HobbyBoss 1/72 P-61B Black Widow

[Scargsy]

So hopefully this will be a fairly short KUTA build.

I originally started it back in the "Journey's End" GB - build thread can be found here.

 

Since it's last outing the window masks went on and it got a coat of Alclad II Black Primer (or maybe it was Vallejo, it's a long time since I did it).

At that point she was left to gather dust for some time.

So after rescue it's been given a coat of Alclad II Gloss Black Base, but unfortunately this didn't come out as expected...

As can hopefully be seen - there's a lot of texturing, now I'm not entirely sure what went on there - failure to clean the surface and it being dust and crud? The primer being textured (and the gloss just highlighting it)? Bad airbrushing technique/paint - I've, as always, been having issues with my airbrush and I wonder if it's being 'splatty' rather than a fine mist? Or an issue with the paint being a bit thick (maybe I could have thinned with self levelling thinner)? It's probably a combination of issues though.

 

Once it dried - I tried in spots to remove the texture by giving it a going over with some fine sanding sponge (2000 grit) but it didn't seem to work well (just dulled the paint).

 

I'll dull coat it once finished, so I'm hopeful that will hide a multitude of sins!

 

Anyhow on with the decals - which seemed to conform well (both the aftermarket nose art and numbers and kit ones), though the aftermarket ones had red stripes to go around the engine cowlings but they weren't long enough to go all the way around (I'm not sure if there should be a break somewhere, there was scant info), so I've painted those on - need a little tidy up.

I used the kit supplied USAF identification and walkway(?) markings - though these did rip a few times but I managed to get them pretty much lined back together. I have to say though they appear somewhat out of scale - I can't imagine they'd be painted about a foot wide on the actual aircraft! 

Once the decals were conformed with decal solvent, I've given them a quick going over with some heavily thinned Vallejo gloss varnish with a brush (to hopefully stop them silvering with the flat clear coat which will be next).

 

[CliffB]

I feel your pain with the paintwork Scargsy!  The decals seem to be going on OK though and, as you say, a final matt coat should improve things no end 

 

Cheers

[Scargsy]

I applied some heavily thinned Tamiya flat clear with the airbrush - maybe a little too much though (being a tight northerner I usually empty everything from in the airbrush).

 

Ended up with a few bits going too 'misty' but I used my new found technique of cleaning up acrylic with some Vallejo airbrush cleaner though probably applied a little too much stripping off too much clear - should have been a bit more sparing / watered it down (you can see on the wing where I've stripped it back a bit).

Still not too bad - I then tried a few oil filters / washes to darken it up, firstly a Grey Panzer Blue filter (yeah odd I know but I had it open as was finishing another build) - that seemed OK, but seemed to leave a lot of white residue. I then tried a wash I made with some Abteilung 'Starship Filth' thinned down - which is a very dark brownish/grey colour. I still had some overly light areas so to darken it down a bit I used Tamiya black panel line wash - just added it directly, but wiping off the excess before it fully dried.

 

Anyhow it's turned out fine I think - the texture isn't visible anymore, another kit finished ready for some more GBs to start next year!

[Dansk]

Looks super good to me! 😎

Edited January 4, 2021 by Dansk

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Scargsy, this is a very good model I think, of an aircraft that looks to me a little sinister. Although I'm a ship modeler I have a penchant for the heavy twin-engined fighters of WW2, this aircraft being one of them. Very well done. Regards, Jeff.

[Scargsy]

On 24/07/2021 at 08:00, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Gidday Scargsy, this is a very good model I think, of an aircraft that looks to me a little sinister. Although I'm a ship modeler I have a penchant for the heavy twin-engined fighters of WW2, this aircraft being one of them. Very well done. Regards, Jeff.

Thanks - I think it came out well and it's a great kit, I've got another Hobbyboss 'Easy Assembly Authentic Kit' (F14) which is hopefully going to go together as nicely - not too many fiddly bits but still nicely detailed, though some of their range do look a little simplistic.