Kotare teaser - it's a Bf 109K!

[Gazzas]

It all looks good to me.  Though, I was hoping for some surprising engineering like they did with the Spitfire.  The dorsal and ventral fuselage seams come to mind, but may not be visible in these pics.

 

As far as flush rivets go, there are a couple nice options.  One, is HGW surface rivets:  when lightly sanded look really nice.  Or, using a beading tool.  If somebody could combine the head of the correctly sized beading tool and make it into a riveting wheel, it'd be nice...  though expensive tooling.  But, the pressure needed to work it might be high.

Edited January 22 by Gazzas

[Martinnfb]

I think the engineering is pretty innovative, two top cockpit segments are separate so no filling there. Tail assembly is pretty much like the real thing. Slats are inserts in two positions. Cockpit is just a pure heaven, probably the best layout in any scale. Besides the lower wing sanding orgy this should be very pleasant build. Rivets on 109 are easy, so no drama there.

 

Look Mom smooth surface

[D Bellis]

Locomotive rivets aside, the ridiculously raised panels under the wings are a deal breaker for me (unless they fix it prior to release?):

 

 

A shame, really, since I had been looking forward to this kit as hopefully superior to the Hasegawa offering. I guess not...  

D

[Martinnfb]

It is superior, big time, even with those gnarly panels. The shape seems right, K-specific details are all there. Canopies are bloody gorgeous.  Once again THANK YOU KOTARE. 

 

 

And with Tempest or two on the box art? Done deal 

 

Edited January 22 by Martinnfb

[BurttheBiplane]

Perhaps, maybe, hopefully it's some sort of distortion with light and phone angle?  If not I'll still by it, build it, and love it.

[quang]

1 hour ago, D Bellis said:

Locomotive rivets aside, the ridiculously raised panels under the wings are a deal breaker for me (unless they fix it prior to release?):

 

 

A shame, really, since I had been looking forward to this kit as hopefully superior to the Hasegawa offering. I guess not...  

D

The ridiculously raised panels remind me furiously of the 1/35 Border A6M2 Zero. Looking at your pics, they could have been designed by the same individual(s).

The Border Zero kit is rather good, reasonably accurate, well-moulded with near-perfect fit. But the brutish overdone surface detailing just killed the mojo in me. 

[Gazzas]

I see some of the stuff like the rib tape where the end of the wing connects...  and those thick underwing panels, and I think:  "WHY?"  I hope they are just test shots that will be fixed once all of the complaints are in...is that how it works?

 

My bone(S) to pick are the tailwheel and supercharger intake.  I really dislike it when wheel and oleo are molded as one piece.  They also could have been a bit more innovative with the supercharger intake.  Now we'll have to deal with that seam that is so difficult to reach.

 

I really want to sweep the bench clean when I get mine, and I don't want to have to wait for AM.

[Mark Robson]

Hey team, thanks for the interest.

 

Those pics were grabbed (with my permission) by one of the IPMS club members on a phone in poor light on a messy background.  I don't know what the algorithms have done to the images but the underwing paneling looks waaayyy more subtle than that pic would have you believe.  We will get some better pics up soon, and then we can see what everyone thinks.

 

I didn't want to squash the enthusiasm of a fellow club member, even though I knew the images might be open to misinterpretation. 

 

We are VERY open to constructive feedback, especially if you supply the pics on which your feedback is based.  

 

But just ask yourself;  would Radu and Richard Alexander ever design something that looks that gross??

 

As to riveting the whole thing; not our thing. Some will dislike this approach and we accept that, it's cool, each to their own 

 

More soon, 

 

Cheers

 

Mark Robson

Kotare Models 

 

 

[Mark Robson]

Heya Gazzas,

 

We are all for new ideas on how to avoid seams, I hate seams too.  What are your ideas for the supercharger intake that eases the inside seam issue but  preserves the weld bead on the outside??

 

Cheers

 

Mark  

[IainM]

As said in the post that was put out when @Mark Robson unveiled the test shots, this is a first test shot and there are a few tweaks which have been identified and need to be fixed.
I for one, am super impressed with what I can see and cannot wait for the final production run to happen - like yesterday!!!!
As far as rivets are concerned - for me I'll rather stump up for a set of HGW rivets (that's if they release a set for this K4), I've used them on 109's before and personally prefer the result over sunken rivets - but that's just me. I think Mark and Kotare have done us all a huge favour in showing us what's coming!! Although the Hasegawa K-4 is still a very good option, my money will be on this one....
 

[CRAZY IVAN5]

1 hour ago, Mark Robson said:

Heya Gazzas,

 

We are all for new ideas on how to avoid seams, I hate seams too.  What are your ideas for the supercharger intake that eases the inside seam issue but  preserves the weld bead on the outside??

 

Cheers

 

Mark  

Well, for my money it looks real good ,for the most part that is. Like Gazzas I too would like the tailwheel to be separate from the strut. As far as the supercharger intake , would it be possible to make a one piece inner sleeve or liner that the 2 intake halves could fit around , that way no inner seam and it preserves the outer welded seam? I'm still wondering about those wing panels "appearing" to be raised, very puzzling.   

[MikeMaben]

 

 

 

Help ?

 

 

 

Edited January 22 by MikeMaben

[Gazzas]

4 hours ago, Mark Robson said:

Heya Gazzas,

 

We are all for new ideas on how to avoid seams, I hate seams too.  What are your ideas for the supercharger intake that eases the inside seam issue but  preserves the weld bead on the outside??

 

Cheers

 

Mark  

Hi Mark,

    Thank you for the response.  Many of us don't just model aircraft, but also armor.  And making weld seams is just an everyday part of the process that takes either putty or stretched sprue and a couple of minutes.  Here is a video by a famous modeller if you're not up on the process:

 

 

The actual weld bead making process starts at 10:19 in the video.

 

As for parts breakdown, I've used Mike Maben's recent picture to illustrate how the intake is preferably broken into three parts:

 

Again, thanks for looking.

 

 

Edited January 22 by Gazzas
typo

[Andreas Beck]

From what can be seen here is rather obvious. Something must have gone wrong with data transfer from the design unit to the electrode. The marked panel is wrongly embossed on the lower l. wing (also the next but one outwards) and the rivet-presentations  are embossed, too. I think this has the consequence to make a new electrode and this mistake will be eliminated with TS 2. 

[nmayhew]

@Mark Robson

Thank you very much for your feedback - soothing words indeed  

 

Whilst the tail wheel moulded as one isn't necessarily what I would expect, if that's the 'worst' thing about the kit then we will all be happy bunnies (or as happy as modellers ever can be! 🤷‍♂️)

 

I don't have any empirical evidence but my strong feel is that most modellers would have preferred rivet detail on the surface, but I also think it will not have any effect at all on your sales, so given you have stated that rivets are just not your thing, I have now made my peace with it 

 

Thank you again for coming on here - it is very much appreciated

 

It's also quite cool to see someone living out the dream that many of us have - we live vicariously through you in that regard and it certainly gives me a lot of pleasure

 

All the best

Nick