IainM Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 With my F6F5-N build on hold, I'm starting on the next one, which is the Dragon Bf110C-7 backdated to a C-3 variant, flown as a night fighter by the Italians. I can only guess that the Luftwaffe wouldn't have given them new machines.... My main source of reference is the fantastic book about the Bf110 by John Vasco and Fernando Estanislau. If you're building the 110 C, D or E, this is a must-have. Mg17 barrels will be replaced by brass ones from Master, and the colour scheme is from a set of decals I have from Owl. I'll make my own masks though on my Silhouette, using the decals as reference. I had a choice of schemes/decals to choose from, but the oddity of the scheme won me over.... For the cockpit I have the choice of Yahu panels, Eduard Panels or the kit panels. I will most likely end up going with the kit interior....the first two, although they're OK, just don't offer that 3D look of the plastic parts. I'll put some Airscale decals and placards on it, and it should look the part. That being said, I might use the Eduard throttle quadrant box details on top of that to spice up that portion. The Dragon Bf110 kit is getting harder and harder to find, which is a real pity, as they are a real gem of a kit. I have 6 of them already, as I plan to do a night fighter version of all the main variants - C (in progress), a D (built), E, F, G2 and G4. The detail on the kits is excellent - crisp moulding, awesome texture and the plastic is lovely to work with. The instructions themselves are dodgy at the best of times, but once you've figured them out, and in most cases deviated from them, it's plain sailing! To make the most of the tooling and moulds, I think Dragon based almost everything on the D/E variant, and then tooled details that would make building the C's possible. To convert this kit to a C, all I had to do was fill the cockpit fresh air vent just aft starboard (from E variant onwards) and fill the port aerial connection point on the fuselage (only C-2 and earlier had the twin aerials) According to my reference book, the changes between a C-7 variant as in the kit and the C3/4 were miniscule. Deleting the central bomb rack basically mods the C-7 to a C-4, and then between the C2, 3 and 4 there were differences in the radios, belly radio mast and whether or not it carried improved MG-FF/M cannons. But as some frames were retrofitted with different modifications, the sources state that it is almost impossible to externally tell the difference between a C3 and C4....makes life easier for this conversion though! So I have started with assembling some of the major components - some for test fitting, some for details - like the engines - (which will be concealed beneath cowlings) to the firewalls and gear bays. That gap forward of the horizontal stabilizer is meant to be there....the angle of the stab was adjustable. Test fit only to the fuselage, that's not glued either. The kit has had its Mg17's removed, but I managed to keep all the retention clasps for the guns as per the kit - so the Master barrels are a slide-fit into the nose. So no pointy bits to break off whilst handling the model, and they can be burnished towards the end of the build and inserted into the nose cap. So that's it for now! Hope you enjoy the process with me! Iain Alain Gadbois, Antonio Argudo, Uncarina and 30 others 31 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMaben Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Looks like fun Iain IainM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Love a Dragon Bf110 build! I’ve done the E and G4, just the F to do now.....kit and AIMS conversion in the stash. Good luck with this one Iain, interesting colour scheme. monthebiff and IainM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grunticus Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 My Revell C-7 just arrived, I shall be watching and learning here. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Good to see another Dragon 110 on the bench and great start! Regards.Andy mozart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 @MikeMaben indeed! @mozart Thanks Max ! Just had a quick look at your G build - that was before I joined LSP - some nice tips in there thanks!! Beautiful result!!! @Grunticus I believe that's the Dragon tooling? If it is, then it's probably the best tooled kit Revell has in 1/32... my last couple of kits were Revell, they were interesting to say the least... but more likely my skills.... @monthebiff thanks Andy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 I meant to pop this in my original post, but forgot....so here it is.... No sales pitch, but just huge appreciation to a new piece of equipment I recently picked up from @Troy Molitor, it's the David Union D360E Hand Router. Absolute game-changer compared to my Dremel in regards to the rotational speeds, cutting than rather melting plastic . There's some stuff I've done with it, even on this build so far that I would never have dared to do with my Dremel, as I know with the Dremel I would have destroyed the plastic. D.B. Andrus and Anthony in NZ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 23 minutes ago, IainM said: @MikeMaben indeed! @mozart Thanks Max ! Just had a quick look at your G build - that was before I joined LSP - some nice tips in there thanks!! Beautiful result!!! @Grunticus I believe that's the Dragon tooling? If it is, then it's probably the best tooled kit Revell has in 1/32... my last couple of kits were Revell, they were interesting to say the least... but more likely my skills.... @monthebiff thanks Andy! Andy (monthebiff) led the way with the G4 build Iain, everything I did I cribbed from him! Uncarina and monthebiff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 5 minutes ago, mozart said: Andy (monthebiff) led the way with the G4 build Iain, everything I did I cribbed from him! @mozart that's good info thanks, I shall peruse his builds and crib from him as well!!! monthebiff and mozart 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Crib away Iain, one of the great things about this community is everyone are always willing to share their hints and tips etc to help others. Looking foward to seeing your C-3 come together, I'm itching to start my G-2 conversion but trying to be good and finish a couple of other projects first Regards.Andy mozart, Madmax, IainM and 1 other 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzas Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 Interesting subject for certain! IainM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM Posted March 28, 2021 Author Share Posted March 28, 2021 I've made a slow start, in between shifts at work and things on the home front, to the undercarriage bays and legs. At a point now where I'm happy with the little detail I've added on top of the detail supplied in the kit. Basically added the brake line plumbing, some major hydraulic cabling in the bays, detail to the gear struts, and attachment points to the struts and bay doors for the wire cable system that closed the bay doors. Quite prominent on the real aircraft, so a must-have and adds visual interest. I'll use elastic cable painted a metallic colour to add these wires once the doors are added at the end of the build. Some of the detail in the pics is only dry-fitted or white-glued, makes it easier to remove for painting. Kit bay with a couple of fittings added from plasticard, punched with my hex punch and piping. Bay doors with some brass attachment points from my spares box. Knew they would come in handy one day! The pins are fitted into drilled holes - the kit doesn't offer a very sturdy mounting system at all for the gear doors to the bays, def one of the weak points of the kit. It'll add a little more sturdiness as well as increased mating area. Legs with some extra detail added. I'll wait till the end to simulate the bands with foil around the legs/brake pipes. Rest of the images are an indication of what it'll look line sans the gear doors and door retraction/closing system. Lots of lovely kit detail on the roof, etc, will look great under a coat of paint and weathering..... Supersonic, monthebiff, Rocat and 19 others 21 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Stunning work as always Iain! This will be a show stopper. I will make sure I never enter a competition or category you enter now you are doing 32nd IainM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Excellent start Iain. You’ll doubtless know that there’s a short vertical length of pipe that comes out of the underside nacelle that drains excess oil into the “square-shaped cup” athwart the u/c leg then another pipe run from that along the bracket outboard (I think from memory) of the wheel. IainM, scvrobeson, Uncarina and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM Posted March 28, 2021 Author Share Posted March 28, 2021 15 minutes ago, Anthony in NZ said: Stunning work as always Iain! This will be a show stopper. I will make sure I never enter a competition or category you enter now you are doing 32nd @Anthony in NZ Mate, that comment is funny! I look at work like yours and wish I could do 10% of the mastery you put out there!! But I'll take the compliment thanks! As for competitions...no thanks...too much politics Anthony in NZ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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