Some time ago, I purchased a collection of seventeen bagged Hasegawa 1/48 Bf 109 kits. I got them very cheaply, and intended to use them as test subjects for weathering. This was one of those kits. Right up to the end I did intend to weather it, at least with a simple wash, but I changed my mind after the clear coats proved disastrous.

Mr. Color C-Mr. Color paints were used almost exclusively throughout the build. The cockpit was painted C-116 RLM 66, the propellor blades and spinner were painted C-18 RLM 70, and the landing gear and insides of the wheel wells were painted C-60 RLM 02. I used Model Master Metalizer Burnt Iron for the exhaust, Tamiya X-18 Semi Gloss Black for the wheels, and Tamiya XF-63 German Grey for the tires.

The camouflage was all Mr. Color - C-117 RLM 76 on the bottom, and C-37 RLM 75 and C-124 RLM 83 on the top. I was going to try for a soft-edged demarcation, but got lazy. For the demarcation on the fuselage, I first applied masking tape in a rough outline of where the demarcation was, and then applied masking fluid at the edge to make a wavy line. It worked rather well. For the mottling on the fin, I first applied it using a microbrush. That looked terrible, so I stripped the paint, re-applied the RLM 75. and then used more masking fluid to outline the RLM 83 areas. This approach gave much better results.

I decided to try something a little different for a pre-decal gloss coat, so I tried spraying with Testor's Glosscote. It didn't damage the paint or anything, but to be honest, I did not see a difference. Perhaps it is because the Mr. Color RLM colors are semi-gloss. Anyway, I decided to spray Future. It went on terribly splotchy. I then applied Krylon clear acrylic gloss from a spray bomb to the bottom of the plane - that went on terribly. I was almost crushed, as I had been very pleased with how the build was progressing up to this point.

I went ahead and applied the decals. I decided to try to use diluted vinegar as a setting solution - but that did not work very well, so I went back to Microset, which did work well. I had a heck of a time getting the decals to come off the backing paper. I had to let the decals sit in the water for over a minute, and they still stuck. I then heated the water much more than usual, and that worked much better. For a final flat coat, I used Right Step Matte finish.

Page last updated June 15, 2023.