John Masters Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Now that the thoroughly enjoyable Hawker GB is in the rear view mirror, I can clean off the bench and introduce you all to this barrel of fun. An OOB Airfix Buffalo, 453 Sq., RAAF Sembawang Singapore, December 1941...I will be using the kit decals for this one. It's too windy to prime tonight so I will have a breather and start her up tomorrow. Happy Easter folks! --John 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 A Buffalo will be a bit different, that's a good choice John, welcome to the build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Nice choice, John. The Buffalo has so much character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterqq Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 Lovely Choice, looking forward for this one.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 2, 2018 Author Share Posted April 2, 2018 Thanks guys. I have always had a soft spot for the Buffalo, in whatever guise she may have flown. I hope to build two of them for this GB... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 2, 2018 Author Share Posted April 2, 2018 Ok lads...here's a question or two regarding the RAAF 453 Sq. Buffalo... What were the underside colours? Black and light grey, black and white or black and light blue? My books have all kinds of information, but not that. I have seen some nice build with a black and light grey and one or two that I think might be light blue and black. Hmmm... Did the 453 Sq. aircraft retain the life raft behind the seat? It's visible through the canopy so it would be good to be factual about this too. Since it wasn't carrier-based, I would guess not, but you never know! I think that's it for now... --John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 2, 2018 Author Share Posted April 2, 2018 Ha! Here's another one...What was Humbrol 151? I think it must have been discontinued since I cannot find a swatch anywhere... It's for the interior, so I am guessing a kind of pea green/cockpit green? It also shows up inside the wheel wells... I found out too, that the plans call for the underside to be black and Humbrol 95, another discontinued colour. Better known as 'concrete'. I have seen this also referred to as 'sky green'...a very light beige-ish tan...Hmmmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 2, 2018 Author Share Posted April 2, 2018 Here's some progress while I await the answer regarding Humbrol 95 and the underside... How to mask those teeny-tiny windows in the ventral observation window? I was fresh out of Liquid Mask so I decided on white glue. I figure I can just peel it off after I have painted it, right? We shall see... a nifty little Wright Cyclone... I can't help myself...I have to do some scratch building on this. No instrument panel, no cockpit detail, missing support bars behind the cockpit...easy-peasey... ok...the panel isn't as good as most I have seen here, but through the glass it'll be good enough. I was smart and made two since I will need another anyway for the next Buffalo... The RAF/RAAF planes did not have the tube gunsight found on the American models. I'll have to fashion a bead and ring gunsight somehow unless I can find one in some photo etch somewhere. I'll had some shiny details later after the CA has dried--buckles and whatnot. As you see, I have also brushed on some aluminum at strategic spots for weathering. I plan to use those rivets to my advantage! I'll let this dry and tomorrow continue... --John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 This might help regarding the colours: and this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 Hello John, If I recall Humbrol 151 was U.S. Interior Green, it's more of a yellowish-tinged green than the RAF Interior Grey-green. Humbrol 90 was a beige green often cited in Airfix kits as a replacement for Sky, which is the colour it should be on the underside that isn't Night. HTH Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 Nice added details John, great start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 2, 2018 Author Share Posted April 2, 2018 Thanks for the links and the colour responses...after reading many of the threads it feels as if there is o real definitive answer since many of these planes were repainted, repaired and whatnot in the field. Obviously the 'day-side' wasn't white. Perhaps it was the Du Pont 71-021 (sky type S grey) which has a slight greenish cast to it...perhaps it was lighter...perhapos it could have been a shade of blue, more blue than green/lght grey...Fun! I think I'll do one of them night/day with a duck egg green/drop of blue/drop of USAAF grey mix and the other a very pale blue/grey. Just for kicks, dontcha know... I love it when there is no real answer! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDSModeller Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 11 hours ago, John D.C. Masters said: Ok lads...here's a question or two regarding the RAAF 453 Sq. Buffalo... What were the underside colours? Black and light grey, black and white or black and light blue? My books have all kinds of information, but not that. I have seen some nice build with a black and light grey and one or two that I think might be light blue and black. Hmmm... Did the 453 Sq. aircraft retain the life raft behind the seat? It's visible through the canopy so it would be good to be factual about this too. Since it wasn't carrier-based, I would guess not, but you never know! I think that's it for now... --John Hi John, Depends on when your Buffalo was flown. Bare in mind not all Buffalo in Singapore/Malaysia were painted in the with the Black port half (which was an Identification thing), best if you have a photo of your aircraft. Interior colours for Cockpit would have been a US Manufactured British Interior Colour, fore and aft of cockpit was much like RAF fighters of the time Aluminium paint, Natural Metal Aluminum seat with Sutton Harness 488(NZ) Squadron Kallang Buffalo (Ft/Lt John Hutchinson) RNZAF Official - Used for Illustration Purposes My Buffalo build to give you an Idea No Life raft behind seat Undersides colour - Remember the 339E was ordered around time of Battle Of Britain, Duck Egg Blue (AKA Sky) would have been paint of choice not grey - Mention was above made in an above post about Du Pont 71-021 (sky type S grey) Lots of People love to tell you what it is/isn't - This colour swatch shows what DuPont 71-021 looks like, it is actually a very Pale Blue with a greenish tinge DuPont 71 021 Hope that helps you? Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 3, 2018 Author Share Posted April 3, 2018 1 hour ago, LDSModeller said: a very Pale Blue with a greenish tinge Thanks Alan...yes...this is what I think I'll go for too. The 453 Squadron, according to the DKDecal sheet had night/day undersides. I am assuming that they just painted one half black and left the other half as-was. No life raft on my build either! Thanks, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDSModeller Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 1 hour ago, John D.C. Masters said: Thanks Alan...yes...this is what I think I'll go for too. The 453 Squadron, according to the DKDecal sheet had night/day undersides. I am assuming that they just painted one half black and left the other half as-was. No life raft on my build either! Thanks, John Hi John, Yes, painted the Port side Black right down the aircraft middle. The Identity colours didn't work as the AA gunners shot at the Allied aircraft anyway which as you can imagine went down like a lead Balloon with the Pilots being shot at Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 3, 2018 Author Share Posted April 3, 2018 I must say that this little kit really comes together well and quickly--another Airfix Star as far as I'm concerned. I'll be beginning the paint tomorrow evening, I imagine. Canopy masked, all the big bits assembled, the landing gear ready for paint, cowling, motor...all ready for the 'go' sign... I have fixed the gap in the rudder that you can see in the image--a glaring flaw on my part! I have also filled in the space where the tail-hook would have gone on the carrier based plane. --John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 4, 2018 Author Share Posted April 4, 2018 No luck on the bead-and-ring gunsights in the photo etch leftovers...so I made a couple out of some plastic tube and sprue. I cut the tube as thin as I could with a fine saw and then sanded it down a bit to make a bit thinner. Sorry folks...no bead. That is a bit too small for me! --John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 4, 2018 Author Share Posted April 4, 2018 Sky Blue with a drop or two of Duck Egg Green and a drop of white... --John It's easy to see how many people might think this was a shade of grey...but it's not. I'll be using a similar tone for the fuselage band, but skip the white additive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 Looking good John, I'll be interested to see your sight installed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 4, 2018 Author Share Posted April 4, 2018 Thanks Robert...dontcha know I am contemplating cross-hairs? I have a feeling it'll be the last thing that goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 Night and day...as Cole Porter would have said...and a successful test of the white glue/masking of the ventral observation window! a bit of a close up... Once the paint was dry, I just used the pointy end of a toothpick and popped off the dried glue spots. I am very happy with the experiment. --John 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 I am really glad I do this for fun....it is a hobby, after all. Yes, I can get carried away, but you'll never catch me with the rivet counters except perhaps late at night when all the rest have gone home. That being said, yes, there are flaws in this little model and my build, but I'm having fun. The topside colours... the topside masking... Topside brown... I have made a mistake in not painting the fuselage band first and then masking that off with the rest. Oh well. I'll get to that before I spray on the green. Or maybe afterwards... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 You are making good progress there John, that's promises to be an attractive model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 Thanks Robert. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsjmse Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 Wow, you've nearly finished and I haven't even started . Nice work - looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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