**** DONE: GB-52 1:72 Savoia-Marchetti SM79 - Heavy Hitters IV

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Some progress; finally. The color are going on. Bottom painted and protected with tape. The wing surfaces, that will have the Italian applied camo, have their base color applied. The engine/prop assemblies are just temporarily hung to help visualize how they will look when mounted. The cup in the background is a first 'sample' attempt to create the C1 camo scheme that I understand was used on the series that was exported to Yugoslavia. Not close yet! I have laid some base color on my sacrificial unit to practice on. So, more requests for evaluation will be forthcoming. But with this 'sample' on the cup, given that the shapes and spacing's need some work, thoughts on the sizes of the 'spots'? Hard to find an example that is clear enough to gauge. So many camo variations were present it is difficult to separate them out in the WWII SM.79 photos.

Also, on applying the 'spots' I tried, using different air brushes, to create an acceptable shape. Fail. I appled the spots, as shown on the cup, with various shape Q-tip applicators. The lighter areas can be toughed up with another application, however I'm concerned that they will appear much to heavy (thick) anyone have any 'magic application ideas short of creating a stencil with the holes cut out?

camo sample.jpg


79 scheme 3.JPG


After the wing sections are done then I can camo as with the Black 14 images.

starboard painted.jpg
 
Actually painting a such camo is not too difficult. All you need is to make a two templates of paper with cutting out the spots . One should be for the brown colour spots while the second for the green ones for instance. Applying of the colours can be done either with an airbrush but the paper should be slightly thicker than the standard paper for a printer in the case. Also you may use the sponge brushes or just pieces of a sponge for applying but the paper should be thinner just like the printer one. Certainly the templates should be of the model scale. The cutting tools may be teh scalpel thivk needles or making holes more round , razor balde etc ... Here is an example you me try to fiollow. Just to give you the idea ... it is worth to check on a plastic scrap firstly ..

the part of the fuselage camo ..
camo.jpg


the same part with removed brown colour ..
camo1.jpg


and the same with the green ...
camo2.jpg


and together .. please don't pay your attention to the white in there. Just it is a matter of the tool used for removing colours. I made these pics quickly just to give you the example.

camo1and2.jpg
 
I was afraid of that (cutouts).
:D. Probably the best controled approach though. But as i mentioned before, and you aluded to, it's the scale of the marks that I have to come up with? The camo pattern you have illustrated is one of many with the C1 being different, and thankfully much simpler. I'll work on some samples and request a peer review.
 
I see. Actually the templates can be printed with any printer available to make the cutting easier. And there is no need to make these holes for the spots so large and densely. Also there is no need to make a template for the entire surface eg.. a wing. It is enough to make a square template with a camo portion and then manipulate with it during applying of colours , painting the entire surface step by step.
 
The decals arrived today. Whew!! Along with the decals there are camo patterns illustrated for the three variations of the Yugo craft that the decal set supports. Using Wergers suggestion, I will scan in the pattern the decal set provided and use that for my 'holey' template. I will most likely use C) - 1940 Moster Airfield. This 'appears' to be the closest to the C1 Italian camo specification supposedly used on Black 14?

Seems like 'Goldilocks'. A) is to far apart. B) is to close. C) is just right.
decals.jpg


In scanning I will scale the image to fit the same area (size) of the kit plastic. Seems to easy!

What the decal set does not support is Black 14. I will dig through my decal stash and try to come up with a set of '14s' that are about the same height and font style. Not holding my breathe though!
 
Port side applied. I'll use the same templates for the starboard side (turned over) and then cannibalize for the tail fins. I hope the mirrored pattern won't be too obvious?

A few small runs along the panel lines (to thin). I'll try and touch those up with a brush. Green worked much better, I did not thin it. I just held the spray further away.

camo port.jpg
 

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