TAMIYA 1:48 F4F-4/FM-1

[fubar57]

Upper color is on, touch-ups to follow.

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Happy with it?....about 75%. Too much over spray. I shot a 30/70 mix at about 10psi. Worked Ok on flat surfaces but I couldn't get the hang of it on curves. Note the over-shoot on the fuselage in the lower photo. I'm left-handed yet I use the AB with my right hand and I'm a little unsteady. I'm hoping the touch-ups go well as the mix was a handful of white and a few finger splashes of grey. I'll re-shoot tomorrow....film at 11

 

[Crimea_River]

30 paint, 70 thinner or the other way around?

I think you need to get your nozzle closer to the surface and point the nozzle into the colour you are painting when doing the demarcation. That gets you a much sharper line. Easily said, not so easily done when you have stuff like wings in your way.

 

[fubar57]

30 paint etc.. I think I was perhaps 2" away. I'll get closer tomorrow.

 

[Crimea_River]

Yep. You need to be like a quarter of that.

 

[fubar57]

After my 3rd failed attempt I decided to try another tack, using Blu-Tack®. I cut out the paper shape I wanted and using small blobs of Blu-Tack® I attached this to the fuselage. It also allowed me to bring the white up over the wings as seen on real aircraft.

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Pretty gosh-darned happy with the result though not 100%

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A side note to the Vallejo nay-sayers with regards to the tape easily lifting off the paint. This is the 4th time I've masked this thing and no paint lift. On a sider side note. I had quite a bit of paint left so I practiced trying to get a feathered edge. In the past I have been pushing the trigger all the way down and then pulling back to get paint flow....you've seen the results. This time I pulled the trigger about half way back and then pushed down gently to start the airflow...much better. I did this for about 5 minutes and was quite happy with the result

 

[Luftace43]

Excellent job Geo, and rightfully so that you should be happy with it. Airbrushed are tricky little gadgets to get the hang of for certain effects, aren't they? Again, well executed sir.

 

[Wurger]

 

[N4521U]

Noice

 

[SANCER]

Muy bien Geo!!
Says the saying: "He who perseveres, reaches" ... I share with you the pleasure of having passed the stage of base painting, good result.
... I am very attentive to what follows!

Saludos amigo

 

[Crimea_River]

Now THAT looks much better.

 

[Airframes]

I agree - nicely done Geo.

 

[fubar57]

Thanks all. It's not the way I wanted but slowly learning the ways of the airbrush. Working on the landing gear now: a finicky 8 piece affair, 4 of which are shown installed...

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...did a test fit to the fuselage and it is very sturdy. One build recommended painting the landing gear doors (B12-B13) before gluing in place so that's where we sit now. A few more hours and I'll gloss coat the beast. If you go way back to page 1 you'll see different size fuselage markings, none of which came with the kit. I've got several in the decal stash that should do the job. Link to the photo below....
TAMIYA 1:48 F4F-4/FM-1

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Merci mon ami. Added a link to your photo on the first page so that others, if so inclined didn't have to scroll around. I also noticed that I followed the profile for painting the front of the aircraft, the white doesn't extend back over the wing. So be it

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far George!

 

[fubar57]

Thanks Hugh. Fiddling with the gear cover. Positioning in the instructions isn't very clear and there's a lot of play

 

[Builder 2010]

Very nice build so far. I especially like how you're working to perfect your airbrush skills. Yes…Tamiya kits are the standard that others strive to reach. I really hope my F4U-A1 comes along as nicely as your Wildcat. Did that chain drive operate the landing gear?

 

[fubar57]

Thank you. The landing gear was raised and lowered by those chains: the pilot manually turning a crank in the cockpit. I haven't found how many cranks to took

 

[Crimea_River]

The golf cart is looking good so far.

 

[fubar57]

Decal stage began last night and it looks like its going to be a fight to the finish. As noticed in the photo in the link provided above, the four aircraft all had different size fuselage markings. I went through my decal stash and the only thing I had close(but still a wee bit small) to the size on aircraft #4 comes from the old Testors P-47 kit. The decals are by Microscale. This photo is after two coats of Microsol(always my first choice) which never put a dent in the decal, two coats of Mr. Mark Softer and finally two coats of my dwindling bottle of Polly Scale Decal Softener.

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Once this dries I may have to add a few pin pricks and repeat. Thankfully there are very few decals to apply