Galland, the Luftwaffe Man - BF109E - Hasegawa - 1/32

[tchwrma]

Hi! I have already started this kit a long time ago, and stopped. Now I have the opportunity to start again and conclude the kit. At first, I would like to thank you for the chance to finish my kit in this GB.

To begin, a little history:

Adolf Galland
(1912 - 1996)

     

Generalleutnant
JG27, JG26 e JV44
705 combat missions (280 in Spain)
104 victories (35 on England, 7 w/Me 262, 47 Spitfires)
Hurt in action at the end of the war (26.04.1945)

 

Adolf Galland is probably the most known Luftwaffe pilot of WWII. Not because of number of his kills, but special kind of charisma , a characteristic for all great aces. He was the youngest general grade officer of either side in World War II, and at age 29, he was more competent in aerial combat, strategy and tactics than many of the experts nearly twice his age. As a fighter pilot he was credited with 104 aerial victories. He was also famous for making a lot of modifications to his Bf 109 fighters. He enhanced their fire power, installed better pilot armour and, a cockpit cigar lighter!

He was born in Westerholt, a small village in Westphalia on 19 March 1912. His father was an administrator of private lands and properties. Adolf was the second son, after Fritz. His younger brothers were Wilhelm and Paul. These two younger brothers followed Adolf into the Luftwaffe fighter forces. However they were not as lucky in combat. Paul (17 victories) was killed on 31 October 1943, mistakenly shot down by another pilot of JG26. Wilhelm (54 victories, Knight's Cross) was shot down a year later. Since childhood Adolf Galland was fascinated by aviation. He started building model aircraft when he was 12 years old. When he was 16, he began glider flights. In 1933 Galland realized a dream when he received his first pilot's license. During training in 1935, he crashed in a Focke-Wulf Fw-44 biplane and he was in a coma for three days. He had serious skull fractures, a broken nose, and a partially blinded left eye from glass fragments. His commander, Major Rheitel, an aviator from the First World War, assisted him during his recovery and getting back into flying. He returned to air duty, but a year later he crashed again, this time on Arado Ar-68. Galland again spent a lot of time in the hospital.

  

In 1937 he volunteered to go with a group of German pilots for service in the Spanish Civil War. In this group were other future aces like Hannes Trautloft, Wilhelm Balthasar, Günther Lützow, Eduard Neumann and Hajo Herrmann. They arrived in El Ferrol on 7 May 1937. Galland became a squadron leader in the Legion Fighter Group, equipped with Heinkel He-51 biplane fighters. Lützow led a squadron of the newest Messerschmitt Bf 109Bs. Galland entered action over Brunete in July 1937. He flew over 300 missions as a leader and he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Diamonds, only awarded 12 times in Spanish history. In 1938 he returned to Germany. Having great experience, was ordered to begin the organization of Luftwaffe ground attack units.

  

At the beginning of WW II, Galland flew in Poland in the Henschel Hs 123, until October 1, 1939, performing ground attack missions and proving the dive-bombing concept. For his efforts Galland was awarded by Iron Cross. Next, he was assigned to JG 27, commanded by Oberst Max Ibel. During the French campaign Adolf Galland scored his first kills on 12 May 1940, when he went with Gustav Rödel on a mission. Galland shot down two "Hurricanes" from 87th Squadron in two sorties. He had 12 victories by 9 June 1940.

  

 When "Battle of Britain" started, Galland was assigned to JG26 Schlageter as Gruppenkommandeur of III/JG26. His debut in that unit was very successful: he shot down two fighters on his first mission. On 18 July 1940, he was promoted to Major and a month later (on 22 August) he received the Ritterkreuz (Knights Cross) after his 17th victory. During the "Battle of Britain" his score increased rapidly, and on 25 September he was decorated with the Oak Leaves (for 40 kills) by Hitler. Galland also succeeded Gotthard Handrick as Kommodore of JG26. On 1 November 1940, he scored his 50th victory and was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel). One month later he became a full colonel.

Galland experienced being shot down himself on 21 June 1941, when JG26 was stationed at Pas de Calais. The Germans attacked Bristol "Blenheim" bombers and Galland downed two of them. However, some escorting "Spitfires" shot up his plane. He was forced to belly-land in a field. This same day, after lunch, he went on his next sortie. On that mission he shot down his number 70, but when following the burning "Spitfire", he was bounced and shot up badly. His plane caught fire, and he was wounded. He tried to bail out, but the canopy was jammed. After a dramatic struggle with the canopy, he was able to bail out at the last moment. His parachute opened just as he hit the ground. He was bleeding from his head and arm and he had damaged his ankle on landing. On 2 July 1941 Galland again was in trouble, but that is another story. Please check the text: Adolf Galland and the dramatic air combat July of 1941. On 9 August 1941 Galland 'welcomed' the famous Douglas Bader, who was just shot down by JG26 fighters.

At the end of 1941 Galland become General der Jagdflieger ("commander of fighter forces"), and went to Berlin. Gerhard Schoepfel became Kommodore of Galland's beloved JG26. On 28 January 1942, Hitler awarded him again, this time with the Brillanten (Diamonds). Galland still was at the rank of Colonel, but in 1942 he was promoted to General, then General Leutnant. He was enthusiastic about the new jet fighter project, and he gave great support to the Me 262 program. However, the protracted development time and Hitler's idea to turn the aircraft into a bomber "Schwalbe" slowed the entrance of this revolutionary fighter by a year.

In January of 1945 Galland and other officers (Lützow, Johannes, Steinhoff) had a notorious confrontation with Göring over the performance and future of the Fighter Arm. Galland was removed from his position and even arrested and threatened with a court-martial. Eventually he was allowed to organize a special jet unit using the Me 262. He created Jagdverband 44 a unit with most experienced pilots. His 'recruiting' officer, Steinhoff, traveled to all of the major bases, selecting pilots who wanted join to new adventure. Some very famous pilots joined over a period of weeks: Gerhard Barkhorn, Walter Krupinski, Heinz Bär , Erich Hohagen, Günther Lützow, Wilhelm Herget.

The newly organized unit flew several missions with varying success. Some aircraft used the anti-bomber R4M rockets. During his first attack with rockets Galland, with Walter Krupinski as a wingman, attacked a group of American B-26 "Marauders". Galland's rocket attack knocked down two of them.

In his last aerial combat in WWII, Adolf Galland took off on 26 April 1945. During an attack against Marauders his rockets would not fire, so he had use the 30 mm cannons. His Me 262 was hit by return fire from a rear gunner. The Allied bomber withstood Galland's fire. When Galland turned to finish the bomber, he was surprised by a P-47D flown by James Finnegan. Shells from the P-47's eight 12,7 mm guns destroyed Galland's instrument panel, shattered the jet's canopy, and struck his right knee. With his plane losing power and in great pain, Galland returned to his base, arriving just at the moment when a strafing attack by enemy fighters was underway. He successfully landed and escaped the wreck of his Me 262, avoiding the fire of the straffing attackers.

After war Galland was invited by Juan Perón to help build Argentinian Air Forces. Here he established a training and operations school, developed tactical training program. In 1955 he returned to Germany. Adolf Galland, a holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, died in 1996.

This will be the plane to be represented in this GB:

  

 

Now the kit:

This model has been around for a while and features finely molded raised panel lines and rivets. Nevertheless, the kit is correct in the rivets and screws. The kit will need to have the panel lines totally rescribbed, but preserving these details. The cockpit is weak and the engine needs some scratch. Exhaust shall be by resin. The cockpit will be made in resin and / or PE.

When I started the kit, i had these accesories:

Now, the previous work:

First, I cut the flaps and slats:

The original wheel bay is at least ridiculous:

The resin wheel Bay:

The engine, assembled.

As I had mentioned, the engine is poor. We will have to improve a lot ...

   

   

At first, I removed everything that was on the side and upper cover, to rebuilt in scratch:

   

   

   

   

Below, I will not do anything, because I intend to leave closed:

   

I decided to remove the compressor to facilitate the work on the block:

  

Then I started to create the spark plug wires (two per cylinder) and the main cable that connects all them to the magnets.

  

   
 
   

   

Here the spark plug holes:

   

I had an idea to make the screws. I made a thinly stretched sprue and made a half ball on each piece, to simulate the screw head:

   

   

So did the drilling of the screws on the block and cover:

   

Here, the bonding method of the screws with cyanoacrylate:

   

   

Here, the service done with all the screws stuck and the engine mounts, in scratch:

   

   

   

Here the photos of the engine painted and with some details:

Here the actual status of the wings:

The reason to stop the kit is to wait to receive some aftermarkets. Here in Brazil, the mail takes up to two months to deliver a package coming from the United States. When they arrived here I was in another project and then I've been waiting another opportunity to continue the job. Until now...

These are the new Aftermarkets purchased to improve the kit:

 

Soon, the updates!

[Grant]

Wow, great post tchwrma (can we call you by another name? your first name perhaps? .. I keep forgetting how to spell your Profile Name  ) and thanks for the information of Galland's history.  You're right - to the general public at large, he is probably the most famous German fighter pilot.

 

Great work on your engine too .. I know the original was very basic but it takes a brave man to sand everything back and scratch build from there.  You've certainly done a great job!

[Mikester]

Wow, outstanding so far!

[tchwrma]

Wow, great post tchwrma (can we call you by another name? your first name perhaps? .. I keep forgetting how to spell your Profile Name  ) and thanks for the information of Galland's history.  You're right - to the general public at large, he is probably the most famous German fighter pilot.

 

Great work on your engine too .. I know the original was very basic but it takes a brave man to sand everything back and scratch build from there.  You've certainly done a great job!

 

In the hurry to post, I forget to sign. Sorry. I need to write an signature...

 

You can call me Paulo. It's Paul in Portuguese... Thanks for your words!

 

Cheers, Paulo.

[tchwrma]

Wow, outstanding so far!

 

Thanks, Mike!

 

Cheers, Paulo.

[Grant]

Ah Paulo, that's much easier to remember.  I hope you didn't think I was being rude

[Jamme]

Hi Paulo.

Great start here!

I really like the story of Galland, really nice.

Congrats,

Jamme

[tchwrma]

Ah Paulo, that's much easier to remember.  I hope you didn't think I was being rude

 

 

No way. It's my name, and I like it. I just choose another nick because my name is very common and frequently I found some other Paulo in the net.

[tchwrma]

Hi Paulo.

Great start here!

I really like the story of Galland, really nice.

Congrats,

Jamme

 

Thanks, Jamme. I like to add to the post of an kit the history who got me to represent the plane. I think that this turn the post more complete. Sorry if I write too much...

[Jamme]

Thanks, Jamme. I like to add to the post of an kit the history who got me to represent the plane. I think that this turn the post more complete. Sorry if I write too much...

You surely do not write too much!

this completes a WIP perfectly.

Cheers,

Jamme

[tchwrma]

I"m not sure if I could finish this model at time. I've been sick with diabetes, and I lost some time, which was already small when I signed up to this GB. But I will try to do it.

[nmayhew]

Interesting build

 

An interesting fact about Galland is that he was very much old school and utterly behind the times in the very early days of WWII with regard to the use of radio in aircraft - he thought they get by with just waggling wings!

 

Either way, despite not having multi hundred kills like so many other aces, I agree with you he is one of if not the most famous...

 

I have a signed print of his early 109s which hangs impressively in our guest room...opposite one of his foes, a Spitfire print signed by Bob Doe

 

Anyway, thanks for posting and good luck with the build

 

All the best

 

Nick

[tchwrma]

Interesting build

 

An interesting fact about Galland is that he was very much old school and utterly behind the times in the very early days of WWII with regard to the use of radio in aircraft - he thought they get by with just waggling wings!

 

Either way, despite not having multi hundred kills like so many other aces, I agree with you he is one of if not the most famous...

 

I have a signed print of his early 109s which hangs impressively in our guest room...opposite one of his foes, a Spitfire print signed by Bob Doe

 

Anyway, thanks for posting and good luck with the build

 

All the best

 

Nick

Really these two posters should be very impressive, for sure! Congratulations, and thanks for your words.

[Grant]

Not long to the finish now Paulo, are you going to burn the midnight oil to get your model into the Finished Section? I'm sure you can finish it in time....

[tchwrma]

Not long to the finish now Paulo, are you going to burn the midnight oil to get your model into the Finished Section? I'm sure you can finish it in time....

Thanks, Grant. I'm doing right now. Soon the updates.