Drunken_Jedi

@Min May I ask what colour you used for the fuselage? I've just started this very same kit, and unsure what colour to go for in relation to that slightly off grey colour they used. In some photos its almost a white-grey while others have a blue tint to it. I'm brush painting in Tamiya acrylics for this one, but was considering getting a can of AS-26 which is a blue/grey colour. You weren't joking when you said the cockpit was lacking details, literally nothing haha. Did you also have issues with the placement of the pilots seat? I found I had to place it further back else it was too far forwards.

Hi folks, thanks for the replies. I went back this morning and tried the same process on the top of the model, and thankfully have had better success. I'm wondering perhaps I didn't get a thick enough coat of varnish, or perhaps it hadn't set properly before I attacked it with the washes etc. It was also extremely hot and humid yesterday, which might have affected the drying time on the varnish. I gave the top side a good spray and left it overnight to cure properly, seems to have done the trick. Also noted not to bother using a satin varnish in future for this (will use gloss). I saw one chap use it and recommended over gloss as he preferred how the washes ran on it. For me however, it meant that I had to "paint" the wash over the panel lines, instead of pin washing and having the wash flow where it needed to. It looks a bit messy, but I got the panel lines to pop a little without the paint peeling off. So lesson learnt for future kits. I'm feeling like I might let this one be for now. I've had two propellor blades fall off, repaired and then fall off again (plus a wheel lol). I enjoyed the build so much that I didn't really consider how much of a pain it would be during the painting stage without damaging these fragile parts. Perhaps I'll come back to it in a while and try to strip and repaint, I've had quite a bit of frustration with this model so I might be better for coming back to it after enjoying something else for a few days. The good news is my next kit is a jet, so no propellors to be found :). It's an Academy MiG-23S "Flogger" in 1:72 scale. It's a very basic kit to put together, with a nice mono-tone camouflage scheme. Ideal for practicing my brush painting technique, I remember building a Flogger with my dad when I was about 6 so it'll be a nice trip down memory lane! I can't attest to the paint scheme we did for that one being quite historical however lol. In relation to the colour of the gear assembly, you're mostly correct. However I was just following the scheme on the box, which was white and possibly related to this example here in this photo. It bears the same squadron emblem and paint scheme:

Hi everyone. I'm returning to modelling after some 20 years. My first kit hasn't been without it's problems, and I have a list as long as my arm of things "to do differently" for my next kit (MiG-23S). I have another thread relating to a disaster I had today when applying and removing excess wash today on my WIldcat kit, so would appreciate some advice on how to salvage it. Other than that, nice to know there's such a large modelling community here and I hope to learn a lot from you all :).

Hi everyone, I'm new here and just getting back into modelling after what must be about 20 years! I've been building an Airfix starter set, the Wildcat. Always had a soft spot for this aircraft as it was frankly outmatched by the IJN's A6M2's but still managed to hold its ground and even excell thanks to the "Thach Weave". Sadly I've had nothing short of a disaster as I was just starting the weathering phase. For reference, I've painted the model with Humbrol acrylic paints. After applying the decals I left it overnight and coated it with some Humbrol acrylic varnish from a spray can (satin finish). I've been watching a ton of Youtube videos on how to apply washes etc and was looking forward to having all those recessed details popping out. I used humbrol enamel washes, left them to work for about 20 minutes or so then went to tidy up with a paintbrush and a cotton wool bud, seemingly the stable of many YT vids. I used VERY small amounts of enamel thinner to just get the excess off. Sadly it's interacted with the paint, even through the varnish and it's peeling all the way back to the primer coat. I'm pretty gutted as I spent quite a while getting the white coat to look decent (was a git to brush paint and took many layers). The left wing is completely buggered at this point, and I'm afraid to do anything else with it until I can understand why it's gone so badly. Have attached a couple pictures from my phone so you can see the damage. Did I miss something? I only applied the wash to the underside of the model. Don't know what to use to remove the rest of the wash now without destroying the entire model. I tried to remove small amounts from the left fuselage too but stopped as soon as I saw what it had done to the wing. Will be grateful for any advice you can give me, otherwise this one might be headed for the bin.