The Little World

One of the distinct advantages/failings of the 1/144th scale kit is the fact that the insides are rarely seen.

Indeed, for many of the airliners there are no side windows to cope with – it is all to be done at the decal stage. I welcome this if the decals are decently printed.

However, you still have to cope with the various reflectivities on the outside – both in colour and bare metal. Basically most airliners have a white cabin roof and likely a white tail as well. That means a white under and over coat. The undersides and wings are often bare metal so that’s a black undercoat plus whichever type of metallic finish you favour.

If, like the engines on the C118, there is to be a very reflective silver you need to further coat the black surfacer with gloss clear.

All this means that you are masking and unmasking constantly. The better sorts of tape will seal effectively and not lift previous coats. The cheaper types will make more work and worse margins. Even Bunnings masking tapes are useful for big area coverage but their adhesive is time sensitive – get your spraying done early and peel off as soon as you can.

If you have sealed a balsa block into the centre part of the fuselage it can be a support for the display stand later. Just don’t forget which part it is sitting in…