gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six **DONE**

A single-type GB celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Me/Bf-109 entering Luftwaffe service. Any variant based on the 109 airframe, any kit, any scale, etc.
GB runs 25 March to 30 April and your host is Gadfly.
User avatar
gnomemeansgnome
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5269
Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
Location: No Fun City

gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six **DONE**

Post by gnomemeansgnome »

Clearly taking leave of my senses I have decided to throw the Airfix Me109G-6 into the ring as well. If I were to add one more it would make a Schwarm! Made of rather brittle plastic I have already split the wings and fuselage in more than one place. Ofw. Franz von Schmitt is being painted up and will be ready to be crammed into his office soon. I have attempted without going overboard to remediate the unremarkably vague landing wheels and tyres by scribing tyre lines and wheel spokes with a knife. After a wash they will look a bit more interesting, I hope. Among the parts missing from this second hand unbuilt kit was enough parts to make both R4M rocket tubes, so I futzed one together from bits I still had and fished another already built and painted one from the spares box.

Image

Image
Ego no habeo consilium.

ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
User avatar
gnomemeansgnome
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5269
Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
Location: No Fun City

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by gnomemeansgnome »

Crawling along, now it is masked and almost ready for some primer spraybombing once the weather decides to cooperate for a little while....


Image
Ego no habeo consilium.

ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
User avatar
DazDaMan
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5643
Joined: March 7th, 2012, 3:45 pm
Location: Penicuik

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by DazDaMan »

I've got one of these on its way to me, but I reckon my build of it will be far less straightforward! :ha:
Daren

Half-assed Spitfire builder!
User avatar
iggie
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 23360
Joined: July 31st, 2013, 11:04 am
Location: North Somercotes, Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by iggie »

Nice going so far gmg!
Best wishes

Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
User avatar
gnomemeansgnome
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5269
Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
Location: No Fun City

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by gnomemeansgnome »

Thanks, Iggie. With my airbrush being held in high suspicion I have instead rattlecanned this one, and may do the Zwilling with the same scheme. Somewhere under that tape and blutak boogers there will hopefully be something vaguely resembling 1944-era German fighter colours.

Image
Ego no habeo consilium.

ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
User avatar
Clashcityrocker
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 10781
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 12:31 am
Location: Adelaide. South Australia

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by Clashcityrocker »

It does work. I used the same method on a Focke Wulf 190. Very satisfying when you remove all the blobs.

Nigel
User avatar
gnomemeansgnome
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5269
Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
Location: No Fun City

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by gnomemeansgnome »

I think it turned out okay. A little too Battle of Britain kit for me, but maybe I can work with it.......


Image
Ego no habeo consilium.

ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
User avatar
iggie
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 23360
Joined: July 31st, 2013, 11:04 am
Location: North Somercotes, Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by iggie »

That has come out remarkably well!
Best wishes

Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
ShaunW
NOT the sheep
Posts: 26118
Joined: November 26th, 2011, 6:11 pm
Location: Pontefract West Yorkshire

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by ShaunW »

By the looks of the fuselage rivets, I'm guessing this is the olde worlde tool of this kit GMG, which IIRC was initially released as a '109F back in the mists of time before being converted into a G-6 sometime in the 60's. Nicely done - that is a great idea for masking up the mottling as in this small scale doing the mottling free hand is a fraught business IMHO!
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.

Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
User avatar
gnomemeansgnome
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5269
Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
Location: No Fun City

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by gnomemeansgnome »

No kidding Shaun! I could never do that kind of camo freehand. Years ago I would have used q-tips, which can sort of work, but since discovering blutak I find it has that soft edge that a spraybrush would have made on the real thing. As for the rivets, I kind of like that about the old Airfix kits, at least as much as I kind of like the deep panel lines on a Matchbox kit. With a wash and wax they will look okay, and anything I sanded away can be pencilled in afterwards. I hope to have the Zwilling painted in the next few days....
Ego no habeo consilium.

ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
User avatar
gnomemeansgnome
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5269
Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
Location: No Fun City

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by gnomemeansgnome »

While I wait for paint to dry on the Zwilling, I attacked the Gustav with washes, polishes, and pecking away randomly at it with a soft graphite pencil to really make this machine look haggard after one hopeless mission following another against mounting B-17 raids.
Image


Image
Ego no habeo consilium.

ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
ShaunW
NOT the sheep
Posts: 26118
Joined: November 26th, 2011, 6:11 pm
Location: Pontefract West Yorkshire

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by ShaunW »

Great stuff GMG, these machines were worked hard and those that survived more than a few missions began to show the strain, regularly having to be serviced and repaired quickly in adverse conditions - often outdoors as Luftwaffe airfield hangars were bombed into rubble. Mismatched paint, replacement parts from other machines and various stains on the paint are all evident from studying photos.
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.

Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
User avatar
gnomemeansgnome
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5269
Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
Location: No Fun City

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by gnomemeansgnome »

Yes, the shopworn look is what I am aiming for. Although I am going with the box scheme for a Defence of the Reich machine, a little research has led me to conclude that this more than likely a machine from JG54 'Grünherz' (Green Hearts). Therefore it would have sported their distinctive emblem and a big blue band on the rear fuselage. Unfortunately a comprehensive search of my decals spares box has turned up none of those markings. I suppose in the meantime I can paint a blue band on the tail at some point.
Ego no habeo consilium.

ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
User avatar
gnomemeansgnome
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5269
Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
Location: No Fun City

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by gnomemeansgnome »

Now close to running neck in neck with the Zwilling. 'Grünherz' emblem cut from green Balkankreuzen found lurking near the bottom of the spares box. Now waiting for the floor wax to dry, then a good toot or two of dullcote. Final attachment of breakables like underwing horn balances and aerials. Still dithering over whether or not to paint a blue Defence of Reich band on the rear fuselage.

Image
Ego no habeo consilium.

ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
ShaunW
NOT the sheep
Posts: 26118
Joined: November 26th, 2011, 6:11 pm
Location: Pontefract West Yorkshire

Re: gnomemeansgnome's Gustav Six

Post by ShaunW »

Excellent GMG and that is how I fondly remember this model, built up with the "Yellow 3" markings. I don't know if Airfix based the markings on an actual aircraft or if they are more spurious. If you are fitting the model with either the under wing 20 mm cannon pods or Wfr. Gr. 21 rocket tubes that are provided in the kit then defence of the Reich fuselage bands would be very appropriate IMHO.
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.

Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Locked

Return to “Me/Bf-109 80th Anniv in Service”