Hi guys, I just finished a simple diorama featuring Eduard's Bf 109E-4. The scene is set sometime in early to mid-November 1940 and depicts Major Helmut Wick describing an aerial combat to another pilot right after landing. The figures come from two separate sources; Wick is sold by Model Design Construction and the other pilot is an Ultracast figure that can be purchased from several sources. Both figures are resin.

Construction went fairly smoothly, the only real problem area being the fit of the cowling which was not surprising considering the kit is designed to showoff the engine with the cowling and other panels removed. I painted the kit using a combination of JPS Colors, Tamiya and Lifecolor acrylics. All painting was done with an airbrush, with the exception of some detail painting and the RLM71 mottling, which was done with the blunt end of a paint brush. According to my sources, the mottling was applied the same way on the actual plane. I painted the model to resemble Wick's aircraft as it appeared after he was promoted to Geschwader Kommodore of JG2. Weathering was done with a combination of Tamiya weathering pastels, different AK Interactive weathering media and a graphite and silver pencil/pen. My goal was to make the aircraft appear a bit battle worn without making it appear ready for the scrape yard. I did chicken out on mottling the rudder as the original photos showed what appeared to be a bad reaction to the yellow paint; and I did not want to chance a disaster. The only aftermarket item is the seatbelt by HGW; these are very nice and look great. I stuck with a simple base as, again, all the photos I saw showed the aircraft on an open field - not surprising considering where JG2 operated out of during The Battle of Britain.

Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the build; though, as always, there is room for improvement.

Enjoy the photos,
Ernest

Ernest,
Very impressive build and presentation. The mottling came out great. I noticed that your various panel lines are highlighted with a slightly darker color then the surface color of that panel. I must say it's very well done, and looks realistic. Were they done with pin washes or with various shades of colored artist pencils?
Joel

Hi Joel, thank you the kind comments. I mixed a couple of different AK Interactive washes to get a "brownish" color and then used the pin wash technique to darken the panel lines.

Sincerely,
Ernest

Ernest,

U did a wonderfull job, both style and excecution are first class.
Aircraft looks very good, but your figures are world class in my eyes.

Congrats
Tony

P.S.
Is the 32th scale?

Hi Tony, thank you for the kind words. The kit and figures are 1/32 scale.

Hi Ernest

Wonderful jobs on both the "Emil" and the figures! I'm in awe of the way you've painted their faces - they're so realistic!

All the best

Rowan

Nice job all around!!

Earnest,

Super work. You must be a figure painter as your faces are excellent!

I appreciate the restrained weathering - well done.

Hi Rowan, thank you very much for the compliment - an honor coming from such a skilled modeller as yourself. The moon and stars aligned must have aligned for me with this build as everything turned out fairly good. Again, thank you for the kind words.

Sincerely,
Ernest

Thank you Chris!

Ernest

Thank you Frederick. Actually I am a bit of an "all-rounder" when it comes to modelling. I have put a lot of practice into my figure painting the last couple of years and I guess it is starting to payoff. Again, thank you for the compliment.

Sincerely,
Ernest

Yes very nicely done Ernest and I too must congratulate you on the painting of the figures.

This is the scheme that I did Airfix's 1/24 scale 109 in, way back before I had actually got back into modelling. I was still serving in the Royal Engineers at the time and was posted back to Germany. The 109 and the 1/24 Spitfire sat on the parcel shelf of my car (Ford Corsair 2000E ) for the journey; the 109 had the swastika applied as I didn't know, at the time, that it was banned. I've always wondered what was thought at the boarder, but nothing was said I gave both the models, and a part built P-51 to the 10 year old son of a friend, when I was posted back to the UK This scheme always brings back lots of happy memories, of my second tour in Germany, so thanks for that as well

Thank you Mal, I looks like the figures have struck a chord with folks.

Sincerely,
Ernest

Yes Ernest, possibly because many aircraft modellers can't paint figures well When I was building armour, sorry, targets, I realised that I would need to be able to paint figures as a tank without crew (unless battened down) looks sort of wrong? An aircraft doesn't; I have no idea why I think this but I do

Hi Mal, it took quite a few figures before I - somewhat - became comptetent in the art of painting them. I still have those that have to stripped and redone because they did not turn out well the first time. I think 1/32 and 1/35 scale figures to be the hardest to get the faces right. You are working with an area the size of a pea; but, unlike 1/48 scale figures the faces are large enough to really get into highlights and shadows. I use dark washes for the shadows of 1/48 scale figures, and you don't have to worry as much about painting the eyes - which are the single toughest thing to get right - due to the scale. I consider myself to be competent, but far from a master at figure painting, I still have lots of room for improvement. I agree with you the figures are almost a necessity for armor while the are not really required for aircraft.

Sincerely,
Ernest

Hi Earnest,
The 109 is superb. The diorama and figures are just the icing on the cake! (the faces are very realistic)

Wonderfully done !






Terri

Really great dio! Especially the figures

Ernest,

A wonderful piece of work you did here. The camo on the 109 very well done. Looks like you hand painted the camo on the fueslage?

Your figure painting is absolutely top notch.

Well done.
Dave.

Thank you very much to Mike, Terry, Arseny and Dave for your very kind compliments. I know a couple of you at least, and probably all four, are excellent modellers yourselves, so your words means a lot.

Dave, I did paint the mottling with the blunt end of an old paint brush; which, according to my documents was how it was done in real life. I spent about an hour practicing on a piece of scrape plastic to get both the amount of paint needed on the brush and the technique right; but I still had sweat on my forehead as I put brush to model the first few times!

Ernest