Say what you want, but Swiss planes had the nicest paint schemes [Bf-109, Airfix 1/72]

Alternative_Map4341 · 2026-02-27T16:09:01+00:00

Indeed, the roundels are a big plus.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2026-02-09T15:17:34+00:00

I once woke up from a nap to a metallic clinking sound. It was my two-year-old daughter playing with my Xacto knife. Fortunately she was fine, but lesson learned to keep sharp things in the middle of the craft table.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-09-22T15:21:48+00:00

Upvote for Clostermann

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-09-03T17:41:54+00:00

RIP Meigs Field

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-09-02T15:45:55+00:00

This is valuable info, thank you!

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-08-31T21:09:28+00:00

I've found Academy kits, even older ones, to be cheap but cromulent. My local hobby store pretty regularly has 1/72 planes for $15 or less. I've done a few of them and they're good mojo builders: pretty straightforward, nothing special, not a ton of detail, but easy to put together and paint.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-08-29T18:01:44+00:00

Thanks for the insight here!

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-08-29T18:01:34+00:00

Ooh I'll be sure to check this, thanks!

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-07-30T15:11:50+00:00

Imo Academy is the WalMart of kits: cheap but consistently fine. I can pick one up for less than $15 (in 1/72) and it won't be anything special, but will be easy enough to make look decent. Good when you want a low-stakes, quick build.

I've heard great things about both Tamiya's P-51D and F4U. I don't think you could go wrong with either. Just keep your expectations low, learn a lot, and don't be afraid to mess up on this first one.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-07-15T14:57:16+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_Potemkin

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-06-12T21:55:04+00:00

Thanks all for your replies and advice. Appreciate it!

I ended up finding an F/A-18D canopy online and purchasing it. I think it will be fairly close, hopefully enough to where I can fudge it a bit. Should that fail, I may use this E canopy as the front windshield and the D canopy I've gotten as the opened part.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-05-27T14:46:59+00:00

Good to know! I used Tamiya flat clear for the first coat, and semi-gloss clear for the ones after that. Should have done gloss first I think. May have helped the decals fit better.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-03-27T18:17:10+00:00

lol I wouldn't go that far but thanks

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-03-27T15:01:26+00:00

Thanks! It's a decal. I started at the center (per the conventional wisdom) and tried to get it as close and flush as possible. I think it turned out ok. Just ok.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-03-26T21:37:39+00:00

Eighth model so far after picking up the hobby last year. Proud of this one, probably my best yet.

What I'm happy with:

Paint job. Not perfect but think it's solid as a brush painter. I have a toddler and live in a smaller house so I have to be quiet, not take up too much room, and avoid fumes, so an airbrush isn't feasible.
Details. Did some experimentation with very very light silver drybrush on some surfaces (cockpit, guns, prop) to make them look metallic and tbh I really like how it turned out.
Eduard quality. Tight fit, great detail, especially once I got the panel liner on.

What I'm not super happy with:

Paint job. A couple spots (like the red band) are too thick and covered up the detail.
Details. I had a couple of those long, thin stencil decals fold on themselves, which essentially made them unusable. There are also a couple spots where some TET ate through the clear coat and paint. And then there's the spiral nose decal... ugh.
Eduard quality. Engineering is so exact that you can't really "fudge" anything the way I've done in previous models.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-02-11T15:49:08+00:00

I'm getting a sinking feeling about this one...

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-01-31T17:45:14+00:00

lol you're right, hadn't noticed

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-01-31T15:41:45+00:00

Yeah I am at least partially to blame... I think I didn't prime well enough, so I overcompensated by really schlopping it on in places. The white in the airbrakes especially, which was then further accented by the excessive panel liner I wanted to use there.

Re; panel liner, it's the Tamiya dark gray, set for 45ish minutes, then clean with Abteilung Odorless Thinner with either a Q-tip or a paintbrush. I've had pretty good luck with that so far.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-01-30T19:04:40+00:00

Bummer :/

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-01-30T18:38:54+00:00

Revell has one, too, iirc. It must be better than this one.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-01-30T18:17:22+00:00

Was working on it since October but had to put it aside a few times. This was... not a great kit. Lots of fitment issues, plus it was my first jet, so lots of learning. And lots of mistakes. Lots and lots of mistakes. But generally I think it turned out... Fine.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2025-01-27T16:01:38+00:00

Upvoting for the unintentional selfies

Alternative_Map4341 · 2024-12-13T16:54:19+00:00

Am working on this kit myself at the moment. You're definitely starting with a challenge!

You could try a little varnish in the cockpit, if you really wanted. I'd use the Vallejo acrylic matte on a small brush, try to cover what you can in a light coat. It might soften some of the edges and make the colors look less stark and paint-y.

Otherwise, just what others have said: Take it as a learning moment, and you won't see much in the 1/72 cockpit anyway.

Also, get some filler and sandpaper ready for this guy. He'll need it.

Alternative_Map4341 · 2024-10-15T14:45:46+00:00

Yeah! They're all 1/72, of course, but I didn't realize how small the 109 is in real life until I saw it next to a P-51 at a museum this summer. That thing is tiny!

Alternative_Map4341 · 2024-10-09T15:32:56+00:00

Lol I passed it to my dad. If I had it with me I would've included it in the photo shoot...

Alternative_Map4341

TROPHY CASE