discussion My 1/72 non winter G.B., B.O.B. diorama

[spanner570]

I have some time now doing what I want to do! So seeing as how m1ks build is off the chocks, I will chip in with my own.

I will be making this Airfix 1/72 Bf109-E, then I will be incorporating it into a diorama. The idea for which came from a scene from the film 'Battle of Britain'

I will do a stage build, not so much of the aircraft, but more the construction of the diorama itself.

I hope you will enjoy the progress and any suggestions, comments along the way will be most welcome.

Thank you,

Ron

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[Guest]

Looking forwards to this Ron. As I will be doing a Bf109-E too.

Tony..

 

[spanner570]

Looking forwards to this Ron. As I will be doing a Bf109-E too.Tony..

What kit Tony?

I ask because this Airfix kit had an important bit missing, it was broken off the sprue and not even in the bag!

Luckily, for what I am going to do it didn't matter.

So if you have the same kit, beware..

Ron

 

[Guest]

I have the Tamiya,Revell and an Airfix Bf109. The Airfix is the Bf109K. I will be building the Tamiya Bf109-E .The Revell will be used in a small diorama later on. What part is missing?

Tony..

 

[yak face]

Ill be keeping an eye on this one ,young ron . Nice to see you back from your travels matey. cheers tony

 

[spanner570]

I have the Tamiya,Revell and an Airfix Bf109. The Airfix is the Bf109K. I will be building the Tamiya Bf109-E .The Revell will be used in a small diorama later on. What part is missing?Tony..

Tony, it's one of the tail plane rear bracing struts. It's just as well I don't need it or it would have meant a bit of scratch building, not much I know but annoying non the less!

Cheers Tony 2, nice to be back, and good to see you back as well !!

Ron

 

[Guest]

If you do need it give us a shout.

Tony..

 

[Guest]

Looking forward to your dio Ron.

 

[spanner570]

If you do need it give us a shout. Tony..

Thanks for that Tony, much appreciated.

Also nice to see you will be looking in Ray. I hope I can do my idea justice...

 

[spanner570]

O.K. boys and girls. My 1/72 Battle of Britain diorama idea is to try and include a shed, a pond, fences, a ploughed field, a grassy one and a can of Boddingtons...Oh! and a Bf109E-4.

The chipboard base size is a compact 300mm X 250mm.

When I have a go at a diorama I start with a rough, basic idea and things come to mind as it progresses. Personally, I find it best to get inspiration when the build starts, then I can add or remove bits as I go along. I never stick to a plan which makes it much more fun!

Apart from obviously the aircraft, all the elements will be scratched built. The greenery ect, scrounged from the garden...as usual!

Here is the first stage, making the shed:-

I wanted a really rough, corrugated tin shed. Luckily, I live in the sticks so I'm surrounded by them, so plenty of inspiration!

The roof is made of baking foil, cut into the required sizes. I thought of following Graham's tip for the corrugations but the scale was too big, so with a steel rule and the flat edge of my modelling knife I carefully scoured the foil in small parallel lines. The result turned out just right. Then I painted them with some grey primer and when dry, gently went across the surface with some fine sand paper to give a 'hit and miss' shine to the roof sheets.

The timber frame which measures 100mmx40x40, is a figment of my imagination and is made up of about 2mm square scrap balsa.

Once the frame was dry I stuck the sheeting on with UHU glue. The legs are not uniform as they are to be let into the earth (I think!)

The weathering will be done during the final stages.

I have also made a start on the 109 and being a basic kit which I don't need to be too fussy about, should not take long to complete....As long as I don't get dragged off again!

That's it so far. Next I will make a start on the base and figure out where to place the shed then I can decide where the other elements might be best placed.

Thank you for having a read,

Ron

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[Guest]

Great start Ron, love watching you 1:72 guys at work.I hope the can of Bodingtons is 1:1 scale Ron....lol

 

[spanner570]

Thanks Ray, I usually do my stuff in 1/35 so this 1/72 lark is a challenge and a half, but as it's a sort of Group Build I had to get involved and have a go to show willing.........I might regret it though!

I'm working on the can, nearly empty now...

Ron

P.S. Does anyone else (apart from me) get that annoying little laughing runt of an icon every time they type summat remotely funny???

 

[AlanG]

Ah now i see what you ment by not using your new Academy Bf109 for this build. Going to be watching this build Ron

 

[spanner570]

Quite right Al, the Academy Bf109 is far too good a model for my proposed diorama......But the Airfix excuse for one deserves only one fate!

Ron

 

[spanner570]

Hi all, here is an update of progress so far...

I have concentrated on the 1/72 109 this last few days so here it is.

After building and painting it, I came up with the idea of some battle damage to the engine cowling and stablizer. I did this using a red hot sewing needle and pushed it through the plastic.

With a fine hacksaw blade and my modelling knife, I scoured all the control surface joints then 'hinged' them to the desired angle. I then did a bit of weathering. I have tried to simulate how I would think the 109 would look after a 'pancake' landing.

I was unsure of what the prop would be made of (metal or wood?) also I needed info on the hood....Who better to ask than our Luftwaffe buff Steve (stona) after a quick P/M my questions were answered, along with a picture...Thanks Steve!

So here is the aircraft, still more weathering, damage, the prop and canopy to do.

The first two photos are the start of the weathering...

Thanks for looking,

Ron

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[Guest]

Like the bullet holes, now that does take me back to my youth, I used to do that to the model planes I made then once i'd gotten fed up of them dangling from the ceiling, though with les panache, they then normally tried to fly out of the bedroom window with little success.

Props were metal / alloy I believe, most crash damaged warbirds display bent props rather than broken / splintered

 

[Guest]

Great progress here Ron, love what your doing to this bird,top job mate.

 

[spanner570]

Thanks chaps, glad you like it.

Steve (stona) P/M'd me with info on the prop. blades. The very early ones, presumably during the Spanish Civil War, were wooden and during 1940, as you rightly pionted out m1ks, they were metal. Late 109's returned to wooden ones. As I put in my post, the props. ect. will be done in the next stage, thanks for confirming boys.

Ron

 

[stona]

Late 109's returned to wooden ones.

Ron

I need to qualify that. I seemed to remember some later Gs using wooden blades but a quick trawl through the limited material on my lap top would seem to indicate that I was incorrect. I will double check in a couple of weeks when I get home. I was probably thinking of late Fw190s which did use wooden blades ( if you like numbers the VDM 9-12176 A was wooden). I blame it on having a mind like Swiss cheese,full of holes.

I'm still fairly confident that some of the early two bladed props were indeed wooden.

The BoB metal blades are quite correct....phew!

Sorry for any confusion.

Cheers

Steve

Edit Yes,the Bs,more than forty of which served in Spain did have a wooden two bladed propeller.

 

[Gern]

There's no way I can believe that you'd leave a full can of Boddies lying around in a diorama Ron, but how much does a 1/72 can hold? lol

Gern