Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 by Xavier Lena (Hasegawa 1/48)

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6

by Xavier Lena

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6
III./JG53, Major Franz Goetz, Italy, 1944

D e s c r i p t i o n

My latest project is a 1/48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 finished using Kommandeur decals sheet KD4807Ff.

In the last fantastic release of Kommandeur decals, Brown Ryle issued one Me-109 scheme that I found really interesting. It is a G-6 from III/JG53, in Italy, early 1944, piloted by Major Franz GOETZ.

What I found particularly interesting is that, instead of the usual rather dull RLM74/75/76 scheme, the aircraft features some colourful patches of RLM 70 and RLM 71 greens.

I used Hasegawa's excellent 1/48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6, almost out of box.

The only modifications to the cockpit were some wires and an Eduard harness:

The cockpit was painted with Gunze RLM 66 (H416). I then added a black wash of oil paint diluted in lighter fluid. Some areas were highlighted with a cloud of Gunze H 305 (Gray FS36118). then drybrushed with white Humbrol enamel and finally some silver on the seat bottom. Dials are represented with a drop of clear Aeromaster varnish.

Some extra details were added to the exterior:

The aircraft is painted with Gunze acrylic paints, diluted in isopropyl alcohol.

The mottling is sprayed with very diluted (90%) Gunze paint at a low pressure (1 bar or 7 psi), very close to the surface. The needle of the airbrush must be almost closed to restrict paint flow. This way you can slowly design every mottle one by one.

A coat of Gunze clear varnish is then sprayed before decaling.

Kommandeur decals were a pleasure to use. They are really thin - the film is almost invisible. They are easily moved around on the glossy kit surface provided you use extra water to help them. They reacted very well to AeroSol solution.

A coat of Gunze Matt varnish was then sprayed to seal the decals and blend everything in.

Weathering includes a black wash in all panel lines, some extra post-shadowing on panel lines and exhausts stains made with Gunze soot (H343) very (very) diluted.

All in all a very pleasant project for my first, but certainly not my last, Bf 109.

A d d i t i o n a l I m a g e s

Click on the thumbnailed images below to view full-size.

Model, Photographs and Article Text Copyright © 1999 by Xavier Lena
Image From KommanDeur Decal Sheet Used With Permission of E. Brown Ryle III
Page Created 17 May 1999
Last updated 26 July 2007

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