A really nice model — like any of the Tamiya War Bird Collection that I have built — can create an interesting psychological challenge for me. My collection has already gotten too big… I’m not getting any younger… I have no plans to keep on building endless numbers of Bf109s… This is a really good one… Kind of thinking of it as the last one I’ll build… All of which makes me want to execute it as perfectly as possible — except, perfection isn’t really possible, at least for me… So where the heck do I finally draw the line that says “done,” imperfections and all? Well, I went to lengths here I have rarely tested before, specifically by repainting the sides of the fuselage three times. What happened?

I wanted the perfect colors for this ultimate Bf109, which meant RLM 74 and 75, dark green and purple gray. I find that Tamiya acrylics always seem to work best in my airbrush, but they only make these shades in spray lacquer, so instead I purchased the AK airbrush colors. The AK paints have a different consistency that works well for larger wing surfaces, but I could not get it to make the right splotches on the sides. Tried and painted it over twice before finally deciding to use Tamiya gray and green just for that part. Well, guess what? None of it is perfect. Of course not! But by the time I added everything, I was satisfied that this Bf 109 was good enough to be the last one I ever had to attempt. (Ha ha…) If I could change one thing about it, it would be to get more contrast between the AK green and gray on the wings! Tja, so ist das Leben…