discussion Me 109 panel lines

[coachman]

Hi all,when building a model theres a lot of advice on the forum

dealing with filling seams and making them invisible. Whilst browsing

through a magazine I looked at some scale plans for Me 109 (F & G)

which showed a panel line on the spine of the fuselage and on

the bottom. These were on the fuselage join line,when I built a

109 recently I filled the seams,was I wrong? or should some of

it have been left to represent a panel line. Thanks John

 

[stona]

I don't think there is a wrong and right!

The fuselage of all types of the Bf109 was constructed with skins on each side so there is a panel line both top and bottom on the full scale aircraft. Whether you choose to represent this on your model is a matter of choice. The skins,at least on the aircraft I've seen, are very nicely and carefully let in and the line is almost invisible. They are quite often literally invisible in photographs. Can you see it on Moelder's aircraft here?

Cheers

Steve

 

[coachman]

Thanks again Steve,what prompted me to ask is the fact that Ajcmacs'

current build seems to show them.I won't be entering any shows so I

suppose it doesn't really matter,just looking for clarification. Once again

thanks for your reply. John

 

[stona]

Thanks again Steve,what prompted me to ask is the fact that Ajcmacs'current build seems to show them.

No worries,it is a matter of choice or preference. I do leave a line but choose not to emphasise it. You can just about make it out on "one I prepared earler" :cheesygrin:

And here is a detail from a picture of some unpainted fuselage sections at the Augsburg plant.

Steve

 

[Guest]

Firstly Steve I have to say again how amazed I am at the fact that you seem to have a photograph to cover every detail of just about every German aircraft there was during the war.

Secondly though Augsberg caught my attention. I have actually been there recently, were 109's built there?

 

[stona]

Yes indeed. There was a complex of facilities at Augsburg-Haunstetten. In typically totalitarian style there was even a housing development,initially completed in 1937 but expanded later,called the "Messeschmittsiedlung". Literally Messerschmitt settlement,it was built to accomodate the influx of workers and engineers to the area. 18,000 people worked there in 1944 but about half were forced labourers and lived in less salubrious accomodation. Barracks were built and many also came from the satellite camp at Dachau. I have an american reconnaissance photograph of the facilities from 1944 but can't find it at the moment!

Here's a post bombing image of the Regenburg plant to give an idea of scale.

Cheers

Steve

 

[coachman]

Steve,as Richard says your a mine of useful information,I tend to be the opposite.

Thanks for the Augsburg picture,no obvious panel lines there, I think what I

shall have to do is make sure the seam is invisible,or just the correct amount of

it showing. By the way where do you reckon is the best source for decals if you

want to model something other than the kit has supplied,luftwaffe that is. Thanks John

 

[stona]

Hi again John. For decals here in the UK my first port of call would be Hannants. The search engine on their web site is a little tricky so I tend to make a fairly wide search and scroll through the pages until I find what I want.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Vaughan]

Hi John

Heere an Image that I found that clearly shows a seam running down the spine of the fuselage, but as Steve says some have some don't. Hope this helps.

Vaughan

View attachment 36165

View attachment 149191

 

[coachman]

Thanks Steve,I know what you mean about Hannants I'm going to

redo a 109trop which wasn't my best effort,I'll have a complete change.

Thanks Vaughan for your reference photo,I'll have to be careful where

and how much seam I leave visible,if any. Thanks to you both. John

 

[stona]

Hi Vaughan,they all had a join there ,top and bottom. On most aircraft in service it is barely visible. Your photo looks like a pre or during restoration image and the line is more evident than would be normal. On the airframes I've managed to get a close peek at you'd barely get a cigarette paper into the "gap". Reduce that to 1/32 or 1/48 and you've got something very small indeed. Almost all the detail on our models is over scale,if it wasn't you wouldn't see it!

On a model I think this is an artisitic decision. I choose pretty minimal though I do like Antonio's (ajmac) beautifully shaded interpretation as seen on his current build. Personally I don't much care for the insect like segmented effect some modellers go for but it's each to their own.

Cheers

Steve