Category: Painting
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Swiss F-5E – Part Two – Thank You, I Think…
I puzzle sometimes – at the decisions that the model making companies take when they design a mould. I cannot influence or gainsay them – they are providing the kits that I love to build. But the question of ” why ” comes up more than you’d think. Take the nose of the Northrop F-5E.…
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The Smell Of Victory
You’ll all remember the line from Apocalypse Now about napalm attacks. It harks back to my earliest modelling days when the smell of turpentine filled the house every time I painted. Those were enamel days – Pactra, Testors, and Humbrol. There was a fair range of quasi-lacquers as well from Revell that had a distinctive…
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Tornado GR.1 – Part Four – Ms. Emily
I keep my promises. I said I would name this aircraft after he lady who gave me the kit, and so I have; Ms. Emily. She is a lovely dance entertainer here in Perth. The Desert Storm Pink is not a regular pot colour from Gunze. It’s made up of a tan with some red…
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Tornado GR.1 – Part One – A Gift From The Goddesses
And you never look a gift Tornado in the mouth. For that matter it’s not wise to peer into goddesses mouths, either… The occasion for this Italeri Tornado was a job of shooting a belly dance show. The entertainment was worth any expense but the addition of a free plastic kit – the choice of…
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The Rise Of The Decal
Once upon a 1950’s time, when all good boys deserved models, there were large airplanes with small sheets of decals. Then times changed and the proportions reversed. As a 1:72 builder I am dealing with the small end of the market…small as to individual size but large as an overall genre. It is ideal for…
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General Dynamics F-16 – Part Three – Surprisingly Handsome
I view some modern NATO aircraft with trepidation – there are so many variants that every time I glue on a bomb or a tank, I’m sure it’s in the wrong place. But what can you do in the absence of a concrete example parked at the local air museum? Well, you can start down…
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General Dynamics F-16 – Part Two – Having A Grey Fit
Like a pink fit, but more gentlemanly. You can clip a Hobby Boss kit together at nearly any stage of the build. I’d painted the wheel wells on the F-16 prior to trying the ordnance onto it and was curious to see whether there would be much filling and sanding needed. None at all if…
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Austin Armoured Car – Part Three – Ready For Duty
The commander of Uszhitmi Aerodrome can rest easy – the Austin armoured car is now fit for deployment on the perimeter of the field. Whether this will deter intruders from getting in or defectors from getting out is a matter of conjecture. In any case the car is adorned with a patriotic slogan so whoever…
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Grey, Gray, Grau, Gris, Seryy
Not the weather – it’s actually nice out. I mean the undercoat. I use the Mr. Surfacer pots blown through a single action airbrush. Others use Tamiya rattle cans or similar material from different makers. Few of us realise the miracle that occurs when we do. Initially I thought that spraying an undercoat was just…
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Caudron C-445 – Part Five – Personal Transport
And in this case, away from the scene of battle. This is a 1940 colour scheme… No regrets. The Mr. Color Super Stainless over an adequately prepared surface is a very rewarding metallic finish. It’s best shot with Levelling Thinner, and in thin coats, but patience wins out in the end and you do not…
The Little World 