Bf 109 G-14 Mario Bellagambi

[Mattcom]

Hello every body 

Here is my first build here and i hope he will go to the end...

My idea is to make the Italian G-14 WNr 464380 yellow one of Mjr. Mario Bellagambi.

I will develop the history of this plane (the research part of the building is my favorite) later I would like to thanks Mr Jean-Claude Mermet, a one "O" nine master researcher who really help me by his knowledge during this buid.

The base is of course the old but good Hasegawa G-14. Good because he is detailled and nice in shape, old because there are a lot of details to had. The most boring are the landing gear bay to detail.

 

For begining the excellent cockpit from MDC with a bit of detailing (end MW 50 instrument on the left) and MDC dials, Airscale stencil and HGW seat belts (G-6 model).

The base is Tamiya XF63 (next time i will use AK real i think) and highlight with XF66. The seat had before an aluminium coat.

Brush paint with Prince August. 

Weathering is a mix of ... improvisations with oils, pigments, felt pen, color pencil, etc...

 

Hope you enjoy it. I am open to any comment and correction. Next will be the fantastic Henri Daehne Prop :-)

 

Best from France

 

Sorry for the picture quality, I am not a good photographer...

 

Matt

 

 

 

 

[MikeMaben]

Hello Matt      Something tells me you've done this before. 

 

 

[Mattcom]

Hello everybody 

So here is the FANTASTIC Henri Daehn prop & spinner for my G-14

Work path was : 

- degrease

- Alclad undercoat

- The spinner received the Thunnus method : a coat of black, a light and unregular coat of white

- I painted the spiral with a brush, try to reproduce the real effect (they were painted by brush it seems), i made a mask with my Silhouette printer and then sprayed a light coat of black (with a drop of sand to break it).

- Blades received a light hairspray coat and then Gunze RLM 70 before scratchs

Everything was weathering with oils and Aeromaster aluminium.

Blades will later have a small coat of sand to simulate dust 

It is the first time I use the HD prop & spinner... There is no word to tell how fantastic job Henry made... Jewels !!

 

Best regards 

 

Matt

 

 

 

 

 

[ringleheim]

Progress looks great so far! 

 

Is this the color scheme you are going to do?

 

[Mattcom]

Hi @ringleheim

 

Yes :-) To be precise about this plane :

This is G-14 of Magg. Mario Bellagambi, commander of 5a squadriglia 2°Gruppo de Caccia. (5a sqadriglia is ex 2a, the name change in february 1945)

The 109 is Wnr 464380 and was photographied in Osoppo in March 1945

Osoppo is here :

 

And here is our fighter : 

 

This plane was really often shown in profils, decals, etc. The last time in the Eduard 1/48 G-14 box.

If I am right we have it by the work of F. d'Amico & G. Valentini who made during many years a fantastic research work on ANR fighters.

Myself researcher for the french magazine "Avions", I know how it's hard to find new documents and pictures who became later decals and models, that's why I talk about them.

They published it for the first time in their Monogram Book "Me 109 in italian service" and then in the book "Camouflage and markings of the ANR 1943/1945", Classic publications.

This book (a must have for all italian wings fans) was a base for my building. As i like research and i forget all interpretations about this plane and try to make my own idea.

So 

First, note that an other picture of this plane is publish in the "Camouflage and markings" book (page 164). It's a cockpit close up.

Anyway by that, impossible to identify the plane...

The good news is that D'Amico take the pictures from Bellagambi who identified it as it's "1" yellow.

Other good news, Bellagambi still had his paper from the war period with list of his squadriglia planes.

Yellow "1" is noted as 464380. 

With this Wnr we cans say that's the plane is a G14 produced by Erla-Leipzig between december 1944 and january 1945.

Italian received it a bit later and we are sure he is in strengh at two date : february 28th and march 14th 1945 (Bellagambi papers again)

The plane is later transfered to 6a squadriglia and became "11" white and will be destroyed at Villafranca (this info came allied intell. report, also found by D'Amico)

 

D'Amico said it was a G-14 without a MW50. For me it's a misinterpretation of Bellagambi papers. Moreover a G-14 without MW50 is ... a G-6 and this not fit with the Wnr.

From front to back we can check some detail : 

- The higher round filling hatch denoting a "big" oil tank at the front the one of DB 605D). This case is specific to Erla G-14 who probably received this cover because produce at the same time G-10

- For those who know the fantastic job of JC Mermet on 109G/K specification this is type 041 engine cover (author classification)

- underwing : we have the FuG 16 ZY antenna 

- Erla hood with antenna and loop

- In the cockpit, the back plate have (if the pictures page 164 is the same plane...) : battery box cover and the heating system BUT without the hole for warm air !

- The tail (moving part) come from Erla Antwerp or other subcontractor

- This plane is always shown with a long tail wheel. Why not the tree hide the truth. If it's true this could mean a modification... If not made my choice on this point.

 

Marking are :

- the Red devil on the front on a dark (?) patch

- Yellow 1

- The black cross is one on the most original thing on this 109... the reason why is not known...

- Underwing cross are classical

- Upper wing are not known but other G14 in the unit as the thin german white cross (faded it seems) and not ANR insigna

- Legs seems to be RLM 02

 

For the camouflage painting, as all late interpretation...

I am turning around and not sure about my ideas. But i think that Chris Wauchop G6 in Brett Green book about Revell kit will be a great inspiration

 

Next : the main Hasegawa default, the wheel bays

 

Best to all

 

Feel free to give me advice and correction I am really not a One "0" nine specialist... far from that...

 

Matt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SCRATCH BUILDER]

Welcome!

[Fanes]

Beautiful work on the prop!
I'm lloking forrward to the next photos from your build.

[dennismcc]

Nice start, like the spinner spiral, I had lots of fun doing one a while ago on a G55, in the end I painted mine though it was not as nice as yours !

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Kagemusha]

Stormo is a great site for Italian subjects. 

[dennismcc]

9 hours ago, Kagemusha said:

Stormo is a great site for Italian subjects. 

I'll second that, great site I got lots of very useful info from there when I was in my Italian phase, must get back to it.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Gazzas]

Great work so far!  Welcome to the forums!

 

[RLWP]

Hi Matt, welcome to the forum

 

Nice modelling, and some truly excellent research

 

Richard

[Mattcom]

Hello to all 

I continue with the exhaust and not with the wheel bay :-)

 

I made two attempts : one with quickboost exhaust andthe second with Barracuda

 

• Barracuda work

Simply used from the box after cleaning and cuting for Hasegawa adaptation

My path was : 

- Citadelle Black chaos (spray can)

- A very light coat of Tamiya AS 12 (spray can) just to have micro spots

- Spots of rusts colors (old small brush) from Prince-August (Burnt sienna, orange, pink...)

- A wash from MiG brown wash

- At the end some relief with a graphit pencil (mainly on the soldering)

 

I am quite happy with the result, wich as a great contrast.

 

 

 

 

• QuickBoost

I was quite disapointed when i discovered the Quickboost exhaust. If casting was as always perfect... there was no soldering line around each exhaust pipe...

Anyway I decided to try something.

I first painted them first in a very mat and dark grey and then applied Mig Gun metal pigment (wich is nothing less than graphite) with a brush. The result was good so i decided to make the soldering lines with very fine tin strips cuted in a good wine bottle cap (good excuse, only good bottle still use tin for the cap  for the one who want i can give the producer and the vintage year)

 

Then I take another way, trying to obtain a more soft result with the aluminium only seen by some angles under a brown coat - this effect can be seen on the Australian preserved G-6.

So I airbrushed orange, brown, pink, sand... All Prince August with high dilution (brand thinner).

After a mat varnish coat i made a black oil wash (thurpentine) to highlight the soldering line. At last a light graphite brushing was added and some scratch made on the soldering line (perfect with tin under).

I am quite disapointed by the pictures : the result is more brown in fact and i have really the graphite underside visible on some angle... sorry...

 

For the moment i do not know wich pair i will choose, the other won't be lost and put on an other projet...

 

Thanks for all your comments ! It's the first time i share i building, so feel free to correct me !

 

Matt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by Mattcom

[Mattcom]

Hello everybody

So things continue

WIngs were assembled with two mains works

 

- Correct the main default of the Hasegawa kit : the landing gear bay. I use the Quikboost set. It's a hard work to install it and i think it must have been simple to scratch on hasegawa parts...

They were first airbrushed with RLM 02, and brush painted with Prince August. Weathering with oils, Prince August for scratches.

- Riveting was made with a jewellery punch and a MDC guide. It's long but the result is amazing : very light and soft. 

Try not do do this in a one shot... little sessions of 10 minutes is my recipe...

 

Thanks for your comments ;-)

 

Matt

 

 

 

 

[nmayhew]

beautiful progress!

 

thank you for sharing your work