what kind of liberties have you taken in respect to paint schemes?

I think the thing to do is have an idea going in what you want to do.  If you want to go for accuracy, go for accuracy.  If you want to do something you think looks good and is completely inaccurate, do so!  When I was a kid (and didn't know enough to care) I had an F-4 that I painted white on the underside, and the top was gunship gray with a white lines almost like a tree.  Nowhere near anything real, but I liked the "northwoods camo" I had created.  

That's one reason it's fun to build aggressors though, the paint schemes are constantly changing on those things.  The guys doing the painting get incredibly creative!  And camouflage patterns just look awesome on modern aircraft!

Groot

@Josiah. Nice Corsair! Would've really turned some heads back then.

I guess if one wanted to get technical, few models are exactly like the real plane anyway. ie, did it really have a blotch of mottling in that spot? What about that grease stain?

I guess I operate in a middle ground where I try to be very accurate all the time, but if it doesn't look right I don't really care. I do a lot of research on the FS specs etc., but I've never thrown away a model if it was critisized for being wrong.

In a similar, but different vein, many German armored vehicles have zimmerit applied to the hull and turret sides. I hate doing it and often build the kits without it thus making it inaccurate. I don't care enough about German armor to want to go the extra mile to make it  fully accurate, but I like to build the tanks that interest me at the time.

I like your Corsair,,,,,,,,,,it gives new meaning to the "tri-color" scheme

Ditto on the Mig .  Never seen anything like it before , but I like it .

WOW that mig rocks! Corsair looks good too

No liberties for me, none whatsoever...

Some people have lots of fun making a model as accurate as possible and getting the paint as exact as possible. There's nothing wrong with that, they build spectacular models, and maybe someday I'll be like that. For now, I'll stick to getting a close-ish on colors and doing minor adjustments on kits while occasionally doing what-if's and cool camo schemes.

Nice build, Glenn

that is the aircraft I thought of when I saw the posted link to NJ-25,,,,,,,,,your NJ-23 is in an Airlife book called "Fight's on!", by Tim Laming in 1996. I only mention it because if you can find it, it was done in the old Osprey style of many color photographs, in this case, all Agressor aircraft from all over the world.

as for the colors,,,,,,,,,I chose not to take any liberties at all with them,,,,,,,,,I matched all but 4 colors that I will need to an antique 595A, for my entire decal collection,,,,,,,those 4 colors I will have to mix, because no model paint company makes them,,,,,but, I don't have to mix the other 146 colors

my variety comes in by showing the markings of a couple of hundred different squadrons and deployments, and the aircraft sub-types,,,,,,so, I will just use "spec" colors, and let other modelers do the scale effect and weathering thing

with your own collection, and even for contests, remember, this is all about having fun and "doing it our way",,,,,,even contests aren't supposed to drill down to "did he get the gray withing 4 hundredths in the Munsell book?",,,,so, if that ain't your thing,,,,,,,don't feel obligated to do it

Rex

Yeah, mgh, I'd "run with what you brung" as well; that AFV kit IS really nice.

mississippivol

Anyways, there are some markings for a black Navy F-5 in Monogram's (I refuse to say the "R" word) new re-release of their kit.

I usually try to stick to authentic colors, but don't get anal about it.  Unless you are building for a contest, nobody else will know if you deviate from the "real" colors, and many times I paint just to please myself.  Most of the time, the colors on the instruction sheets are way off, anyway, and I don't care to do a lot of research elsewhere on colors.  It's a hobby, have fun with it!

Making up your own schemes??????Heretics! Just go ahead and ruin the hobby!!!

Ahem, just jokin'....I feel better now....

Anyways, there are some markings for a black Navy F-5 in Monogram's (I refuse to say the "R" word) new re-release of their kit. Even had a photo of the real thing in the instructions...here was my build of it:

Not a great pic, I know, but I used the decals on the Italeri version, and it's not a great kit!

Most of my builds I try to keep as close to the real deal as I can. I have taken some liberties with paint schemes, based upon my own interpretation of photos or information that I have read. But I am currently doing a " what if" build, and on those, as the title implies, pretty much anything goes. But even with this build I am doing it based upon other aircraft factual basis so, no wild leaps of imagination or suspension of belief is needed.

On a side note related to your black F-5, I do know that I saw either a F-5F or T-38 several times in flight in the Sacramento CA area back in 1997. There were several Air Force bases up there where it could have come from at that time.

I'm going through that right now. I like to try and stay as accurate as possible. I am going to build a 1/32 Ju87, but cannot find a "historic" paint scheme I like. So, I'm using some artistic license to create one that is within reason and along the lines of what 'could' have been there. Afterall, not all aircraft were photographed. Many were lost, taking their paint schemes with them. So, who's to say I'd be wrong? It's all about enjoying the build anyway.

Howdy, I also plan on a black F-5 just for the pure fun of it, for me thats what modeling is about, I don't have room or money for all the cool toys 1:1scale but I can do as I please with plastic.  Some of my more serious subjects I try to get as close to actual as I can but even with the interwebs sometimes you only get a limited view of your subject so you "speculate" on what you can' t see. Many photos from time past change, even the weather in the theatre of operation changed the actual colors so unless you actually worked intamately on your subject close is good enough, thats just my opinion though. Have fun and happy modeling

It was this scheme that I had in mind for black

webspace.webring.com/.../f5e-1elp.jpg

Gorgeous I think.

I don't believe there was a black F-5 except in the movie TOP GUN and one in 1989 with red national  and NAVY markings. There are numerous variations on two tone blues and greys as well, plus many other color combinations to replicate "enemy" paint schemes.

If you Google F-5 Aggressor, you'll see plenty of real Top Gun (USN) and Red Flag (USAF)  F-5's and T-38's in Aggressor schemes. Microscale had several dedicated sheets of  Aggressor markings for F-5's, T-38's A-4's and others. There are also several books on the subject that are well illustrated.

Then again, if it's never going beyond your shelf, it's your money, time, plastic and paint, so knock yourself out, and in the words of an old song, "Do what you gotta do to make yourself happy." You don't need anyone's permission or approval.