MOUNTING:
This
model kits is the Profipack version from Eduard. Profipack version from Eduard
should be seriously taken into account as they use to have more decorations and
even some improved photo-etched parts. This model can only receive praising as
is nearly as good in quality as a Tamiya’s one. The model has been constructed
Out Of the Box, and after just one sanding session the model is ready for the
painting booth.
PAINTING:
I
am used to painting the entire cockpit tub in black and afterwards painting all
the inside base-colour this way, we get a shade in all the corners. We use
Tamiya Flat Green (XF-5) as base colour and Lemon Green (XF-4) to light up a
little bit. Seatbelts are painted with Khaki Yellow, and buttons and buckles are
painted with Humbrol Silver. Finally, Radio equipment and cockpit panel have
been painted in black.
This
is the part of the hobby I enjoy the best.
I
begin the painting pre-shading all the remarkable lines of the kit with black or
brown painting in order to get a weathered look of the plane when we finished
it.
The
gear wells are painted with Gunze Interior Green (ref: H58) and when painting is
dry I mask the wells.
I
follow painting the under surface with Tamiya Dark Grey (XF24) and enlighten a
little bit with Grey (XF-25). Once this is finished and painting is dry we mask
it to prevent any paint spoiling the under surfaces.
We
begin the camouflage with the lighter colour, (Ocean Grey) preparing a mixture
with Tamiya (XF-18 50% XF-21 15% and XF-24 35%.) aprox. and then we add some Sky
Grey (XF-19) to lighten up the base colour (thanks for the painting mix to Julio
C. Cabos).
Click on
images below to see larger images
|
|
|
|
Camouflage
is been done with floating masks made with Tamiya’s Masking Tape
We
follow our job with another camo colour, in this case I have used Gunze H309
lighting it up with Tamiya Buff. Don get too worry if you lighten colours up
too much as they will get duller when we coat the varnish, in fact that
was what happened to me with this kit.
Once
painting is finished, we proceed decaling the plane, after protecting the
painting with a glossy coating of Tamiya Gloss Varnish and after sealing the
decals with another glossy coating of varnish we begin panelling the plane.
We
use a mixture of Umber Raw and Black oil paintings diluted with Humbrol thinner
for panelling the plane.
Chipped
painting is carefully applied with silver enamels and a very thin brush.
Oil
leaking in the under surfaces has been applied with a flat brush moving it
against the plane movement.
Plane
exhausts have been drilled with an X-acto Blade, and have been painted with
Tamiya XF-64 and then they have received a washing with Black Oil paintings. The
Fuel Combustion of these engines leaves greyish coloured markings in the
fuselage that we tried to resemble with several coats of highly diluted Navy
Grey.
Well,
that’s what I can say of this really good model that I
suggest you all to build.
Finally
I would like to thank my friend Alex Sánchez for all the advises he gave me
about
the model and for sharing all his knowledge about this kit with me, as he made a
wonderful construction of a P-39 Airacuttie that boosted me to make my own
Airacobra.
Héctor
|