1/48 Hasegawa Bf-109F-4

Gallery Article by Hal Marshman Sr. on Nov 5 2009

 

    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.) 

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    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

Photos and text © by Hal Marshman Sr