Mighty 8th GB 1-Nov-2010 - 31-Oct-2011

ww2psycho

Im trying to figure out how to paint it. Apply the aluminum then decal then mask and paint the OD? or apply the OD before decaling? It seems that it might be hard to mask the green before decaling becuase of how it goes around the star, so Im thinking after the decal is applied it will be easier to mask over the decal.

I've got a similar-ish build planned with Hank Brown's Hun Hunter ~ Texas P-51D:

I'm planning on doing the green (his was RAF Dark Green, not OD, but same idea) on the fuselage after I do the NMF and decals. I think. I've also considered scanning the decals and a 1/48 profile view and creating a masking template...

is it alright if I drop in? I have a P-51b I will be building up into a Blue Nose...probably Lambie II. I will also be foiling this plane. I haven't foiled anything more complicated than a MiG-21, so I thought I would give it a shot with Revell's P-51b kit. Are crossovers alright? This fits with the NMF group build as well.

OWL

Im trying to figure out how to paint it. Apply the aluminum then decal then mask and paint the OD? or apply the OD before decaling? It seems that it might be hard to mask the green before decaling becuase of how it goes around the star, so Im thinking after the decal is applied it will be easier to mask over the decal.

Thet are some very nice looking Mustangs. Looking forward to seeing your build.

Heres the pics I have of LOU IV.

Im looking at doing one like this with a few differences.

The only differences are that the tail number is 413926 and instead of a B its an S. and no nose art name. Instructions says its 361st FG 375th FS Urban L. Drew.

Nice little build you got there Mike. Looks like a fun little build.

Front page has been updated with this and clebode's B-24

Ok, well i finished one of them. The colours are a little off. And the yellow isnt as good as id like it. (i hate yellow and white lol) A little bit of background information.

Pilot: Ed Heller.

Last Wartime rank:   Lt. Col

Aircraft: P-51D Hell-Er-Bust

486th FS, 352nd FG. Based and Bodney. "The Blue Nosed B@st@rds Of Bodney"

He finished the war with 5.5 aerial kills and was the top strafer of the 352nd FG with 16.5 ground victories.

*warning, following content may be completely fictional.*

After the war he was contracted by Japan to test fly their new prototype "Eggplanes" Modified versions of successful fighters. These aircraft proved to be a crowd bringer at air shows around the world. The following photos are of Ed Hellers personal "Eggplane". Painted to depict his WWII mount.

Hope you guys enjoy. Sorry there were no WIP pics. it just kinda fell together a bit quick. Basic construction is typical of hasegawa. Good fit. These ones are snap together kits. Painting instructions are fairly comprehensive. Instructions are precise and clear. Id recommend this kit to anyone wanted a bit of fun. Only problem i had with it was the NMF , like always lol.

As always C&C welcome.

Cheers.

Mike

Are theinvasion stripes individual decals or one big decal. Is it possable to mask and then paint the white and then just use the black decals. I sometimes find white decals often show the colour underneath through them.

Bish

Looking very good there Doogs. That stuff you used to mask looks similar to the white tac that i use.

Looking forward to seeing the decals on.

Thanks!

I futured the whole thing this morning...think I may add a second coat before I head out for lunch, then hit the decals tonight or tomorrow morning. My only worry is the fuselage invasion stripes - the Tamiya decals have been mixed so far. The instrument panel was amazing, but the decals for the bombs were so terrible that I've opted to finish this one out with the wing pylons dry.

I'd have masked and painted the stripes, but that underbelly section of the P-47 is a bear to mask.

Looking very good there Doogs. That stuff you used to mask looks similar to the white tac that i use.

Looking forward to seeing the decals on.

I will have to pick some of that up for this GB and the StuG GB.

That's outstanding work. I've been looking forward to seeing that camo scheme. Got to wonder who came up with it.

The stuff I used today was called "Simply Tacky" - $2 a box at Hobby Lobby. I needed about two boxes for all the masking...but then I'm woefully inefficient with this stuff!

white tac? what brand? I need something for masking! btw, looks amazing!

Well, I FINALLY have something to show!

It's been a long week futzing around with the Ocean Gray topsides in between nights of crappy, drizzly weather that kept me from the airbrush. 

Once I finally got it on I decided to take a stab at freehanding the camo. Yeah, no. I'm pretty confident I could freehand several other camo schemes, but this one is rather intricate and my hand's not that steady. So I spent a few hours today masking the friggin' plane:

I decided to use Tamiya's Dark Green instead of the MM enamel, since 1) it dries fast and 2) I've had really good experience with Tamiya as far as soft-edge work goes.

Once that was done, I let the Jug chill for a half hour.

The refrigerator helped harden up the white-tac so that it came off very easily with no residue.

Wasn't happy at first, since the colors are so far apart. So I thinned the heck out of the Tamiya dark green then sprayed a filter layer over the topside. It toned back the Ocean Gray quite well. Once decals are on, I think I might try it again, or maybe go back and filter over with a gray. Have to see.

Anyway, here she is:

A definite improvement on what I managed with the Monogram kit and silly putty, I think!

I got eh fueslage buttoned up on the Mustang today and have started painting the cockpit of the P-47.  I had a little setback on the B-17 last night so I wont be able to work on that again til I get some parts ordered....I attached the cockpit glass with super glue but hadnt dipped it in Future like I thought I did so it all fogged over.  So I gotta get that new windshield ordered and then order some Alclad for the Mustang too

Cockpit is done.  I know the pictures arent that great (the lighting kinda sucked)....I can take good pictures of anything but models

EDIT: I noticed in the bottom photo that the control column was missing.  I remember that I dropped the cockpit when taking a picture, so it was off to the basement to play "find the TINY control column on the dusty basement floor".  Luck was on my side and I found it, so all is good now

ww2psycho

I just realized that the link I posted is the same markings in the instructions I was looking at. I'll make a final pick of which markings i'll do when I get that far. but I'm really liking the green paint over the natural metal. Seen one just like it in real life at an airshow.

There's a LOU IV warbird out there somewhere...I think it'd be an interesting scheme to take on. Particularly since there's a school of thought out there that it wasn't green, but blue:

I just realized that the link I posted is the same markings in the instructions I was looking at. I'll make a final pick of which markings i'll do when I get that far. but I'm really liking the green paint over the natural metal. Seen one just like it in real life at an airshow.

It is a small world. And looking forward to seeing the B-17.

Time to start working on the B-17 again.  I just got a message from someone that just joined the forum today and he had looked at the B-17 group build thread and replied to a question that I asked about a year or so ago.  He said his uncle was a top turret gunner on a B-17 from the same squadron of the plane I'm building and said he  could ask him about my particular question, and oddly enough I had received an email from this same uncle a couple years ago after asking a question on the 91st bomb group website!  What a small world this is and what a great forum this is too

Ive never used resin or PE before, and I wont on this one. I have a verlinded set like that for a 1/48 mustangs i'll try out eventaully. I was talking about the paint scheme more or less. I really like it.

I've got that Aires set in 72nd scale. I plan on useing the engine in one kit and the open gun bays in another. They look very nice sets. You can get coplete sets which include cockpit and wheel bays or you can get them as seperate items, such as just the engine.

jbrady - the reasoning is kinda both. Different panels did tend to age and wear differently - sometimes different materials, sometimes just location. That and it does provide more visual interest. The difference isn't as stark in person...mostly very slight hue and sheen differences. When I do a full NMF Jug or Mustang I'll do a lot more research into panels...this one was definitely a case of gizmology and figuring out how the different Alclad shades behave in context with one another.

ww2psycho - I didn't even know that Aires set existed! Strongly considering it for Petie 3rd (it'd be a way around masking that pesky blue nose, that's for sure!). 

I like that paint scheme, don't think i have seen a Mustang like that before. Looking forward to seeing it built.

I got the mustang this morning. After looking at my options I might try something like this.

http://www.hyperscale.com/features/2000/p51djg_1.htm

DoogsATX: What is the reasoning behind the multi hued finish? Is it just to avoid a monochromatic look or were different panels made of different alloys?

Underside's done...

The green I got is more of a match for the P-47 and I just thought it would look good in the Mustang too....I know ALL interior parts werent the same color on either aircraft though...