Eduard 1:48 BF 109 F2

[andreww]

I've recently started into Eduard's Profipak BF 109 F2 in 1:48 scale.  I have added to the Profipak with Brassin landing gear, 3D printed flaps, the Brassin 3D printed cockpit, Space 3D decals for the instrument panel, and Eduard / HGW superfabric seatbelts.   So far, this has been an absolute treat to start on the cockpit.  The detail!!!!  The Space detail set has worked out well, my first time using 3D decals, but not my last!  The kits detail is typical Eduard, very nice and sharp.  My only point so far, there appear to be no locators on the fuselage halves.  Anyhow, the cockpit has undergone a layer of primer and RLM 66, a black oil wash, and begun to assemble.  I've spent my evenings sanding put the insides of the fuselage halves in preparation for the insert.

[406 Silverado]

Feb 24, 2024 9:33:54 GMT -5 andreww said:

I've recently started into Eduard's Profipak BF 109 F2 in 1:48 scale.  I have added to the Profipak with Brassin landing gear, 3D printed flaps, the Brassin 3D printed cockpit, Space 3D decals for the instrument panel, and Eduard / HGW superfabric seatbelts.   So far, this has been an absolute treat to start on the cockpit.  The detail!!!!  The Space detail set has worked out well, my first time using 3D decals, but not my last!  The kits detail is typical Eduard, very nice and sharp.  My only point so far, there appear to be no locators on the fuselage halves.  Anyhow, the cockpit has undergone a layer of primer and RLM 66, a black oil wash, and begun to assemble.  I've spend my.evenings sanding put the insides of the fuselage halves in preparation for the insert.

 I'm ALL in on this one. Those space detail up sets really are all that. I've not built an Eduard 109 yet even though I have a few in the stash. Looking forward to watching this beauty come together. 

[lyle]

I so admire you folks that can build Eduard kits. They are the bane of my existence!

[406 Silverado]

Feb 24, 2024 9:38:24 GMT -5 lyle said:

I so admire you folks that can build Eduard kits. They are the bane of my existence!

 Awww cmon' Lyle.  You outta try some of the newer tool stuff man. 

[lyle]

Feb 24, 2024 9:39:25 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Feb 24, 2024 9:38:24 GMT -5 lyle said:

I so admire you folks that can build Eduard kits. They are the bane of my existence!

 Awww cmon' Lyle.  You outta try some of the newer tool stuff man. 

Uh, that'd be a, "No.". Maybe some day.

[andreww]

I will admit I spent too much money on this recently, ordering their entire 109 line from E to G14, skipping the K for now. So, have to start with one of them as there is no room on the shelf!

[lyle]

Feb 24, 2024 9:43:28 GMT -5 andreww said:

I will admit I spent too much money on this recently, ordering their entire 109 line from E to G14, skipping the K for now. So, have to start with one of them as there is no room on the shelf!

Yep, you are a bonafide modeller. No doubt.

[andreww]

And I will admit, Kyle, Eduard's FW 190 traumatized me years ago. I thought I'd sworn off Eduard completely. A while back, I did one of ther 109 E's, and it darn near fell together, restoring my faith.

[jmarc]

CCCCCCCCCCool !

[kyledehart5]

Great start!! Looking forward to seeing this one.

[andreww]

I spent a bit of today inserting the cockpit and cementing the two fuselage halves together. I inserted the gun fairings first, and then a set of exhausts. The kit gives two choices for exhaust, one with the shroud integral, and one more detailed and a PE shroud. I took the second option for the detailed exhaust tips, this set has holes in the tips, the integral set does not. Because of all the surface detail, and not wanting to lose this, as much as possible I've run plastic welder from the inside with my touch-n-flow. Still a touch of clean up / putty and scribing work, but I think less than I would have created by welding from the outside. I gated my putty with some masking tape and filled in with some.white Vallejo putty. I also got a few peices of painted PE inside the forward canopy section and stuck those down with some PVA glue. I still have to assemble and insert the tail wheel, so I've only cemented to just aft of the canopy. I can still gently pry open the fuselage to set in the tail wheel.

The intake filter was a PITA, in 2 halves with no locator pins, and tiny, so I was very careful about holding it and not getting any liquid glue near my fingers (don't want to impress any fingerprints into the plastic) and some light filing and sanding at the end.

I mostly wanted the windscreen installed to protect the delicate gun sight fitted with plastic films.

[handiabled]

Bookmarked!! These new Profipacks have been tempting me even though I usually don't build in 1/48. Man you are doing a stellar job on this! The office looks wonderful. I haven't touched an Eduard Luftwaffe kit since the 1/32 Balkans 109E I built a long time ago.

[TJ]

Now you've done it. More 109's will have to be added to my stash

[floki]

This is looking good! I didn't know Eduard had their own fabric belts, the HGW belts are worth the money in my opinion

[andreww]

Floki,

These are older ones, Eduard had joined with HGW and produced them. Now it's just HGW and same product. Previously, you could purchase through either company. I think Eduard made the etched buckles and HGW the belts. It was only a brief time that they were offered by Eduard, I stocked up on a few at that point. Nowadays I just order the HGW offerings direct or through Hannants if I have enough of an order together. I only wish they offered a more modern range, too.

www.eduard.com/Eduard/Photo-etched-parts/Photo-etched-set/Aircraft/1-32/Seatbelts-USAAF-WWII-FABRIC-1-32.html?cur=2

[andreww]

I have spent a few days prepping and painting the prop and spinner, as well as testing the Eduard removable film decals. I watched a few YouTube videos first, and all went well. I painted the tail wheel, inserted and joined the fuselage halves, attached stabilizers (which come in top and bottom halves that have to join, extra cement seams to sand, why Eduard?), set on wings and did up my last bits of fuselage filler. I also did some spot checking with primer on my finish sanding of the filler, re scribed and re riveted as necessary. I think now it's oil coolers and control surfaces, then should be able to cover it all in primer. Eduard provides a few etch pieces around the tail end of the fuselage, most of these went well, one lost to the carpet monster, so I snipped a short length from a piece I won't use as a substitution. Looking more and more like an aircraft.

[406 Silverado]

Feb 25, 2024 10:44:45 GMT -5 floki said:

This is looking good! I didn't know Eduard had their own fabric belts, the HGW belts are worth the money in my opinion

 I just recently became a fan of these fabric belts and you're right.....worth every penny. 

Feb 25, 2024 10:50:09 GMT -5 andreww said:

Floki,

These are older ones, Eduard had joined with HGW and produced them. Now it's just HGW and same product. Previously, you could purchase through either company. I think Eduard made the etched buckles and HGW the belts. It was only a brief time that they were offered by Eduard, I stocked up on a few at that point. Nowadays I just order the HGW offerings direct or through Hannants if I have enough of an order together. I only wish they offered a more modern range, too.

www.eduard.com/Eduard/Photo-etched-parts/Photo-etched-set/Aircraft/1-32/Seatbelts-USAAF-WWII-FABRIC-1-32.html?cur=2

  Big fan of these belts. Lotsa work & time involved but again....worth every minute of it.

Feb 27, 2024 14:20:19 GMT -5 andreww said:

I have spent a few days prepping and painting the prop and spinner, as well as testing the Eduard removable film decals. I watched a few YouTube videos first, and all went well. I painted the tail wheel, inserted and joined the fuselage halves, attached stabilizers (which come in top and bottom halves that have to join, extra cement seams to sand, why Eduard?), set on wings and did up my last bits of fuselage filler. I also did some spot checking with primer on my finish sanding of the filler, re scribed and re riveted as necessary. I think now it's oil coolers and control surfaces, then should be able to cover it all in primer. Eduard provides a few etch pieces around the tail end of the fuselage, most of these went well, one lost to the carpet monster, so I snipped a short length from a piece I won't use as a substitution. Looking more and more like an aircraft.

  I've always wondered about the two halves for the stabilizers and the air intakes on these. Just weird but......that's how they do things. Other modeling manufacturers don't do that but have other areas that leave a guy scratchin' his head. This is comin' along nicely Andrew. 

[handiabled]

Coming together nicely. Are you building this as the box scheme with the paint and markings?

[andreww]

Handiabled,

Yes, I think I am going for the box art. I like the white wash, and don't have a Grunhartz 109 in the collection yet. So, Hans Phillip's it will be. It should let me exercise my paint skills a bit, black basing in reverse. I've got a brassin set of landing gear, but from what I read the gear covers were removed on the Eastern front to stop snow piling up, so I'll have to play with the cast hydraulic brake lines a bit, as half of them are cast into the resin gear cover, half into the brass gear leg. I am also planning to 'white wash' either over a layer of RLM 70, or possibly paint out the camo scheme entirely and white wash over that. I think the RLM 70 should cut it, as every image I have found shows the airframe pretty well coated in the white layer. I plan on using Vallejo white grey. I have a number of Maketar paint masks for the Hakencruz and Balkancruz, I am debating using some of those, but I also have the new style Eduard decals to play with, so still deciding on that. I know no matter how well I line up the vinyl masks, I always find an imperfection.

[jmarc]

LLLLLLLLLLLLooking good so far !

[handiabled]

Feb 28, 2024 4:20:28 GMT -5 andreww said:

Handiabled,

Yes, I think I am going for the box art. I like the white wash, and don't have a Grunhartz 109 in the collection yet. So, Hans Phillip's it will be. It should let me exercise my paint skills a bit, black basing in reverse. I've got a brassin set of landing gear, but from what I read the gear covers were removed on the Eastern front to stop snow piling up, so I'll have to play with the cast hydraulic brake lines a bit, as half of them are cast into the resin gear cover, half into the brass gear leg. I am also planning to 'white wash' either over a layer of RLM 70, or possibly paint out the camo scheme entirely and white wash over that. I think the RLM 70 should cut it, as every image I have found shows the airframe pretty well coated in the white layer. I plan on using Vallejo white grey. I have a number of Maketar paint masks for the Hakencruz and Balkancruz, I am debating using some of those, but I also have the new style Eduard decals to play with, so still deciding on that. I know no matter how well I line up the vinyl masks, I always find an imperfection.

Awesome! I love the whitewashed look on the 109

[andreww]

I've spent a few days in between work attaching control surfaces, Brassin landing gear (where I had to extend the hydraulic lines as I won't use the landing gear covers, quick work with 0.5 mm brass rod), shooting a layer of primer and this morning started around with some Vallejo RLM 04 Gelb.

[andreww]

A quick bit of masking, a clean of the airbrush, and I laid down my RLM 76 lichtblau. If I'm lucky I get to mask and paint the landing gear and wheel wells before I'm off to work.

My Vallejo RLM 76 was an older bottle, and for the life of me I can't find a newer one.  The paint was thick, and took a lot of thinning to get an acceptable behavior. 

[jmarc]

NNNNNNNNNNeat !

[kyledehart5]

Looking good Andrew!

[406 Silverado]

Wow!!! The paint work on this one is coming along nicely. Love the color modulation on this Andrew. It took a break from aircraft building for around 6 years to watch others work their magic on paint jobs and learn new tricks of my own. I'm glad I did because I brought a whole new game to the table after looking at builds like this when I returned to the genre.

[handiabled]

Looks like you got the RLM 76 thinned perfectly. Your pre-shading shows nicely giving it a great weathered look

[jester75]

Following along as I love JG54 birds. Looking great so far! I think we've all been terrorized by the early Eduard 190 series. I'm so far out of the loop that this is the first I have heard of their decals with removable carrier film. That is frakin cool!

[406 Silverado]

Mar 10, 2024 8:57:25 GMT -5 jester75 said:

Following along as I love JG54 birds. Looking great so far! I think we've all been terrorized by the early Eduard 190 series. I'm so far out of the loop that this is the first I have heard of their decals with removable carrier film. That is frakin cool!

 Looks like you're getting back INTO the loop good buddy Eric. 

[deafpanzer]

Sorry I am so late to your party. Your 109 is looking GREAT already!