Thanks for your kind words Jose, Shawn and Damian! I hope that some can find useful tips in this blog

Another update! I got the small bits attached to the bottom of the fuselage (why is it all the delicate bits go where you don't see them and can potentially destroy them when picking up your model?):



Dragon provides a very nice looking two part PE loop aerial, which I had planned to use. Unfortunately, by the time I got the parts off the sprue, and glued together, it had gotten bent out of shape a bit, so I went with the plastic part provided:



Also got the wheels done up. I started by painting the hubs semi-gloss black, and then painted the tires with Model Master Aircraft Interior Black (which is a nice lightened black color). After that, they were a bit too flat looking for rubber, so I rubbed them down with an old piece of a cotton T-Shirt to get a more rubber-like sheen to them. Here is a comparison (flat paint on the right):



On the 110, the tires need to be flattened a bit, otherwise it will look strange being tip-toed. The challenge with this is that the wheels sit at an angle, so you cannot just sand a flat spot on the bottom.

So, to tackle this problem, I used a protractor to find the proper angle of the wheels, and made a template from a piece of foam-core:



I then was able to hold the wheel against the angle of the foam-core which would enable me to sand it at the proper angle:



Another benefit of the foam-core is that it helps keep the sanding stick flat when sanding:



The end result:



I then sprayed a coat of Model Master RLM 66 over the area of the tire that contacts the surface to give it a lighter look than the sidewalls. Unfortunately, it is pretty subtle so it does not photograph well, although it is noticeable in person. In the next update I'll add a little dirt to the tires and show the finished part.

Thanks for looking, comments/questions welcome!

Doug

great solution to the odd wheel angle and flat spotting!

Thanks Shawn!

Another update as we near the end of this build.

For anyone using the 900L drop tanks on the wings, note that they are "handed" so make sure you get them in the right positions (guess how I found this out). When they are on the wrong sides, the stabilizer fin on the tank will cant out:



When on the correct side, the stabilizer will be verticle:



I removed all the canopy masks, and found that I had a couple spots where the liquid cement had seeped under the mask, since I assembled them with the masks in place:



I also had a vertical line on the very rear section (with the gun). For that one, I just sanded it out and re-polished the canopy. However, for the one above (and its twin on the opposite side), I went the lazier route and decided to just paint over it (since I had to get the paint out anyway to repaint the rear frame). First I masked off the canopy again, this time leaving the damaged area exposed:



I then re-painted the canopy frame, covering the damaged area:



Remove masks and see how it looks:




I'll polish them up with some carnauba wax later

Next up, adding the aerial wire(s), insulators, cones and spring!

Thanks for looking, comments/questions welcomed!

Doug

Got to work on creating the aerial wire, insulators and cones. I actually enjoy doing these bits, as I think they really set off the model - so to me they are will worth the effort!

I start by making the cones, since they take the most time. To make them, I use an old scribing tool I picked up somewhere long ago, and some plastic from a white milk carton



I cut up the white plastic milk carton into strips, and then heat the strip of plastic over a candle, like you would do when stretching sprue. Once it is warmed up, I smash-mold it over the tip of the scribing tool:



I then cut the tip of the plastic off for the basic cone shape. Some people who use this method are happy to stop there and put the cone on their aerial wire. I go a little further, and put the cone part into a hole in a wood block set up for this specifically, and then sand the cone to get an even backside and smaller shape:



Here is a finished cone:



Now, I typically end up making several more cones that I end up using, as sometimes they shoot off into space, or I don't like the end shape of them, etc.

I also make insulators by stretching some plastic Q-tip bodies, which are white tubes. Here are some cones and insulators strung onto the aerial wire (I use fishing line/monofiliment) for safe keeping:



Now, I just need to make the tensioning spring for the aerial mast attachment. I use some strands of cooper wire from an old phone cord (the colored plastic insulators are handy for other things as well):



I wind the strand of wire around a very small diameter piece of metal (a drill bit in this case) to create a spring:



I remove it, cut off the excess and thread the wire through it once, then back again to form a loop:



I then place the loop over the aerial mast, tighten and then attach it with a drop of superglue:



Here I have attached the aerial/spring, and will cut off the excess monofiliment with a new exacto blade. I'll also slide the cone and insulator into their final position once dry:



After letting everything dry, I'll come back to attach the lead-in wires and get the rear cones and insulators in their final positions.

More soon!

Doug

Brilliant work on the antennae and insulators!

Thanks Shawn!

A couple snaps of the final arrangement. I don't know why it is there, but the 110 has an aerial lead-in that goes into the vertical stabilizer, which is often missed by modelers. It is shown in drawings, and clearly visible in photos, in John Vasco's book on the 110 C/D/E, so I added it. You can also see the rear cone and insulators in position:



Here is the front spring, cone and insulator in position:



That about wraps it up! I'll post some photos of the finished models shortly!

Doug

Ok, this one is done and has taken up residence in my display case. Here are a couple snaps of the finished model, I'll take more and post them to the site later.





Thanks to everyone who has followed along! Comments/questions welcome as always!

Thanks,

Doug

Congrats Doug, a beautifully detailed build, and thanks for a great resource thread for us all.

Well done, D

Fantastic Build. Love the little details and thank god for the punch and die set. For realistic Cockpits, a Punch and Die set can't be beat. Again great job

Hi Doug,
I think we really should be thanking you. This was an absolutely fantastic thread and your 110 is amazing! I especially appreciate the fact that I'm still learning. I use a different technique to build insulators and springs and must tell you, your method is not only superior but makes a far better looking end-product. Take care and I appreciate all your hard work. Take care

Jim

Hi Doug

Brilliant job! Some of the final details like the aerial cones are just superb! Really the icing on an already excellent cake.

All the best

Rowan

Congrats with finishing this beautiful Bf110!

I liked reading the build log very much. Thank you for sharing all those tips and techniques, very useful for my own builds.

I am looking forward to your next build.



Jelger

That's really beautiful, Doug- cheers! The antennae are perfect. I've got a question- what's that little streamlined bump in the rear canopy for?

Again, great work-
chuk

Thanks for the kind words everyone! I'm glad if anyone finds my tips/techniques helpful! I too am always learning something new from the many excellent builders out there, so am glad to be able to share.

@Chuk - unfortunately, I have no idea what the bump is for

Doug

Perhaps it's to keep the gunner from bashing his head on the canopy as he's closing it?

Doug,
Fantastic build. Really enjoyed following it. A question however. Did you put in the small aerial wire that drops from the main aerial down to the starboard fuselage just aft of the cockpit? I can't see it on your completed pic. You can see where it goes in in this pic. This is a 'C-1', which had an insulator at the point of entry. From the C-2 onwards it was was just a white circular patch/disc/small painted area.



Hope this helps.

John thank you for your kind words! Thanks for reminding me, I need to paint the small white disk where the aerial wire goes into the fuselage as you've mentioned. I have the aerial wire going in there, just forgot to paint the disk

Do you know what the aerial that goes from the main aerial down to the fin is for by any chance? Also, any idea on Chuk's question about the bump on the rear canopy area?

Doug

Doug,
Don't know the purpose of that wire that goes down to the fin. My only guess would be that it perhaps provides a bit more stability to the main aerial to prevent it from snapping loose at high speeds...

Ditto for the bump on the rear canopy. Fernando and I never found out what its purpose was.

Same as the silhouette of a Bf 110 found on the engine cowling of some early Bf 110s. Take a look at pages 5-7 of my 'Zerstörer Volume 1' in the Classic softback series to see what I mean, if you have it. Only thing I can think of is that it might be some kind of distance aid for formation flying. Other than that, haven't a clue!

Hello Doug

I have always wanted to build this kit but earlier the price they wanted for it was prohibitive. You have now rekindled my interest in it and I now will have to bite the bullet and buy one.

Watching this thread I am quite impressed with your skill and straight forward approach and a little ingenuity. I would like to ad a hearty well done.

Paul

Good work