Kitty Hawk 1/32 F5-E Tiger....

[BarryW]

I have been priming all the subs. I will be doing some masking on the airframe next.

[Jim R]

Hi Barry
Really coming together now. Lots of bits to add still. Looking forward to the painting and the decals. Either of the two schemes look quite complicated.
Jim

[stillp]

Gosh, your workbench does look tidy Barry.
Pete

[BarryW]

I have started masking up the airframe with a view to spraying a black primer tonight.

Here is how she looked before masking sat on my brand new Vertigo jig for jets.



I found that my old wooden build jig was not well suited for jets so I looked for an alternative.

While I was at it I got another for other aircraft, both fits 1/32 and 1/48 scale aircraft.

[Ian M]

Looking good Barry.
Things have come a long way since the days of a box top and a couple of bits of pipe insulation!

[Jim R]

Hi Barry
Those jigs look nice. Just looked at their site. I imagined you would need a lottery win but they are actually a fair price for what you get. I'll have to have a word with Santa AKA the missus :thinking:
Jim

[BarryW]

I have been using three metal shades on the wheel wells and components, under wing pylons and rear of airframe.

[papa 695]

Looking very good Barry

[flyjoe180]

Yes, coming along nicely Barry

[BarryW]

last night I finished masking.

Black basing is perfect for enabling that grubby dirty look you get on the underside of an aircraft but with white, with its coverage issues it is necessary to tone down the black slightly so I did a very light coat, (of varying density) of the MRP white primer. This primer covers better than ordinary white.


Tonight I will spray this to get that grubby modulated look.

[BarryW]

Underside painted.

I am trying to be a little more restrained weathering, this to allow for the fact that modern paints are better than those used in WW2 and have, perhaps, not seen the same tempo of operations. Also less is more, aircraft do not arrive at station heavily weathered, it builds up over time.

So the effect is more subtle than I have used on the white underside of the Avenger, for instance. Hopefully you can make out the modulation which is the basis for later weathering, the streaking etc.... The photo is a bit bleached by the lights.

[Jim R]

Hi Barry
Underside colour variation looks good. I have seen WW2 planes heavily weathered and that is OK - a Hurricane flying 2 or 3 times a day in the Battle of Britain and being quickly patched up is highly likely to look beaten up. Modern planes would be able to be kept in far better condition.
Jim

[BarryW]

Got on with painting

the paint can take a bow...

After masking the underside I sprayed the brown.


I then masked with clever putty. It great stuff without which this camo would be harder and take more time. It’s very low tac means you can get on quickly.

so I masked out the areas to stay brown

Sprayed the light green



masked the light green areas.

Dark green painted


I expect a lot of touching up to do with this scheme. There is but not as much as I thought.

Above is the main bit to touch up. Some minor bits to do as well

Finally after painting the nose come and removing most of the masking.


I will finish the touching up next session.

[Jim R]

Hi Barry
Looking very nice.
Jim

[rtfoe]

Hi Barry, this is looking good. The clever putty is real clever. :smiling2: Did you use just one pack for the masking? Seems like something I should get rather than using Blu-tac which hardens overtime.

Cheers,
Richard