beautiful work. Looks like you have been at the large scale game for a lot longer than you are admitting.

As a suggestion, I think that you should perhaps consider building a few Hasegawa new tool 1/32nd kits before you swear off the larger scales. You have the knack.

Hope to see your work in the future-

Warmest Regards-

THOR    :ninja:

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I didn't know at all about the booze, Joe. I'm 30+ years sober myself, so I can relate to that particular dilemma (I don't discuss it publicly much). If I had not stopped drinking when I did, I would have died in a car crash, been shot by a cop, been institutionalized, or met some other miserable end. If you ever want or need to discuss this, please, by all means, PM me.

 

Your big kit looks cool to me too.

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'While I was overseas in Iraq back in 06/07'

I thank you for your service.

 

'the recreation center stocked model kits for soldiers and contractors to build in their spare time'

Maybe someone built a kit I donated?

 

'June 13th was the date of my last drink and me as well as my family are surely grateful for that.'

As are we.  Congratulations, my Brother.

 

I'm a fan of Black 10.  Nice build.  Love what you've done with the gun pod.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

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