AlanG's 1/48 Airfix Bf109 E4

[AlanG]

I was actually wanting to build an allied aircraft for once for this GB but i couldn't find one at the price i wanted. So by luck i found this 1/48 Airfix Bf109 E4 kit for £10 including three new enamel paints and a bottle of glue. Bargin!

The aircraft i intend to do took part in the Battle of Britain. It was piloted by Unteroffizier Ernst Poschenrieder whilst being based with 7./JG53 at Le Touquet-Etaples in France. He was shot down, and crash landed at Broom Hill in Kent on 30th September 1940.

I wanted to do a 'yellow nosed' Bf109 purely because they look colourful and there is a line in the Battle of Britain film saying, "Yellow nosed b'stards coming down now". Always loved this film from the first time i saw it. A modern version would be greatly welcome with today's standards of special effects.

 

[tr1ckey66]

I was going to ask, ’another Luftwaffe subject?‘ but you’ve already looked for a RAF subject.
Looking at your chosen scheme it would seem that Airfix have made a mistake in calling it an E-4. I’m pretty sure that that this is an E-7. Capped spinner and bomb rack? Doesn’t matter at all in terms of the GB but it’s something I just noticed.
Good luck with the build
Cheers
Paul

 

[AlanG]

The Bf109 E4/B could carry a 250Kg bomb with a retrofitted bomb rack. This was mainly done from mid to late September onwards. So is correct for this aircraft.

Cannons with the hollow airscrew hubs were not fitted to the Bf109 E as no central cannon was ever fitted. But they were to the Bf109 F series and did not start to appear until March 1941. The point may have to be removed. I haven't read the instructions yet.

(Details supplied from The Most Dangerous Enemy - Stephen Bungay.... a Battle of Britain expert)

 

[AlanG]

A little search reveals this. No need to remove the point. Should i convey your apologise to Airfix? lol

 

[tr1ckey66]

It was a question rather than a statement of fact. But please forward my apologies to Airfix lol
Cheers
Paul

 

[stona]

The British recorded Poschemrieder's aircraft as an E-1, which they would have read off the data plate as the aircraft was intact, if a little bent.

The CEAR makes a bit of a dog's dinner of the camouflage which was, apparently, 'blue and green dappled yellow and green on upper surface, sky blue underneath'. It mentions 'yellow nose and rudder' but a wing tip is clearly visible in at least one photo (with a soldier leaning on the cowling and another with a slung rifle near the starboard wing tip), and it's clearly the same colour as the nose, yellow. CEARs are really bad sources for camouflage information!

The report doesn't mention an ETC rack (bomb slip) but may have been made before the wreck was lifted.

The Werknummer was recorded as 5175.

Poschemreider badly injured his back in his forced landing, and you can see that his aircraft too broke its back in the landing. He sadly died in 2009 in Canada.

Edit: Regarding type, the aircraft was armed with cannon in the wings, so though it was built as an E-1 it had obviously had an 'upgrade'.

 

[AlanG]

Made a start on the kit. Not going to spend a vast amount of time on this. It's quite a basic kit but still has a few nice details.

I'm not going to be showing the engine so no work or painting is going to be done in this area.

 

[colin m]

Airfix seem to have given you a nice bit of detail there.

 

[AlanG]

Sorry for the lateness of this update. I know i've missed the end of the GB. I've had slight issues with my anxiety and depression lately and just couldn't muster the mental energy to build. Many a time i sat at my bench and then just got back up again. Anyway i'm getting back to it slowly.

I've put the main part of it together now. Sorry for no internal shots. Forgot to do them at the time. This is a straight forward build and if someone was wanting something to start off with in the 1/48 scale then this would be a perfect kit.

Just a few more bits to add then it'll be ready for painting.

 

[Tim Marlow]

No issues on the lateness of the update Alan, just put them out as you go. Sorry to hear about the old black dog. I find when he bites I try to do something hobby based, no matter how small, every day. It does help. Mind you, sometimes just getting out of bed and having a shower is a victory!

 

[AlanG]

Cheers Tim. The only hobby based things i've done lately is come on here and surf evilbay "wishing" at kits.

I intend to get a bit more done now. Plus i've got a spitfire to build with my son. so that should help give me the required boot up the behind.

 

[Steven000]

Nice progress Alan, coming together fine.
I remember masking the front canopy was a bit of a pain (not much raised surface detail) but you tend to use masking-sets so migth not be much of an issue. Have fun
Steven

 

[AlanG]

No mask set for this one so i shall have to free-mask. Oh the joys lol

 

[colin m]

Nice work old boy. It has a fuselage and wings, all stuck together, so we're heading in the right direction.

 

[AlanG]

yeah it's getting there Colin. Just about ready for paint now.

 

[AlanG]

Really need to get this built as i am way overdue. So i finally sat down at my model desk and stayed there for more than 30 seconds. Giving that progress i grabbed my airbrush and gave the model its RLM 04 (yellow) parts a paint. I used Xtracrylix for this. When i first started using these paints i hated them because i couldn't get the mix right. Since i got some advice on how to use these via the person who developed them, i now seem to have it sussed. I mix them with 50/50 tepid water and they seem to spray on very nicely indeed. I love these paints as their colours are very accurate. Anyway. Here are the first results of the yellow paint applied as a first coat without a primer base (a first for me).

 

[adt70hk]

Looking nice Alan!

ATB

Andrew

 

[Fernando N]

Looking good Alan

 

[AlanG]

Cheers guys. Hoping to get some more done to it in the next week or so.

 

[adt70hk]

Hi Alan

Meant to ask all. Is their paint self priming or is there something else in it that gives it extra 'bite' allowing it to adhere to the plastic without a primer?

ATB

Andrew