I'm plugging away at my Eduard BF-110E-2 - it has the extended tail for the dingy and also has the cable for the release running down the left side of the aft fuselage. Now my question as I paint it up, was this a conduit or a piece of wire. The differance is does the 'thing' get painted in the same color as the rest of the fuslage if it was a conduit with a wire running within it, or was it a separate 'wire' that will be painted say steel on the tan background (mine is an African based Jabo - like the new Airfix 72nd boxart)

I honestly cannot find any pics of this area in any of my books - even those specifically dealing with 110s

Thanks for the help
Matt

Matt
I think it ran inside a conduit so it would be the same color as the camo.

I will have to look at my ref books at home tonight.

Maybe Mr. Vasco can chime in.

Looking at my Dragon D-3 - teh cable release is a thin wire that goes through a couple of eyelets. Now to figure out how to best show this on my Eduard fuselage

Matt

Matt, I looked last night and could not find any detail shots of this area.

In regards to how to build what you described. Jewelery wire will work well for the cable and eyelets.

If I may quote from the Vultee report on Bf 110 D-0/B, S9+CK of 2./Erpr. Gr. 210, Section III, Chapter 5, pages 10 & 11:
"...The tail cone provides stowage for a life raft. In event of an emergency water landing, the tail cone can be jettisoned by a latch controlable from the gunner's cockpit. Upon being released the tail cone opens about a hinge at the aft end and releases a life raft. A light cable held in clips along the outside of the fuselage provides for the raft being towed forward to the crew..."

If you look at photos of Bf 110s with this cable running the top of the port fuselage, it is difficult to tell whether the cable has been sprayed over or not. In the photo below, you can see that the cable has been oversprayed. Photo shows Uffz. Balthasar Aretz (P), left, and Gefr. Rolf Schilleng (Bf) with their Bf 110 D-0/B, S9+EK, upon return to Calais-Marck with combat damage on 31 August 1940 following a mission over England.

Also, make sure you get the downward break angle of the cable correct. i.e. between two airframe frames, not on one. See the photo below, and you'll see what I mean.



Note in this photo also, that the cable has been oversprayed with the black and white of the fuselage cross colours.

Nice photos John, thank you. I was going to refer him to a couple of images in your very own, excellent, Bf110 C,D and E book but the ones you have posted show the cable better.
Cheers
Steve

Hi Matt,

Looking at all photo sources, including those posted here, and taking in considerations that this cable is a factory-made addition to the E version of the Bf.110, my educated guess is that the cable was bound to be camouflaged sprayed as part of the overall aircraft.

Best