1/48 Tamiya BF-109E-4/7

by Alan Williamson

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The Kit:    Tamiya 1/48 BF-109E-4/7 Trop Kit NO.63
 
Additions:    Aires BF-109E-4 Detail set 4090
 
Construction
 
I Started this kit back in 2002 with a visit to Craig from Aeroworks to pick up the detail set. But being a novice back than and this being the first kit I had ever used a resin detail set on I found it very hard to work with. You could say at the time I bite of more than I could handle. I didn't do to bad a job of installing the resin cockpit or hacking away of the kit parts to add in the resin engine. I did not have all the right tools to accomplish the delicate work of removing kit parts and placing in the resin parts, but I made do with what I had at the time. So after constructing the majority of the kit it went back into its box, Sorry no photos of the construction of the kit I hadn't brought a digital camera at the time. 2004 saw the kit come out of its box and I pick up where I left of filling gaps and peppering the kit for painting, but painting the kit didn't work out I had nothing but problems with the paint. The paint had some sort of reaction in which I had to get out the oven cleaner and strip the paint off the kit, after stripping the kit it found itself back in its box. 2005 sore the kit come out yet again with the paint striped off I airbrushed the total kit in Model Masters Metal paint, only to find the kit had a huge seem line where the two fuselage halves were joined. Out came the putty and the wet rub and I went to work covering up the seem line.
Note picture 03 re-scribing and sanding the seem line, with the seem line now gone I re-sprayed the kit in metal finish. The kit was then placed back into its box to wait... Late 2006 out came the kit for the last time where I continued with the painting picture 04 

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Pic 3 Pic 4 

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Fishing Touches

I used the kit decals supplied with the kit and once all the decals were placed on I went over them with gloss clear, it was time to weather the 109 I used pastel chalk to high light the panel lines and give the kit an overall dirty look. Now I had finished weathering the 109 I went over it with dull clear and attached the landing gear, cockpit windows and other little bites and pieces. The kit was now and finally finished 27/3/07

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Thanks

Craig from Aeroworks whom got me in the Aires detail set, Craig can be reached at  aeroworks@iprimus.com.au for any of your modelling needs.

Steve Bamford for placing an other article of mine on his site.

Alan 

Photos and text © by Alan Williamson