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Bf 110E-3/trop 2.(H)/14 North Africa - almost done


Fanes

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So fellas it's time for my contribution to the group build.
I plan on doing Bf 110 in a North Africa livree. Initially I was headed for a "standard" ZG.26 bird but during my research I found some more interesting planes.

Namely 5F+PK (https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-110/AG14/pages/Messerschmitt-Bf-110E-Zerstorer-2.(H)14-(5F+PK)-North-Africa-01.html)

and 5F+YK (https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-110/AG14/pages/Messerschmitt-Bf-110E-Zerstorer-2.(H)14-(5F+YK)-WNr-2408-North-Africa-01.html and a highly intersting scheme:

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-110/AG14/pages/Messerschmitt-Bf-110E3-Zerstorer-2.(H)14(Pz)-(5F+YK)-WNr-3454-North-Africa-03.html).

Both 110s are E-3/trop types so a conversion will be necessary. Base kit will be the Dragon nighfighter kit, because I couldn't get one of the E-2/trop kits.

The necessary trop parts were generously donated by @Shawn M and the camera will be sourced from AIMS.

I got myself some reference material (hard to get too!) and the eduard masks to save work on the canopy.

Additional AM will be the quickboost exhausts, HGW and enduard seatbelts and Master gunbarrels (bought for my Ar-196A).

564872-34859-30.jpg

 

Stay tuned and enjoy the view.

So long

Joachim

Edited by Fanes
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All these beautiful Bf 110G-4 nightfighter builds and the other 110 builds in this group build are a big motivation for my bird.

I'm currently still at the research stage. So here's what I plan to do for this conversion:

  1. Putting on the trop parts - including sand filters and big oil cooler intakes
  2. Representing the dust covers on the MG17s in the nose
  3. Replace the MG FF ejection chutes on the belly with a window for the camera.
    I still have to figure out what the cover for this window looks like and how it was installed.
  4. Scratch-build the camera mount
  5. Scratch-build the power supply and motor for the camera
  6. Get the AIMS RB50/30 camera to fit in the scratched mount
  7. Probably scratch-build the late style gunner seat?
    The kit includes the early style with a rotating seat and an additional cushion near the radio/over the MG/FF.
    My current knowledge is that the 110E should feature a one piece seat like in the AIMS G-4 conversion. Input on this topic is highly welcome!!

That's the plan which will keep me busy for quite some time. Discussions regarding details and of course regarding the camo (maybe RLM 78/79/80?? on 5F+YK) will keep this thread alive until the real build starts.

 

Cheers

Joachim

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Joachim glad to see you add your build in here!

Be sure to check your kit boxing as mine came with dust covers for the guns. Otherwise some metal or styrene tube is an easy way to replicate it.

I have some 'off; angle shots of the camera window, but have not come across any proper shots of it.

Do you have the camera schematic from the Messerschmit manual, if not I can send that diagram over.

 

Shawn

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20 minutes ago, Shawn M said:

Be sure to check your kit boxing as mine came with dust covers for the guns. Otherwise some metal or styrene tube is an easy way to replicate it.

I've already checked the box - the nightfighter kit has only very short covers which appear to be flash suppressors. So I'm looking out for some metal tube in the right diameter.

23 minutes ago, Shawn M said:

I have some 'off; angle shots of the camera window, but have not come across any proper shots of it.

Do you have the camera schematic from the Messerschmit manual, if not I can send that diagram over. 

I found tons of pictures where the window can be seen, but none of them is taken directly from beneath. The only useful thing I founf was an old propaganda movie on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzQ8N30NEiM (at 0:27) where the window can be clearly seen. But the Messerschmitt manual is highly welcome - can't have enough reference on this!

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Work is starting slowly.

568806-34859-97.jpg

 

Comparing the dragon fuselage to the plans from Shawns book led to the following work to do:
- fill the ejection chutes

- cut out the square camera window

- rescribing multiple panel lines, this will be hard work since the existing rear panel has the width of the camera window and the panels on the E-3 should be 2mm wider

 

I used the wing spar and the lower fuselage to get the camera position realtive to the cockpit floor:

568807-34859-31.jpg

 

The final position will be determined through the rear seat and the radio equipment.

That's it so far, I'll spend a lot more time planning this conversion before the first cut - I hope it's not too boring.

 

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The exterior should be straight forward. The interior sill be more tricky - including scratching the camera mount.
By the way interior photos are really rare especially from the recon 110s.

 

Not a lot of work for today. Backing the gas vents and ejection chutes from the inside, then filling with Milliput.

Directly after application the excess was removed with a wet cotton-bud. After a complete day of drying there was minimal cleanup with a sanding-stick required.

Meanwhile the panel lines were filled with CA and sanded too.

The panels are for now just drawn with a pencil:

569303-34859-82.jpg

 

Well, filling the aft chute seems to be unnecessary  :D

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Thanks for the kind words mates.

 

I started scribing and cutting and here's the result so far:

569703-34859-19.jpg

 

Quite some cleanup on the panel lines necessary. I need more practice in scribing and probably better tools. I'm using an old airbrush needle.
Are there any good scribers out there?

 

The saying goes: "measure twice - cut once". Well I did a lot of measuring and corrections, since the photo of my last post revealed skew lines.

I was quite happy with the result seen above - until I inserted the cockpit floor. But have a look yourself:

569702-34859-29.jpg

 

The panels in the plans and on my fuselage are symmetric, but the opening in the Dragon cockpit-floor has about 1.5mm offset.
Not sure what to do now..
Maybe the frame of the camera window will cover the step. Otherwise the cockpit-floor needs some trimming.

 

While thinking of a solution and waiting for the resin camera to arrive, I turned my attention to the small bits in the cockpit.

The representation of the rudder pedals in the kit is quite disappointing for a LSP, so I erased a lot of material and opened all holes:

569705-34859-37.jpg

 

The seat adjustment thingy (?) is a little bit clunky, too.

The handle's shape is completely of, so I transformed my dremel into a lathe and made a new one from a piece of sprue.

569704-34859-51.jpg

 

The housing which consits of a bent sheet on the original airplane lost a lot of material, too.

569706-34859-22.jpg

 

Next up is the chain which runs from the lever to the back of the seat and the seat's missing armour plate.

 

So long

Joachim

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