Hartmann Bf109 Finished...and a disaster!

[stona]

Furst the good news,I finally got this one done.

Here's wahat I was going for.

Here's mine in B+W.

And colour.

Unfortunately that was the only photograph I took before the backboard fell onto the model and crushed it! Once my stiff upper lip had stopped quivering I started to fix it.

I've drilled,pinned and reattached the undercarriage,with other bits of the bottom like elevator mass balances and antennae.

I've reattached a propeller blade that broke off at the spinner and have started the process of rebuilding the tip of another broken blade with Milliput.

I've made another fin antenna post from two triangles of plastic card which sandwich the antenna wire,I've still got too sort out the antenna mast on the canopy (I'll nick one off an old model) and another down wire to the fuselage.

I've temporarily lost the will to live! When I get everything fixed I'll add a few more pictures.

Cheers

Steve

 

[AlanG]

Looked great before hand Steve. I'm sure you'll do a cracking job of the rebuild too

 

[Ian M]

I know that this is a family forum but how you held back a humungus swearing fit is beyond me.

What can I say? Total bummer! It does look exceptionally good in the one photo you got before it got squished. I am sure that after the repairs are made it will look equally as good.

Ian M

 

[treyzx10r]

Steve what a heart breaker! I know you'll get it looking top notch again but damn what a kick in the dangly bits.

 

[stona]

Thanks chaps. It was entirely my own fault as I went outdoors and it was quite breezy. The sun in the early morning doesn't reach the area where I normally take my photos indoors but it was a lovely morning here in Brum. Next time I'll bl**dy well wait until it does!

Everything is fairly straight forward apart from that propeller blade. If the worse comes to the worse I've got some spares somewhere but obviously I'd have to change all three. We won't mention the tailwheel which will never turn again now that it's superglued

Cheers

Steve

 

[spanner570]

That is really bad luck Steve.

I've lost count of the number of times I've had the back board decide to fall over when taking photos....Luckily I've always managed to catch it before any damage was done!

The photo of a photo is superb. Quality and no mistake.

As the others have posted, I'm sure you will do wonders to restore the aircraft to it's original condition.

Cheers,

Ron

 

[stona]

Right then with the exception of the propeller assembly everything is dry enough for a photoshoot!It's only taken six hours. I've 'borrowed' a propeller assembly from another model. It's a teensy-weensy bit wider but it works for our purposes here.

I made damned sure the back board was secure before I started this time!

Here's a quick spin around the model.

And for all you bottom lovers

Trumpeter get a lot of stick for their kits and this one has a couple shape of issues that might bug the purists but it builds into a nice model and looks like a 109 to me.

Cheers

Steve

 

[saguy]

i never get bored of looking a very nicely built and painted 109 .... super looking aeroplane ....

 

[spanner570]

I had the utmost faith in you Steve, and here are the pictures to prove my confidence in your ability was not misguided!

Cracking job, well done.

Ron

 

[papa 695]

A great build there Steve but an even better rescue a BIG 5 from me

 

[Richy C]

Great recovery Steve , not gonna big you up to much but as usual another big 5 stars from me even after repairs , I`m getting more and more tempted to add a few wingy things to my stash with all these aircraft builds going on .

Richy

 

[jspitza]

As always, beautiful job there Steve! I actually started the Trumpy F-4 and am really disappointed with the kit, especialy when the sprues say "G". Can't get the lower cowling to fit. Take care, Jeff

 

[Vaughan]

Hi Steve

Great recovery the photos look great.

Vaughan

 

[stona]

As always, beautiful job there Steve! I actually started the Trumpy F-4 and am really disappointed with the kit, especialy when the sprues say "G". Can't get the lower cowling to fit. Take care, Jeff

Thanks Jeff and everyone for being so nice. That Trumpy F-4 is really an early G,at least you'd be better off building a G from the kit!

I didn't have any fit problems with the kit here,the only possible issue would be that it is possible to make the fuselage too narrow for the wing fit when joining the two halves around the cockpit tub. Thankfully I always dry fit several times before I get the glue out!

Cheers

Steve

 

[CDW]

when i looked at the first post i thought the second picture was the original that had the bloke and scenery photoshopped out for an instant to be honest, took a "second take" for it to sink in.

A really impressive build (as per usual) and the rebuild/repair show no sign of the disaster happening at all ... most impressed

The thing i'm actually most impressed with is the fact that you seemed so calm about it all (apart from the top lip)

If that had been me the missus would have returned home to find the camera deposited neatly through the TV screen, the floor strewn with dummies (teddybears and rattles) and me huddled in a corner blubbering cradling the pieces.

 

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Steve

Great job on the 109. Is this the Trumpy G6? If it is then this is another model you beat me to the finish! (I have this in the stash)

Your mottled finish is truly excellent and I think this is one of your best yet (although choosing between such fabulously finished models is difficult). Even photoshoot disasters have not detracted from what is a great looking model.

Well done Sir

Paul

Ps. Were G6s used over the Normandy landings? My scant research suggest they were or at east they were in France at the time. I believe that's why I bought the Trumpy kit as it has decals for such a machine but I'd have to check the stash. Any info would be much appreciated as it will help my 'Face Off' series. 109G6 v Spit Mk IX (already have FW190A8 v Typhoon)

 

[stona]

Hi SteveGreat job on the 109. Is this the Trumpy G6?

Were G6s used over the Normandy landings?

Thanks Paul.

It is the Trumpeter G-6 early version. My reference is from the late summer of '43 and the G-6 started appearing on the Eastern front only a few months earlier. They were delivered first to the Mediterranean in March,then,soon after to Western Europe and finally to the Eastern front.

I haven't looked up the establishment of all the units operating in Normandy at the time of Overlord but for sure many were flying a version of the Bf109G-6. Production was planned to stop at about the same time as the invasion (June'44),but at least one batch was built later (November/December '44).

About 12,000 Bf109G-6s were built but later versions varied considerably from the initial production. Most noticeably the tail was altered but all sorts of variations like hood,armour,armament,antennae and their positions,filler hatches (for GM-1 boost for example), happened. Eventually the DB 605 AS engine was fitted making a Bf109G-6/AS which had a very different looking front end. This was being delivered to units by April/May '44,just in time for the invasion. You can certainly build a G-6 for your 'Face-Off',many different variations would have been current at that time.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Ian M]

Well Steve! If you had not have told us I would never had known that you had done a repair job.

That is a very nice build (as usual).

I agree whole heartedly that the 109 was one of the better looking aircraft of WWII.

Five well earned stars from me too!

 

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Steve

Thanks for the info

Just checked my Trumpy G6 and it does have markings for 'White 11' I/JG27, France 1944 which is probably the version I'll be building. Wikipedia states that I and III/JG 27 were thrown into the mix during the landings (stationed at Rheims), both being more or less decimated by September.

Should be back to building some of my own projects soon after a long abscence. So looking forward to getting back to some 1/32 aircraft soon.

Again, great build Steve!

Paul

 

[stona]

Yes,I/JG27 were sent to Vertus on 7/6/44 which was presumably to cover the beaches. On 17/6/44 they moved to the other side of Rennes to Vannes covering the Cherbourg peninsula. On 22/6/44 they moved again,only a little way,back to Angers. On 30/6/44 they went back to Vertus! A very busy time.

III/JG27 were sent to Connantre on 6/6/44,behind the beaches and stayed there until 15/8/44.

The two groups had an establishment largely of Bf109G-6s. There are a handful of G-6/U4s (30mm MK 108 cannon firing through the spinner) and a couple of G-8s (a reconnaissance version of the G-6) also mentioned.

Cheers

Steve