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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.  

 

41118540962_9733e1d7d5_z_d.jpg

 

It's too windy to prime tonight so I will have a breather and start her up tomorrow.  Happy Easter folks!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

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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

 

 

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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...

 

 

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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...

 

41146674692_d3b583d4f1_z_d.jpg

 

a nifty little Wright Cyclone...

 

41146669042_df000d811f_z_d.jpg

 

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...

 

40295764975_41efb4da53_z_d.jpg

 

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.

41146670512_2e317df48b_z_d.jpg

 

I'll had some shiny details later after the CA has dried--buckles and whatnot.

27317671348_9af74332c9_z_d.jpg

 

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

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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

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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!

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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)

67d2473f-0371-4583-b8ae-1132ba6ca12d.jpg

RNZAF Official - Used for Illustration Purposes

My Buffalo build to give you an Idea

18ba7588-5c84-4d6f-b218-5e5088012a68.jpg

 

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

 

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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

 

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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:lol: which as you

can imagine went down like a lead Balloon with the Pilots being shot at:wonder:

Regards

 

Alan

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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...

 

40500474174_acd5458f95_z_d.jpg

 

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

 

 

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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!

 

27351110088_835e0e50bb_z_d.jpg

 

--John

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Sky Blue with a drop or two of Duck Egg Green and a drop of white...

 

26362985357_a420531dd7_z_d.jpg

 

--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.

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Night and day...as Cole Porter would have said...and a successful test of the white glue/masking of the ventral observation window!

 

41207844322_c661d06961_z_d.jpg

 

a bit of a close up...

 

26378714377_bbb7758f66_z_d.jpg

 

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

 

 

 

 

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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...

 

27384966828_de78fc6d71_z_d.jpg

 

the topside masking...

 

40362437845_5682b75886_z_d.jpg

 

Topside brown...

 

41214722352_df6cc15aa3_z_d.jpg

 

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...

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