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Weathering fabric surfaces on WW2 aircraft

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  • Member since
    December 2013
  • From: Orlando Florida
Weathering fabric surfaces on WW2 aircraft
Posted by route62 on Thursday, May 25, 2017 9:47 AM

I am working on a 1/48 Japanese dive bomber "VAL".  The overall color of the aircraft is a light grey.  I did some preshading using a dark grey and did some post shade by adding some white to the grey to lighten it up.  In the reference pics I have the fabric surfaces faded faster then the metal surfaces.

Is there any advice on how to create this type of weathering?

I thought about masking off the flaps, do some preshade again on the flaps with a 30-50% darker grey then the original color and pre shade in the shallow parts of the flaps between the framing ribs.

Then spray the flaps with the original color to blend in the pre shade, finally lighten the original color by 50% and just highlight the highest points of the fabric surfaces where the framing ribs are.

If there is an easier way to accomplish this please let me know.

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Earth
Posted by DiscoStu on Thursday, May 25, 2017 1:43 PM

What you described should work fine.  I do the same thing on fabric, just a bit of post-shading with a lighter tint of the base color.

"Ahh the Luftwaffe. The Washington Generals of the History Channel" -Homer Simpson

  

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Friday, May 26, 2017 9:10 AM

You are on the right track.  Additionally, many doped fabric surfaces are sort of an eggshell semi matt, and when weathered they go to completely flat.  Most colored paint on fabric is done over a silver dope coat, so you can simulate paint chipping the same way you do chipping over metal, though more sparsely, as paint adheres to doped fabric pretty will.

Any markings on doped fabric will age just like they do on metal surfaces.  I generally weather decals by adding white or very light gray to the color I used under the decal, then misting a very light coat over the surfaces.  This weathers the decals as well as the underlying paint.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    December 2013
  • From: Orlando Florida
Posted by route62 on Friday, May 26, 2017 4:09 PM
Thanks Don. Did not know about the chipping. I will have a go at it this weekend.
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