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1/48 scale Bf 109's x 2
- Thread starter matrixone
- Start date
Here is an update on the 1/48 scale Bf 109K-4, the BMF finish on the fuselage was masked off and the pre-shading/highlights was sprayed on. I used white paint for the highlights and dark gray for the pre-shading.
The small gear doors for the retractable tail wheel needed masking off so they could be painted RLM 76, the doors were made of wood and not metal. Also the base of the rudder will also be getting sprayed RLM 76.
The pre-shading/highlights will be covered up with thin coats of RLM 76 white-blue Tuesday morning.
Matrixone
The small gear doors for the retractable tail wheel needed masking off so they could be painted RLM 76, the doors were made of wood and not metal. Also the base of the rudder will also be getting sprayed RLM 76.
The pre-shading/highlights will be covered up with thin coats of RLM 76 white-blue Tuesday morning.
Matrixone
Hmm...interesting..I notice you're not using the same pattern on either wing, why is that?
phantom II
Master at Arms
Hmm, never heard about the BF 109 K's having bare metal fuselage before :hmmm Interesting.
Cheers, Christian B)
Cheers, Christian B)
Thanks for looking guys!
Christian,
I will show some photographs of 109K-4 fuselages with BMF on them later. Watch this space.
Some snaps of my K-4 model after the pre-shading has been covered up a bit. The engine cowling is not painted in the usual RLM 76, during the later part of the war wings, fuselages, and engine cowling were built and painted by subcontractors and the parts were brought together for final assembly at a different location and there were times when the parts did not have matching paint schemes or colors and my model is painted as a representation of this practice.
Matrixone
Christian,
I will show some photographs of 109K-4 fuselages with BMF on them later. Watch this space.
Some snaps of my K-4 model after the pre-shading has been covered up a bit. The engine cowling is not painted in the usual RLM 76, during the later part of the war wings, fuselages, and engine cowling were built and painted by subcontractors and the parts were brought together for final assembly at a different location and there were times when the parts did not have matching paint schemes or colors and my model is painted as a representation of this practice.
Matrixone
Thank you Terry and Luiz. 
Christian,
I found the photographs of the Bf 109K-4 fuselages with the BMF on them.
These photographs show the last known variation of the camouflage pattern used on the Bf 109K-4 which was usually 81/82 topside colors that extend mid way down the fuselage sides and have a thick sprayed wavy line of RLM 76 that separates the 81/82 from the BMF lower surfaces. The area behind the fuselage cross is sprayed solid RLM 81 and extends beyond the arms of the fuselage cross.
This photograph below shows the same basic camouflage pattern as I described but notice the contrast between the colors...most likely RLM 75 with RLM 82 (or 81)
And here are a bunch of fuselages that never made it to the assembly site.
This is the only known color photograph of a Bf 109K-4 with the late camouflage pattern, compare this photograph with those above.
Matrixone
Christian,
I found the photographs of the Bf 109K-4 fuselages with the BMF on them.
These photographs show the last known variation of the camouflage pattern used on the Bf 109K-4 which was usually 81/82 topside colors that extend mid way down the fuselage sides and have a thick sprayed wavy line of RLM 76 that separates the 81/82 from the BMF lower surfaces. The area behind the fuselage cross is sprayed solid RLM 81 and extends beyond the arms of the fuselage cross.
This photograph below shows the same basic camouflage pattern as I described but notice the contrast between the colors...most likely RLM 75 with RLM 82 (or 81)
And here are a bunch of fuselages that never made it to the assembly site.
This is the only known color photograph of a Bf 109K-4 with the late camouflage pattern, compare this photograph with those above.
Matrixone
Luiz,
I have seen that photograph of the K-4 fuselage in the forest many times before but never really noticed the wavy line of RLM 76 on the fuselage side and assumed the lighter color below it was simply thinly applied RLM 76, it was not until I had seen the other photographs of captured Bf 109K fuselages that were painted in a similar fashion that I was looking at a distinct pattern.
Here is another captured K-4, compare the very different camouflage pattern on this aircraft from those in my earlier post.
Matrixone
I have seen that photograph of the K-4 fuselage in the forest many times before but never really noticed the wavy line of RLM 76 on the fuselage side and assumed the lighter color below it was simply thinly applied RLM 76, it was not until I had seen the other photographs of captured Bf 109K fuselages that were painted in a similar fashion that I was looking at a distinct pattern.
Here is another captured K-4, compare the very different camouflage pattern on this aircraft from those in my earlier post.
Matrixone
Wonderful work Les! 
Thanks guys!
I started painting the upper surface colors of RLM 81 and RLM 82, for this I used Xtracolor enamels. The engine cowl was painted as well and used Xtracolor RLM 82 and a custom mix of Testors enamel paints for the brown shade of RLM 81. I wanted the colors on the engine cowl to be slightly different from the colors on the rest of the airframe to represent the parts being made by different sub-contractors, this sort of thing happened quite a bit during the last weeks of the war and resulted in some aircraft looking a bit like a patchwork quilt after they were assembled when the colors or camouflage pattern did not match up too well.
The tail planes are not glued in, they were just pressed into place for these pictures. I did some paint fading of the topside colors but kept most of the fading near the wing roots and fabric covered control services, this aircraft was used but did not have a very long service life so its paint would show little in the way of fading.
Matrixone
I started painting the upper surface colors of RLM 81 and RLM 82, for this I used Xtracolor enamels. The engine cowl was painted as well and used Xtracolor RLM 82 and a custom mix of Testors enamel paints for the brown shade of RLM 81. I wanted the colors on the engine cowl to be slightly different from the colors on the rest of the airframe to represent the parts being made by different sub-contractors, this sort of thing happened quite a bit during the last weeks of the war and resulted in some aircraft looking a bit like a patchwork quilt after they were assembled when the colors or camouflage pattern did not match up too well.
The tail planes are not glued in, they were just pressed into place for these pictures. I did some paint fading of the topside colors but kept most of the fading near the wing roots and fabric covered control services, this aircraft was used but did not have a very long service life so its paint would show little in the way of fading.
Matrixone
Very nice Les. 
Thanks!
The Matchbox Me 109E is getting closer to being finished, one thing I was dreading for this entire build is now done...getting the landing gear retracted. This old kit was never designed to be built with the wheels in the up position and it showed. Sadly the owner of this model wanted the aircraft built as if in flight and it will be displayed hanging from the ceiling.Yuck!
On the positive side more has been done on the K-4, the tail is being painted. This tail will be getting the stencil applied camouflage pattern on it, here the RLM 76 base to the rudder has been painted and the rest of the fin and rudder was sprayed RLM 75. The wavy demarcation line between the two colors is intentional. After the paint is dry I will add the RLM 83 dark green spots.
Matrixone
The Matchbox Me 109E is getting closer to being finished, one thing I was dreading for this entire build is now done...getting the landing gear retracted. This old kit was never designed to be built with the wheels in the up position and it showed. Sadly the owner of this model wanted the aircraft built as if in flight and it will be displayed hanging from the ceiling.Yuck!
On the positive side more has been done on the K-4, the tail is being painted. This tail will be getting the stencil applied camouflage pattern on it, here the RLM 76 base to the rudder has been painted and the rest of the fin and rudder was sprayed RLM 75. The wavy demarcation line between the two colors is intentional. After the paint is dry I will add the RLM 83 dark green spots.
Matrixone
DaneBramage
Member
Nice subtlety.
