Hobbycraft Bf 109K-4 now FINISHED

[matrixone]

Here are some of the 'airfield' style pictures of the recently finished Hobbycraft 1/48 scale Bf 109K-4.

For those that know their 109's will notice this K-4 has the earlier short metal tail fitted to it, why this is I have no idea but most likely the original tall tail was damaged and in order to keep the aircraft in service the ground crew used a tail from an older G-14 (or G-6) that had the short tail as a replacement.
Like what the Germans did on the full size K-4 I cut off the tall tail on my model and replaced it with the early short tail. This was easy to do and it was actually easier than the assembly of some parts of the kit that were designed to fit together. :gogo
Aside from the tail swap the model was built O.O.B., most all the markings on this model came from scraps from my spare decal box. The markings on it are ''white 14'' possibly of II JG 52 and it was one of the many 109's flown to Neubiberg on May 8th 1945 to surrender to American forces.
The camouflage scheme on this K-4 was like those seen on early production K-4's so this aircraft was likely in service for a long time.

I will post more pictures later.

Matrixone

 

[Old Dog]

Nice !

 

[moon puppy]

Great shots Les

 

[matrixone]

Thanks Gary and Bob!

I wanted some of these shots to represent the scene at Neubiberg...this was hard to do without having very many models to work with.
In the third shot the 109 closest to the camera is a 1/32 scale Hasegawa Bf109G-14 ''white 21'' which was another of the 109's at that field on 8th May 1945.

More pictures...

Matrixone

 

[lupanzer]

...very impressive photos...and brilliant painting job :dude

Luiz

 

[matrixone]

Thanks once again Luiz!

Below is an excellent color photograph taken just after the war ended, its of some Bf 109K-4's inside a hangar.

The K-4's are in RLM81 and RLM82 colors on the topsides, notice the K-4 nearest the camera, the left wing is in 74/75 gray colors and the finish on it is very weathered which would suggest this wing was taken from a different 109. Also notice the thick RLM76 wavy line sprayed on the side of the fuselage, this feature was seen on a number of K-4's produced in the last days of the war. I hope more photographs like this turn up!

And here is a photograph of another K-4, this captured 109 is a rare Erla built K-4 and it is thought just a handful of these were ever completed. I have had this image in my computer for a while but never paid much attention to it until recently. With the new Revell Erla Bf 109G-10 kit out now I wonder how long before somebody converts one of them into an Erla built K-4.

Matrixone

 

[ij001]

Raised the bar again, Les.

It's as simple as that.

Ian

 

[phantom II]

Thanks once again Luiz!

Below is an excellent color photograph taken just after the war ended, its of some Bf 109K-4's inside a hangar.

The K-4's are in RLM81 and RLM82 colors on the topsides, notice the K-4 nearest the camera, the left wing is in 74/75 gray colors and the finish on it is very weathered which would suggest this wing was taken from a different 109. Also notice the thick RLM76 wavy line sprayed on the side of the fuselage, this feature was seen on a number of K-4's produced in the last days of the war. I hope more photographs like this turn up!

And here is a photograph of another K-4, this captured 109 is a rare Erla built K-4 and it is thought just a handful of these were ever completed. I have had this image in my computer for a while but never paid much attention to it until recently. With the new Revell Erla Bf 109G-10 kit out now I wonder how long before somebody converts one of them into an Erla built K-4.

Matrixone

Interesting last picture . The paint job looks quite dull but the Swastika paint is still shinny .

Cheers, Christian :coolio

 

[Dusan]

Excellent work!!! Thanks for sharing that "Erla K" here Les! :drinks

All the best!
Dusan.

 

[matrixone]

Thanks again Dusan!

Christian,
Yes the finish on the Erla K-4 is very dark but to me this makes sense as it is in line with some of the Erla built Bf 109G-10's which also sported dark camouflage paint on all the upper surfaces.
The glossy looking swastika on the fin could very well be from gloss paint being used or perhaps it was a sticker or decal. There was at least two Me 262's that had glossy looking swastikas so perhaps Messerschmitt was testing the use of stickers to apply the swastika markings...it would be a way of speeding up production. :idonno


Matrixone