Here we see a Dakota model that has been planked on the fuselage with sheeted wings,this construction lends itself to tricky curves and shapes,patience is required to finally finish off the surfaces and here is stage one,after a really good sanding with progressively finer grades of abasive paper used dry on the bare wood, model filler is added to the tiny gaps where the wood meets,no matter how good a builder that you are there will always be small blemishes that need attention so take care with this important stage of construction and it will repay you with a super finish that you can be proud of.Allow the filler at least 48 hours to cure before you use yet more abrasive paper to blend everything in.
After a coat of sanding sealer to seal the wood,flash down again with fine crocus paper,next cover the whole model with lightweight wet strengthened tissue,to do this cut panels of tissue and spray water onto the surface with a scent spray or similar,lay the tissue in place and dope through the lot,it will turn milky white and look icky sticky,but dont worry another coat of dope and the blooming will vanish leaving you with a well sealed surface that will be ready take your primer.
Here the model has been given three successive coats of blue primer,why blue ? well alternating colours of paint will further show up minor dings and blemishes that can receive further attention,yo can use alternating white,then black it does not matter as long as you rub down the coats every time.
The ideal primer is acrylic car finish sprayed on outside on a warm day.
A good modeller will carefully plan his paint jobs,here we have white primer added to the areas which will eventually become red,just flash in the main areas,have plenty of paint available,also note reference material to hand.
On goes the red gloss after masking carefully,seal the edges of the tape with a thin skim of clear dope applied with a small brush,this stops the colour creeping underneath,allow all colours to dry out before masking over them,dont forget this is all about careful planning,loosely bag mask anything that needs protecting.
Here is the final result,judge for yourself whether it was all worth it ? side Canadian markings were added with masked Frisk film ( obtainable from Art shops ),the aileron lines were added with an overhead projector pen and the de-icer boots were painted with artists black acrylic,the name on the decking 'Arctic 7' ( this aircraft was owned by a pop group who used it for tours ) was hand painted but your computer is the best bet for this type of work.
Follow everything up with a coat of two part fuel proofer to seal and protect everything.
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