CheshireGap Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 Spirit of '76 is an -E and should have the shallow radiators, as per your F-4, so this is more than a bit what-if, being honest, its a good old-fashioned kludge. With the masking off she looks OK, as good as can be hoped for given the preceding mess. Scraping down to the Alclad layer provides some simple chipping effects, the hairspray doesn't really seem to be doing much for me, all the scrubbing in the world didn't dent the paint finish, guess it's almost too good . Tamiya weathering powders then gets some dirt and fading into the finish, key panel lines are highlighted with pencil, I still can't get the hang of washes too well, always seem to end up staining the finish, or lifting it, whereas the powders can be a subtle, or not, as you like Next up a yellow tip to the nose, plus some extensive staining behind the superchargers. Must say if I can do this much in 48 hours how come I took two months to get to here..? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knikki Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 WOW I did not realise the issue you had with the Alcald when we spoke the other day but as for what caused it is any ones guess. Not sure about being humid unless you have done a stack of washing and had it drying in the same room as doing the painting? Or it looks a little like some of the paint and thinner did not mix properly, so you get a bit of "way to thin paint" which goes on like water messing everything up. However the recovery using the Olive Drab has worked well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Yes, the OD/NG turned out great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz23 Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Paint job's looking good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfqweofekwpeweiop4 Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 WOW I did not realise the issue you had with the Alcald when we spoke the other day but as for what caused it is any ones guess. Not sure about being humid unless you have done a stack of washing and had it drying in the same room as doing the painting? Or it looks a little like some of the paint and thinner did not mix properly, so you get a bit of "way to thin paint" which goes on like water messing everything up. However the recovery using the Olive Drab has worked well You don't thin Alclad - it's a laquer. I find the really shiny Alclad paint never works for me but they're plain basic Aluminium does. I've been told for them to work really well, they need to be applied over a well and evenly glossed Black surface but you have to ask, how long would it stay shiny for in wartime? I reckon not that long! thanks Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knikki Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Cheers Mike Have never used Alclad so it was just an assumption that it needed thinning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfqweofekwpeweiop4 Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 No worries, it's made for airbrush use. It's a good idea to use they're Gloss Black Primer prior to spraying the main colour as well. thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Arrr yes there is a wee difference between an E and a L, but there is very little difference between the L and the J! Ok the colour scheme may be an issue with the L, as have had trouble finding an L in Olive Drab/Neutral grey schemes, but the J's did have this scheme. The easiest for you would be to choose a J colour scheme, you should be able to use some of the markings you have. That way you could choose a fairly plain looking aircraft and all you would need to do is maybe some mix and match with the serial numbers and add some squadron theater markings. These for European operations were usually white symbols, squares, triangles and stuff that represented the different Fighter Groups and squadrons. A quick look of the Wings Palette site will give you some ideas. Just an idea for you to give you a more legit aircraft rather than a Whiff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireGap Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Just been on to Wings Palette, its new to me, but what a great site! There are a couple of very pain schemes on there which would involve very little in the way of modification or repainting, so I may just take a look at the decal stash and see what I have in the way of appropriate markings when I get home. Thanks for the pointer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireGap Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 You don't thin Alclad - it's a laquer. I find the really shiny Alclad paint never works for me but they're plain basic Aluminium does. I've been told for them to work really well, they need to be applied over a well and evenly glossed Black surface but you have to ask, how long would it stay shiny for in wartime? I reckon not that long! thanks Mike Mike I can confirm that it is straight from the bottle over a gloss black primer, but I can also confirm that there was a stack of laundry drying in the room so I think Knikki has nailed it there and we can chalk this one down to humidity.Time to start using that heated airer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireGap Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 Well the obvious was staring me in the face and I honestly don't know why I didn't think of it or notice it before...one of the two schemes that come with the kit is an olive drab over neutral grey -L - Geronimo II! No adjustments to the scheme required, shame about the tenner spent on the Kagero sheet but hey-ho. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I'm glad you have found a solution to this. Hopefully you can get it all done by Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knikki Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Well if you decide to do another P-38 in the next 2years (but I doubt it will be that quick) that Kagero sheet will come in handy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireGap Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 (edited) Progress creeps on...first round of weathering is completed including spraying some exhaust stains: I had an idea regarding the shiny plates on the inner cowlings: Hobbyboss supply them as clear parts which is wrong they are just supposed to be polished metal, so I superglued them to kitchen foil and cut them out, it looks OK so far, we'll see what they look like on later. Meanwhile a layer of gloss (which predictably I nearly screwed up) and it's decal time Hobbyboss have done a mixed job here: the decals are nice and thin, but tough and respond very well to Microset & Microsol, but then have a tendency to fold up on themselves, and once on stick pretty firmly so you have to get the positioning right almost first time every time. The 'No Step' decals for the cockpit side frames are almost cartoonish, too big with a funny rounded font, given the frames as supplied are too thin there is no way these are going to fit, I am going to have to think of an alternative here. In addition 5 kill markings (references suggest there should be only 4) are supplied in 4 parts each, which seems crazy, could they really not have been printed as one? 16 tiny decals are never going to line up properly, it's a nightmare! Edited July 3, 2015 by CheshireGap 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Yikes, the kill markings do sound like a nightmare. Your plan with the foil is brilliant though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Arr decals, can either e a pleasure to do or a nightmare, have had my share of nightmare ones! I love the idea of the foil for the engine mirrors as well, will definitely use that one on mine! Nearly there, she does look great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireGap Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 OK a few final build pictures to post before the finished () items go in the gallery (was up late on this one!) The kill markings were, as predicted, a bit of a mare but finally went on, Hobbyboss next time print as one item please...a wash with diluted artist's gouache with some flow enhancer added followed in stages, wiped off with dampened kitchen towel and cotton buds...lots of cotton buds. The blade aerial is spare from the Academy kit since Hobbyboss don't provide one, god knows why not its very prominent on the real aircraft; wheels are superglued on, did I really forget to clean up that seam? And finally those landing lights; a disc of plastic card was cut out with 2mm Tamiya punch and clear tape used for the glass cover - this is quite tricky, lay on the tape, use a new blade to very carefully cut round the panel line and lift off...then ensure you don't stick your thumb over it later in the day...fortunately managed to repeat the operation to repair Invisible thread for the aerial wires, I cut down one side window as if lowered for pilot entry to allow a better view of the cockpit and ta-daaaaaaaaaaaaa! DONE! One for the gallery And after all that the bitch is a tail-sitter! you may notice some blu-tac in the gallery pictures... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireGap Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 A couple of extra views, first those landing lights, hopefully this one shows them up a bit better, plus another top view which also shows those kitchen foil reflector panels (I believe the pilot used them to see if the nosewheel had retracted) - they nearly worked as I had hoped, as it is they got a bit damaged going in as the superglue had got round the edges and spoiled the previously perfect fit of the parts. Next time I shall just use PVA 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Very nicely done!!! Well done on finishing her, you should be very proud of her as she looks amazing! A very nice clean finish and the cockpit looks great as well. Hopefully the build was enjoyable and not too stressful, you had us all a bit worried for a while but in the end you have produced something lovely. Again well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireGap Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 Thanks Rich, you have done a great job of being supportive to all the group builders and keeping us going, it is appreciated. I am quite pleased with the final result, though I do tend to see the flaws first as I know where they all are, I am sure I am not the only who looks at their own work with a more critical eye than the work of others. After the rather pebbly gloss coat it was a relief that things smoothed off with the matt varnish, otherwise I might have been inclined not to include a close-up in the gallery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Wow, that turned out great, and what a finish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts