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Airfix spitfire starter set colour help please.


Doggy

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Hi all.

 

I've just started this kit https://www.scalemates.com/kits/airfix-a55100-supermarine-spitfire-mkia--100367  and I'm looking for some guidance on the colours.

 

I was going to buy this set to take care of my needs, https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/product/hobby/sets/air-war-en/raf-colors-special-battle-of-britain-71144/

However it's sold out everywhere, I could possibly buy the three paints needed individually.

 

I have been reading through the forums and Tamiya xf81 has been mentioned as a decent green. I have almost all the tamiya paints and anything I don't have I can get quite easy.

 

The brown seems to be a problem, can anyone recommend a decent brown for dark earth?

 

I'm also wondering if H90 is supposed to be sky type s or Eau de Nil “D.E.Green”. Any idea what is supposed to be the correct underside colour? I think it might be sky type s.

 

Thanks in advance.

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If you want to do this with Tamiya paints then everything you need to know is in this thread.

The underside colour you want is Sky. "Type S" is not a colour but a surface texture, S for Smooth (small particle size, not rough to the touch, but not glossy)

For a potted history and debate of the origins of Sky, try this thread as a starter

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7791-sky-type-s-whats-the-deal/

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H90 is supposed to be Sky.  I think that unless direct evidence otherwise is available, then Sky is a safe bet.  Eau de Nil was not an Air Ministry colour.

 

For accurate colours in enamel look to Colourcoats from Sovereign Hobbies.  To cope with postal regulations you will have to buy at least six tins, but you can always use Grey Green for interiors, with a couple of standards like Night and Yellow.  Humbrol 29 is an acceptable Dark Earth.  H163 is a good RAF Dark Green.  I don't think there is a lot wrong with Xtracolour or Phoenix Precision colours.

 

For acrylic I don't know personally, but I gather Mr. Colour are pretty good.  Others will know of alternatives.

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Hi,

 

This is a useful recent thread on suitable colours for the RAF Temperate Land Scheme:

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235083025-172-airfix-project-spitfire-paint-duel-ak-interactive-vs-hataka/

 

Finding any of these colours individually seems quite difficult. The OP also touches on Vallejo acrylics, and suggests the dark green is a bit on the lurid side. I'm a great fan of Vallejo acrylics, but I have to agree!

 

As Graham has said, Mr Color are very good paints, but I haven't used their DE/DG.

 

HTH,

 

Mark

 

 

 

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Can't go wrong with Colourcoats/Sovereign Hobbies for enamels so just add another 3 colours that you will need for future builds to meet the 6 tin minimum. As for acrylics Xtracrylix/Hannants also do all three that you need and are a pretty good colour match.

 

Regards

Colin.

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Thanks everyone, some good reading there.

vallejo is out of stock everywhere, I wonder if it's a brexit thing?

 

One other small thing, on my kit the props are all black, no yellow tips, is that correct? 

 

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19 minutes ago, Doggy said:

One other small thing, on my kit the props are all black, no yellow tips, is that correct? 

No, that's because the starter kits are limited to a small number of paints so they simplify the painting instructions on those kits. Yellow prop tips, for sure

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Not sure if this got answered properly, Tamiya XF81 and XF21 are good for Dark Green and Sky.  But their Dark Earth is a bit light(!) So I use Gunze H72 for that.

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10 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

No, that's because the starter kits are limited to a small number of paints so they simplify the painting instructions on those kits. Yellow prop tips, for sure

That's disappointing news, I've already painted them black.

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5 hours ago, Doggy said:

That's disappointing news, I've already painted them black.

There's no reason you can't paint the yellow tips after the blades have been painted black. That's actually how I usually do it lately. Assuming you are using an airbrush, mask the blades, apply a light coat of light-to-medium gray (I use Mr. Surfacer primer), and then apply the yellow.

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I prefer doing yellow tips first, as yellow over black is not easy covering, esp if you are brush painting. 

 

One easy way to do it without brush marks letting the black show through:

Poke a little impression in a piece of plasticene or blu-tack or whatever, fill it with yellow paint, then  and dip in each tip to the required depth (about 1.4mm in 1/72) letting it dry with the blade still hanging vertically down before you do the next one

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The problem with questions like these is that there can be a bit of information overload.

 

My favourite source for World War 2 colours is the Xtracrylic (from Hannants) colour range. I like their rendition of Dark Earth (the brown colour) and all their other RAF colours seem, to me, to match what you see on the real thing.

 

As for propeller tips, I can't think I have ever seen a picture of an RAF World War 2 propeller that didn't have yellow tips. It was pretty much the rule that they all had to be painted like that. 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Seawinder said:

There's no reason you can't paint the yellow tips after the blades have been painted black. That's actually how I usually do it lately. Assuming you are using an airbrush, mask the blades, apply a light coat of light-to-medium gray (I use Mr. Surfacer primer), and then apply the yellow.

I was thinking of wiping away the black with thinners then spraying the yellow into white primer.

I find that I need to apply a gizzilion coats of to make it look decent.

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1 hour ago, Work In Progress said:

I prefer doing yellow tips first, as yellow over black is not easy covering, esp if you are brush painting. 

 

One easy way to do it without brush marks letting the black show through:

Poke a little impression in a piece of plasticene or blu-tack or whatever, fill it with yellow paint, then  and dip in each tip to the required depth (about 1.4mm in 1/72) letting it dry with the blade still hanging vertically down before you do the next one

Dangle the props upside down dunking into the paint? Good idea.

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I’m a paint the tips yellow then mask sort of chap, so I couldn’t believe it when one of my club mates described how he painted them using the “dipping” method.  But it must work cos his models win prizes and mine don’t! 😕

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1 hour ago, Work In Progress said:

I prefer doing yellow tips first, as yellow over black is not easy covering, esp if you are brush painting. 

 

One easy way to do it without brush marks letting the black show through:

Poke a little impression in a piece of plasticene or blu-tack or whatever, fill it with yellow paint, then  and dip in each tip to the required depth (about 1.4mm in 1/72) letting it dry with the blade still hanging vertically down before you do the next one

Brilliant tip, that one never crossed my mind.

 

I've always been in the 'paint the whole thing yellow than mask the tips and apply black' camp.

Edited by -Ian-
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11 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

The way everyone's ignoring this is classic Britmodeller

 

I can only speak for myself: I don't know which Tamiya paint approximates RAF colours, have seen comment to the effect that they do not produce good matches, and have had only limited and not entirely satisfactory experience of them.  Add my preference for enamels anyway.  The OP did mention Humbrol so I offered alternatives there.

 

I paint my tips yellow after painting the prop black.  I don't win competitions.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, -Ian- said:

I've always been in the 'paint the whole thing yellow than mask the tips and apply black' camp.

This is indeed my preference.

But the other way can work well, is worth a try, and even if you don;t like the result you're no worse off, just a bit more to remove before you repaint

 

Doggy, if you repaint instead, no, whatever you do don't try to scrub the existing paint off with thinners, it will tend to go everywhere. Sand it off gently with 600 grit or finer wet & dry, much easier to control

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37 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

This is indeed my preference.

But the other way can work well, is worth a try, and even if you don;t like the result you're no worse off, just a bit more to remove before you repaint

 

Doggy, if you repaint instead, no, whatever you do don't try to scrub the existing paint off with thinners, it will tend to go everywhere. Sand it off gently with 600 grit or finer wet & dry, much easier to control

I suppose sanding also keys the paint.

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My favourite technique for RAF props with yellow tips is - 

 

prime props -Halford's Primer Grey usually

sand lightly

spray prop white (usually Tamiya Flat White)

spray top end of each blade yellow (I tend to use Xtracrylic RAF Trainer Yellow)

mask off tips with small slices of Tamiya tape

spray the prop NATO Black (I never use actual Black)

remove masking

touch up yellow with fine brush if required

spray a coat of Johnson's Clear to give the prop a bit of a sheen. It also blends in the appearance of the whole prop

 

 

If the original propeller was metal I might add a bit of dry brushed aluminium to replicate wear. Be careful to check that the original propeller wasn't wooden (like on many Spitfires) as they obviously won't exhibit metallic chipping.  

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If I am just doing the tips  or a propeller and as I use acrylics, I use a Vallejo matt white and then yellow and then I mask off. I use a flat paint brush and thin the colours slightly. 

As a general point if using acrylics they will not cover in one coat unless sprayed and even then will need a light touch. I do not find this a problem as with easy clean up and a short recoat time. How you do stuff as largely a matter of preference I have decided, it works for me, but might not be to everyones taste. 

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6 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

Why not just use Halfords white primer in the first place, that's what I do

I did in the past, with lockdown etc I find it easier to buy online. Also if it's raining outside I've not really got anywhere to spray a rattle can.

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9 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

My favourite technique for RAF props with yellow tips is - 

 

prime props -Halford's Primer Grey usually

sand lightly

spray prop white (usually Tamiya Flat White)

spray top end of each blade yellow (I tend to use Xtracrylic RAF Trainer Yellow)

mask off tips with small slices of Tamiya tape

spray the prop NATO Black (I never use actual Black)

remove masking

touch up yellow with fine brush if required

spray a coat of Johnson's Clear to give the prop a bit of a sheen. It also blends in the appearance of the whole prop

 

 

If the original propeller was metal I might add a bit of dry brushed aluminium to replicate wear. Be careful to check that the original propeller wasn't wooden (like on many Spitfires) as they obviously won't exhibit metallic chipping.  

Why do you never use black?

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