What's a simple and realistic way to lightly weather a stark aircraft cabin/cockpit?

The easiest/most effective(?) method is a little bit of drybrushing.

Take your base color, lighten it a little with just a bit of white or light tan...(I use old brushes for this)...dip you brush, swipe it back and forth on a rag, removing most of the paint, then just wipe it around in the pit. The edges of raised details will pick up a little bit of paint.

As with anything, a bit of trial-n-error to figure out how to make it look best.

My usual method....paint the base color, then drybrush(naturally)...then paint the details (control panels and whatnot). Then a little bit of silver or light grey drybrushing on corners and heavy traffic areas, such as the floor where the feet would scuff things up. After all that, I do an overall wash of raw umber.

Yep, just as fermis said. Just keep it simple. I use a black wash myself on RLM 66 pits, but either would work.

If the rudder pedals are painted rather than as-cast, then silver/aluminum wear on pedals to match floor would be good.  Some wear on edges of seat, matching other wear.

If black panel, tone some of the black to a dark gray.  dry-brush will work there too.

Because cockpits can be extremely fiddly, I've found a good solution in coloured pencils.  Get a decent set with plenty of colour variation (though they can get expensive).  You can find very similar shades to go easily over matt finishes, very lightly.  Can also be useful for highlighting edges, of if you find a silver pencil, doing a bit of paint chipping.  

Newtothis

Because cockpits can be extremely fiddly, I've found a good solution in coloured pencils.  Get a decent set with plenty of colour variation (though they can get expensive).  You can find very similar shades to go easily over matt finishes, very lightly.  Can also be useful for highlighting edges, of if you find a silver pencil, doing a bit of paint chipping.  

 

In reference to the silver pencil, Prismacolor makes a few different metallic colored pencils. They can be a little pricey; however, for the amount that they would get used in highlighting areas of a model, it would last forever. I think the last one I picked up was around $3.00 US. I know that isnt really a lot of money, but if you look at it like, $3.00 for a single pencil? I can seem a little crazy.

The statements my fellow forum members made above is very good advice! It's a trial and error situation.  Especially if you're new at this!  I'm fairly new at this as well and have used and still use the dry brush technique on occasion.  

Through research and trial and error, I have found a product called Tamiya Weatherine Kit.  I find it highly useful as there are kits labeled kit A, B, C, etc.  Each Weatherine Kit comes in different hues and acts concept wise as a dry brush technique.  Due to it's versatility, I can highly recommend this product as it's an excellent product and is very difficult to err!  Good luck in your endevours and keep on experimenting and building.  That's the only way to advance your skill set.  I hope this helps!

Toshi

jelliott523

 

In reference to the silver pencil, Prismacolor makes a few different metallic colored pencils. They can be a little pricey; however, for the amount that they would get used in highlighting areas of a model, it would last forever. I think the last one I picked up was around $3.00 US. I know that isnt really a lot of money, but if you look at it like, $3.00 for a single pencil? I can seem a little crazy.

 

Yep, I get the Prismacolor metalic pencils.  But you're right, you only need to buy them every six months or so (depends how much modelling you do, or whether your kids steal them, or whether your dogs eat them).  They work the best out of those I've tried.