Messerschmitt Bf 109V-14

By Jim Kiker

Background

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 V13 and V14 were essentially racing prototypes utilizing the new DB 601 race engines (also prototypes) for the first time in a Bf 109. They paved the way for the very similar looking E-0 series and eventually the more familiar “Emil” as we know it in kit form. Using the German civil registration D-ISLU and with w/nr.1029, the V14 was the 20^th B-series airframe produced by BFW before being allocated to their test program. First flown on 28 April 1937, it was prepared for Ernst Udet, to be flown at the 4^th International Aviation Meeting near Zürich, Switzerland between 23 July and 1 August 1937. After flying the airplane to Zürich himself, Udet flew the aircraft in the Alps Circuit Race on 27 July, experienced engine trouble, and crash-landed the plane. He was not hurt but the aircraft was a write-off, ending a very brief, and no doubt embarrassing, public debut.

Getting Started

After seeing Mitch Thompson’s article in “Scale Aviation Modeller International”, April 1996, I decided to use the Tamiya Bf-109 E-3 kit as a basis for this project, since it included the correct early style canopy and featured dropped slats and flaps. Note that I used the original issue of this kit, which required some corrections to the shape of the nose area. Later issues of this kit included corrections that Tamiya made to their molds. Any of the available kits for an early Emil will also work. Planning the project included three main parts. First, deciding what extra detailing I wanted to do to the basic kit; second, laying out the conversion work; and third was the finish.

Improvements to the Kit

Lowering the elevators adds a touch of realism to a model. I cut the elevators apart from the horizontal tail and added .010” plastic strip stock to the edges. I then shaped the edges and reglued the elevators, making sure that both sides were aligned to the same angle.

I replaced the kit’s engine oil and cooling flaps with scratchbuilt flaps using .010” plastic sheet, reinstalling them in the open position. I also added a back side and an internal fairing (to direct the air down and out) for the engine oil cooler, using plastic sheet and some micro screen for the rear of the radiator.

There is a visible gap in the wheel wells between the wall of the well and the “top” (bottom of the top wing) in the kit. I added plastic stock around the upper rim of the wells, smoothed the interior, and sanded down the extra thickness until the top wing fit correctly again with no gaps around the well. Lots of dry fitting and short spurts of sanding will be rewarded with a tight fit.

In the cockpit, I used parts from Eduard’s photoetch (PE) set, including the instrument panel, rudder panels, and the trim wheels. I added rib detail on the left sidewall, built a throttle quadrant, added an oxygen hose, brake lines on the rudder petals, and other miscellaneous bits. I scratchbuilt a new seat, then added PE seatbelts. I mixed Floquil paints to a shade of RLM 02 for the interior (and all the other interior surfaces, wheel wells, inner gear doors, etc.). I painted the interior, and then added a light wash of dark gray. I painted the various boxes scale black, the instrument panel dark gray, drybrushed some light scuffing on the floor and other common wear areas (but kept it light!), and finished the cockpit with the required bits of color as needed.

I cut off and opened up the rudder control cable runs in the rear fuselage; at the very end of the project I added these control cables using fine wire.

Making use of the 109E build article in the September 1997 issue of “Scale Aviation Modeller International,” I also added a round lump in the cavity just under and behind the spinner (there is a tank in there). I later added a piece of plastic to blank off the area behind this opening. I then removed the kit tie downs under the wings (just solid pieces in the kit) and replaced them with model railroad tie down rods made of fine wire, resulting in robust, petite tie down rings.

Conversion

I used Mitch’s article and the profiles in the ModelArt Special No.375 "Messerschmitt Bf109B-E" book for the main portion of the conversion, which included creating the long supercharger intake and the flush engine exhausts.

This profile came from the ModelArt Special (distortion at the prop is from me and the camera, not the profile!). The dotted lines along the top of the nose and in front of the chin scoop are closer to the Tamiya kit outlines. The scale bar at the lower right is for 1/48 scale; feet are on the top while meters are at the bottom (sorry I couldn’t label this!). Also note the enlarged supercharger scoop, and the exhaust panel highlighted in yellow.

I filled in and sanded smooth the kit’s indention for the standard supercharger intake. I cut a section out of the left side of the cowling for the new intake, leaving about 3/16” at the rear edge. I cut a length of 5/32” aluminum tubing and flattened it somewhat using a large flat metal ruler, making an oval shape of the correct width. I added some sheet plastic to the inside lower front edge of the cowling and filed a “scoop” into it to fit the new intake. After thinning the front edge of my new intake, I epoxied it into place, then added a lump of Milliput to form the rear section that fairs into the fuselage shape. I also sanded off the protruding shapes on the top rear edge of the cowling and filled the gun troughs using gel superglue. Finally, I added .010” strip around the inside of the engine vents in the front of the cowling (to give me additional plastic) and sanded the front end down. As this was the first Tamiya molding of this aircraft, this area of the kit was not especially accurate and needed to be reduced and reshaped.

The flush engine exhausts were another mini-project. I began by taping off the surrounding detail and sanding off the kit exhaust detail that stands out from the fuselage. I used clear tape to make outlines of the exhaust panels (the highlighted area on the drawing). I cut out .005” sheet plastic in this shape. After checking the fit on both sides, I laid out the exhaust holes and punched them out with a punch and die set. When adding these pieces to the kit, these holes overlay the slot for the kit exhausts; I added bits of strip plastic between the holes on the backside to fit into this slot, since the plastic is very thin and fragile. After mounting these pieces, I drilled out the area behind each hole (later backed with sheet plastic). All this gives you round exhaust holes, so the tricky part is filing these round holes into elongated exhaust openings- note that they are race track-shaped, not pure ovals. Adding some tape along the top and bottom of the holes helps with alignment a great deal; just make sure that you use low-tack tape (remember, this is only .005” sheet!).

I eliminated the kit’s under-wing gun bulges and spent shell chutes. After the wings were together, I filled in the gun barrel openings. I also added one small vent on the left side of the fuselage behind the supercharger, and eliminated some unneeded detail on the aircraft's belly. I also removed the antenna wire mount from the vertical fin, and filled in the mounting hole in the rear canopy section. I added extensions to the bottom of the landing gear covers, made from .010” sheet with some strip stock “stiffeners” on the inside. Finally, the fuel filler was repositioned from the kit location high on the spine behind the cockpit, to just below the rear edge of the canopy on the left side of the fuselage (the small round access panel).

The kit spinner needs to be modified as well. I started with the open piece (for a gun barrel) from the kit. I sanded the front edge down slightly, making the spinner slightly shorter in length. Using a rounded sanding drum in my fingers, I enlarged the original opening; the rounded shape made the opening wider at the front. During finishing, this area was painted to represent natural metal, then tiny dots of flat black paint were added to simulate cooling holes. With the hub of the propeller poking through, it looks pretty good.

Finish

Many experts have agreed that this aircraft was painted dark blue, citing the known B & W photos. These photos do show the aircraft was painted darker than the known red shade of the tail band. However, to date I have been unable to locate a color photo of the aircraft or factory documentation that blue was used. “Messerschmitt Bf-109, vol. 1 A-E,” by Radinger & Schick, published by Aviatic Verlag, specifically says this aircraft was painted wine red. In the same book, the caption of a B&W photo of the 109 aircraft at the 1937 flying meet lined up together refers to Udet’s all red machine. A biography of Udet also refers to this aircraft as being all red, although the photos do indicate that it must (at least) have been a darker shade/color than the known bright red tail band. In addition, newspaper accounts indicate that Udet flew the V-14 to the Air Meet himself, and that it was a red machine. Finally, this aircraft had white pin stripes along the edges of the tail band. The only other aircraft known to have had this additional marking were red or wine red, such as Udet’s personal transport aircraft.

In the end I chose wine red. I mixed Floquil railroad colors (very flat paint!) for the finish. The entire canopy was masked using Easy Masks and sprayed RLM 02. I painted the airframe, and followed up with a coat of Polly Scale clear acrylic. Once the paint started looking glossy, it really came alive. I purposely finished the model with a semi-gloss sheen; pure gloss in this scale does not look realistic to me.

The Civil code letters were a problem. There were some decal sheets produced (Microscale, 13 and 10mm white Luftwaffe letters) which will work, but I could not find both of them. I decided to have some dry transfers made. The Civil codes, racing number, and the white background for the number are dry transfers from my own artwork, sized to match photos (5/8” for the wings, 3/8” for the fuselage). This was expensive, but the results are spectacular. The letters look (to me) to be the right size, and while super thin, they are completely opaque. I had never tried this method before, but I must say in some cases it’s the best way to go. The tail band, circle, and swastika are one piece and came from an Aeromaster decal sheet for early 109’s, while the pinstripes on the band were white decal stripes from the spares box. Airframe stencils came from an Aeromaster 109 stencil sheet, while the white data lines on the lower left rear fuselage came from “bits and pieces” I gathered from friends. The wing walk strips, by the way, are also dry transfers, from Woodland Scenics (another model railroad item). Dark gray artist’s oils were mixed, thinned, and washed into selected panel lines around the engine and the control surfaces. I used a medium-dark gray wash for the rest of the panel lines.

The rear of the prop blades (and the wheels) were painted scale black, then the hub and front of the prop painted with Floquil Old Silver in a couple of thin coats. A light oil wash around the hub to pop the detail was added before assembly. The landing gear got brake lines added, painted RLM 02, given a clear gloss acrylic coat, lightly oil washed, and then clear flat coated. Model Master Chrome Silver was used on the oleo sections. Position lights were painted Chrome silver, coated with mixes for the dark red and blue green as appropriate (using Tamiya clear acrylics), then clear coated. The rudder and the tail wheel were cocked slightly off center when mounted to add a final touch.

Resources

1. ModelArt Special No.375 "Messerschmitt Bf109B-E"

2. Bf-109 V14 Article and Conversion Drawings by Craig Chidley

3. Messerschmitt Bf-109, vol. 1 A-E,” by Radinger & Schick, published by Aviatic Verlag

4. Cites from Ernst Udet’s biography and several newspaper accounts, translated and provided by Michael Kirk, Stefan Karver, Anders Bruun, and others.

Additional pictures: