Zoukei Moura Bf-109 G-14 a Non-Hartmann Build 1/32 Scale

[Panzerwomble]

This one is a real peach - do you think having a "nicer" ( and more expensive) kit in the first place encourages you to take a finer approach to the build ? 

[Gazzas]

7 hours ago, Panzerwomble said:

This one is a real peach - do you think having a "nicer" ( and more expensive) kit in the first place encourages you to take a finer approach to the build ? 

 

Thank you, Guy.  I'm always trying to improve my modelling skills, hoping to get a better finish each time.  What really motivates me to do better is looking at the work of other people here on LSP. 

 

What is easier is to spend dress-up money on an expensive kit rather than buying expensive correction sets for a cheaper kit.  The HGW rivets, seat belts, and 1 Man Army masks aren't exactly cheap.  But all well in line with my hope of adding detail and realism.

[MikeMaben]

On 11/26/2022 at 12:55 AM, Gazzas said:

              Aileron balances, Morane mast, DF loop, Canopy, Antenna wire...  am I forgetting anything?

 

Pitot tube, FuG25 IFF on the bottom of fuselage. 

[jeroen_R90S]

Looking great, Gary! Thanks for blazing the trail, even if I'm no Bf109 fan at all

[Gazzas]

Scuffing. 

 

Time after time, someone had to clamber up on the wing either to get into the cockpit or to service the guns and motor.  Please tell me what you like and dislike about the following series of photographs.   I have my own opinions, but would rather here yours, first.

 

This is my second attempt at scuffing.  The first time, what I did was barely visible.  So, much like most of the other weathering on this model, I pushed myself further.

 

Worst comes to worst, I can sand much of it back even though it is already matte coated.  If I hadn't applied a matte coat, you wouldn't be able to see anything.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you in advance, for your input!

 

Cheers!

[Greif8]

Hi Gary, continued superb work on the 109.  I think the scuffing looks just fine.  I used to worry a lot about how things looked when viewed in macro images or through my optivisor thinking that I had overdone things.  I then redid the work to scale back the effect(s) only for it disappear when viewed at normal viewing ranges and magnification because I was far too conservative reapplying things.  I now always look at what I have done without my optivisor and from ranges of 1 - 5 feet before I decide on any corrections/changes.  Figure faces are a good example, when I look at my work in say a super macro I almost always think, "What a hot mess!"; however, when viewed at normal distances it the face looks great.

 

HTH,

Ernest 

[Woody V]

First of all, I've been lurking on this build and enjoyed every episode. Never been a 109 fan, but you might just be changing my mind.

 

As for the scuffing, two things:

1. As it is, it looks more like a a lot of slipping and sliding happened rather than paint worn down from being walked on. 

2. Flaps have very thin skin and if it's marked "Nicht Betredden"(sp? LOL) it's NOT to be walked on because of the possibility of actually damaging the flap. 

 

I know this is a stretch but many years ago an art instructor told me "There are no random acts in art" and it's stuck with me all these years.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Woody V

[Scale32]

Gaz, assuming your using coloured pencils for the scuffing, I find using similar colours to each camo colour works best...... for me anyway. Also scuffing within the exhaust stain can also be lightly (randomly) oversprayed with said exhaust colour to give a bit more depth.

Hth.

 

Cheers Bevan 

[mc65]

interesting effect!
how did you get it?
 

in all honesty, it gives the idea that someone with rubber shoes slipped on the surface several times, I think the signs would be more credible if shorter and mixed with others such as damage to the paint and dirt brought up by the shoes, for example.

 

just my two cents, obviously! 

 

edit: when a picture is worth a thousand words...

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by mc65

[John1]

I tend to agree with mc65 and Woody.  I'd dial back the scuffing a bit, especially on the flap area.   Since most of these aircraft were parked and serviced on grass / dirt, I'd suggest using a bit of brown pastel or the paint of your choice to show a bit of dirt being tracked onto the wing root.   Even if it was wiped off, it would still leave a slight bit of staining on the paint.   Just my $0.02.   

 

Keep up the good work! 

[JayW]

WRT scuffing - maybe it's the hot mess I created on my Corsair, but it looks to me like there is plenty of weathering and scuffing, but no real damage to the finish.  There just had to be some scraped off paint.  I know you didn't do the hairspray thing, but perhaps some silver pencil in addition to scuffing?  I'd probably do a terrible job of that, but I'll bet you could do better if attempted.  That said - super closeups reveal too much.  I am sure this 109 looks great as is, from more normal viewing.

[Gazzas]

On 11/28/2022 at 7:02 PM, Greif8 said:

Hi Gary, continued superb work on the 109.  I think the scuffing looks just fine.  I used to worry a lot about how things looked when viewed in macro images or through my optivisor thinking that I had overdone things.  I then redid the work to scale back the effect(s) only for it disappear when viewed at normal viewing ranges and magnification because I was far too conservative reapplying things.  I now always look at what I have done without my optivisor and from ranges of 1 - 5 feet before I decide on any corrections/changes.  Figure faces are a good example, when I look at my work in say a super macro I almost always think, "What a hot mess!"; however, when viewed at normal distances it the face looks great.

 

HTH,

Ernest 

 

On 11/28/2022 at 8:53 PM, Woody V said:

First of all, I've been lurking on this build and enjoyed every episode. Never been a 109 fan, but you might just be changing my mind.

 

As for the scuffing, two things:

1. As it is, it looks more like a a lot of slipping and sliding happened rather than paint worn down from being walked on. 

2. Flaps have very thin skin and if it's marked "Nicht Betredden"(sp? LOL) it's NOT to be walked on because of the possibility of actually damaging the flap. 

 

I know this is a stretch but many years ago an art instructor told me "There are no random acts in art" and it's stuck with me all these years.

 

On 11/28/2022 at 9:06 PM, Scale32 said:

Gaz, assuming your using coloured pencils for the scuffing, I find using similar colours to each camo colour works best...... for me anyway. Also scuffing within the exhaust stain can also be lightly (randomly) oversprayed with said exhaust colour to give a bit more depth.

Hth.

 

Cheers Bevan 

 

On 11/29/2022 at 12:14 AM, mc65 said:

interesting effect!
how did you get it?
 

in all honesty, it gives the idea that someone with rubber shoes slipped on the surface several times, I think the signs would be more credible if shorter and mixed with others such as damage to the paint and dirt brought up by the shoes, for example.

 

just my two cents, obviously! 

 

edit: when a picture is worth a thousand words...

 

 

On 11/29/2022 at 1:09 AM, John1 said:

I tend to agree with mc65 and Woody.  I'd dial back the scuffing a bit, especially on the flap area.   Since most of these aircraft were parked and serviced on grass / dirt, I'd suggest using a bit of brown pastel or the paint of your choice to show a bit of dirt being tracked onto the wing root.   Even if it was wiped off, it would still leave a slight bit of staining on the paint.   Just my $0.02.   

 

Keep up the good work! 

 

On 11/30/2022 at 2:45 AM, JayW said:

WRT scuffing - maybe it's the hot mess I created on my Corsair, but it looks to me like there is plenty of weathering and scuffing, but no real damage to the finish.  There just had to be some scraped off paint.  I know you didn't do the hairspray thing, but perhaps some silver pencil in addition to scuffing?  I'd probably do a terrible job of that, but I'll bet you could do better if attempted.  That said - super closeups reveal too much.  I am sure this 109 looks great as is, from more normal viewing.

 

Guys,

     Thank you for your earnest replies.  I wanted to reply to your posts earlier, because I read them as quickly as I could.   But I needed a bit of time to digest what you wrote as well as ruminate on how I felt about what I had accomplished.  I waited for a week, and the more times I looked at it, or even thought about how it looked, the more I hated it.  So part of today's update will show my new results. 

 

I started by sanding back the earlier attempts at scuffing.  I left enough of it in place to hint that some slight paint damage has occurred.  I may still change it later.

 

 

My next tasks were to add all of the protruding parts common to Luftwaffe fighters late in the war.

 

 

I had four different DF loops on this machine.  The original, two brass, and the final one, Stainless steel.

 

The original DF loop broke when I lost control of the machine and my lap prevented it from making it to the floor.  The fragile plastic couldn't outlast my clumsiness.  And the two brass DF loops either got knocked off repeatedly, or because of their softness were continually getting knocked out of shape.

 

 

So I thought to myself...   "I'll fix your wagon!"  So, I have these Stainless steel wheel stencils which are on a fret.  And the thinnest pieces of the fret are just narrow enough for the job.  Notice the nice blued color?  I hot-blued it by heating it red hot, and then dropping it into olive oil.  So I can avoid painting it.

 

I also had to worry about how I was going to attach the antenna radio aerial.  I hate the simple expedient of just drilling a couple of holes.  It just seems wrong in larger scale.

 

 

I've had a love affair with Bob's Buckles since I first used them to rig a WNW kit.  Just don't tell Mrs. Buckles.  Here, I have attached the eyelets to both the antenna mast and the vertical fin.

 

The largest and most frail protuberance is the Morane Mast and the pitot tube. 

 

According to the regulations the aerodynamic wooden fairing was to be left in a natural color with a clear varnish for protection.  I painted the metal parts RLM 71.  I saw somebody do it with red and white stripes like the night fighters had on their lower aerials...  But I haven't seen any photographic evidence of it.  This is a plastic kit part.  Mucho Fragilico.

 

I also weathered the wheels and wheel well covers so that they would fit in with my very dirty underside.

 

 

I really wanted the wheels to appear much dirtier.  But weathering over black...   and trying to be subtle about it...  Gives weak results.  But I can live with that.

 

Finally...   A couple overall shots.  You can see I didn't forget the FuG 25 IFF aerial under the rear fuselage.  Thanks, Mike!

 

 

 

Thanks for looking...  

...and as always, your comments are appreciated.

 

Happy Modelling!

Edited December 1, 2022 by Gazzas

[MikeMaben]

Looks good Gary 

[Greif8]

Hi Gary, everything looks exceptional my friend!  The overall paint job top shelf, as is your weathering of the airframe.  Great job repairing the DF Loop as well.  This build will surely have an honored place on the shelf.

 

Ernest

[tucohoward]

Really nice, Gary! I found this picture in one of my JaPo books. If you want to weather the radiator flaps feel free

 Jay