Building a JG54 Bf109 G-2 ... thoughts on a couple of colour images Yellow 3 and Yellow 6 please

[nmayhew]

hi guys,

i am approaching the paint stage on Trumpy's early Gustav which I am building as a G-2 from JG54 and would like some thoughts and advice on colours, or at least your best guess / interpretation thereof...

i am split between Yellow 3 and Yellow 6

Yellow 3

airframe points to note

- def a Gustav and not a Friedrich (location of fuel port, different canopy frame etc)

- not a Trop variant (no holders for sunshade)

- not a G-4: no small bulges on wings; tyres therefore 150x660 ie dimensions same as Emil, but the spoke design on hub was heavier / lacked lightening holes 

- absence of ventilation airscoop just under windscreen side panel?

 

colours / markings points to note

- non factory standard 2 tone green scheme: my take is RLM70 and a n other light green

- rear canopy frame: in same colour as the lighter green, or badly colourised but actually in RLM 75? I have a pic which clearly shows wing walk lines were not overpainted and left in either RLM74 or RLM75, so maybe this was also too fiddly to paint??

- fuselage cross lacks black outline

- wing cross - does this have the black outline or not?

- spinner: white and black segmentation is clear, but is there a third colour on the front most section? I have seen these in red on other JG54 machines, so this is plausible.

 

unsure if this is colourised as i have seen a few versions knocking around

 

the other photo which i think is the same airframe - the diagonal camo line running back from the cowling is match, and i can see no positive differences

 

 

and now Yellow 6

airframe points to note

- def a Gustav and not a Friedrich (location of fuel port - triangle just visible behind number 6, different canopy frame etc)

- not a Trop variant (no holders for sunshade)

- likely a G-2: tyre data warning on wing leading edge shows 150x660 (i have seen close ups of different airframes that show this as 669?) 

- absence of ventilation airscoop just under windscreen side panel?

 

colours / markings points to note

- non factory standard 3 tone green scheme: my take is RLM70, a n other light green; it's the third colour that is bugging me... I am torn between something like RLM02 and some sort of tan colour 

- I am presuming this is Yellow 6 + ~

- spinner: white and black 

- cowling, just behind spinner: the repaint stops, and shows RLM76 before we get to the RLM04 underneath

- RLM04 painted around RLM76 to keep stencil warning above radiator 

- underwing wing cross lacks black outline

- yellow wingtips underneath

- white wall on tail wheel

- swastika is white outline only (I can't recall whether that is standard for this timeframe)

 

 

 

the below image is from Luftwaffe im Focus magazine - this particular grab is from the net, shown only for the purposes of research / discussion

 

 

hopefully there is enough to peak some interest here,

any thoughts and observations would be most welcome!

Nick 

[Bomber_County]

I have the Kagero 109 book somewhere, I’ll look it if you want and see if there anything in there?

[nmayhew]

59 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

I have the Kagero 109 book somewhere, I’ll look it if you want and see if there anything in there?

don't go to too much trouble... I have the LuGa JG54 book, and a fair bit of 109 stuff in my library

i guess main areas of focus are trying to complete the camouflage and markings (for either bird) given they are incomplete views

but yes, any help gratefully received

i feel like i have another week of clean up before i can start looking at camo patterns in anger!

[nmayhew]

Obviously I haven't done any kind of WIP but here is where we are so far...

 

This is my first Trumpeter 109 but I have built the Trumpy P-47 (Bubbletop) before. The 109 has far more finesse generally in the parts; the rivet detail will be too much for some, but for the most part it is pretty sharp.

I will pose the canopy closed, but probably keep it loose (my preferred MO) so you can remove it and peek inside; cockpit was standard with just a couple of wire added, and HGW belts added.

Construction notes: 

- the cockpit is not glued to the fuselage; it was glued per instructions to the engine bearers and firewall, but then just layed in and fuselage closed up

- fuselage goes together well overall, but filler needed underneath where it meets the wing section; fille used throughout was AK Black Widow (a black CA) with accelerator then sprayed on; it's instantly sandable, and has really helped me speed things along

- also used this technique for the cowling panel just ahead of cockpit which in reality has no panel line

- i tried to do all filling and sanding and rescribing of rivets in discrete sections such that i would not destroy adjacent detail; wing roots were actually a very good join, but a panel line needed removing at front which was challenging but doable; note i did not attach the cowling pieces until this process was complete

- exhausts: these will be woefully recessed if you use them as part of the provided engine assembly; I used aftermarket ones glued from the inside; looked like a hatchet job, and they are very much eye balled in terms of location but the result is good enough for this kit

- cowling MG troughs are wrong; you can't fix these so you either try to use say an AIMS cowling part from G-2 or G-4 conversion meant for the Revell G-6 (I know, I know), or just make your peace; i chose the latter

- fuselage was closed up and then wings were attached - I had per instructions glued top and bottom together first and then glued the whole thing to the fuselage, but only after quite a bit of dry fitting; lower section was glued to fuselage, then wing root join glued second

- the dihedral needed some attention due to this method of construction - this was the one bit I did not enjoy; what you see below was repeated for each side, with the clamp pullling the wing root tight, then TET QS used; to my relief little / no sanding required after this

- MGs are Aber or Master (I forget) stubs, just glued into the cowl pieces; i did not construct the full gun deck bits as provided

- the cowls were ok, but required a small shim on one side - again this is because i chose to instal these last (pick your battles etc)

- spinner and blades: using Barracuda; it is very slightly too large, but i am going with it; the Trumpy kit fits like a glove, but is just the wrong shape for me

So that's where we are now...

Next up is landing gear and the lovely Reskit early G wheels; main seat belts (which could only be installed once cockpit tub was installed and mated with the rear bulkhead - no big deal); then get the canopy masked and on

Will try to provide a few more updates but overall this is better in terms of fit and finesse than Revell's MkII Spitfire (low bar I know),if that helps you trying to decide whether this or the Revell G-2.

PS I used Quickboost rudder as well - needed some sanding and persuading to match the airframe, but a definite improvement

[GazzaS]

Nice work so far.  My 2 cents on colors...   I don't believe there was a third color on the prop spinner.  I believe what looks like a third color on the B&W image is just a trick of the light.  The white segment was added at the factory, either masked, or not so that ppl could tell it was spinning.  I have seen images where a full circle was painted a different color on the tip.

For the camo...   I believe those were captured paints.  Russian black and green to be specific.  The dark color looks too dark to be RLM 70.  And the green, could be 71, but could have been Russian too.

Some reasoning...   The fighter unit, if issued paint, would most likely have been issued 74/75/76 per regulations.  I suppose they could have begged some paint from a bomber wing...   but knowing stingy supply personnel, I'm guessing not.  If you read anything written by Luftwaffe pilots of the period on the Russian Front, they lived a miserable existence.  Always in tents, always too cold, or too hot.  Always very poorly supplied. 

Another thought...   AGFA film of the period was notorious for adding a blue tint.

Anyway...   your model.   Have fun with it.

[nmayhew]

Thanks Gazza!

On reflection i am with you on there not being a third colour on the spinner.

As to the RLM70 / Russian paint thing - that does indeed sound eminently plausible; at least some of the JG54 birds show a dark colour that really is very dark indeed.

Progress is currently paused whilst i order new wheels - the ResKit early Gs were lovely but a pain to remove the resin from inside the tyre - on the last chunk of the second wheel i goofed and sliced the tyre...instantly f*cked.

I am ordering a second set, and also the Eduard set which i think are single resin piece, so no ballsing around matching hubs to tyres; I swear the next aircraft build i do i am doing the wheels first, just to get that sh*t over and done with.

[KevinM]

6 hours ago, nmayhew said:

I swear the next aircraft build i do i am doing the wheels first, just to get that sh*t over and done with.

Hey I was thinking of doing the Revell/SH Tempest if/when the wings/wheelwells are first.