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1/32nd P-39F A53-6, 82 Sqn. RAAF 1943 - Finished


trickyrich

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  • 1 month later...

Gee it has been a while since I updated this thread.

 

I have actually been doing stuff on her but only in drips and drabs, mostly just tiding her up for painting…and that’s finally done and it’s painting time!! :yahoo:

 

I’m using Mr Paint Acrylic Lacquer paint on her so hence the reason for wanting a good/perfect surface for the paint to go on, as trust me this paint will show up the tiniest of flaws!!

 

First up a coating of Alclad Micro Filler Primer and surprisingly, for me, I had got the body work right, no issues!

 

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Next up the panel lines and pre-shading. I’m sort of using this build as a test run for the F-14, in playing with pre-shading and how the acrylic lacquer paint will go on. So the colours used (all Mr Paint paints), Extra DS Grey on the under side and Night-fighter Black on sides and upper surfaces. Plus I used some white on the control surfaces and on some of the small panels, just to break it up abit.

 

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Next was the camo colours, I decided to paint her completely Olive Drab then add the grey, this was just how she was done. She was supplied standard USAAF OD/NG and once here had the Grey camo (this was a test scheme) added and the RAAF Sky Blue. Speaking of the Grey, there is no actual record of exactly what colour was used, plus no colour photo’s of her (not that that would actually help), from my reference material EDS Grey is considered the most probable colour used.

 

The paint went on like a dream, so fine and light, I was really having to learn how to airbrush again. It just goes on so smoothly but is dry in an instant. You could literally hold onto where you’d painted 20 seconds ago and not leave a mark! 

 

In fact it went on so nicely as soon as it ran out/finished the OD I moved straight onto the next colour, I only just needed to wipe out the bowl!!! 

 

…and here she is. Though I did forget to paint the other door OD!! :doh:

 

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In fact this is the first time I’ve ever attempted to do a camo pattern freehand, and only because this paint went on so nicely. I had the air pressure set super low and the brush set super fine and it was just so easy. For anyone who knows how to use an airbrush properly they’d be able to do those complex wiggly Nightfighter schemes perfectly!!

 

Unfortunately they don’t do a colour to match the RAAF Sky Blue so I have to use LifeColor’s paint for that, not so nice to use! I’ll try and get that done first thing tomorrow, as it’ll need a day to cure properly. That the fun and games of masking up for the markings/serial numbers begins!

 

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for some of it I had my hand resting on the spray booth floor (it's on a table), it was a bit scary.

 

Craig you've gotta try some of this stuff, it's bulletproof like Tamiya paint but so thin. You need multiple layers to build it up, but I've got 5 or 6 layers in some spots and you can still see the finest of details.....or very fine scratches/sanding marks in some spots. Bugga  :wall:

 

I'd say it'd be exactly like using Alclad (I've never used the stuff but have read all about it) where you need as perfect surface as you can get to get the best results.

 

That said even someone who's just learning to airbrush will get stunning finishes with this paint, it's just that easy! 

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…and I’ve finished all the major painting and no touch-ups required at all, that’s a first for me.

 

So she was masked up this morning all ready for RAAF Sky Blue. As mentioned for this colour I would be using LifeColor paint. I’ve had my ups and downs with this paint so wasn’t looking forward to using it.

 

But to my surprise it went on near perfect, I took a bit to set the air-bursh up for it, it was the first time I’ve used this paint with it, but once set it when on trouble free.

 

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She's actually a bit more bluer in the flesh

 

The finish is just great, really happy with it. Now I’ll let it cure for 24hrs then I’ll start the masking for the markings. Hopefully I’ll have the clear coat on tomorrow as well, already for the weathering.

 

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I’m even pleased see she'll sit on all 3 legs! All going well she’ll be finished next weekend.

 

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Cant believe I missed this one! This is one of the best looking planes ever but that is just my oppinion. 

 

Great job on her so far Rich. Wish I could get a hold of some of those paints locally..... 

 

Regards:

Shaun. 

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That's looking like one impressive kit Rich, built with dedication and great skill by one of this country's master modellers. I've never seen an example of a RAAF P-39 finished in these colours so am keen to see it finished to your usual excellent standards. That's about all the plaudits I can muster for a Sunday morning, get me another cuppa and I'll check out some other Pacific GB posts soon. 

 

Cheers.. Dave

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thanks guy's, Dave you start to make me blush!! :D

 

She was pretty much a one-off scheme this aircraft had, Olive Drab and a Grey which nobody is really sure exactly what colour was used. We only ever had 22 of these aircraft for a period of around 18mths in total, times for individual aircraft varied considerably. They were all repainted RAAF Sky Blue underneath but the uppers surfaces varied, most of them (I think) were Olive Drab, but some were Foliage Green/Earth Brown, Olive Drab/Foliage Green, and mine.

 

There's a great book on RAAF Airacobra's by Gary Byk, published by Red Roo Pub.

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23 minutes ago, trickyrich said:

There's a great book on RAAF Airacobra's by Gary Byk, published by Red Roo Pub.

Yeah I know Rich, another one of those ‘must have’ books that I don’t currently own. One day perhaps. 

 

Cheers.. Dave

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While I've no interest in the P-39 I do enjoy watching your progress so it's been a treat to see this one take shape. There's certainly a few recognisable traits between the parts layout of your P-39 kit and my Seafire.

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Ok time for the markings, being a big scale model I much prefer to have painted versions other than decals, just looks so much better.

 

So with the paint completely cured time for masking. For some bazaar reason I thought this would be a simple process, it ended up taking me 2 hours!  Hopefully it was all worth the effort! Unfortunately I’d have to use a mix of different paint manufacturers for the colours I needed, Mr Paint, Gunze, Tamiya.

 

So first on was the white which was to be the base for all the markings, then some more masking and the final colours. The wait to remove the masks was hard! I needed the Blue (Gunze acrylic) to dry a bit before removing them, I should have bought that colour in Mr. Paint.

 

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Finally the masks were off.

 

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Am super happy with the results, I found only one spot of overspray and that was from when I did the lower surfaces colour, everything else is perfect.

 

I’ll let her sit for 24 hours before a coat of Mr Paint Super Gloss and then the final decals. I’m very interested on how this goes on as well as the final coat of Flat.

 

The end is really in sight for this build. :yahoo:

 

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2 hours ago, Greg Law said:

Very nice Rich. What was the trick you used to keep the roundals in register. I kept on getting distortion when I laid the masks down.

lots of cursing and swearing!! :rant:

 

It took me nearly 2 hours to do the masking, it was hard and as you say trying to keep them nice and round wasn't easy. I had to remove and replace them many times.

 

The best way to do them and didn't quite do them this way, is to place the whole mask down, you need to mark up some reference marks on the masks and model to help align them up correctly.  Then remove the inner circles (use some off cuts of the masks to do this), paint white (in this case), then replace the circles, and carefully remove the outer ring and paint blue. 

 

You do need to be careful with airbrushing the white around the outer edge of the mask, else you'll end up with a faint white edge once you finally remove the mask. 

 

Some people do the markings first then the camp over top, it can be cleaner and no white rings but the insignia sits lower than the camp and looks quite odd.

 

Am slowly getting to the end, just found out I've glued the U/c door to the wrong legs!! They were a pain to get to sit right and had used CA glue to hold them.....and it did very well!! :wall:

 

One nice think I used for the first time Mr. Paint Clear Flat, gosh it gives you a nice flat finish, much nicer than the Tamiya of Gunze flats!

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Sounds like one of my tricks. I'm always doing your door thing or something like it at the end of a build. On my Do 217 I had it complete and was packing it up to take it to a friend's for photographs and ended up knocking of Aerials guns and basically anything that stuck out. I got it all together again only to break the aerial wire that connects between the fuselage and the main aerial wire. Trying to fix it I got a small patch of CA. on the fuselage. After that I gave up and decided to leave it off because you can hardly see it anyway and it is right in the place I like to hold the model, so I can see it being a problem to the end of time. Still it is all part of the hobby isn't it.

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to be perfectly honest I’m not really enjoying this build at all and am looking forward to finally seeing the end of her….forever I hope!!

 

I have been making progress and would have finished, but for this wee part!

 

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I had been doing the final test fitting for the new gun barrels, all was good and I decided to show my beloved how she looks. I take it up stairs to show her, she looks and notices, as do I, there are now only 3 not 4 gun barrels in the wings and the wee plane has developed a new rattle!  :doh:   Down stairs again and lots of rattling to try and figure what to do…. :undecided:

 

……1st attempt, not so big hole, rattle has moved into the fuselage….:wall:

 

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….2nd attempt, new bigger hole, rattle stops!!! :angry:

 

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A new even bigger hole (and slip with the Dremel and damage fuselage)…….cue lots of bashing of model after removing lots of Plasticine and nuts and bolts…….discover rattle has suddenly moved to other wing.  :suicide:

 

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 Find out I didn’t need all that extra weight so at least now the U/c won’t collapse with all the unneeded weight and she sits happily on all three wheels. :wacko:

 

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By this stage I’m about the split the fuselage…….one final shake and the gun barrel decides to give up and wonders what all the fuss has been about! :tease:

 

I played computer games for the next couple of days!

 

Anyway the U/c is all on, some of it did fall off with all the bashing, plus there was some minor splitting of the fuselage around the nose guns. On a positive note (I’m trying to convince myself it is) , the LHS door is now off (I will pose it slightly closed) and the extended family of Dusty Bunnies that had taken up home in the rear section of canopy had for the most part decided to find new lodgings!

 

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The exhaust is mostly done and fitted, I did manage though to remove a spot of paint off either exhaust!

 

So the gun barrels are all painted and now securely fitted…..

 

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…..the ID lights and tip lights are done and fitted….


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Weathering is done, I’m not going to do much at all as from memory she only flew locally in Oz for a few months before she crashed!  

 

The new additional weight reducing holes have been covered up, so unless you know what has happened you won't........plus no one looks at the underside anyway!

 

So by the end of the weekend she’ll either be completed or have gone under the hammer!

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Nice build so far, struggling with the same kit at the moment. The camo looks very good, to bad about the rattle... and the measures necessary to stop rattling... but it worked in the end... luckily I'll go for a russian one, no wing guns on those 😉

Edited by Silenoz
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cheers, as bad as the measures were I did in such a way that I could easily hide or disguise the holes. The ones in the U/c bays are covered and painted, the one in the nose will be covered by the spinner so no dramas there.

 

Was just such a pain.

 

Plus I don't really know why but this kit isn't an easy build, the instructions a vague in places and the fit leaves a lots to be desired....

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…and she’s done!!! 

 

I did finally complete her on the weekend but only just got around to taking the photos yesterday.

 

She fought right up to the end and I had all sorts of small issues, in the end I just had to finish her and forget about some details.

 

I’m not 100% happy with her and it wasn’t a simple build as I had hoped, not really a model I’d wish to build again, but it’s nice to have her in the collection.

 

Thanks for following, more and hopefully different photos will be in the gallery.

 

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Congratulations Rich, that looks just fantastic - we’ll done. I can’t see anything wrong with it at all, however I know what you’re saying and is probably the very reason why I’ve been taking a short spell from modelling and looking at BM in general. 

 

Although you don’t think so, you’ve produced a real winner with this P-39.

 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

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