Blood Red Skies - Painting The BF109E Squadron

Blood Red Skies - Painting The BF 109 Squadron

With the arrival of the Blood Red Skies starter set and getting the Adlertag set from Warlord games, I now have thirteen BF109's, two squadrons of six planes and the Ace Aldolf Galland.

A few of the research pictures of possible paint schemes. 

With the scheme I went off to the LFGS and picked up the colours need, I've chosen to use GW paints on this occasion, as I usually stick with Vallejo for WW2 miniatures. 

The Paints I purchased. 

Caliban green - (To be mixed with a little black) for the top and wing "triangles"

Dawnstone -  for the other "triangles and base grey. 

Fenrisian Grey - for the underside

Flash Gitz Yellow - for the nose and tail marking.

I started by giving them a spray coating of black. 

Underside

The underside was given a base coat of Fenrisian Grey and then washed with Agrax Earthshade, then brought back up to Fenrisian Grey leaving the panel lines. I didn't bother highlighting further as you're not going to see the underside that much. To finish the underside I picked out the wheels in black. 

Wings and Fuselage

After looking at the reference pictures I decided to go with the triangular pattern instead of the mottled design for the wings. The black and Caliban Green mix was added to the upper sides of the wings and the top and sides of the fuselage. Then following the triangular design pattern above from the reference pictures. I've used Dawnstone to paint on the markings, just on the wings.  

The fuselage I went for the mottled pattern, as in the reference images. then drybrushed up with Dawnstone over the Black/Green mix across the whole miniature. I added a little bit of white to drybrush over the Dawnstome wing section to bring out the paneling and details. 

The Nose and Rudder

   I base coated them with Zamesi Desert and then gave them a light wash with Agrax Earthshade. Once dry, lightened them up to Flash Gitz Yellow leaving recesses dark. The spinner was painted back to black and given a small highlight of Dawnstone. 


Windows and Canopy

These were base coated Lothern Blue and given a wash of Drakenhof Nightshade, then once dried, highlighted back up to Lothern Blue and a small final highlight with some white added to the blue. The frames of the canopy where picked out in Dawnstone. To finish off I added a coat of  gloss varnish over the glass areas

The first six Painted BF109E's before the decals

I really think that the BF109's come to life once the decals are applied. They were god quality and very easy to apply. Once applied I gave the transfers a coat of Matte varnish to help seal them in. 

Decals are from 1/144 Direct

Next up was the

Fighter Ace - Adolf Galland

My reference picture

Then it was decided  an attempt on the yellow wing tipped fighters, I'm only wanting to make a pair. 

The Black Buzzard

In the usual fashion as the Soviet Yak-1 article I've chosen a cover of a Commando comic to paint up an Ace or Squadron leader.

The Commando Comic cover by Benet

Oberst Von Regner. 

The Black Buzzard and his wingmen

Starscream

In Jet Mode

In BF109 mode. 

Blood Red Skies - Painting The Yak-1 Squadron

Painting the Yak - 1 

Miniature Quality

I'll be leaving the rules and components for possibly another time, but I want to mention the miniatures. So far I'd only seen these online in battle reports or unboxing videos, so I'd never seen them in the flesh, so to speak. These are 1/200th scale. which doesn't mean a great deal to me, but I was surprised how big the miniature were, I was expecting them to be smaller aircraft. but they are sizeable, this should make painting them easier. 

When they arrived in the post, the box was quite a bit mangled and squashed, so I was worried, however apart from a few popped out tokens the contents were fine. 

Choosing the Colours

A quick internet Google search offered me many options for great colour scheme for the Yak-1, and it wasn't easy, it was a toss up between the light grey/green and the winter white with red. In the end I went for the white. 

 

Base Colours

The Yak-1 arrived as dark green plastic, so a quick spray paint of white. 

Next I did the shading by using the citadel paint Dawnstone (or Codex Grey for the old schoolers) Lining in the detail with slightly watered down paint. I normally use Citadel paints so I'll be referring to them.

Just bringing out the details. 

I then started on the red bits and the cockpit. I always feel dangerous painting red over white. I started with a dark red (Khorne red) over the back of the tail and the nose spinner. 

Then went over the cockpit windows with a light blue (Lothern Blue) with a little wash of dark blue (Drakenhof nightshade), once this has dried, highlighted back up to light blue. 

I then focused on the engines in black and highlighted with the grey again.

I then went over the cockpit and brought up the white frames and the gave the glass a gloss varnish. 

The red areas were taken up to a more vibrant red to contrast with the white more. 

 and to finish it of a pure white edge highlight was applied to the model. 

The finished Yak 1 squadron flying over a calm sea

The Squadron Leader

This cover was my inspiration for the squadron leader. I know its not a Yak-1 (It's a Mig 3) but I really like the colours. I did change a few things, such as I didn't add the black lightening bolt and added more red to the tail to keep in line with the rest of the squadron. 

Just need to add the decals.

Stickers

In the beginning when I found out that stickers would be included for use in the squadron boxes, I thought it'd be a good idea, a nice fast way to get the aircraft ready for combat and I do still agree with this. However the colour scheme I've chosen means that the Soviet star is only placed on the fuselage and the stickers are far too big to be used for this purpose. So I'll have to wait and order some aircraft decals. 


I did have a few decals spare from the T34-85 kit from Warlord games, so I used the star to get a good idea how these finished planes will look like. I'm very happy as to how these turned out.

Soviet Star Decal added. 

Now just need to do the rest........