The Fox's bench

[Desert_fox]

Well, I registered on this forum to meet like-minded individuals and to improve my modelling skills. So I thought I should share my modelling!
Yesterday, I picked up the Airfix Messerschmitt Bf109E Tropical:


This is what you get in the box:



And this is a snapshot of the instruction manual:


I began working on it today (perhaps a bit naughty since I'm supposed to be finishing my college work! ). I hope to get some photo's up later.

I should point out that this probably won't get updated at anything more than a snail's pace. Sadly I don't get much time to model. Hopefully though, this coming week will be a good time for me and I can get some decent progress made on this model. I started this thread now because its going to be a good incentive for me to keep working on the model!

Thanks for looking

[MerlinJones]

Just enjoy...we get the added bonus of watching for nothing!

Regards,
Bruce

[jssel]

You picked a good kit. I have not heard anything bad about it yet. Should be a fun thread to watch.

Good luck.

[Narayan]

I've only heard and seen good things about this kit too. look forward to seeing your progress.

_________________
Narayan

If I’m not back in 30 minutes, call the President.

A:B
2011 04:08 2009 19:16
2010 44:12 2008 16:03

Overall 166:44

[Stamford]

The biggest problem with this kit is which version to build! I fancy all three!

[Desert_fox]

Haha, I was tempted by the Spanish Civil War version but the tropical one wins out. It suits my avatar and username

As for the kit itself, so far I have the cockpit assembled and the first lick of paint has gone on. I'm just waiting for it to dry out and then I'll take some photographs. It does look like a really nice kit. The cockpit is much more detailed than I am used to from Airfix (although I am going by my knowledge of their kits from when I was a child and the 1:72 kits I have just done so this might not be such a surprise). I wouldn't say it was outstandingly detailed, but its nice for me to see even this level of detailing. The parts seem to fit together really nicely and I am finding it much easier to take the pieces off the sprue without leaving too much flash on there. More pics soon!

[Dirkpitt289]

They give you some tough choices. What a great marketing ploy by airfix. Now you have people buying the same item three times.

[Desert_fox]

Ok, I've taken some shots of the 109's cockpit sub assembly and wing and fuselage parts now they have their first lick of paint. I took them in the 'spraying room', which is a nice way of saying garage!


Cockpit:

[Desert_fox]

In the meantime though, I've been getting on with the Airfix 1:72 Bf110, which has resulted in my desk looking like this:


Here is a closeup of the cockpit as it stands:

There are some places I need to go back with a paintbrush and touch up. I always paint small parts while they are on the sprue, and so when I clip these parts off and sand away the flash, it inevitably leaves it looking a bit scrappy. I still find it easier to do it this way though than to try and get to all the little nooks and crannies if I had put the pieces together straight off.
Structurally there are some more small parts to add to the cockpit, then the fuselage can be put together and the wings attached. I always find that when I get to that stage of the model, it starts to come together pretty quickly.


As an aside, something I have noticed is that photographs really show up flaws and bits that have been missed far more than the naked eye seems able to. The 109, for example, looks like it doesn't need any more paint to the naked eye. But it's pretty clear from those photos up there that there are places where I'm going to have to go back and touch it up. I find this quite interesting, and I'm going to continue to take photographs of my work in progress even if only to spot the flaws I missed.

[Narayan]

Nice work so far Mr Fox. Nice choice of aircrat you have on the go there.

I know what you mean about picture's showing up things you may have missed. It's why I tend not to show close up's!!

_________________
Narayan

If I’m not back in 30 minutes, call the President.

A:B
2011 04:08 2009 19:16
2010 44:12 2008 16:03

Overall 166:44

[Desert_fox]

Since the last time I updated this, I was gifted the Arifix MiG-15 and F86 Sabre, on the proviso that I drop everything I was working on and do those models. Never one to miss an opportunity for a free model, I agreed
The drawback to this is the 109 has had to be put on the backburner (no great shame as I need a raft of paints for it that I can ill afford to buy right now) in order to make way for the MiG. The good news is the MiG is an absolute joy and I am enjoying this build more than any kit I've done so far! I have managed to make some fairly swift (for me) progress on it as well as doing a tiny bit of the Me 110. I have taken some pics, although I fear the quality leaves much to be desired:

This is the state the MiG is in as we speak:

Unfortunately the masking tape I applied around the fuselage didn't quite hold it together at the nose hence the elastic band holding it in place now. The rest came out fine though.

I am quite proud of my cockpit, although these closeups don't do it much justice:


I managed to do what I thought was a fantastic job getting the exhaust nozzle at the back to look scorched, but annoyingly I cannot get a decent photo of it no matter how hard I try, so you will have to take my word for it
The wings and assorted gubbings for wheels and drop tanks currently look like this:

[Dirkpitt289]

The Mig is looking good so far. I have two of these in the stash and (like some many others) hope to get to it sooner than later. I'll be watching with great interest.

[flakmonkey]

Nice work, but which of the Bruces is the tribute intended for?

[Dirkpitt289]

Nice work, but which of the Bruces is the tribute intended for?

It took me a minute but I got it....

[Desert_fox]

Nice work, but which of the Bruces is the tribute intended for?

The funniest thing about that is the statue of Robert the Bruce has to go to England to be built. So all the Scottish nationalists who flock to it when it opens will be looking at a piece of English work