Barracuda Roy’s Lockdown 2020 | Heller | No. 80229

[LyleW]

You got this!

[speedgraflex]

Thank you so much, Lyle. Sincerely.

[jkim]

Some more reference photos of Bf109K-4 WNr 334265...




Based on the last photo, I don't know if I agree with the MMP color profile depiction of the upper wings to be RLM77 (Light Grey) and RLM 82 (Bright Green). The more common RLM 75/RLM 83 for the upper surfaces seems to be more plausible.

[speedgraflex]

Thank you so much, John. The last photo I have never seen before and it is amazing. As far as colors are concerned I would take your assessment as correct based on that photo. I am also puzzling out what is meant by putty visible on upper surfaces and attempting to pick out which panels are NMF on the underside of the wings.



Does this mean the underside German crosses are painted on bare metal? One of the first things I did was bookmark your 2017 K-4 build and figure out which details I needed to stress. For example on the protruding snout (intake?) on the cowling the K-4 models has a heavy seam. I still may add that. Also the stowage compartment door behind the pilot seat and the small bar beneath it might be worth adding to help hide the fuselage seam as well as the cockpit seam.

[LyleW]

That, is one grungy bird! This is going to be good!

[speedgraflex]

Indeed! Thanks, Lyle! This is going to be an interesting paint job.

[Stikpusher]

Does this mean the underside German crosses are painted on bare metal? One of the first things I did was bookmark your 2017 K-4 build and figure out which details I needed to stress. For example on the protruding snout (intake?) on the cowling the K-4 models has a heavy seam. I still may add that. Also the stowage compartment door behind the pilot seat and the small bar beneath it might be worth adding to help hide the fuselage seam as well as the cockpit seam.

Yes, the easiest way to remove that seam is to just put a simple thin piece of sheet plastic over that area of the cockpit rear. Trim and sand to fit, then paint. Easy peasy.

I agree with John’s assessment of 75/83 for the topside colors

[speedgraflex]

Thanks so much, Carlos!

[speedgraflex]

Notes on painting—highlighted areas are both grey. I’m going to paint the tail green first however then mask before painting grey.

[jkim]

Deconstruction of the color scheme, especially the late war Luftwaffe subjects, is one of my favorite parts of a build. And sketching it out is a great way to visualize the painting process, so great job on that! I consider the JaPo publication, Bf109K Camo and Marking, the definitive publication on 109K color schemes. Although it does not reference 334265 directly, it does describe a subset of the 334xxx series that seems to be very comparative to your machine. I would note the additional areas of Dark (RLM 83) and Light (RLM 75) camo colors on the fuselage as they do seem to correspond very closely. If I was doing it, I would use the JaPo profile as a general guide for color demarcation and then the reference photos of 334265 for machine-specific deviations such as the dark spot around the forward base of the tail unit.


I haven't seen any photos of the wing bottoms so I don't know where the assumption that they were, at least in part, natural metal comes from. Looking at the MMP profile carefully, you can see where they assumed the natural metal was, versus the painted RLM 76 portions. I've shaded those areas in gray on your diagram below. So based on the MMP assumptions, the black crosses (simplified, without white borders) on the wings would be on the RLM 76 portion.


In the archive photos of 334265, you can see dark lines along the panel lines of the upper wings. These are the referenced "visible traces of putty" and are typically red/orange or some shade of grey.