Eduard Bf 109F-4

[HubertB]

I am with Kevin : just one more light coat to blend in the starkness of the contrasts a little better …

Hubert

[Peterpools]

Chris

Looking good as the pre-shading works so well and can't wait to see the 109 with the weathering all done.

Nice going on the counterbalances - has to be a record for working on a build and not knocking off such small parts. 🏆

[CANicoll]

Thanks, Peter.  I do like the way that the bottom has turned out. It will be a challenge to duplicate the effect topside with the camo pattern.  I was looking at that a little while ago - trying to figure out a plan of attack.

It helps immensely that I have them in a tray all by themselves.  I keep lots of frozen food trays around for exactly this - holding parts.  I'm surprised I have not bent or broken off either the wing mounted probe or the tail wheel strut.  

[Landlubber Mike]

Looking great Chris - I wouldn't have thought to do a brown like that, but it came out nicely.  Enough to highlight the panel lines and at the same time, showing a sandy bottom that will spare you from having to weather it too much more.  

One thing I've also struggled with is whether to use the same pre-shading color all over the model despite the various colors, or specially tailor the pre-shading to the eventual color.  I haven't quite figured out what the proper technique is in such situations.

[KevinM]

13 hours ago, CANicoll said:

I was looking at that a little while ago - trying to figure out a plan of attack.

I wrote this earlier Chris but removed it thinking being to critical.Since the colors upstairs are going to be darker lay down the same brown in the seams and when you start to paint do the inside of the panels first.The paint is thin the pressure 12/15psi and being laid down thin.I have a knob on the back of my Renegade I can set for the draw if you have something use it.The gun is always moving inside the panel and do not go for 100% coverage once you have a few panels done start going over the seams to your liking it will take more paint.It's just the opposite on a light color like the bottom seams first then the panels.

[JohnB]

Your build is really coming along well. Looking gooood! 🙂

[CANicoll]

Finally making a bit of progress on the topside camo. Starting with the sand/yellow color, free hand.  Here is the overall scheme.  Tested using the same RAF Dark Earth color as on the underside and it largely disappeared under both the sand/yellow but especially the darker camo colors.  Hoping the usual black works out better.

The left wingtip has a hard mask line at the edge, and the white cardboard is my attempt to NOT break off the probe. 

Will let this set for most of today, then try the next color probably later this afternoon.  That is the plan, anyway.  The idea is for a faded effect overall.

 

[PanzerWomble]

Love it , thats really coming together nicely, those seams all look very tight , 

[CANicoll]

Thanks PW!

[PanzerWomble]

I was trying to post a link to Mike Rinaldi's current 109 desert build but it's Patreon only sadly 🫤

[CANicoll]

Thanks for trying! Oh well!

[Landlubber Mike]

Looking good with some paint on it.  Nice!

[BlrwestSiR]

Looking good there Chris. Any reason you just have flaps on one side?

[JohnB]

Your '109 is coming along very well Chris. Looks great!!🙂

[Peterpools]

Chris

Terrific progress on your 109 and nice going on the carboard mask to protect the pitot tube, as I know if it were mine, I would have broken it off more then once by now.

[CANicoll]

5 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Looking good there Chris. Any reason you just have flaps on one side?

Good eye!  Yes, the one fell off for the picture - it's in the bottom of the bin in the picture - and the other aileron is a completely different color than the wing so no need to have it attached.  Maybe a field replacement?

[CANicoll]

Have I mentioned I hate masking?  This is two bench sessions of masking, and I'm still not done.  Worse that this is only for color number 2.  One more after this...

Oh yeah, I did knock off one of the aileron counterweights - but found it on my mat.  Whew...

 

[CANicoll]

Ugh.  Found these pictures, which seems to show more freehand camo rather than use of masks...  Also, notice yellow 4 has what looks like green camo color rather than the black/greys called out by Eduard.

While this one looks more like hard lines on the back of the fuselage, but soft lines elsewhere...  So I get to pick and choose!   

[Peterpools]

Chris

Looking at both photographs, cammo schemes seem to be free hand, with very little overspray.  For my two cents, I would go free hand.

 

[CANicoll]

Peter - I like your thinking.  Also, saves an enormous amount of time masking...  👍

[Peterpools]

Chris

Absolutely, hours of masking for maybe ten minutes or so in the paint booth.

 

[CANicoll]

Exactly.  Time I don't need to spend!!

[CANicoll]

Laid down the second color, keeping where I already had the masking down but starting to do the soft lines on the fuselage.  Also working on the fading/shading and finding the pre-shading worked semi-well on the RLM 74 and I can see will be a real challenge on the RLM 70.  Once I have the RLM 70 down (the darker gray) will go back and see how the overall effect looks.

FWIW, the RLM 70 is on the left wingtip where the tip light is, and the triangle at the wing root also on the left side.  To the eye is looks a LITTLE darker but in the photos not so much.

Tomorrow should finish the RLM 70.

[Peterpools]

Chris

WOW, the cammo is looking awesome and the pre-shading is coming though just fine in the photos. Fingers crossed after the remaining colors go down, the effect will be just as good. 🤞

[BlrwestSiR]

Definitely a different camo scheme. You're doing a great job pulling it off Chris.