Tamiya's 1/48 scale
Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-4

by Jamie Haggo
 

Tamiya's 1/48 scale Bf 109 E-4/7/Trop is available online from Squadron 

This is the Tamiya Bf 109E-3 in 1/48 scale. The kit is getting on a bit but this was in a very early box (£19.99 from Beatties so the label said).

I used the Eduard pre painted etched set for the cockpit, some people say this is cheating a bit but I’m not one of them. You could say that decal instrument panels are as well if you’re going to use that argument, I use them because they simply look real! This is the first time I have used a set and I will certainly be doing so again.

The first job I tackled was the riveting. I am a big fan of the MDC tool as the rivet is by far the most realistic you get from all the riveting tools out there but it has one major draw back. It is probably the biggest ball ache of a job out there, if they could invent one that gave the same effect on a wheel they’d sell thousands I am sure.

The construction was very straight forward so it was quickly onto the painting. I pre-shade models, not to get the subtle panel line shading effect but I find it highlights the panel lines without the need for a wash. This I think gives a very much more subtle effect, The camouflage was built up in layers shading and tinting as I went, I used Gunze acrylics which are my in vogue paint at the moment.

Decals came from Sky Models (the national markings were sprayed using Montex masks). I wanted to have an aircraft with a yellow nose and no mottling, finding a scheme was actually quite hard as most yellow noses had some form of mottling or were E-4 versions.

There wasn’t much weathering to do as it was almost all done as I went along during the painting stage but I did add some small paint scuffs with a silver pencil and an exhaust stain from various shades of black, brown and grey.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Modelling the P-47 Thunderbolt Osprey Modelling 11 Author: Brett Green US Price: $17.95 UK Price: £12.99 Publisher: Osprey Publishing Publish Date:  July 25, 2004 Details: 80 pages; ISBN: 1841767956 Shop Buy it from Osprey Publishing

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2007 by Jamie Haggo
Page Created 17 May, 2007
Last Updated 24 December, 2007

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