Bf 109 G-2 of Johannes "Macky" Steinhoff - REVELL - 1/32

[nmayhew]

I have the book and the profile is fine

[Furie]

Thanks for this information Nick, I'm not used to work without pictures so it's reassuring for me.
It's surprising that there is no information about this aircraft, while there are so many pictures of the Bf109 F and FW 190 of Assi Hahn available everywhere...

Edited May 16, 2023 by Furie

[MikeMaben]

On 5/15/2023 at 2:53 PM, Furie said:

The problem is that I can't find any picture of this plane to corroborate the color profiles.

Did it really exist or is it a dream of an airplane profile painter?
I'm interested in any photo or even to indicate me a book where this photo is.

 

You can trust the profile Denis, Jerry (and Judy) did a lot of research when releasing decal sheets.

A photo would be black and white and not much help beyond Jerry's profile.

[Furie]

Thanks for confirming Mike, so if I want to do this Assi Hahn, I can go with my eyes closed.
To tell you the truth, I'm still hesitating but one thing is for sure, he'll have a yellow nose!
And concerning my G2, the extent of my irrecoverable mistakes makes that I will start from scratch...and to be more precise from a new box...

C'est la vie...

Edited May 18, 2023 by Furie

[Antonio Argudo]

18 minutes ago, Furie said:

irrecoverable mistakes

what you mean? your build was going on the right direction!

cheers

[thierry laurent]

26 minutes ago, Furie said:

Thanks for confirming Mike, so if I want to do this Assi Hahn, I can go with my eyes closed.
To tell you the truth, I'm still hesitating but one thing is for sure, he'll have a yellow nose!
And concerning my G2, the extent of my irrecoverable mistakes makes that I will start from scratch...and to be more precise from a new box...

C'est la vie...

As far as you did not damage the clear parts, few things are irrecoverable.

[Furie]

Well, actually, the painting revealed some irrecoverable errors in the construction phase: 

- ½ outer right wing badly glued against the ½ inner right wing: this creates an area where the plastic material is missing
- The two ½ vertical stab are badly assembled because of a Revell centering stud I designed, which I did not see and which makes the thin vertical thicker (on the fixed side of the plane, not the moving part)
- The famous upper engine cover that I never really succeeded in integrating with the other parts of the engine: there are still "holes" that I can't fill and moreover, by sanding the plastic material, many engraving lines of the model have disappeared
- The left and right sides of the cockpit are badly glued 

 

In fact, instead of following the Revell instructions, I should have worked on the two ½ fuselages separately from nose to tail and then assembled the whole to have less work to do and also to ensure a perfect continuity of the structure (especially a perfect alignment of the 3 parts of the engine cowling with the back of the fuselage).

I should also have glued the 2 ½ upper wings together to have a perfect joint, then glue the lower wing.

I wasn't careful enough and I just followed the instructions, without really testing the right positioning of the parts.

 

That's what I'm doing now, to my regret.

Pictures to follow

Edited May 18, 2023 by Furie

[thierry laurent]

Indeed. This is an important point. It is always better to dry fit and assemble sub-components to get 'standard' assemblies that allow you to solve the problem of seams where it is easier to do. Typically, always assemble parts to get as much as possible full half fuselages and wings. Don't despair as every modeller had such problems at least once. At least now, even if it was done the hard way, it is a lesson learned. Instructions are useful but are rarely perfect. So do not hesitate testing and dry checking.

[Furie]

3 hours ago, thierry laurent said:

Indeed. This is an important point. It is always better to dry fit and assemble sub-components to get 'standard' assemblies that allow you to solve the problem of seams where it is easier to do. Typically, always assemble parts to get as much as possible full half fuselages and wings. Don't despair as every modeller had such problems at least once. At least now, even if it was done the hard way, it is a lesson learned. Instructions are useful but are rarely perfect. So do not hesitate testing and dry checking.

 

Thanks Thierry, everything you say is terribly true and I wanted to go too fast trusting the instructions.

I lacked common sense and yet there was a little voice telling me to assemble the upper 1/2 wings together as well as each ½ fuselage, and thus have less adjustment work to do.
This lesson cost me 35€ and time...

Let's just say I'm taking it with philosophy*

 

1st step: I assembled the 2 1/2 ends of the vertical stab on the left and on the right (just above the opening to place the horizontal stab), plugged and sanded with CA the hatch on the left on the nose at the front + hatch at the right rear + the 2 ventilation hatch right and left under the cockpit (only one that exists on the left but smaller and placed a little more forward) :

 

 

 

 

2nd step: I glued the two ½ wings together, paying attention to their alignment to simplify the finishing operations and I carefully glued the ½ engine covers to their place in the same way.
I separated the hinges of the fixed part of the vertical stab to glue them on the mobile part of the vertical stab (originally and by dint of manipulation, these 2 hinges had broken).

Note the presence of the insulator of the radio wire at the end of the vertical stab and which only asks to be broken then lost during all the phases of assemblies!

In progress: finalize and make disappear the joins of the wings, the front engine cover and the rear engine cover (under the cockpit) :

 

 

 

*It's not true, I don't take it with philosophy at all, I'm terribly angry!

Edited May 18, 2023 by Furie

[MikeMaben]

Hey Denis , if you used CA to assemble all that you have, debonder will undo all that you have done.

Clean up the seams and start over.

https://www.amazon.fr/s?k=Super+Dissolvant+de+Colle&__mk_fr_FR=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=2UPATCSDCX3R2&sprefix=super+dissolvant+de+colle%2Caps%2C210&ref=nb_sb_noss

[mozart]

Put it all down to experience Denis and learn from your mistakes. As for instructions…..sure, use them as guidance but don’t ever take them as the letter of the law. If you’re like me, your heart won’t be in your “failed” build, so move on but use the less than perfect 109 as a paint mule. 
Comme tu dit, c’est la vie! 

[Furie]

1 hour ago, MikeMaben said:

Hey Denis , if you used CA to assemble all that you have, debonder will undo all that you have done.

Clean up the seams and start over.

https://www.amazon.fr/s?k=Super+Dissolvant+de+Colle&__mk_fr_FR=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=2UPATCSDCX3R2&sprefix=super+dissolvant+de+colle%2Caps%2C210&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Thanks for the tip Mike, because I don't know this product at all: do you mean that if I glue two plastic parts together with CA and let the glue dry, several days later I can take off the two parts with the debonder? (if that's it, then I must be the only one on this forum who doesn't know about this product, shame on me!)
At least I could use it for the future.

[MikeMaben]

1 minute ago, Furie said:

 do you mean that if I glue two plastic parts together with CA and let the glue dry, several days later I can take off the two parts with the debonder?

 

Yep, and this may sound crazy, but put the assembled parts in the freezer for a few hours first, then the debonder.

[Furie]

1 hour ago, mozart said:

Put it all down to experience Denis and learn from your mistakes. As for instructions…..sure, use them as guidance but don’t ever take them as the letter of the law. If you’re like me, your heart won’t be in your “failed” build, so move on but use the less than perfect 109 as a paint mule. 
Comme tu dit, c’est la vie! 

 

That's exactly it Max, I'm like you: when I see the extent of the damage, I take a deep breath, I analyze why I got there, I draw conclusions for the future and I try to move forward. That's what I did given the price of this model by ordering it immediately in the store so that disappointment wouldn't make me stop everything.

I think I made the right decision.
And that's also why I haven't bought yet a Spit Mk IX from Tamiya at 150€: in case of a huge mistake during the assembly, regrets don't have the same price.
Thanks for all these encouragements, especially since I look very stupid to have to start from the beginning...

 

Denis who keeps the faith in spite of the immensity of all that he does not master...

Edited May 19, 2023 by Furie

[Furie]

12 minutes ago, MikeMaben said:

 

Yep, and this may sound crazy, but put the assembled parts in the freezer for a few hours first, then the debonder.

 

Thank you so much Mike, I'm ordering this product immediately, I have the idea that it won't stay indefinitely at the bottom of a drawer the next days! 
On Amazon France, I found these products: it doesn't matter which one I choose, they are all effective or do you have a favorite brand?

 

Dissolvant 4ml détachant nettoyant de colles cyanoacrylates super glue métal bois verre plastique textile : Amazon.fr: Bricolage

 

Loctite Détach'Glue, dissolvant colle qui enlève taches et résidus de colle cyanoacrylate, gel transparent multi-usages et qui ne coule pas, tube de 5 g : Amazon.fr: Bricolage

 

DEBONDEUR21-30ml: Dissolvant pour colle cyanoacrylate détachant, qui enlève taches et résidus de colle cyanoacrylate : Amazon.fr: Bricolage