Airfix Messerschmitt Bf110C-2/C-4 - Part V

Not really sure what I am more pleased about - the fact that I am finished with this model or the achievement of finally taking some pictures with decent exposure and colors. Anyway, here it is in all its decaled, slightly weathered and varnished glory.

The finishing part of the build consisted of a mud wash with dark brown wash from Flory Models. Must admit that the attraction of "the new thing" has faded a bit by now - sure, it's an excellent way to quickly shade panel lines, but as with all quick solutions, the end result can vary, depending on luck... or more specifically on imperfections in gloss varnish undercoat that is absolutely necessary to get the best result with this wash. Also, cleaning up the mud residue after its application can be a bit of a chore, especially on areas with lots of small bits sticking out. Clumsy as I am, I managed to break off two of the wheel covers during that stage.

Perhaps most importantly though, I had some difficulty controlling the wash on flat surfaces - with a paper cloth, it's rather difficult to create those subtle graduations of dirt residue. Perhaps it becomes easier with a bit of practice, but I think it's easier to create those effects with oil wash and a brush.

My struggle with pigments continues. On one hand I was very happy with the discolorations on the lower surfaces. On the other hand, I've once again failed to re-create the sot effects around the exhaust pipes - the Dullcoat varnish somehow managed to pool the pigment into a rather unseamly blob, impossible to remove and retouch. Oh well, there is always another model to practice on.

The model is quite simple to put together, but complex enough to give this beginner a bit of a challenge. That somewhat bothersome joint between fuselage and wing assembly was a valuable lesson in filing and dry-fitting. The most annoying moment of the project was without a doubt that ill-fitting sharkmouth decal - watch out for that one, because it can potentially mess things up beyond repair. Other than that, it was a fun build. In fact, I like this model so much that I intend to get another one and make the Eastern Front light bomber version.

Covering the shiny model in mud muck
can be somewhat disconcerting...

...but there is no need to worry,
the muck is easy to remove even two days after application.

Finished model

Airfix Messerschmitt Bf110C-2/C-4 - Part IV

One of the best things with those new releases from Airfix consists of those marvelous decals, but it sure is a bit of a chore to get them all from the sheet onto the model. In case of Me-110, a total of 90+ decals of varying sizes needs to be put in place. Also, the prominent shark-mouth decal for the nose of the model presented an unexpected challenge - the way it's formed, there is no chance in hell to make it conform to the fuselage. After about 40 minutes of immense frustration, I finally gave up trying to be precise, aligned the two parts of the decal the best I could, soaked them in MicroSol, crossed my fingers and left the model alone for a day. The alignment turned out to be less than perfect, but considering the difficulties I've experienced, I was more than happy with the end result. A word of warning though - don't even think about putting on that shark-mouth decal without having access to some sort of decal softener.

Another piece of advise -for work with those tiny stencils (some of them are below a millimeter in size) good light is absolutely essential while an optovisor is worth its weight in gold.

Topside looks excellent

Instantly recognizable lines and camouflage

Shark-mouth decal isn't perfectly centered... 

...but from the side it looks properly intimidating.