Testy 1/72 - 1/48 MODELS STEP - BY - STEP ASSEMBLING, PAINTING & WEATHERING 200 FULL COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS Dera NEbably one of the most interesting fields in modeling for the creation of schemes is that represented by WWI aircraft. In the following project, using the Albatros D.V by Eduard as a base, we will develop a paint scheme that imitates a finish common to planes of this era, the "wood effect” THE MODEL The kit by Eduard consists of 49 parts molded in high-quality gray plastic. Moreover, the model is complemented by an excellent photo- etched sheet containing all of the most delicate elements of the model, The decal sheet provides us with two possible versions from two different Albatros airplanes piloted Von Richthofen. The decals are of excellent quality, and are easy to apply THE COCKPIT Inside the fuselage halves we find the plane's interior frames present as delicate raised detail‘The interior structures were outlined in dark brown. painted brown. In order to achieve a realistic effect and take advantage of these raised details, we proceed in the following fashion. c apply a coat of wood color as a base for our work. The color was obtained from the following mixture of Tamiya acrylics: XF3-65% + XF7- 5% +XF10-20% + XF2-10%. After applying the base coat and allowing the paint to dry, we outline the frame lines using a brush and the acrylic color Burnt Umber from Prince August. In this way we achieve a good depth effect. Next we paint the raised parts of the frames using Beige Brown, darkened slightly with Burnt Umber. It is necessary to use a fine-tipped brush, bur one that nevertheless can hold a good amount of paint (for example the Ne2 Kolinski brush from Davinci is ideal). To create the effect of wood lines, we use the last brush with Beige Brown for the dark lines and Desert Sand for the lighter ones. With these two tones, a very realistic contrast is created. A coat of satin varnish finishes the inside of the cockpit. We paint the floor, the seat support frame and the rear wall using the same procedures. We use black for the seat and apply soft light effects with the airbrush to obtain weathering effects. The seat belts and the photo- etched pieces are painted with a brush. BEFORE CLOSING THE FUSELAGE Before closing the fusclage we unite the main parts of the engine and fit them together (parts 30, 31, 32). We paint these flat black and lightly apply flac Next the interior structures were Some of the cockpit photo- etched parts were glued before the painting process. To begin the painting process, ‘we applied a first coat of wood color. Finally, the wood lines were applied using a fine brush. All the painted elements were tested prior to fuselage assembly.‘The model just prior to masking. aluminum with a dry brush. We glue the engine in place and close the fuselage: ‘WINGS FIT The lower wing and tail wings fic into place without problems, although a small amount of putty is needed for the joins. The upper wing is prepared and painted separately in order to be put in place at the end of the process. The landing gear frames are glued before ne The landing gear was glued with cyano to achieve After the masking process, we painted the metallic a solid fit. the painting process using cyano to obtain a solid hold, A TOOL FOR PAINTING To create a realistic wood effect, we build a simple, easy-to-use tool in order to avoid complicated brush techniques, often reserved to expert modelers. We begin by measuring the fuselage panel, larger than that of the Albatros. D.V. Using a piece of plasticard 2mm thick, we cut a piece in the shape of a "U" with a wide base, which should be somewhat larger than the lengeh of the largest panel to paint. Next we cut pieces of copper wire of about 0.2mm in diameter. panel first. ‘To begin the fuselage painting process, we first applied wood color as a base coat.The homemade painting tool was built using simple elements. —_ ‘To begin the fuselage painting process, we masked the panels with Tamiya masking tape. ‘The tool is placed on the fuselage with tape. ee se ‘PS After airbrushing, the wood effect is clearly Fe ’ To paint the lower part of the panel, we placed the tool again. After airbrushing, the panel is finished. All the wood efect on the fuselage, is achieved using the same technique. Cable insulator and stretched plastic rod,were the simple elements used to rig the model. 19‘The laminated effect on the propeller, was painted using acrylic paint and brush, the versatility of these paints allows for very fine detail work. The radiator on the upper wing and other photo-etched parts were attached after the painting process. Alll the decals were cut out eliminating the transparent film. Micro sol solution were used to achieve an real effect. The ailerons actuators were from the photo-etched sheet.Approximately 12 should be enough. Using cyano glue, we attach these to the plasticard "U", parallel ro the base and spaced Imm. apart. Finally, with the tips of a pair of tweezers, we randomly bend the wires creating slight waves. The tool is now ready to be used. PAINTING THE MODEL ‘After masking the engine and pit, we apply a base coat over the fuselage, using the same mixture that was used for the inside, After waiting for this to dry, we use our new painting tool. We isolate one of the panels using Tamiya masking tape and stick the tool on top of the panel with two strips of the same tape. Since the wires are fastened to plasticard, we can adapt the tool to the shape of the fuselage. Next, using the slightly darkened base color, we airbrush over the wire ‘The round shape of the copper will create soft edges and at the same time the waviness of the wires will create an effect similar to wood. lines. By simply changing the angle of airbrushing with respect to the tool, we get different lines. By rotating the tool or turning it over we achieve different effects, so that the wood drawing is never the same, Also, we can always change the waves in the wites to make sure that the same effect is not repeated. ‘After painting the entire panel, we take away the tool, cover the panel with masking tape and repeat the process with the rest of the panels. Once the work with the fuselage is finished, we completely mask this part and paint the tail unit and lower wing red. To highlight che three-dimensional effect of the wing ribs, we use a strip of masking tapeand airbrush a fine line with che base color slightly lightened with orange. We thus create a soft light effect that highlights the raised dewal. UPPER WING FIT After painting the upper wing, we use the same technique for the lower one. We then fit the wing. This is the most delicate step in a biplane aircraft. To facilitate this job, we do the following: we solidly glue the support frames in place, first on the lower wing using cyano, After allowing the glue to dry for a few minutes, we dry fit the upper wing, without using glue, in order to check its placement before proceeding. After correcting the frames’ position and bringing them ” as close as possible to the joining points of the upper wing, we fill che fitting holes on the upper wing with cyano gel, since this glue dries more slowly and allows adjustments to be made. Finally, we place the wing on op of the frames, guiding these with a pair of tweezers towards the fitting holes to reach the final position, RIGGING THE MODEL To rig the model we use plastic wire made from stretched plastic rods. Using plastic from metallic gray injected plastic kits we can get wires that are very similar to metal wires. Itis easy to find these kit trees in some kits by Revell. To fit the rigs we use a 0.4mm drill bit to create small holes which will be used as firtit section of g points. On each end a small 0.3mm black cable insulator is placed which, in addition to improving the rig support, perfectly simulates the rig attachment. The glue we used throughout was cyano gel. FINISHING THE MODEL The engine parts, exhausts, propeller and wheels are painted separately and fitted at the end of the process. The propeller laminated effect is created by painting a base coat of wood color and brushing on acrylics, thus creating the different shades of the wood. Prince August acrylic paints are diluted with water and make it possible to retouch the colors without leaving build up marks.All the model were varnish using an mixture of satin-matt varnish to achieve the natural wood fi The tail controls were detailed using delicate photo-etched parts and stretched plastic rod for the wires.Henschel 129 by Hasegawa is a well-cast gray plastic model composed of 73 parts and 2 clear parts. Especially attractive is the model's magnificent reproduction of the Gnéme Rhéne engines, We use a Verlinden super details set and an Eagle Cals decal sheet to enhance the mode. THE COCKPIT To detail the cockpit, we use a mixture of parts from the box and the Verlinden detail set. The cockpit tub is by Hasegawa; the seat and its armor, the control column, and the auxiliary pedals and levers are from the Verlinden kit, We begin by improving the cockpit tub. For this task we cover the cockpit floor using a 0.1mm plasticard sheet. In this way we climinate the imperfections of the floor. We add electric lines in the cockpit tub sides using 0.1 and 0.2mm copper wire, as well as small rectangular pieces of plasticard to simulate the placards. To glue the elements in place, we use cyano for the electric lines and resin parts, and Micro Weld for the plasticard sheets. After detailing the different elements in the cockpit we check to see that the additional resin parts fit then begin to paint the cockpit. As was common for German airplanes of this era, we begin by applying a base coat of gray RLM 66 (Tamiya XF1-60% + XF20-40%) on the cockpit tub and the resin parts. Personally I believe correctly. We that it is more interesting to paint all of the small pieces separately, and so achieve a very effective paint job. If these parts were fit in place prior co painting, it would be much more difficult to access certain sections. To handle these parts we can use plasticard adhesive tape on one of the ends (see Aircrafe Modelling Vol 1). After waiting at least one hour for the base coat to dry, we apply light and shadow effects using the airbrush. As usual, for the entire process of detailing we use Prince August acrylics The seat belts are reproduced in the resin as raised detail. The corresponding section between the and the seat armor is reproduced with two pieces of lead foil rods with seatThe cockpit tub with the new floor and other details. Simply elements were used to improve the cockpit, plastic sheet, copper wire and aluminum sheet. Final fitting of the cockpit elements, the cockpit interior was painted and softly shaded with flat blackit was then sofily highlighted using the base colour mixed with light gray. FINISHING THE INTERIOR WORK Before closing the fuselage we prepare the radio, which will be visible from the outside. To detail this part we use the resin part N°17 from the Verlinden kit. To place the radio gear correctly inside the fuselage we must make a support using 0.4mm plasticard sheet, which we adapt until we achieve a good fit. We then add the gear electric cables, which will be seen from the outside, thus enhancing realism. To paint these elements we use the same procedure used for the cockpit. To increase detailing, we open the wing fuel fillers which the open The cockpit side walls were improved with resin parts, copper wires and plasticard details. All the cockpit elements were tested prior to painting. After the painting process, we attached all the cockpit clements. engine cowl will have. We use a Imm drill bit to make an initial opening. We then use a round file to open up the hole until it reaches the required diameter. To create an illusion of depth we lessen the thickness of the plastic on the inside of the wing using a scarpel blade Ne15. To simulate the fuel tank we make two rings out of plasticardThe radio gear support was made from plasticard, and the electric wires from 0,2mm copper Plasticard rings were made to detail the fuel tank caps. Model Master thinner and Marabu varnish are excellent for the paint finish. (yellow-colored pla facilitate icard is used to photographic process).We glue the largest inside the wing with cyano and the smaller one on top of the last on the outside of the wing. In this realistic interior ta the yy we create a k effect which will be visible through the openings made in the wing, After airbrushing, all the details were painted using a brush and acrylic paints. The fuel tank caps were drilled out to provide a more realistic effect. The fuel tank rings were glued onto the inner side of the wing. FUSELAGE FIT & ENGINE The final assembly of the fuselage is quite clean. Wings, engine cowls and tail wings are all fit without problems and without using any putty. To sand the joins we use 1000-grain sandpaper. Once the left engine cowl is assembled we proceed to the fitting of the engine support frame (Resin N°18). Since its it is quite delicate, itis better to cut Imm ahead of the natural attachment point and later adjust as needed until the optimum point is reached. After cleaning the resin parts that make up the cylinders andOn the nose, the white base color was weathered with soft brown and gray shadows. ‘The clear windshield was polished using Tamiya Compound. The engine exhausts were painted first in flat aluminum, then sprayed a very diluted mixture of brown and black. attaching them to the central engine part, we paint the entire block in flat black acrylic. Once dry, we use a very dry brush wich flat aluminum enamel paint XF16 from Tami) A very reali could be achieved by diluting the aluminum color and using a stiff flat brush N95, letting the brush dry until it has practically no paint. The delicate elements that finish off the engine - admission duct and exhaust, wires and push rods - are painted and fit in place after painting the main parts. PAINTING THE MOD) We follow the Eagle Cals sheet instruction to paint our model. The chosen version is the "Blue A", belonging to (Pz) 2 Libya 194: . ‘The paint scheme is: RLM 65 Hellblaa on the underside. The topside is RLM Sandgelb II with RLM 80 Olivgriin mottling, For this scheme Gunze paints are used, We begin by painting the underside of the model in the blue tone. After waiting sometime for the paint to dry, soft shadows are applied over the panel lines using the base color mixed with medium gray. Later the inside spaces of the panels are filled using the base color slightly lightened with white to produce a soft weathering effect. Afier masking the underside, we apply a sand color to the topside, using the same weathering procedure for the upper part, but adapting the shades used to the sand color. For the green mottling we increase the compressor pressure from 1.0 bar to 1.3 bar. With this slight increase in pressure the paint is dispersed less, and less paint The chipped paint effect on the wing access was achieved with ‘Tamiya flat aluminum enamel, then all the "chips" were washed with the base color. dropping effect around the spots is seen, producing a more satisfactory scale effect Ifthe mottling were to be smaller and with a certain see-through effect, we would have used a mixture of ‘Tamiya paints thinned with alcohol, such as in the Komet paint scheme, since the thinning achieved with the Tamiya pigments is greater. Using the airbrush, we applied soft streaks over the wings to simulate the engine exhaust stains, In this case less thinning is required and the Gunze acrylic range of colors is more than adequate. After painting the white trim on the tail, the entire model receives a coat of Marabu Satin varnisl dissolved in Model Master Airbursh ‘Thinner. The effect of this mixture produces a satin finish ideal for affixing the decals Finally we panel the model using a black 2b lead pencil for the topside and a brown lead for the underside combined with black for the access panels. Now the model will receive the decals, which have All the decals were placed using Micro Sol solution and a soft brush.been cut out previou: them in place we use Micro Sol Finally we apply a new coat of varnish, but his 40% satin varnish with 60% matte aarnish and Model Master Thinner for the final finish THE LANDING GEAR The landing gear is greatly detailed. We only add the hydraulic line, which we make out of 0.2mm. copper wire. The supplied in two halves and with a load effect. In order to glue the wheels I prefer to use cyano liquid, wheels are since this glue acts as adhesive and putty at the same time. Its short dry time allows sanding and painting to be carried out without great delay. ‘THE ENGINE EXHAUST AND. THE GUN BARREL To achieve a realistic effect in the exhausts, we paint these using flat alu After a few minutes for di 1g we apply light coats of Tamiya XF10 Flat Brown thinned with pure alcohol (20% paint + 80% alcohol) in order to a rusty effect wh with each coat of thinned brown that we add. To improve and increase the rusty effect we apply black diluted in the same way to some areas on top of the brown, accentuating this effect on the exhaust. ‘The cannon pipe receives a coat of flac black. After drying we apply a dry brush using the same procedure used for the engine. To cut down on shine after this process, we use highly diluted flac black like on the exhausts. By highlighting its app raised parts, we achieve a truly beautiful and realistic effect.The white band on the tail, was painted first and protected with ‘Tamiya masking tape. The radio gear is clearly visible throught the radio gear access hatch,Me 163B KOMET 'n our next project we will build an Me 163, using the super detail set ref. 4088 and the Aeromaster decal sheet ref: will also add some sci elements to improve the model even further. THE MODEL Revell presents the Me 163, molded in gray plastic with finely engraved panel lines. The model consists of 68 parts and 4 clear parts. The Aires super detail set consists of 17 superbly-cast resin parts and an extraordinarily detailed, complete photo etched sheet for the most delicate elements. CUTTING FOR DETAILING The first step in the model's construction involves cutting the parts of the fuselage which will hold and a fine rectangular file are used to reveal the panels covering the guns as well as the ammo tray panel. The small rear side windows are included in a single transparent part. In order to achieve a more realistic appearance, we eliminate these and glue the remaining part in the upper fuselage. The windows will be rebuilt using a clear pl sheet and glued in place in the final stage of the process‘The upper half of the fuselage with the resin part attached and the gun bays open. THE COCKPIT ‘The resin part Ne I from the Aires kit is superbly cast in resin and displays the majority of cockpit components, except for the control levers and seat. placement inside the fuselage requires a few small adjustments which we make using a rectangular fil ‘We use an airbrush to apply the base color of the cockpit and obtain three-dimensional Drybrushing is avoided since this might clog the delicate details molded in the r ‘We first apply a base coat of the ori effects. inal color RLM 66 Schwaregrau. The paint used is a mixture of Tamiya ‘The landing gear bay was improved with some new clements. This part was painted and weathered before the fuselage painting process. Prior adjustment of the resin cockpit tub on the ower fuselage half. The main instrument panel was detailed using photo-etched and film parts. Final dry fitting of all components before commencing the painting process. acrylics in a proportion of XF1-60% + XF20-40%. Afr allowing the base coat to dry for about one hous, ‘we next create various effects of shading and depth. We apply the base color mixed with black in recessed areas for shading, and later create light effects by mixing the same color with a small proportion of white. These 31. Cockpit and gun components built and painted in subassemblies. The small details were brush- painted using acrylic colors. 2-3-4. Three different views of the completed cockpit tub. The electric lines were from 0.2-0.3mm copper wire. Shadow and light effects were created using the airbrush, 5. Wing details were improved with Evergreen plastic profile sections. ‘The model just prior to painting showing all the interior clements. After assembly, we refilled the fuselage and wing joint with plasticard sheet.After carefully masking the cockpit, gun bays and the landing gear bay, the model is ready for the painting process. To achieve an operative effect, we applied soft shadows over the access and panel lines. mixtures are obtained by diluting the paint with pure alcohol in the proportion of 20% paint and 80% alcohol, with air pressure of no more than 1 bar. All of the small details are painted using Prince August acrylic colors and a brush, Once the inner cockpit painting process is finished, we can add the remaining components: control pedals, the instrument panel, etc. All of these elements are included in the photo-etched sheet. To glue and paint them we use cyano glue and acrylics. THE LANDING GEAR BAY The landing gear bay consists of 3 parts, E2 as the bottom of the bay and F1 & F2 as the side walls, A problem arises when we insert this set into the lower fuselage, as the fit is not good. To solve this problem we make use of two fine Evergreen plastic strips, glued with liquid Micro Weld cement. After waiting for these picces to dry, we retouch the joins using sandpaper. FUSELAGE AND WINGS FITTING ‘Once the cockpit is finished, we close the two fuselage halves with cyano glue. This type of glue is highly useful since it seals the small joi » acting as ‘We began to paint the fuselage. As a result, we would later be able to handle the model by gripping its wings. To begin the mottling process, we applied the green color first. putty. The joins of the fuselage and wings show a gap of, approximately 1 mm on the upper side. To fill this gap we use a sheet of plasticard of an approximate thickness, using cyano once again to glue it in place. Finally, we file all of the joins using fine grained sand paper.Over the wing roots, the surface was weathered with the base color lightened to replicate wear. PREPARING FOR PAINTING Before painting the model we carefully mask all of the pre-painted parts with Tamiya masking tape. Finally, we clean the entire model with a small cotton ball dipped in alcohol, in order to eliminate any trace of dire or dust PAINTING THE MODEL ‘We begin the painting process by applying the blue base coat Lichtblau RLM 76 (Mixture of Tamiya colors in the proportion XF19-55% + XF23-30% + XF2-15%) over the fuselage, leaving the wings free. As a result, we will be able to hold the model while we carry out the delicate process of painting the mottled pattern. After allowing blue base coat to dry, we add slight weathering ‘The canopy was polished with Tamiya Compound to achieve a realistic glossy appearance. effects, consisting of darkening the base coat by adding a small amount of dark gray to the base color and airbrushing over the panel lines. Next, after lightening, the base color slightly with white, we apply small contrasts in the center areas of the panels. In this manner, wwe obtain a smooth range of shades over the base coat which accentuate the weathered effect. After that, we apply the green color Hellgriin RLM 82 (XF27-60% + XE26-40%), highly thinned with alcohol in order to obtain the finest pigment posible. The air pressure should be approximately 1.2 bar for a Badger 150 airbrush. Having applied the green shade, we use the same technique to apply the brown color Braunviolett RLM 81( XF27-50%+XF10-40%+XF1-10%) A very thinned application of these colors achieves a soft effect of transparency over the mottling. LANDING GEAR FIT For the main landing gear, the instructions propose a sub-assembly of the landing gear mechanism in order to insert it later and rotate it into its final position with the help of tweezers. In practice, this procedure is not suitable, since the mechanism (parts A25-A35, A27- ‘A28, A25-A26), once painted, includes very delicate pieces that need small adjustments. In order to glue the landing gear parts together correctly, we begin by assembling all of the pieces separately. It is necessary to cut 0.5 mm off of the fixing points, since these are too long to start out with. Once wwe get a good fit, we paint all of the pieces separately and then glue them in place using cyano.All the model was panelled using brown and black leads. The crosses on the wings were painted using the airbrush and masking process. Under the wings, the weathered effects were applied in a more severe manner. ‘The wheels were painted in black and lightly airbrushed with dark brown to achieve a realistic effect. On the lower part, the blue base color was weathered with soft brown and gray shadows. FINAL ASSEMBLY All of the small, fragile, easily-damaged details are left to be put together at the end of the process. The canopy is polished with Tamiya Compound to achieve greater transparency. The Aires detailing set contains many small details in the photo-etched sheet which enhance the model's realistic look: antennas, canopy holder, nose generator propeller, etc. All of these elements are first painted and then glued into place.All the model was panelled using brown and black leads. The crosses on the wings were painted using the airbrush and masking process. Under the wings, the weathered effects were applied in a more severe manner. ‘The wheels were painted in black and lightly dark brown to achieve a realistic effect. airbrushed wi On the lower part, the blue base color was weathered with soft brown and gray shadows. Ce FINAL ASSEMBLY All of the small, fragile, easily-damaged details ate left to be put together at the end of the process. The canopy is polished with T Tompound to achieve greater transparency. The many small details in the photo-etched sheet which ‘res detailing set contains enhance the model's realistic look: antennas, canopy holder, nose generator propeller, etc. All of these clements are first painted and then glued into place.The auxiliary electric generator was et scratch built. All of the tail markings were painted usi masking and airbrush process. The on the stabilators were worked with to achieve the heat effects. The landing gear bays, the interior of the ai and spoilers were scratch built detailed.POLIKARPOV U-2 th a straightforward assembly and a good level of detailing, the Polikarpov from Gavia is a great model for trying out a highly weathered winter paint scheme, To get the most realistic result possible, we will follow a painting process similar to the real process, The model contains 50 parts molded in good-quality gray plastic and includes a photo-etched sheet containing a high level of detailing which will allow us to focus our attention on the painting process. INSIDE THE MODEL The cockpit side walls contain raised detail showing the aircraft's internal frame. Using cyano, we glue on all of the photo-etched pieces representing control levers and the map case. We use small 1 mm rectangular profile sections from Evergreen to facilitate the fit of the cockpit floor, since its position is not very well-defined. As this cockpit has many very delicate photo-etched elements, we will use only airbrushing to paint it. We begin by airbrushing a base coat of Tamiya gray XF19, and then achieve different contrasts using the method of lightening and darkening the base coat. To increase the illusion of depth, we outline the internal frames using black 2b pencil. We then varnish the interior with mate varnish co reduce the pencil lead shine, thus increasing the contrast. The instrument panel consists of photo-etched parts and film. We paint the background of the instruments on the back side of the film using white and small touches, of red on some dials. The seat belts are included as photo-etched parts. We first adapt them to the seats and then paint chem with a brush FUSELAGE AND WINGS We close the fuselage, first checking to see that all of the elements inside the cockpit fit correctly, since this Gavia model lacks fitting points on the fuselage, We use liquid Micro Weld cement.The cockpit side walls were painted first, using the airbrush light and shadow technique. Then, very carefully, we paint the small elements using a All the cockpit parts were attached with cyano. The seat belts were from the photo-etched sheet provided in the kit. The engine cylinders were prepared to be painted separately. Though it dries quite slowly, it will allow us t0 readjust the final position of the halves. ‘The assembly of the lower wing also requires special attention, since its All the delicate photo-etched parts were attached first. White plastic sections improve the cockpit floor fitting. Once the cockpit floor was completed, additional brush paint placards were added to the side walls. Final dry fitting of the cockpit elements. The main instrument panels were from the photo-etched sheet. fuselage fitting points are short and fragile. We cut these off and in their place drill holes using a 1.5 mm drill bit. Later we insert 4mm-long pieces of copper wire of the same Using Evergreen rod, we reconstructed the engine exhaust. thickness as the drill bit. In the fuselage, we enlarge the holes using the same drill bit. With these new points the wing fit will be much more solid and reliable.To begin the painting process, we applied the green color as a To test the painting process, we can use a separated part such as the rudder. _base coat. After waiting some The brown stains The masks were placed to preserve the green color. time for the paint _were reproduced to dry, we began to —_with highly diluted wear down the brown, applied rudder surfaces to through obtain a weathered _ airbrushing. cffect. Very fine grain sandpaper was used for the weathering process. WINTER PAINTING harsh climatic conditions, the white The chosen version is a U-2 Normandie Niemen 1943-44 type aircraft. Originally, the aircraft was painted in two colors: green on the upper surfaces and light blue on the undersides. In order to operate in snowy regions the aircraft was repainted, probably by ground personnel who used white paint over the original green. It is for this reason that, after continued use in color degrades rapidly, letting the green base color show through. ‘We first apply the green color using Topside 9073 from Aeromaster. We let this color dry for at least 6 hours in order to make sure it hardens completely. Over the areas where the decals will be placed, we stick on maskings of approximately the same shape, thus preserving the green base color. Next we apply a coat of white XF2 Green Using the decals as a pattern, we made the masks. The rudder is ready for the weathering process. Using a fine pointed brush with alcohol, we retouch the star edges to obtain the weathered appaerance. Y from Tamiya which we allow to dry for only half an hour so that it does not completely harden Concentrating on the areas that are most exposed to wear and tear, such as leading edges, ribs and edges, we uuse 1000-grain sandpaper to sand these areas lightly, without applying, too much pressure, until we see the green base color appear. We thus remove the white paint according to the degree of weathering we desire. Through this method, we canAll the decals were cut out, eliminating the transparent film. The paint edges around the decals were softened with a brush. ‘The cxhaust stains were reproduced with very diluted acrylic paints. First we applied the brown, and then touched up the brown with black.achieve results ranging from allowing the base color to show through completely, to diminishing the white color only slightly and letting only a hint of the base color show through, thus producing a istic weathered effects. take away the maskings to reveal the areas where the decals will be placed. To create a soft edge All the rigs were made metallic grey stretched plastic rod. The rig attachments were made from fine cable insulator. we use a brush slightly moistened in alcohol and gently brush over the line where the two colors meet to mix the owo. To complete the weathering effect we create small chips in the white paint using the same mixture of acrylics used in the green base color. This complimentary technique is ideal for usc in areas such as the screws in the engine cowl, since if they were sanded, the model's gray plastic could easily appear.To obtain a complementary weathered effect, we applied soft streaks over the tail section controls. We paint the underside of the model with the acrylic Light Blue 9074 from Aeromaster, weathering h brown and black tones to simulate mechanical weathering. All of these effects are created using an airbrush. We also use a black pencil to mark the engraved panel lines. ‘We varnish the model with satin varnish and put the decals in place. Finally, we apply a new coat of satin varnish-matte for the final finish various areas W FINAL CONSTRUCTION After painting the upper wing using the same technique, we glue the interplane support frames in place. No problems are found with the outer frames(Parts 40-41), but the central ones (38-39) are too short and we need to construct new ones. For this purpose we use rectangular profile from Evergreen which we shape using a rectangular file and sandpaper. The new frames are glued into place with cyano gel. We rig up the model using stretched plastic and a 0.1 mm cable insulator in order to improve the attachment points of the rigs and, at che same time, simulate the rig attach, The motor is superbly detailed. The cylinders painted separately and are later glued to the engi The ignition wires are created with 1 mm copper wires, and the push rods are made using stretched plastic rods approximately 0.2 mm in diameter. 4)DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS SBD-5 fe Dauntless from Accurate is an ideal kit to assemble straight from the box, due to its superb detailing. As a result, and by applying various painting Molded in gray plastic, the kit contains the parts required for super detailing without the need for extra pieces. For example, the cockpit is composed of 35 parts and includes all of the elements such as control levers, instrument panels, radios, exc. The instruction sheet provides very thorough, step-by-step explanations of assembly, and also includes a model paint reference chart for painting. THE COCKPIT After separating all of the parts and cleaning small imperfections, we must make sure away that the fit is optimum before beginning to paint the parts. We begin with the cockpit floor (part D24). This part is very well molded and contains many details, and so is an excellent part on which to use both drybrush and airbrush techniques. We glue the control column (F30) and the gunner's foot rest (E36) on part D24. These two pieces are both hard enough to stand up to drybrushing. On the other hand, parts such as theBegin to paint the interior starting with the floor part. Using an airbrush, we applied highly diluted flat black over the engraved details. First we applied interior green as a base coat. Using a fine pointed brush, we paint all of the small details. control pedals and various levers are fragile. These must be painted separately, and are attached at the end. We airbrush on a coat of Interior Green (Tamiya XF3-85% + XFI-15%) and wait for it to dry Next, using a highly thinned flat black, we airbrush the engraved areas of the part to create shadow effects. Using a flat N°G brush we sofily drybrush over the part. The color used for this step is a mixture of Yellow and Black from Humbrol, ightly lighter in color than the base coat, in order to create light effects on the raised parts. Humbrol paints thinned with paint thinner from the same brand are excellent for drybrushing. fier the previous step, we paint all of the small details with a brush using Prince August acrylics. These colors, thinned with water, makeWith the paint work finished, all of the delicate elements could be assembled. ‘We used a plastic rod to hold the main instrument panel part. ‘We applied very dark gray to achieve a three-dimensional effect. constant retouching without leaving marks. The cockpit side walls have been painted in the following way: base coat, shadow effects, drybrushing and detailing with a brush. possible To begin the painting process, wwe first applied interior green as a base coat. THE ENGIN} The engine is very nicely detailed. The main part (D16) consists of the engine cylinders. Small imperfections need to be The seat belts were made from fine lead foil with 0.2mm copper buckles. Using a brush, we applied flat black over the instrument panel. Finally, we applied pure white over the instrument dials and small details. cleaned away from this piece, taking great care. The main problem is eliminating the extra _ plastic between the very thin, well- modeled cylinder cooling fins. To get rid of these defects we use aThe engine cylinders and the pushrod harness, ready for the painting process. triangular X-Acto blade. Since some small, hard-to-climinate imper- fections are always left, we use a brush with a small amount of liquid Micro Weld cement. This cement, used in very small quantities, will dissolve these imperfections, leaving the part ready for painting. After letting the liquid cement dry for a few hours, we apply a coat of flat aluminum enamel from Tamiya (XF16). We then apply a wash with black acrylic. Using the aluminum base color, we softly drybrush over the part, thus allowing the black to show only on the engraved parts. Finally, we apply XF10 Brown, greatly thinned with alcohol and airbrushed over the engine cylinder heads to create a rusty effect. Over the flat aluminum wash. ‘The ignition wires and the engine push rods (part G3) are washed using the same process. This part, due to its intricacy, is ideal for brush painting with acrylic paints. A final touch of shadow effects using the airbrush will create a highly realistic look. ASSEMBLY BEFORE. PAINTING We close the fuselage without any trouble and glue the wings into place using cyano. The joins are quite good and do not require any putty. We fit the engine and complete the engine cowl before putting the BG part into place. This is the part that needs the most adjustments in fitting, and in fact a coat we applied a flat black After drybrushing the engine part, we sprayed a highly diluted brown over the cylinders to replicate wear. great amount of putty and sanding must be employed. ‘We use Tamiya masking tape to cover the engine and cockpit and the model is ready for painting. PAINTING THE MODEL To paint the model we use acrylic colors from Gunze. Ie is best to start with the lightest color in order to keep the darker colors from showing through, something which might happen if these were applied first. The order of the paints will be White (Flat White- FS 37875), Blue (Intermediate Blue-FS 35164), and Dark Blue (Non-Specular Sea Blue-FS 35042). To create soft edges we use Blue Tac thin rolls, masking theWith the paint work finished, the engine parts could be assembled. The placards was painted using a brush. The Tamiya metallic enamels are vey To remove seam lines, we used fine-grained and versatile. fine grain sandpaper. Soft weathering was applied using the airbrush and highly diluted ‘The landing gear legs are well-detailed and clean. brown and black. Some details were These were painted first in white. outlined with a black lead pencil. Post-it notes and Tamiya tape secure small parts To achieve a wear and tear effect on the for the painting process. tires, we sprayed on a very light coat of fla gray.areas that have already been painted with ‘Tamiya tape and paper. The top side of the airplane is quite weathered, and to create this effect we use the base color, first darkened and then lightened. We apply these colors in a random fashion around and in the panels in order to produce different shade the same base color which will create an excellent weathered effect. Chipped and scratched paint effects are obtained by using flat aluminum ‘Tamiya XF16 enamel thinned with the enamel thinner from the same brand and applied with a fine brush. ‘To diminish the shine of these chips and produce a ‘The panels on the fuselage sides near the engine and cockpit are the most weathered. ‘The black walkway band is a decal weathered with The stencils on the propeller blades were soft gray. painted with a brush. The marks came from the decal sheet. Brown and black streaks were applied over the The machine gun muzzles were hollowed out cowl and the engine nacelle using a brush and using a drillbit to achieve realism. airbrush.All the panel lines on the lower part were accentuated with a brown lead except for the access panels, where black lead was used for the work. The decals were cut out, eliminating the transparent film. We used brown lead on top of the white to accentuate the panel lines. ‘The dive flaps were glued with cyano gel. more realistic look, we use the same brush with the base color, greatly thinned, and apply a wash over cach chip. We outline all of the panel lines, using a black lead on the darker shade and brown on the lighter shades contrast. between some access although to increase the panels we also use black on the white color. We varnish the model with Marabu satin varnish thinned with Model Master thinner, and apply the decals. Some of panel lines were overpainted using the base color mixed We use an excellent decal sheet a touch of dark gray to accentuate the weathered effect. by Acromaster, adapting the decals with Micro Sol. After allowing these to dry we apply a new coat ofThe stabilizers fit perfectly with no need for putty. We used varnish, in this case satin-matt in the same proportion. Once dry; the varnish will allow us to use a pencil on the decals in order to mark the panel lines that lie beneath them. FINAL ASSEMBLY Since the painting process requires the model to be handled quite a bit, all of the delicate parts with capillary action doing the rest. are painted and glued on separately. The dive flaps are especially delicate. In an open position, several attempts are needed to find the right position when fi Personally, in these cases I prefer to use cyano gel since its dry time is longer and for a few seconds I am able to adjust the part's position. The cockpit is left completely open. The clear parts fit well but only a drop of liquid cement, J104 corresponds to the pilot access, under which the rest should be folded. Pressure must be applied to this part in order for it to reach its real position. To glue the clear parts we also use cyano gel, since another positive characteristic of this gel is that, while drying, it releases fewer fumes than liquid cyanos which dry at a faster rate.AICHI D3A1 VAL leased as a limited series for collectors, the Val by jasegawa contains a photo-etched sheet for detailing the wing fold. This photo-etched sheet also. offers extra pieces for the engine and weapons. With these details and by improving some parts with scratch-built elements, we will construct a realistic replica of this WWII bomber. DETAILING THE COCKPIT. We begin by detailing the cockpit, adding elements that improve the illusion of depth and the general appearance of the cockpit details. With a 1 mm-thick sheet of Evergreen plasticard, we create covers for all of the gear on the cockpit walls. Using a strip of stretched plastic of approximately 0.15mm and Micro Weld liquid cement, we glue small pieces into place to simulate the gear panel screws and so enhance realism. We also construct some small levers which are not found among this kie’s parts. We add clectric wires using 0.2mm copper wire which we glue with cyano, To simulate the real wire fastenings we use small pieces of very fine aluminum sheet.The seat was improved with the seat belts. The buckles were made from 0.2mm copper wire. elements. After detailing the cockpit elements, we sprayed green as a base coat. Then we applied the darkening and lightening process to the cockpit walls. Test dry fitting of the cockpit Plastic sheet, copper wire and aluminum sheet were used to improve the cockpit walls. The rear wall and the radio gear were detailed using the same clements. The seat belts are made out of lead foil After detailing the cockpit elements, we airbrush a coat of green using the following mixture of Tamiya acrylic colors: XF3-70%+XF26-30%. In this case, since the pieces added are quite delicate, we prefer to use only airbrushing for weathering. Drybrushing is a technique better suited for use with raised parts whose elements are integrated in the mold. such as, for example, in the cockpit of the Dauntless by Accurate. When the lightening and darkening process is finished, we can still enhance the illusion of depth and shadows more in some elements by using acrylic colors - for example on the ribs or on highly raised elements, The electric boxes, radios, levers and small details are painted with a brush. FUSELAGE FIT ‘The closure of the fuselage halves is simply perfect. The excellent fit between all of the components and the fitting points make this operation go quickly and smoothly. The assembly of the engine cowl and the engine itself is superb, and can be carried out swiftly without the need to use any kind of putty WING FOLD Before gluing the wings, we must cut the outer sections which will be folded. On the inner part of the wings, the manufacturer has included engraved lines which facilitate cutting. As a result, we only need a 27Some raised details were lightened using a brush to achieve a more three- dimensios effect. All of the . co details were painted with a brush and acrylic colors. The painted side wall and the rear wall, ready for fitting. All the cockpit elements ready for the final fit. The application of airbrush and brush techniques represents the bulk of the work. to blade to make a clean cut. Using a triangular fi touch up the cut line and eliminate any irregularities. The photo-etched sheet contains a delicate frame rib (part MAIO) must be glued on the inner side of the wing. There are no points or any surface to act as a 28 support, We thus use small pieces of Evergreen profile to n points to support the rib, remaining invisible from the outside. ‘We close the wing using cyano and file the joins using 600-grain sandpaper to eliminate excess glue. ‘We refine the join with 1000-grain sandpaper and recreate the panel ke some lines in the attack edge which have been lost in the sanding process. For this job we use a scribber. We glue the photo-etched parts MAI2-13-14 on the main wing section, and part MAII on the wing fold section cyano gel and then fill the join with liquid cyano. We us We first use very fineUsing an X-Acto blade, we cut the wing along the engraved line. To eliminate irregularities we used a triangular fine file. With the same blade, we touched up the cut line. Using small Evergreen plastic sections, we made some points to support the photo- etched sheet. ce or a ead Final fitting of the rib inside the wing halves. sandpaper (1200) in order not to damage the fine photo-etch. One problem that painting photo-etched parts entails is the low level of adherence of paint on such parts. To keep the paint from flaking or being scratched during Make an solid photo-etched rib attachment on the wing fold section we used plastic sheet parts and cyano glue. masking, it is advisable to use a prime base coat. The matte varnish from Marabu can be used for this purpose on photo-etch; it is more resistant than any enamel or acrylic paint that we might use as a base. After applying the prime coat with this varnish, we airbrush the green, create shadow effects, and paint details with a brush. Once the paint dries, we mask the painted areas and prepare for painting the whole 29‘The main wing and the wing fold section, ready for the fitting test. Dry fitting of the wing parts. The wing fold section was painted separately. PAINTING We paint the model with acrylic paints from “Tamiya, firse with the lightest color, XF12 Japanese Navy Grey, and then with the darker XF11 JN Green, ‘The cowling and antireflection panel are painted in flac black. We airbrush the red areas of the tal section with Red XF7, toned down slightly with approximately 5% Brown XF10. THE TAIL MARKINGS ‘The version proposed by the manufacturer is a spectacular aircraft aboard the aircraft carrier Soryu. The interest lies in the complicated tal decoration. All of the yellow color trims are contained on the decal sheet, ready for use. However, one disadvantage of using light-colored decals such as thes that, when glued over different, contrasting colors such ‘When the painting process was done, the wing fold looks very realistic. Before the painting process on the engine cowl, we protect the painted engine with Tamiya masking tape. The cowl panels were lightened using darkVery diluted acrylic brown was applied on the cowl panel lines. The cowl and engine, ready for fitting. ‘The engine cowl was put in place after the fuselage painting and weathering process. ‘Tamiya enamels are very versatile for drybrushing.Using an X-Acto blade, we begin the drill out process on the engine exhaust. ‘With a Imm drillbit we made a deep hole. The final shape was achieved using a round file. Using a sandpaper roll, we obtained the final shape. -= di ‘To obtain a very fine finish we used a brush with a small amount of Micro Weld glue. Our exhaust compared to the original part. After the painting process, the engine exhaust has a veryUsing a 0.15mm plasticard sheet, we build a new back for the landing hook bay. All the tail markings were painted using a masking procedure. Scotch tape and Tamiya masking tape were used in the tail painting process. To complete the weathered effect, we applied chipped paint on the access panels. as the fuselage's gray and green, these other colors might show through. After performing a test, we decide to use a masking procedure to paint the color trims, even though this requires more w Using the instruction sheet as a reference, we proceed to mask the tail section in order to airbrush the yellow color of the trims, It is extremely very clean edges colors and the yellow color. To this end, we use fine isible Scotch Magic tape, cut with a blade. This plastic tape prevents the paint from filtering underneath the maskings and reducesThe red chevrons on the landing gear were painted. The propeller was painted in Tamiya chrome silver enamel, or prevents the need for touch-ups. Another little facilitates complicate such as this one is to use ic paints thinned with alcohol. The rapid F such thinned paints filtering from occurring beneath the maskings and also reduces the n retouch. Finally, we apply a coat of satin- matte paint and add the final details FINISHING THE MODEL To mask the clear parts we also use Scotch tape along the edges and Tamiya tape or Maskol to fill the ips. The clear parts from Hasegawa have the frames perfectly defined, which — m masking easier. Placement of the clear parts is equally impeccable. We fit the telesco sight, antennas and fuselage bomb, and fuselage bomb into place, completing the model. All the plane markings were painted to avoid chromatic contrasts with the tail sections.AIRCRAFT MODELLING STEP BY STEP Vol. | COMPLETE BUILDING PAINTING AND WEATHERING - 6 DIFFERENT MODELS - OVER 200 FULL COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS - ENGLISH TEXT De ANZ a Nee