OK chaps, so a short update.
The main paint job is now finished. I sprayed on the yellow strip and hand paint the patch below the canopy where I imagine old US markings were quickly covered over (a bit heavy in one case ????).
I think next time I do a metal finish, I will do the coloured parts first and mask them....much easier than having to mask off most of the plane, plus with the metallic finish being smoother it can lead to runs if you're not too careful.
The main thing I did though was to take a gamble and mute the shine of the metallic coat a bit. No matter how you look at the real thing it was not shiny as we so often see depicted. There is a definite light matt patina to it. Whilst no doubt some of the this will be dust and muck, I wonder if some of it down to the aluminium reacting with the air overtime to create an aluminium oxide coat....but whatever the reason it's not nice and new looking, as you can see.
I therefore took a light grey that was a close match in tone to the aluminium (Vallejo Model Air Sky Grey 71.407), mixed it to a thinner consistency than normal - about 1:1 paint/thinner rather than my usual-ish 2:1 - and then gave it a couple of light mist coats from about 6-8 inches. It doesn't show well in the pics but it did have an effect. However, never having done it before I wanted to be careful and so, should I do it again, I will be a bit more aggressive.
FYI, the prop is just dry fitted.
ACW as usual.
Andrew
------------------------------------------------------
A reminder of the real thing
My homage so far......
The main paint job is now finished. I sprayed on the yellow strip and hand paint the patch below the canopy where I imagine old US markings were quickly covered over (a bit heavy in one case ????).
I think next time I do a metal finish, I will do the coloured parts first and mask them....much easier than having to mask off most of the plane, plus with the metallic finish being smoother it can lead to runs if you're not too careful.
The main thing I did though was to take a gamble and mute the shine of the metallic coat a bit. No matter how you look at the real thing it was not shiny as we so often see depicted. There is a definite light matt patina to it. Whilst no doubt some of the this will be dust and muck, I wonder if some of it down to the aluminium reacting with the air overtime to create an aluminium oxide coat....but whatever the reason it's not nice and new looking, as you can see.
I therefore took a light grey that was a close match in tone to the aluminium (Vallejo Model Air Sky Grey 71.407), mixed it to a thinner consistency than normal - about 1:1 paint/thinner rather than my usual-ish 2:1 - and then gave it a couple of light mist coats from about 6-8 inches. It doesn't show well in the pics but it did have an effect. However, never having done it before I wanted to be careful and so, should I do it again, I will be a bit more aggressive.
FYI, the prop is just dry fitted.
ACW as usual.
Andrew
------------------------------------------------------
A reminder of the real thing
My homage so far......
