This model
represents that flown by Josef "Pips" Priller, JG-26, France, 1941.
The F-2, F-4, G-2 and G-4 were the earliest of the round wingtip 109s that
Hasegawa brought out. With the G-6 and later variants, Hasegawa changed some
things with the fuselage, making for an easier build. Probably the best
thing they eliminated was the engine cowling. As originally produced, the two
piece cowl fit very badly, and required much tweaking to sit properly. In
addition, Hasegawa failed to indicate the presence of the piano style
hinge down the top center of the cowling. I reproduced that with a piece of
Evergreen .025 rod. The kit used for this model was one of the latest
pressings, and included a 1/48th figure of Pips himself, plus decals dedicated
to his bird. In addition to the work I had to do with the hood, I scratch built
the seat belts/buckles, brake lines, ventral antenna, fuel lines in the cockpit,
baggage compartment cover on rear cockpit bulkhead, and the stiffeners in the
intakes of the radiators and oil cooler. The kit has held up well over the
years since its release, with flash only being present on the exhaust stubs, and
dimples on the outboard flaps., (Easily corrected with a coat or two of White
Out, and sanded smooth. Took me 1/2 hour to accomplish that.)
Click on
images below to see larger images
I duplicated the
beautiful box cover paint scheme with Model Master Enamels, using soft masks
1/16th inch above the surface. The shades used were RLM 74/75/76. As mentioned
above, the decals were the kit provided items, and they performed very well. 2
coats of Future were applied with Q-tips, and decals were applied. I used a mix
of 50/50 Testor's decal set and Walther's Solve a Set to snuggle down the
decals, and finished the build with a spray of Testor's Dullcoat, thinned with lacquer
thinner. The antenna cables are monofilament 2 lb test fishing line, with
thick paint applied with a toothpick for insulators. Notice that the drop line
enters the fuselage via a white insulator, replicated by drilling a .025 hole,
and inserting a small section of .025 Evergreen rod.
Have fun,
Hal Marshman Sr
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