Tamiya matches.

[Tom Rigg]

Hello All,


New here and thinking of trying something with wings (I've been very remiss in my modelling of winged things).


I'm feeling in the mood for RAF or Luftwaffe WW2 and would like to know some matches or mixes using Tamiya Acrylics for around D-Day 1944


Thank you all in advance


Tom

[stona]

I'm not a Tamiya user but I know that when they released the first uber Spitfire kit they also produced the principal RAF camouflage colours to go with it. Upper surfaces were Ocean Grey and Dark Green (XF 81 and XF 82), undersides Medium Sea Grey (XF 83).


Late war Luftwaffe colours are a complicated subject. It isn't possible to generalise about which might have been applied, you need to have a subject in mind.


Cheers


Steve

[Tom Rigg]

Thank you Steve.


I had an inkling the RAF colours would be fairly straightforward, and the German, (as usual) more complex!


RAF Subjects I'm considering:


Tamiya's Mustang III, Beaufighter X and Mosquito VI and


Hasegawa's Typhoon Ib (bubble canopy)


As for the Luftwaffe models I was considering (after I practise a bit on the RAF subjects)


Eduard's Bf110g-2,


later a 109G and a 190 of some description all in '48 scale.


Should keep me going for a while!


Tom

[stona]

Sounds like you're going to be a busy boy!


Good luck with the models. Even the Luftwaffe colours are reasonably straight forward up until mid 1944ish


Edit: You might need Sky for the underside of the Beaufighter (dependant on which you are doing). XF-21 is about as close as Tamiya get.


Cheers


Steve

[Tom Rigg]

Thinking I'll do the 'stang first.


I was wondering when the RAF changed from duck egg blue(?) on the undersides?

[stona]

Thinking I'll do the 'stang first.
I was wondering when the RAF changed from duck egg blue(?) on the undersides?

The order was issued on 12th August 1941. The underside colour became Medium Sea Grey and the Dark Earth (brown) on the upper surfaces was replaced with a 7:1 mix of Medium Sea Grey and Night (black) later formalised as Ocean Grey.


Your Mustang III would have entered service much later, I'm going to say early 1944 but I haven't checked.


[ATTACH]108004.IPB[/ATTACH]



'Duck Egg Blue' was not the official name of the colour which was Sky. The suffix 'Type S' you will often see refers to the smooth finish, not the colour. This had earlier led to some confusion when the Black/White undersides had been changed to Sky (ordered 7th June 1940) as evidenced by this clarification.


[ATTACH]108005.IPB[/ATTACH]



Cheers


Steve

[Tom Rigg]

Can I have your opinions regarding the 'right' amount of lightening for scale effect in 1/48 scale please.

[stona]

This is VERY subjective. Some don't believe that there is any such thing as a scale effect whereas others will give precise percentages of white to add for the various scales. I tend to post shade my models which means I can lighten certain areas, usually the centre of panels, by varying degrees to give an uneven modulated effect. Initially I will just add a drop or two of white (usually) to the paint cup of my airbrush and subsequently increase the amount until I think it has gone far enough. I honestly don't believe that it is possible to give exact proportions or percentages, not least because it will vary with the original base colour.


Cheers


Steve

[Guest]

Can I have your opinions regarding the 'right' amount of lightening for scale effect in 1/48 scale please.

Okay, get out your salt shaker because this "advice" is from someone whose color vision isn't exactly spot on. That said...


In general I've found that lightening the base color by about 25% gets me close, after which I diddle about until my color expert (double-X chromosome) gives me the thumbs-up. Probably obviously, but always do a color test on something you can toss just in case it doesn't work out.


Hope this helps!

[Tom Rigg]

Gentlemen,


Thanks for the replies on lightening.


I'm going to take Dirty's advice... and use my own advice, if you see what I mean.


When I think it looks 'right' is where I'll stop.


tom