Eduard 1/48 Bf 109G-6/R6 Wilde Sau

[Floki]

It's time to build a Gustav!
The kit:
Eduard 1/48 Dual Combo #11140 Wilde Sau Episode one: Ring of Fire
The kit has the option to build a Bf 109G-5 or a G-6 the kit only comes with one marking option for a G-5 so both will be G-6.

I'm a sucker for Night Fighters so more excited than usual for this build!
The box along with the HGW belts I picked up for this build.

I couldn't find just the belts I needed but I found these that also come with masks for a Hasegawa G-6 so if any of you are going to be building a Hasegawa G-6 let me know you can have the masks I got two sets of them.

Also in the box it comes with a unit badge

It's a bit smaller than I thought it was going to be but I'll try to incorporate it in the base.

The Sprues:





The panel lines and rivets all look excellent but the surface of some parts look like they have something on them. I first thought it was mold release but it's a flaw in the plastic.




I hope some light sanding will take care of this problem and both sets of sprues have this problem.

The Resin:

Of course it comes with two sets of resin tires but also exhaust stack "whistles" {Pfeife in German} produced by Eberspacher. They was used to help identify the wilde sau fighter to the flak batteries on the ground. Requests for the flak to cease firing when the fighters were operating over particularly sensitive areas had been refused from the outset.

The Markings:


The first kit is going to be in marking option "D"
Bf 109G-6/R6, Flown by Ofw. Arnold Doring, 2. Staffel/JG 300, Bonn-Hangelar
Arnold Doring was a native of Heilsberg in Eastern Prussia and he joined the Luftwaffe in 1938. After the completion of his pilot training, he was assigned to the bomber unit KG 53 and in the summer of 1942, he was transferred to KG 55 operating on the Eastern Front. In the summer of 1943, he was reassigned to JG 300, first to the 2. Staffel, and from March 1944 to the 7. Staffel. Over the span of his service with JG 300 he downed eight enemy aircraft five at night and three during daylight. In May 1944 Doring was transferred to NJG 2. On April 17th 1945, he was awarded the Knight's Cross.


For the second build I'm stuck between markings "B" and "C" I like them both but "B" is the only option that uses the exhaust whistles so that's the one I will probably settle on but would like to hear what you guys think.

Also some friends have been wanting me to start making youtube videos of my builds so here is my first go at it


Thanks for lookin in glad to have you guys along!
SKOL!

[LyleW]

Those should build up quite nicely! Good job on the video.

[BlackSheep214]

Oh, very nice! I’ve been wanting that kit for a long time.

[Stikpusher]

That’s a very nice project Clint! I’m sure that you’ll make this into another beauty!

Very curious about the exhaust whistles. I am curious to how effective it was in operation, thinking that those would be exceptionally difficult to hear over the roar of the flak guns. The gun crew themselves would be deafened during firing (ever met an artillery veteran?). So perhaps only someone away from the gun battery positions themselves would have the chance of hearing the devices.

[KSaarni]

Two very interesting and cool looking Gustafs!

Eduards G series are very fine kits, really nice to build!

- Kari

[LyleW]

That’s a very nice project Clint! I’m sure that you’ll make this into another beauty!

Very curious about the exhaust whistles. I am curious to how effective it was in operation, thinking that those would be exceptionally difficult to hear over the roar of the flak guns. The gun crew themselves would be deafened during firing (ever met an artillery veteran?). So perhaps only someone away from the gun battery positions themselves would have the chance of hearing the devices.

Never heard of whistling pigs? They would have had to be loud.

[Floki]

Thank you guys! Yeah they would have to be very loud for the flak crews to hear. I read that some also carried IR lights.

[KSaarni]

That’s a very nice project Clint! I’m sure that you’ll make this into another beauty!

Very curious about the exhaust whistles. I am curious to how effective it was in operation, thinking that those would be exceptionally difficult to hear over the roar of the flak guns. The gun crew themselves would be deafened during firing (ever met an artillery veteran?). So perhaps only someone away from the gun battery positions themselves would have the chance of hearing the devices.

Could it be the sound was heard very early, long before any engine sound etc? Before all hell came loose ? For example when the Gustafs were returning from a mission, so the AA crew heard first the whisteling sound? Not to shoot down incoming own aircrafts, which were coming from the direction of the enemy ?

- Kari

[speedgraflex]

Clint,

Why not advise Eduard about the distorted finishes? I picked up some Overtrees from their Mustang projects, I’m sure they have Gustav sprues! I feel limited edition or not Eduard would replace those parts. The flaws could affect the fitting of the parts as well.

[Floki]

Kari that makes a lot of sense, I've been meaning to look up more about them.

Bruce if they was worse I would do just that but a bit of sanding with 1000 grit was enough to even out most of it. The worst piece is the firewall and it's on the backside. The airframe evened out really well with just a few swipes of sandpaper.