Mistel 1
Part Two - Building the Bf 109s

by Floyd S. Werner Jr.

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The Hasegawa kits have been out for some time and build into some nice kits.  The kit builds relatively hassle free.  There are some areas that need improvement such as the cockpit and the spinner/prop arrangement.  

The cockpit for the kit lacks accurate detail so I decided to use an Aires set in one aircraft and a Cutting Edge set in the other.  Both are very nice sets, but the Cutting Edge is designed for the Hobbycraft kit and has to be modified to fit the Hasegawa.  This comes as no shock as the instructions tell you this first thing.  Nothing was too difficult and the results were very nice.  I actually liked the resin seatbelts better in the Cutting Edge set and will use it on my Cutting Edge Bf-109Z conversion set for the Hobbycraft kit.   

Click thumbnails below to view larger images:

The Aires interior is very nice and is actually designed for the Hasegawa kit so the fit was very good.  I decided to try to scratch build the cockpit modifications for the Mistel 1 based on a very dark and grainy picture in a reprint of the Mistel manual provided by Peter Korbel.  I used what I could see and the rest was based on an educated guess utilizing the FW-190 cockpit controls as reference.  I liked the Aires instrument panel but thought it lacked depth so I used the kit instrument panel.  I actually love the kit panel and added some detail such as three new gauges and a switch panel below the main panel.  This scratch building was relatively easy utilizing a Waldron bezel set and a Waldron Punch and Die Set provided by Roll Models.  The results are as close as my research would allow and until I see better photos I would have to say they the cockpit is the most accurate one out there.  I recommend both sets highly, especially when used on the kit they were designed for.   

Both cockpits were preshaded with Flat Black and painted Model Master Acrylic RLM 66.  A wash of black artist oils and a dry brush of RLM 02 and Rub & Buff silver, accompanied by some silver pencil chipping brought each cockpit to life.  Some details were painted RLM 04 yellow, RLM 23 red and RLM 24 blue.  

Another area the Hasegawa kit lacks is the spinner and blades.  I decided to use the Cutting Edge spinner and blades for the late Bf-109F.  The difference is amazing.  I highly recommend this correction set. 

The wings were assembled with no problems.  I decided after looking at the photos of aircraft that had just been mounted that the flaps should be retracted but the slats should be deployed.  This prevented the mechanics from hitting their heads when they mounted the 109 on the Ju088.  This arrangement was easily accomplished out of the box.  Most photos don’t have the flaps deployed but if you wanted to it certainly could be supported by photos as well.  I just opted for them up as the clean lines of the airplane could be readily appreciated on this ungainly coupling. 

I used the F-4/Z supercharger intake and oil cooler as it appeared that the Mistel conversion included these changes.  One other thing that is peculiar to the 109s in the Mistel project was the addition of cowl scoops similar to those found on a Gustav. These were salvaged from an old Hasegawa G kit and a Fujimi kit. All these changes would lead one to believe that a Gustav was used for the Mistel conversion but the fuel filler port below the cockpit is a dead give away. 

After assembling the wings to fuselage, four holes were drilled to mount the 109 to the Ju-88, one on each fuselage/wing area approximately 2mm behind the landing gear attachment point and two others next to the tail wheel, one for the mount and the other for the electrical connection. 

I wanted some variation in my 109s so I decided to do one with the gear up.  Both would have different type paint schemes to help add interest.  The gear up was relatively easy as I just cut the gear door and added a sheet of .010 plastic to fill most of the area so that the landing gear attachment point couldn’t be made out.  I also did not attach the landing gear to the wheel.  You can’t even tell.  The other thing that has to be done is to thin the wheel on the top of the wing side.  This is easily done with a Dremel tool and cutting bit.  The tail wheel was simply placed in the well with some clay to provide support.  The area between the mount holes and the well opening was opened to allow the tail wheel to retract. 

The only other thing left to make a Mistel 109 was to add a bulged canopy.  I thought this would be the hardest part but it turned out to be relatively easy.  I just took the kit canopy and started to build up the bulge with two-part epoxy.  Once I got it built up equally on both sides and sanded smooth I added a coat of Future to seal it and get it smooth.  I had Scott Bregi use his vacuform machine to vacuform some canopies.  The results were okay, but I wasn’t overly happy with the results.  After talking to Meteor Productions, they took my masters and will be reworking them with their new clear resin.  Look for them someday soon.  Contact Meteor directly if you are interested in this part and tell them I sent you.   

Painting the 109s was relatively easy.  I decided to see how I could paint these aircraft with the same colors and see if I could get the variations enough to make it interesting.  Utilizing my Tamiya airbrush, both the aircraft were preshaded with Model Master RLM 66. 

This was followed with Model Master RLM 76.  Then it was onto the Model Master Enamel RLM 75.  Following some Hyperscale tips on pre and post shading, I added a little bit of white to the 75.  This was thinned down some and then it was spotted on the aircraft in small irregular splotches.  The mottled 109 was heavily weathered in the color photos so I did the process one more time.  Some white was added and thinned even more and the process was repeated.  Once that was dry the camouflage was masked with Tamiya masking tape and the Model Master RLM 74 was applied.  The 74 was post shaded the same way as the RLM 75.  Once the paint had dried for a day a coat of Future was applied to prepare for the decals. 

The Third Group Decals were very good and posed no problem.  They reacted well with Micro Sol.  Again to make the machines different the crosses were different variations.  I did have one thing that I had to do different for the one aircraft.  On the photo there is a conversion number of “39” inside the side and bottom crosses.  How to do this perplexed me until I happened to go by an art and craft store and saw Gel Pens.  I picked up one of white and thought I would give it a try.  I just drew it on a decal while it was still on the sheet.  I let it dry overnight.  It appeared a little thick, gloppy and very opaque.  I thought what the heck put one on the model and see how it looks.  Worse that can happen is I take it off and try again.  Well a magical thing happened.  When the decal was put in the water the large bulky stuff that had built up fell off and I was left with a lightly “painted” number on the decal.  I could not have planned it any better.  I then applied it as any other decal.    Once they had dried a coat of Future over them sealed them and made the decal film disappear.  Then a coat of Model Master Acrylic Flat was placed over the model to prepare for weathering. 

Weathering was first started by dry brushing a very light coat of white to the airplanes upper surface.  This was followed by applying a light wash of Burnt Umber artist oils to the panel lines.  While the current trend seems to be to use Tamiya Flat Black and Red Brown I just couldn’t bring myself to take that step yet.  Umber is Flat Black and Red Brown already mixed.  On the underside I made sure that I added additional streaks with the Umber and with some Burnt Sienna artist oils.  The wash was streaked front to back and top to bottom. 

After that had been allowed to dry a silver pen, pencil and some Rub and Buff were used on the areas that would be worn.  I added extra wear patterns on the pilot’s side from the leading edge aft, as the Mistels were entered from the front.  After that was applied, a coat of highly thinned Tamiya Dark Tan was added to the exhaust areas.  The one aircraft shows considerable exhaust streaks in the photo so I extended the exhaust to the tail.  Next a couple of drops of Flat Black were added and this was added to the inside of the exhaust area of Dark Tan.  This was repeated until I was happy with the results.  To end the exhausts an orange rust type color was applied immediately aft of the exhaust stacks with pastel chalks.  Some other pastels were used here and there to experiment with some colors. I then did the final post shading/fading with a highly thinned Tamiya Buff over everything.  Then everything was sealed with a coat of Flat. 

The final small bits were added and the kits were done.  I noticed on the one Mistel I built it had the DF loop antenna on the canopy frame, another Mistel peculiarity.  I attached it with some Future and it worked out just fine.  The wire would have been run under the stiffener on the canopy.  Adding antenna wire to the masts brought the 109s to a conclusion.  Time to join them. 

This proved easy thanks to the planning I did in the early part of the construction.  Everything fit fine and lined up well.  I was very happy with the resulting Mistel 1s.  The construction was not hard.  A little bit of work to build two airplanes and have only one model when it is finished is kind of weird.  I like the look of the grey 109s on the green 88s. 

The figures were provided by various manufacturers, including Airwaves, New Hope Design, Jaguar, Verlinden, and Reheat.  They all were very nice.  The ladder is from the Sprue L.  The ground support equipment is from Verlinden.  The barrels and boxes were SOL and Verlinden.  The base was provided by Rafe Morissey as was the background. 

Usually, I like to work outside but with the size and scope of the kits and figures it was better to take inside shots.  Besides the season and the weather conditions were not what I was after.  I wanted the shots to be busy and a lot of figures were required so I ended up painting about 10 figures just for this shoot.  I’m not a figure painter by any stretch of the imagination but they photographed well.  

With the release of Dragon’s Me-262 Mistel and the already released FW-190/Ju-88 Mistel 2 and the Mistels 3, 4, and 5 available from .48 Special you can build almost every version of the Mistel.  Now even the early the only ones can be built now utilizing the Special Hobbies DFS-230 and the Historic Plastic FW-56 or any number of  Bf-109Es.  This is a unique airplane arrangement and a fun model to build.  I recommend anyone undertake it if you have the prerequisite kits.  I highly recommend the Cutting Edge 109 spinner and props, as well as, exhausts.  The highly recommended Aires cockpit is beautiful and requires no modification.  The Cutting Edge interior is also a beautiful set but use it in the Hobbycraft kit as it was designed and it is highly recommended.  The MDC Ju-88 conversion tail was flawless and highly recommended.  In this case, the True Detail wheels are bulged properly and highly recommended.  I loved the decals from Third Group and will use the others in my collection again.  

In summary, there wasn’t any aftermarket set that I used that I wouldn’t recommend.  I plan on using all of them again and that is the best endorsement I can say about any set.  The results were well worth the effort and the aircraft offer a unique look to my collection.  Maybe next time it will be an S1 with the Aires engines and cockpit set for the Ju-88 and an exposed 109 engine compartment.  Oh, the possibilities.  Ain’t modeling fun!?  If it isn’t, it should be!

Junkers Ju 88A-4

Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4

• “Mistel: German Composite Aircraft and Operations 1942-1945”, Robert Forsyth, Classic Publications, 2001, ISBN 1-903223-09-1 

• “Mistel: The Piggy-back Aircraft of the Luftwaffe”, Hans-Peter Dabrowski, Schiffer Military/Aviation History, 1994, ISBN 0-88740-668-0 

• “Mistel 2 Instruction Manual (Reprint)”, August 1944, Available through Dr. Peter Korell at Peter.Korell@lba.de 

Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images:

 

Messerschmitt Bf 109 Modelling Manuals 17 US Price: $17.95 UK Price: £12.99 Publisher: Osprey Publishing Publish Date:  January 25, 2002 Details: 64 pages; ISBN: 1841762652 Shop Buy it from Osprey Publishing

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2004 by Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Page Created 18 April, 2004
Last Updated 18 April, 2004

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