21st Century toys

[stona]

A colleague has just given me a 21st Century Toys 1/32 Bf109G-14,unopened in the box. I forced a tenner on him anyway. My question is didn't someone do a rather nice build of one of these recently?

I've had a look in the box and whilst it is fairly simplistic (well ten quid!) it certainly looks like it will make a decent representation of a G10/G14. I may use some different decals as I've been meaning to make a red legged version for a while.

I'm not sure when I'll get going due to work commitments but I'll keep you posted.

It says on the box that a ten year old can build it so I should be okay.

Cheers

Steve

 

[spanner570]

Steve, that person could well have been me. I've certainly built, and brush painted one of these and a Stuka, both 1/32 21st Century Toys kits, and posted pickies of both.

I bought them from Cost Cutter last year. Tony (yakface) bought some at the same time. I still have have a C.205 Veltro and a 109 in my stash from the purchases.

Take a look at the pilot in the 109 kit, it's superb. Certainly the best I've seen.

You probably remember me pestering you for information via P/Ms!!

Cheers,

Ron

 

[stona]

That's the one Ron,and very nicely done too. It certainly can be built into a decent looking 109 then! I'm contemplating putting the pilot in and having him at standby (sitzbereitschaft) as I intended to do with an Me262 a while ago. Trouble is I forgot to put him in that one before it was too late.

Cheers

Steve

 

[spanner570]

That's the one Ron,and very nicely done too. It certainly can be built into a decent looking 109 then! I'm contemplating putting the pilot in and having him at standby (sitzbereitschaft) as I intended to do with an Me262 a while ago. Trouble is I forgot to put him in that one before it was too late.Cheers

Steve

This coming to light gives me another opportunity to thank you publicly for your help and patience with all my 'newbie' questions when I was building my 109!

I did the same with my pilot for this model as you did with your Me262. That's why he's sat on the cockpit edge doing what all good fighter pilots do!!!!

Mind you, such is the detail on him it seemed only right to show him off.

It is a simple, straight forward kit to build but the external detail is superb.

Ron

 

[stona]

It is a simple, straight forward kit to build but the external detail is superb.

Ron

It is indeed,I've had a fondle of the plastic and there is virtually nothing I need to alter to make a G-14AS with red legs. I could scribe an oil filler access panel on the port side(if I can be bothered). The kit is to make a G-10/G-14 and they've missed that panel. It would be in a different place on a G-14AS anyway but who cares for the price.

I will also fill the cold start access panel on the other side as my version didn't have it.

Apart from that it'll be out of the very reasonably priced box.

BTW the one I'm building is way post February 1944 but it doesn't have a spinner spiral!!!

Cheers

Steve

 

[spanner570]

No spiral?? Come on now, what a cop out!!!!!!! lol

Ron

 

[yak face]

Hi steve, they are quite good arent they? I got myself a couple of stukas and the 109g14 at the same time as ron for a couple of quid each.Id previously bought the macchi veltro via mail order for a tenner ,still a good price, and that ones good too ,only needing attention to the undersized wheels (see my gallery its on there somewhere!)I was thinking of doing the 109 as a g10 in yugoslav markings as i just recently saw a nice looking side profile in a mag (model airplane international) lovely blue and brown colour scheme.Cant wait to see the g14 once its done, cheers tony

 

[stona]

The pilot,as Ron says,is really superb. I decided as I've only got today free in the next week or so to have a go at him but wanted to do something different. After much rummaging and flicking of pages I found an illustration in the accurately but long windedly titled "Jagdflieger,Luftwaffe fighter pilot 1939-45" by Robert Stedman which I like. This is how I shall be doing my man.

I still don't know if he'll be in or out,it depends on what kind of a job I make of him!

Cheers

Steve

 

[sprayman]

This will be an interesting build, I once had a look at one of these kits, and I was alarmed by the size of the panels lines, they seemed so big. By the sound of it they have improved, I will look forward to the outcome on this.

 

[spanner570]

Steve, nice choice of pilot colour scheme, he does deserve the best!

Ray, I've just had a blimp at my 21st Cen. Me109 in my gallery and the panel lines look o.k. to me...But there again I'm really an armour builder and am used to rough welds, snots and all! lol

For around a tenner for a 1/32 you can't have it all.

Ron

 

[stona]

The panel lines are distinctly overdone Ray, but then they all are.

Here's a picture of the Regensburg production line with bare metal fuselages,very nicely let in those skins are.

Further down the line and painted,I can't see any panel lines at all! I wonder if that's a primer. The Vultee report of 1941 on the Bf110C mentions that Messerschmitt used a zinc oxide primer and compared it very unfavourably with their own (U.S.) zinc chromate primers.

I might moan about it on a £50 kit but for a tenner? I've noticed that the cowling isn't quite right for my version either but I'm building it for a bit of light relief after my Spifire so it will be what it will be lol.

Cheers

Steve

 

[spanner570]

I have to smile Steve, reading your assessment of this kit.

Here was me building away trying my best and sweating buckets trying to produce my 109 as best I could, and in my ignorance I read the panel lines are too deep, this panel is missing, this one shouldn't be there and to cap it all you are building yours for a bit of light relief!

Have a little respect for a poor Me109 newbie. When I have stopped crying I'm going to set it up on a washing line and get out the old 2.2!!!!!!

All tongue in cheek....

Cheers,

Ron

 

[sprayman]

Some great photos there, very interesting.You all made a good point about it just been a tenner,you cant really grumble. Still look forward to the build on this Steve.

 

[stona]

Sorry Ron! I'll be giving it my best shot and hope that it looks okay at the end,yours did. I am probably being a bit optimistic trying to convert it to an AS version but it'll be close enough.

I know you have your tongue firmly in your cheek but it is a serious point. Yes the detail is a bit overdone but it's still a recently tooled (sadly now defunct) easy to build 1/32 scale model for less than the price that it would cost you to buy the paints to paint it!

For what it is it's great value for money. The Tamiya Spitfire costs ten times as much and is also great value for money. There is a lot inbetween that are not particularly good value.

I've made a little progress. I've tried to cheer up the cockpit interior,needs a few touch ups (ooh err). I also sprayed the instrument panel white, eventually I will scratch through the black dial surfaces to reveal bits of this.....I hope. It too is very crisply molded,better than in a lot of much more expensive kits.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

I washed the cockpit and started with some base coats on the excellent pilot figure,who is a lot more handsome than the real Klaus Grothues who he will represent. I've also sratched through to the white on the instrument panel dials and applied a drop of Klear to serve as the glass. Anyone who thinks that doesn't work should look at the circular reflection of my lamp in the third dial from the right on the top row!!

The pilot is going in once he's done and I've spread his legs to fit around the cannon breach. I shall attempt to use some photo etch harness bits that I have left over from my Spitfire to strap him in,otherwise it'll be OOB.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

The advantages of dry fitting.

My pilot is going in so I thought I'd see how he sat. Answer,very badly. Three choices. First,sit him in the seat with his feet near the rudder pedals and have his head so high he looks daft and couldn't close the canopy. Second,put his upper body at the correct height and posture but have his feet above the cannon breach,also looks daft as his thighs are visibly too high. Third,remove the hideously inaccurate piece of plastic representing the "bucket" seat and sit him nicely on the floor.

I've gone for number three and if I hadn't just told everyone I guarantee you wouldn't have noticed!!!

Here he is on the floor next to what should be his seat.

Just going to sort out a bit of a gap along the leading edge of the mainplane.

Cheers

Steve

 

[sprayman]

Great job so far there Steve, that looks a cracking pilot.

 

[stona]

Zipped up,trying to get a bit more dihedral without major surgery. Also filling the screw holes. I should have cut some discs and put them in the holes first as Tamiya putty's propensity for shrinking might make this a multi stage process which is a shame as work will interfere next week lol.

The rear fuselage/empennage section is still loose but will fit okay.

Looks like a Bf109 to me.

Cheers

Steve

 

[sprayman]

I had no idea it was screwed together, maybe over fill the Tamiya putty, with some milliput. Taking shape now Steve.

 

[stona]

maybe over fill the Tamiya putty, with some milliput. Taking shape now Steve.

Good idea, thanks,might just try that on my next day off! Just got to find the old Milliput (fine). I know it's in the cupboard,hopefully it's not too old.

Cheers

Steve