The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

Here is my effort with Tamiya's sublime 1/48th Emil. Building this kit has been a pleasure with the only fly in the ointment being the decals, some of which misbehaved in that they did not like my use of Microscale red bottle setting solution and creased quite badly. After treatment with Microscale blue bottle solution I managed to right most of the wrongs save for a couple of small creases that remain. I've never had this issue with Tamiya decals before and I've been using Microscale products for well over 20 years. Ho hum.

Other than the decals, which I'm prepared to class as a one off, I cannot praise this kit highly enough. OK so it's not perfect but no kit is. The pilot's seat is a bit rubbish and needed modification by way of a slot being cut into the back through which I threaded my aftermarket PE seat belts and I also added details to the seat support frame. Cockpit detail is adequate and, in addition to the aforementioned PE belts and seat details, I added a couple of levers and knobs here and there but, to be honest, the cockpit is narrow and dark and not that much can be seen even with the canopy posed open. Externally detail options are very good, the open leading edge slats and drooped flaps, which are both characteristic of parked Emils, are OOB. To further give the model a more candid appearance in line with period photos I opted to cut off and re-position the elevators, modify the rudder to put a bit of swing on and alter the tail wheel from the OOB straight ahead position.

Main paint was applied by airbrush and is all Tamiya - XF-23 Light Blue, XF-59 Desert Yellow and XF-58 Olive Green. The scheme is the best I could manage with my meagre skills and is not 100% accurate but is more, shall we say, representative of the aircraft Gloss and matt clear coats are Humbrol, once again applied by airbrush. Antenna wire is stretched sprue.

I've seen photos of models of Black 8 built as an E-7 complete with drop tank. After looking at wartime shots of the actual aircraft I can't make out any evidence to support that and Tamiya also suggest building the model as an E-4, a version of the Emil which was not plumbed for the carriage of an external fuel tank but that is otherwise visually identical to the E-7. So an E-4 it is then.

Messerschmitt Bf109E-4 Trop, 2./JG27, North Africa, September 1941:










Thanks for looking.

What a great job you have made there Shaun, the mottle looks great. Very well done sir.

Excellent work throughout Shaun and a superb finished product! Without knowing the scale, that could easily (if not probably) be taken for 1/32. Seriously good modelling!

Very neat build - nice mottling.

You describe your skills as meagre I'd describe them as awesome, as thats one most impressive 109, Shaun.

A very nicely built and finished 109.

Nigel

Two thumbs up.

Many thanks, folks, your comments are much appreciated. I don't have a great deal of experience in mottling techniques and the blotches here should really be smaller to be accurate for the actual aircraft. I don't build a huge amount of wartime Luftwaffe types so I'm unlikely to get a lot better in that respect but I'm happy enough with my efforts here - at least it looks something like it should

ShaunW wrote:Many thanks, folks, your comments are much appreciated. I don't have a great deal of experience in mottling techniques and the blotches here should really be smaller to be accurate for the actual aircraft. I don't build a huge amount of wartime Luftwaffe types so I'm unlikely to get a lot better in that respect but I'm happy enough with my efforts here - at least it looks something like it should

SOMETHING like it should!?!?. Looks totally like it should to me!

Very good looking 109, the camo pattern looks great.
Chris

Thank you kindly folks.

Looks great Shaun. The scheme looks just fine to me.

Stu

I have only just seen this here - that is awesome. First class modelling in every way. It may be a good kit to work with, but real skill is needed to turn a good kit into a first class model.

Thanks guys, you are very kind. For a properly accurate scheme I would've had to paint the blotches finer that I did but, hey ho, I'm not that well practised at mottling. I intend to have a crack at another 1/48th '109 or maybe a '262 later on in the year so that will mean another go at mottling!

That’s a stunning Emil you’ve got there.