Doom3r

Hmmm... now I have to try it. I guess I need to visit my hobby store and pick one more Airfix 1/72 Mustang to run one more metallizer technique... Wow... I've seen such wings only on the military cargo planes... At least the airlines I am trying to build (from my own experience of flying past few years with them) have their planes in a pretty good shape (there are only smoke marks next to the reverse). As well as according to the google the 737 I am modelling was built in 2018... Basically I am trying to figure out a good base color and then go from there. Especially since I have on the list EC-135 & C-141 (in a white/grey scheme). And if EC-135 were kept as RC-135 then it was almost spotless.

Well, Testors Voodoo Grey is seems to be an enamel and I prefer to avoid it (I usually prefer Tamiya Acrylics or Mr Color Lacquer paints and I don't have a patience to wait 3-5 day till it would cure unless it is Alclad Gloss Black before applying metallizer paints). Halfords seems to be a UK (I am in US) thing or at least I cannot see it either in my hobby shops or closest Autozone ;(

Hi, Hasegawa calls out Mr. Color 315 as the aircraft gray for A320 and 737-700. However I've noticed on few forum posts people recommend using 338 for Boeing. So I've got both colors and the colors look quite similar except 315 is a bit warm. What are your thoughts on which color should be used for gray? Due to work schedule I wouldn't be able to get to the airport in a day time for a week so can't compare to the real thing. Do both manufacturers use the same color or one could be a better much for Airbus and another for Boeing? Is it the same color that is used on USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint? Thanks!

It would look like a toy no matter what metallic you are going to use if it is all the same color. If you can break it up with different filters, tamiya smoke, dull and gloss layers, slightly yellow clear coats etc. it might look good in theory. Haven't tried it. Easy way to test the theory is to pick up cheap 72 Airfix Mustang and do a quick build. Or Hobby Boss Mig-15 or F-86 easy build set (you can assemble these in less than 2 hours)

B-model was almost entirely different plane. The biggest difference was the wing that has almost zero similarity to the 1st gen Harrier: it became bigger, more advanced mechanization (flaps much more complex), more weapon points (bomb load doubled), landing gear now in the middle of the wing vs being on the tip in 1st gen. Entirely different nose section to house modern weapon guidance system. Basically 1st gen was a compromise between attack and fighter requirements where 2nd gen was a ground attack airplane. This is why RN kept FRS and updated only the radar and some other internal systems (FA2) so it would have a proper fighter.

As soon as I prime the model and put a base layer of paint it's the time to start a new build. At that time the first model is spending lot of time drying clear coats or paints while I can build something else. If I need to rescribe a model I always start something in parallel since I hate rescribing and it takes me forever.

Could be, however I think it is more related to what are they considering their target audience. I've seen their airliners in the liveries of western airlines(I have 767 in AA and Delta, AA 777-200). And to completely avoid any payments to airlines they could try to pull the trick that Zvezda is doing: models are only in inhouse colors but I haven't seen such (except 787). I suspect that in Japan it is easier to sell a model in Japanese airlines colors where if it is in some other colors then it is much higher risk. So if there was no Japanese livery for an aircraft then it is even higher risk. And I am not sure that it would be quite popular in the west. I've chatted some time ago with the owner of my local hobby shop and mentioned that the almost not having Hasegawa at all and his response was that it is not popular: prices are quite higher than revell and unlike Tamiya their models might require some work. In addition to that wlhe was not aware of that Hasegawa does airliners. And to kinda confirm his words: this shop has 2 Hasegawa E-4B for almost a year now...

Cameras are huge liars: it's dynamic range is around 10 times less than our eye: so even if it get's right one a color and tone in one specific point it wouldn't be able to give you everything you see (there are techniques around that but it can introduce issues of it's own). This is why clouds usually are a just white blobs or a photo of a big dark grey airplane in a clear day might look like a black plane on a rainy day. Plus we are all having different camera settings, plus there might be a different filter on the lens which can do strange things, plus people tweak the photos on the computer and if monitor is not calibrated then the whole color could be easily shifted, plus some people tweak a photos to their liking and that may end up shifting color scheme, plus we are all having our monitors set to a different settings which shifts colors as well (some people have warm colors, some cold, one person at my job shifting colors the way that what suppose to be a white is visible as light pink -- fortunately whatever they do has nothing to do with photos or art). Basically pictures (printed or electronic) is a general guide of approximate color, real color is either a color code (like FS) or what you saw in real life.

Well, it is really shame that we have not got all of the airliners in this scale (or at least the jet age one), namely 707, dc-8, A330, 757. However, it's been known for a long time that they do only airliners that are used by Japanese airlines. This is why I've got all excited when 1st heard of ANA ordering A380 and then when Airbus channel released a delivery video. Honestly don't care about that turtle livery though (as well as standard ANA livery) but once the model is out we can get aftermarket decals for whatever airline we prefer (I think I've even seen that Draw is offering whatif decal of Braniff International (sad thing is that I might do that livery) as well as Pan Am). Speaking of A350: looks like JAL is getting theirs so hopefully Hasegawa is going to do that beautiful bird as well (funny enough couple days ago the plane I flew on was taxiing next to the Cathay Pacific's A350 so it was a 1st time I've seen this airplane in real life).

My rule for EE is that buy it only if I have to have the model...like REALLY have to have. Usually it is overpriced (at least in US, in Russia it is a cheapest one) and is of a lowest quality of the short runs. My recent buy was MD-11 (an impulsive buy: I love the aircraft, loved the Finnair decal) and it is way better than anything I've seen from them before, however quality looks way worse that Zvezda airliner kits (which isn't the best one as well, I wish Hasegawa was doing their Loveliners in 144 -- some of their recent models have a better detail than anyone in 144 scale). Boeing 737 Original -- seems to be a rip off of the Airfix with the only difference that instead of raised panel lines it has engraved by big rusty needle, after building one I picked up 2 Airfix and rescribed them myself. Boeing 737 Classic -- looks like rip off of the Minicraft kit with panel lines made by the same needle, lot of people complain that fuselage halves are bent but I guess I was the lucky one (honestly I bought it only for the S7 decal that I used on Daco kit). It's current price is almost the same price as Daco kit which is ridiculous. Eggplant (Il-96) -- people say it is one of the worst kits ever produced and I agree with them, however this is the only game in town Tu-134 -- russian forums full of the swear words about the quality of that kit and as soon as Zvezda manufactured it's own kit I haven't seen it anywhere (except Tu-134UBL which is I am thinking about buying for the past 3 years). Boeing 757 -- people say it is a rip off of the Minicraft and by looking at sprue shots it's definitely look like that, however it has -300 which Minicraft didn't had and maybe some day I am going to buy into it but not for now.

Does anyone aware of good figures for early 50th russian pilots? PJ Productions seems to have only modern ones.

The 1st photo has a bad case of HDR: please notice that in addition to the colors being shifted in the green (look at the ground) but also plane itself has quite visible halo. From my own experience seeing F-15Es on the airshows as well as occasionally flying over my town the color is gunship gray. No green, blue, red or some other tone to it.

So it is now few weeks since ANA got it's first A380 as well as it was known for some time that it was coming. With all this in mind was there anything that would indicate when Hasegawa is going to release A380 in 200 scale?

ESCI AC-47 is quite good. However due to the age of the kit you might need to pickup an aftermarket decals.

Amodel has An-24 and An-24T in 72nd scale