Category: Painting
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LeO 45 – Part Four – Art Deco Bomber

People who google images of this French early-war bomber may see something stuck underneath it. There is a dust-bin turret that drops down from a position just aft of the cockpit to allow an unfortunate crew member to fire a single short machine gun at attackers under the plane. It is included in the kit,…
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Hall Of The Model Kings

And queens. This is an even-handed hobby. The annual scale model exhibition always includes a competition for builders, and it is large enough to require a separate hall. They set out tables and cover them so that the visual presentation is neutral – the lighting is that of the hall, but more on that… There…
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Lid

Or, ” How Not To Flip Yours “… Over a period of years I have been painting with multiple airbrushes – my compressor unit has two output hoses. Starting with cheap kit guns and trigger actions, I have finally settled on two Mr. Hobby Procom Boy units. One is single action – on double. They…
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Fairey Battle Mk I – Part Five – The Hangin’ Tree

I am not a naturally cruel man, though I have trained in the art… Nevertheless there is a certain grimness about constructing a gallows on which to execute a model airplane. You start to think of Sidney Carton or Till Eulenspiegel… The advantage of it all is the ability to spray from all sides in…
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Is It Semi-Gloss Or Semi-Matte?

Come to that, is it matt or matte? I’m sure there will be frantic semantic pedantics out there who can make a half-hour lecture out of these questions. There is also the question of whether you need to use any paint apart from gloss if you intend to varnish the finalproduct. You crank in the…
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Model Car Sunday – Part Eight

The Jewels. They may not be crown jewels. They may not be in a Cartier window. They may be made of plastic and not worth over $ 20 apiece – but they are jewels nevertheless. They represent the efforts of a major manufacturer and a dedicated enthusiast to remember real trophy winners of the past.…
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Model Car Sunday – Part Four

Overblown is my favourite colour. You cannot look at a modern motor car and not experience a heart-stopping moment. The colour – whether black, white, or grey – will be so depressing that your ticker will slow dangerously. You may lose consciousness or go into deep depression. Memories of the actual spectrum may fade from…
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Model Car Sunday – Part Two

Peopling the Dioramas. Model car enthusiasts are real people, and they recognise that other real people are interested in motor cars. Wherever there is a race, rally, show, or meeting there will be enthusiasts circulating amongst the cars. In some cases they are recognisable types. I can tell a hot rodder from a restorer of…
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Mitsubishi Babs – Part Two – Just When You Thought…

Just when you thought modelling could not become uglier…I had a good idea. The camouflage patterns for many aircraft are wavy, blobby things. You can spray them freehand or mask them, but in most cases of 1:72 planes, masking is better. I’ve tried many different ways of doing it, but settled upon the putty worms…
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FROG Stash Avenger – Part Four – Show Bird

Casting about for a role for the FROG Avenger, I came upon a series of photos taken at a recent Dutch air show. They show a Grumman Avenger painted in what I assume are authentic colours for the Aéronavale – the air arm of the French Navy. I expect the aircraft would have been a…
