****DONE: Bf109G-14 Yellow 1 Magg. Mario Bellagambi - Aircraft in Foreign Service GB

[Wayne Little]

Bf109G-14 ‘Yellow 1’ : Magg. Mario Bellagambi Aircraft in Foreign Service WWII GB


User Name : Wayne Little
Category : Non Competing Judge
Entry : Italian marked German Bf109G-14 W.Nr. 464380 flown by Magg. Mario Bellagambi
Kit : Hasegawa 1/32 Bf109G-14

This aircraft was flown by Magg. Mario Bellagambi, Commander of 5a Squadriglia, 2 Gruppo Caccia during March 1945.
It is a rare aircraft in that it is one of only 2 known Bf109’s that carried a BLACK Border fuselage Cross.
This aircraft has been quoted as being in 74/75/76 AND 83/75/76 with an 81/83 Rudder in different sources, Personally I do not believe the rudder is in 81 with 83 hard edge mottle as has been shown in various profiles, the primary reference photo does not seem to show this to be, it looks more like a dark colour mottled/sprayed to create a dark appearance.
It is quite possible that the “dark’ mottle is covering a yellow Rudder, as quoted in one source, this may well be so…..
Certainly other aircraft from the 464XXX W.Nr. block do not show the hard edged 81/83 combination.

I will further update this thread on the weekend, but wanted to get it up and running.

have added the 2 reference profiles and the main photo currently known.



Image Credits: Bf109 Late Versions Camo & Markings Krzysztof Wolowski
Camo and markings of the ANR ferdinando D'Amico and Gabriele Valentini

[ozhawk40]

Nice! With all these 1/32 builds Wayne, are you aiming for the title of "Mr Big"?

[Wayne Little]

Nah.....just some convenient builds I've wanted to do and they are all slotting in nicely! if I can get these done in time a 1/48 Finnish Hurricane may happen too!

[Crimea_River]

Very cool.

[rochie]

another very interesting subject

[Wurger]

I echo the post above.

[T Bolt]

Good one Wayne!

[Airframes]

Good stuff Wayne.

[al49]

Hi Wayne, I will follow your work with a lot of interest, as you can imagine!
You surely have a lot of information on the subject, but if you need any help from the Italian side, just let me know and I will do my best.
Alberto

[Wayne Little]

Thanks guys and Thanks for the offer Alberto!

[Wayne Little]

Now with both kits being pretty much the same in most departments I will be following a similar build and paint process in the early stages.

Just in case you thought I might use the same photo's to save time in the threads... you may notice something that sets the two kits apart??

Fisrt up a bag full of parts separated from most of the sprues, this means I can put both kits in the same box to make things easier for me!

and a start on the cockpit!

[stona]

I'm interested to see what you go for. I think the second (74/75 ,overpainted yellow rudder) profile is the more likely. It's from a block that's a bit early for 81/82 and,though I've seen it done by a well known Italian modeller,I'd be suspicious of 75/83 on an Erla built machine.
Cheers
Steve

[Wayne Little]

I'm interested to see what you go for. I think the second (74/75 ,overpainted yellow rudder) profile is the more likely. It's from a block that's a bit early for 81/82 and,though I've seen it done by a well known Italian modeller,I'd be suspicious of 75/83 on an Erla built machine.
Cheers
Steve

Still giving the camo plenty of thought Steve, I DO think the yellow lower cowling is likely, therefore the overpainted yellow rudder is a distinct possibility. haven't found that hard edged rudder mottle on any other 464XXX machines either early or late. Different publications are saying 74/75 or 83/75 the overcast day which the photo' was taken makes the main darker colour look quite dark much like the area on the cowling on which the emblem is painted. this tends to lean towards the 83? but i'm not quite convinced at this point....yet! Erla machines started with 74/75 and did make the change.....when, is the question I have not answered? The use of the early lower wing cross would tend to indicate an early machine and possibly therefore 74/75 would be a more likely probability, the non standard black fuselage cross certainly puts a spanner in the works?

[woody]

Nice Wayne i do have some extra parts for these kits if needed.

[T Bolt]

Nice start Wayne.