robw_uk

nice start... think cockpits are by my favourite part of an aircraft... just something about them

And here she is.... base painting complete, just need to add the 2 bombs and unmask the prop....... slightly messed up the mid-blue one one side - touched it up but now looks uneven... may have to mask up that area and spray but that makes me worried that I will ruin more.. or could leave it and weather it in somehow..... anyway... wheels down here she is all ready for bobms & futur (tomorrow) letting her rest overnight then will futur up (did the Widgeon with a soft wide brush - not too bad actually so will use same on this one)

following on from my other question, once coated in KLEAR do I need to place the model under cover as I do when coating the clear parts? cheers guys......

thats the philosophy I have Mish.... today it is KLEAR coating - not done it as of yet... the Widgeon will be the test bed then hopefully tomorrow I can attack (sorry expertly apply) the Hellcat......

gorgeous end result Mish..... a guy can only look and dream......

thats a waste of Indian Pale Ale ;-)... saw someone mention WINDOLENE as a source of ammonia to thin it - do they really mean the hideous pink cream version or is there a 2nd Windolene product around? Have a 2nd AB that I will use for Clear (free with compressor) so will try tomorrow and just want to check I clean correctly.....

that brings back memories of aeros in a chippy while I was in the ATC.... great fun.... pity that is the closest I got to proper flying, but I have to say "you have control" are amazing words to hear when you are 16 ;-)

it was one question - also been picking over Hellcats, Wildcats, CORSAIRS to look at painting & weathering....

pigsty - thanks for that - I was leaning to after decals & gloss coat as well to protect my expertly painted plane (hahahaha)... just watched a couple of uselesstube clips from promodeller and may invest in some of their washes as well - that way I can fade the blue then wash in panel lines and dirt etc afterwards....... this also means that I wont be far off finishing the Hellcat (at least the basic part) - just ened to panit the bombs and assemble the additional parts and maybe a little touch up on the white undersurface which has got a little battered when I painted the rest.....

ok... so I have the base coat on.... for the upper surface I want to do some paint variation for fading..... I have seen a number of techniques (salt wash for example) but want to do some light misting in varying hues of the blue to try to mimic the weathering... soooooo.... before or after gloss coat & decals? (am not talking panel lines or oil stains - even I know they have to go on after everything......) thanks guys.....

well, went for paler base coat - 5:1 Hum 77:white..... will pick out a couple of darker panels to be "as new" before clear coat then add panel lines (black or neat dark blue?)... my one question, I know horizontal surfaces tend to fade quicker than vertical from the sun, but should I have gone 5:1 blue:white on the pale blue as well? Image showing the tri-colour as it stands:

I started building kits erm... 30 years ago... mostly 1/72 armour for wargames.... stopped when I was 18 and started again 3 months ago after a 20 year gap (broken wrist pulled me away from computers) - this is the 4th model (2 finished, widgeon sits unloved waiting on my KLEAR practice later this week)...... and thanks for the comments - I do feel this build is going a fair bit better than the Widgeon (that kit is a pain)..... ok... on to todays update added the 3rd part of the tri-colour camo. So now I have white, mid blue (Hum 145) and dark blue (5x Hum 77 + 1 x white)- thinking I should've replicated the 5:1 colour:white on the lighter blue as well - can this be rectified in weathering or do I need to mask up again and hit it with lighter. PLan is to darken some of the panels with plain Hum 77 on thewings to replicate newer panels vs faded older ones... what should happen to decals on these - do you experts think the new panels would;ve been painted to match the original insignia or perhaps (depending on when the repair happened) left blank? ok... and images techniques used this time 1) blu-tac masking... am suprised how easy it is to get soft edges. Need to work a bit on the blending side but gives me confidence to perhaps try a WWII allied fighter in camo scheme next (may just paint over the spit I have done this year rather than build a new one - but who knows) 2) pre-shading... this time didnt obliterate the pre-shading... ok in the 2 blue ares its gone but in the white it has broken the monotone - as has my uneven airbrushing 3) "proper" AB compressor - that really did make the difference vs canister.... being able to control pressure is the biggest bonus going and next work... 1) build UC (all painted - wheels masked not too bad) 2) add fuel tank 3) paint and mount 2 bombs (not putting rockets on as it is a dash-3) 4) mask and darken a couple of the dark blue panels (one on engine, couple on wings - not too many as it would be a patchwork) thanks all for your input & support - any comments please feel free (especially constructive criticism)

like the blue camo scheme... but have just sat, in the office, crossing & un-crossing my eyes for your 3-d one... think I got it to work......

thanks all.....[ I have gone for "scaled" blue - picked up from cybermodeller I think so maybe not quite as dark as it should be... anyway , once i have it painted I will put it in my WIP thread

thanks for the info guys.. I also see that the Airfix 1/72 Hurricane kit includes a sea hurricane (also saw somehwere a comment that it was a MK II and that was not right for Pedestal).....

well mine is the tri-colour scheeme => it will need to be faded...... more chance to learn....

thanks for the tips... have done the white & intermediate blue.... dark blue later this week.... think my skill with an AB would not allow me to spray inside panles - they are quite small @ 1.72 and I have only just statred using the AB - might go for the "spary lighter then paint darker" option.... the way I paint the light colour will look uneven anyway (and thus faded) ;-).... for the "pass very light coats of dark blue paint," - do you mean mist ove trhe light in dark blue so it is very very palely accented? should this be done as part of weathering (ie once future & decal work is done) or as part of general painting? thanks again EDIT thought on this - would I get random enough if I blu-tacked the panel lines and misted in the middle lighter? I have done that for the demarkation between white & mid-blue and got fuzzy edges - but I guess to hard for weathering and would just end up patchwork.... then again, have scouted thorugh WIP and finished models and none of the hellcats have my "new panel" idea in them so cant see how it would work... experimentation time - god bless the widgeon and all who paint her!!!!!!!!

Anyone got any kit recomendations for a Wildcat/Martlett circa Operation Pedestal? If possible in 1/72nd... and details of any FAA decals available to cover this operation... cheers any other options in 1/72 for Malta (Allied if possible)......

nice work - just a cheeky question - do you hava WIP thread on the Academy Wildcat? Looking at that next after the Hellcat and just wanted to see how it went together (there is a Malta GB in the offing and I believe the Wildcat will be accepted....)

not got a stash but am sure I could find something to buy and build.... if it could wait til after August tho so I can get my hols out the way first (plus the Hellcat I am buuilding)... Hmmmm just spotte dthe Wildcat is on the list - perhaps the sister kit to the one I am building now would be possible (plus I am about to read a book about a FAA carrier pilot - something like "on and off a carrier"..... so could try to build a specific plane flown by a person I have read about) Rob

ok then guys... next reply... plan on this is to build parked, flaps down, cockpit open, ladder.... so 2-3 extras I may need 1) engine nozzles - I see "open" and "closed" - how would a parked F/A-18C have their nozzles? 1 open/closed, both open, both closed.... 2) tail vertical surfaces - anyone know of an AM set to move the vertical control surfaces or am I gonna have to cut them form the original 3) anything else... maybe open a couple of hatches - guess that would be the full eduard set? cheers

now that is a good thought - which was why I was going for out of the tin for the base coat then only 2/3 panels darkened (maybe 1 drop of black in 5 drops of blue type ratio).....

quick help needed guys.... on my Hellcat I have done pre-shading which, under the white, looks ok (not too OTT)... when I do the mid blue I am expecting some variation but not so much with the dark blue. For this I wanted to mark some oe thf panels to show replacements (assume therefore no (little) fading in the sun).. .... so should I 1) paint the dark blue with a drop of white to fade the upper surfaces then paint the "new" panels in the original dark blue 2) paint the upper surfaces in the original dark blue then the new panels in dark blue + a bit of blak (to darken).... or some combination of 1, 2 and mystical option 3... thanks for the help guys

quick help needed guys.... have done pre-shading which, under the white, looks ok (not too OTT)... when I do the mid blue I am expecting some variation but not so much with the dark blue. For this I wanted to mark some oe thf panels to show replacements (assume therefore no (little) fading in the sun).. .... so should I 1) paint the dark blue with a drop of white to fade the upper surfaces then paint the "new" panels in the original dark blue 2) paint the upper surfaces in the original dark blue then the new panels in dark blue + a bit of blak (to darken).... or some combination of 1, 2 and mystical option 3... thanks for the help guys - hope to have the mid-blue on today then some photos posted....

amazing detail you are working on this one.... will keep an eye on it....