TAMIYA Mitsubishi Ki-46 III-Kai Air Defense Fighter 1:48

[Ron Pearcy]

Loved building this kit,it went together well. Slight fit issues with wings underneath but no big problem.
A lot of glazing but the Eduard masks were brilliant. Primed with Ultimate grey primer and Tamiya acrylics for top coat and finished off with matt varnish after decals. The decals settled reasonably well with Microset/Sol. Being a relative novice I'm reluctant to weather my kits because I always seem to bugger them up,so for now I will leave them clean.
Any constructive criticism or advice is welcome.

 

[Wurger]

Well done.

 

[fubar57]

Nifty looking machine Ron. Just went through a few books on the Dinah. They didn't seem to weather as badly as a lot of Japanese aircraft; ie, whacking great gobs of paint flaking. Not the best photo but the aircraft looks well used

PUBLIC DOMAIN
​

Best advice I can offer is find as many period photos of your subject and then start small, paint chipping around panel lines that are frequently serviced. A silver pencil has better control.
I use a silver quilters pencil, very cheap

​

At the other end of the cost spectrum you have Faber-Castell Pencils

​

You also have other techniques using paint which I'm just starting to explore myself

 

[fubar57]

Mig Ammo has some nice books on weathering. They want you to use their products but you can find other substitutes.

 

[Ron Pearcy]

Thanks fellas, excellent advice as per usual. I've got a silver pencil and tried some chipping in the cockpit and it works out fine. I'm reasonably successful with dry brushing on guns and engines,gun and exhaust smoke etc but seem to struggle with panel line washes,how long to leave on before wiping off for example. But I'm patient and will keep experimenting. Thanks again.

 

[fubar57]

I just started using the Tamiya Panel Line series myself and watched a few YouTube videos before I tried. This was done over-coating Tamiya and Vallejo paints with Future. I followed the videos advice on wait time, I think it was an hour but was unhappy with the results. I now wait about 20 minutes and this is far better for me. I use generic hardware store odourless paint thinner to remove the excess Panel Line. I've also had success with tempera paint; let it dry and then gently wipe off with a damp paper towel. Check out Wayne's builds as he has great finishes with pastels

 

[Crimea_River]

Since you asked, my critical eye sees a misaligned seam on the fuselage spine just behind the canopy. I'm 100% with Geo on the weathering and use the Prismacolour Silver pencil for small chipping effects.

The paint finish on your model is quite good and I'd encourage you to push yourself to try some new effects with thin paint and varying shades. Preshading and postshading, for instance, can be quite effective in breaking up large expanses of single colours and add interest as well as realism.

 

[Ron Pearcy]

Well spotted. I will take all your advice on board. Thanks to all.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work!