Lancfan's Condor Legionaire ***Finished***

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.
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lancfan
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Lancfan's Condor Legionaire ***Finished***

Post by lancfan »

As my first build represented the final time that a Bf109 variant saw Combat I have decided that this third build should depict one of the first, a Condor Legion BF109B-1
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David.
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ShaunW
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by ShaunW »

Excellent choice, David and I agree it is a great contrast to your "last of the many" version, the S-199.
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lancfan
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by lancfan »

The cockpit detail on this kit is rather dated and somewhat sparse and so this will be replaced using a resin casting copied from a more modern kit, unfortunately I was unable to find a picture of the BF109B cockpit so will base the cockpit of my model on the Airfix 'E' variant. to begin with I have thinned the sidewalls to accept the resin skins, I am out of silicon casting putty ATM and this is on order so should be with me at some point next week, until then there are a couple of omissions from the Airfix cockpit that I need to scratch build before I take the mould so I will not lose too much time.
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I have also begun work on the wings, stretched sprue ribs have been fitted into the wheel bays and after assembly scrap plastic strip has been glued into the upper wing root to support the wing halves in place as I intend to cut away the flaps and re-fix them in the down position.
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David.
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planecrazyman61
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by planecrazyman61 »

hi david nice build choice but can i give you a heads up on a possible problem when building it ,i have the same boxing what iv'e noticed is the fuselage bends to port from the rear of the cockpit to the tail when looked at from above this is with the raised panel lines on the fuselage matching up,don't know if this is a problem made by me or in the kit but if yours has this issue let us know what your solution will be
cheers craig
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by ShaunW »

Interesting stuff David and certainly the cockpit area can only be improved with some additional detail. I'm unsure as to the differences between the cockpits of the "B" and "E" versions of the aircraft but the cockpit aperture is pretty narrow and if you model the hood closed then I'm sure all will look good with the later cockpit installed!
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lancfan
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by lancfan »

I have now actually found cockpit details for the 'B' online Shaun and it is very similar to the 'E', the main change is the lack of a cannon breech and it also lacks the map pocket on the STB sidewall.
Here is the improved Airfix fuselage interior and the Heller fuselage halves with the new cockpit details cast into them along with the Airfix cockpit floor and seat and the resin clones.
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The moulds for the new interior.
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David.
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by iggie »

Brilliant work with your home made castings; great attention to detail!
Best wishes

Jim
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by ShaunW »

iggie wrote:Brilliant work with your home made castings; great attention to detail!
+1 from me David!
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by gbrwn56 »

Clever stuff, looks great, thanks for sharing.
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lancfan
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by lancfan »

Cheers iggie, Shaun, George.

David.
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire

Post by lancfan »

The cockpit was then painted and installed and the fuselage halves joined together, then the flaps were separated from the wing and leading edges were added to the flaps using Revell Plasto filler.
[imghttps://photos.smugmug.com/Unofficial-airfix-modellers-forum-images/i-nTT4rqd/0/7244d1d4/L/condor%20legion%20109B%2008-L.jpg[/img]
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The wings were then glued to the fuselage and the flaps cyanoe'd to the wings in the down position.
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The kit did not represent the radiator cooling duct or flap properly so a better ducting and flap was made from plastic card.
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The front and rear canopy sections were then glued to the fuselage and the centre portion was dry fitted prior to masking the canopy for painting to begin.
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Heller missed an opportunity with this kit as they included both fixed pitch wooden and variable pitch metal airscrews to model the B-1 and B-2 as well as the C-1 but only included the B-1 and c-1 in the instructions. the early production Bf109B-1s sent to Spain were painted in the standard temporate Dark Green/Black Green splinter scheme with Light blue undersides, this colour scheme faded quite rapidly in the spanish sun and to portray this I have used Revell Aqua Grey/Green 67 for the Dark Green and Aqua Dark Green 68 as the Black Green, the decals used were from the kit to depict the same aircraft in original form. The aircraft were also later upgraded to B-2 standard by fitting the VDM variable pitch airscrew and were repainted in Light Grey topsides and Light blue underneath but I do not know wether the colour change was done at the same time as the propeller change.
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Finished, Messerschmitt BF109b-1, "6-26" Deutsche Condor Legion, Spain, 1937.
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David.
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire ***Finished***

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Well done as usual. I've always thought the tail markings looked like 100-mile-an-hour tape fixing a fabric tear :)
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire ***Finished***

Post by iggie »

Cracking build David!
Best wishes

Jim
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"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire ***Finished***

Post by ShaunW »

An excellent build David and it's good to see an early '109 in Legion colours.
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planecrazyman61
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Re: Lancfan's Condor Legionaire ***Finished***

Post by planecrazyman61 »

really nice build and i like the improvements you have made and the scheme you have painted it in
cheers craig
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