I am about to do a warbird and I have never tried doing a camo type scheme on one and was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on how to do it. I have been looking at pictures of the real plane but I still am uncertain about how to do this, to me I keep thinking my plane is going to look crummy if I try it but have seen some done and they look pretty good. Does anyone have even any pics of their planes they have done might be helpful.
Painting tips needed
Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 11 of 11 known posts recovered
>I am about to do a warbird and I have never tried doing a
>camo type scheme on one and was wondering if anyone could give
>me any tips on how to do it. I have been looking at pictures
>of the real plane but I still am uncertain about how to do
>this, to me I keep thinking my plane is going to look crummy
>if I try it but have seen some done and they look pretty good.
>Does anyone have even any pics of their planes they have done
>might be helpful.
Ron B.
F4Fguy
Randy,
It depends entirely on the degree of authenticity you wish to portray. It also has to do with what aircraft, what country and what time period. It ultimately depends on just how anal you are about "getting it right".
For instance, the typical "sand and spinach" of the RAF used the same general pattern for all single engine A.C., but the colors differed with the time period. The pattern for multi-engined A.C. was different,as were the colors, depending on mission. In addition the bottom colors were distinctly different in different time periods.
Most of the A.C. I do are specific planes depicted at specific times, so a great deal of research is required. If you're just going for the "effect" you only need general information. For general info, the best readily available source I know is IPMS. If you Google it, you'll find more than you need for color and markings.
For paint colors, acrylic enamel plastic model paints are hard to beat for authentic colors , but you'll need to fuel proof with a urethane or automotive clear coat. Another way is to get your auto paint store to mix the pigment to match a sample chip, and add it to clear dope for color coats.
Markings are best done by making masks and painting them on, but decals or "peel and stick" markings are available.
One thing to keep in mind; almost all military camo was applied with spray equipment, sharp demarcation lines are a dead giveaway that it's wrong. An airbrush is almost mandatory to get it right.
Another thing; service A.C. regardless of nationality (but especially bad in some) were not generally cosmetically well maintained. If it didn't have a direct effect on serviceability, it wasn't important. Thus exhaust, oil, hydraulic fluid, and gun residue was fairly evident on most A.C. in service for any length of time. Also paints, especially non-spectral finishes faded rapidly with time, and ,especially in the WWII and earlier periods, adhesion was not the best, so chipping and flaking was usually present, especially on leading edges and areas subject to "hangar rash" and wear.
The info to do it right is readily available, and nothing says amateur like doing it wrong. If you don't want to spend the time or effort to do it correctly, do a Reno Racer and don't worry about it.
Ron B.
[photo not recovered: 22046.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22047.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22048.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22049.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22050.jpg]
>camo type scheme on one and was wondering if anyone could give
>me any tips on how to do it. I have been looking at pictures
>of the real plane but I still am uncertain about how to do
>this, to me I keep thinking my plane is going to look crummy
>if I try it but have seen some done and they look pretty good.
>Does anyone have even any pics of their planes they have done
>might be helpful.
Ron B.
F4Fguy
Randy,
It depends entirely on the degree of authenticity you wish to portray. It also has to do with what aircraft, what country and what time period. It ultimately depends on just how anal you are about "getting it right".
For instance, the typical "sand and spinach" of the RAF used the same general pattern for all single engine A.C., but the colors differed with the time period. The pattern for multi-engined A.C. was different,as were the colors, depending on mission. In addition the bottom colors were distinctly different in different time periods.
Most of the A.C. I do are specific planes depicted at specific times, so a great deal of research is required. If you're just going for the "effect" you only need general information. For general info, the best readily available source I know is IPMS. If you Google it, you'll find more than you need for color and markings.
For paint colors, acrylic enamel plastic model paints are hard to beat for authentic colors , but you'll need to fuel proof with a urethane or automotive clear coat. Another way is to get your auto paint store to mix the pigment to match a sample chip, and add it to clear dope for color coats.
Markings are best done by making masks and painting them on, but decals or "peel and stick" markings are available.
One thing to keep in mind; almost all military camo was applied with spray equipment, sharp demarcation lines are a dead giveaway that it's wrong. An airbrush is almost mandatory to get it right.
Another thing; service A.C. regardless of nationality (but especially bad in some) were not generally cosmetically well maintained. If it didn't have a direct effect on serviceability, it wasn't important. Thus exhaust, oil, hydraulic fluid, and gun residue was fairly evident on most A.C. in service for any length of time. Also paints, especially non-spectral finishes faded rapidly with time, and ,especially in the WWII and earlier periods, adhesion was not the best, so chipping and flaking was usually present, especially on leading edges and areas subject to "hangar rash" and wear.
The info to do it right is readily available, and nothing says amateur like doing it wrong. If you don't want to spend the time or effort to do it correctly, do a Reno Racer and don't worry about it.
Ron B.
[photo not recovered: 22046.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22047.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22048.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22049.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22050.jpg]
Attachment
#1, (jpg file)Attachment
#2, (jpg file)Attachment
#3, (jpg file)Attachment
#4, (jpg file)Attachment
#5, (jpg file)
Ron---your work still blows my mind!wish i could see in person!
David
David
Every time I see pix of your projects I get goose bumps.
FLYABLE museum models...amazng!
Curt
FLYABLE museum models...amazng!
Curt
Hi Ron, thanks so much for the pictures, this is what I would like to get close to on my plane, your planes are the best I have seen as I seen one that was done but was not even close to what you can do, I will put the time and effort in here and even if my first one is not so good why I am going to keep trying.
superclown · Feb 05, 2007 07:38 PM
#5 sourceHi Ron,
Do you actually fly those works of art?
Henry
Do you actually fly those works of art?
Henry
Ron B.
F4Fguy
Henry,
Of course. These are stunt airplanes. If they don't fly why build them?
Ron B.
I will add a couple of comments here. First of all 
to Ron with his marvelous works of art.
Second, what plane are you doing?
I take a slightly different approach than Ron. Ron goes for absolute authenticity. I go for a much more simplar approach. Go with what suits your taste and abilities. Start easy if need be and work up to the more complex jobs.
>One thing to keep in mind; almost all military camo was
>applied with spray equipment, sharp demarcation lines are a
>dead giveaway that it's wrong. An airbrush is almost
>mandatory to get it right.
I would have to say that there are a few exceptions to using an airbrush only. That is no hard demarcation lines. Many German WWII planes were masked off. The Stuka in the European paint scheme is an example. However, as Ron points out, during the later part of the year that changed to just getting the paint on as fast as possible so no masking was done. So chose your subject and go with that.
You don't always have to get the paint to be within 1/8" of scale on your plane to look right. The plane is most likely not an exact scale plane anyway, so it will be necessary to "cheat" just a bit anyway.
[photo not recovered: 22065.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22066.jpg]
to Ron with his marvelous works of art.Second, what plane are you doing?
I take a slightly different approach than Ron. Ron goes for absolute authenticity. I go for a much more simplar approach. Go with what suits your taste and abilities. Start easy if need be and work up to the more complex jobs.
>One thing to keep in mind; almost all military camo was
>applied with spray equipment, sharp demarcation lines are a
>dead giveaway that it's wrong. An airbrush is almost
>mandatory to get it right.
I would have to say that there are a few exceptions to using an airbrush only. That is no hard demarcation lines. Many German WWII planes were masked off. The Stuka in the European paint scheme is an example. However, as Ron points out, during the later part of the year that changed to just getting the paint on as fast as possible so no masking was done. So chose your subject and go with that.
You don't always have to get the paint to be within 1/8" of scale on your plane to look right. The plane is most likely not an exact scale plane anyway, so it will be necessary to "cheat" just a bit anyway.
[photo not recovered: 22065.jpg]
[photo not recovered: 22066.jpg]
Attachment
#1, (jpg file)Attachment
#2, (jpg file)
Matt Neumann
>I will add a couple of comments here. First of all ;@ to Ron
>with his marvelous works of art.
>
>Second, what plane are you doing?
>
>I take a slightly different approach than Ron. Ron goes for
>absolute authenticity. I go for a much more simplar approach.
> Go with what suits your taste and abilities. Start easy if
>need be and work up to the more complex jobs.
>
>>One thing to keep in mind; almost all military camo was
>>applied with spray equipment, sharp demarcation lines are
>a
>>dead giveaway that it's wrong. An airbrush is
>almost
>>mandatory to get it right.
>
>I would have to say that there are a few exceptions to using
>an airbrush only. That is no hard demarcation lines. Many
>German WWII planes were masked off. The Stuka in the European
>paint scheme is an example. However, as Ron points out,
>during the later part of the year that changed to just getting
>the paint on as fast as possible so no masking was done. So
>chose your subject and go with that.
>
>You don't always have to get the paint to be within 1/8"
>of scale on your plane to look right. The plane is most
>likely not an exact scale plane anyway, so it will be
>necessary to "cheat" just a bit anyway.
>
>
>
>[photo not recovered: 22065.jpg]
>
>
>[photo not recovered: 22066.jpg]
>
Ron B.
F4Fguy
Matt,
You're right of course, re the Luftwaffe "splinter" camo. I think you'd be surprised though, at how many personal trim jobs, like your P-51 checkerboard, were done by hand with a brush.
Very nice airplanes!
Ron B.
>with his marvelous works of art.
>
>Second, what plane are you doing?
>
>I take a slightly different approach than Ron. Ron goes for
>absolute authenticity. I go for a much more simplar approach.
> Go with what suits your taste and abilities. Start easy if
>need be and work up to the more complex jobs.
>
>>One thing to keep in mind; almost all military camo was
>>applied with spray equipment, sharp demarcation lines are
>a
>>dead giveaway that it's wrong. An airbrush is
>almost
>>mandatory to get it right.
>
>I would have to say that there are a few exceptions to using
>an airbrush only. That is no hard demarcation lines. Many
>German WWII planes were masked off. The Stuka in the European
>paint scheme is an example. However, as Ron points out,
>during the later part of the year that changed to just getting
>the paint on as fast as possible so no masking was done. So
>chose your subject and go with that.
>
>You don't always have to get the paint to be within 1/8"
>of scale on your plane to look right. The plane is most
>likely not an exact scale plane anyway, so it will be
>necessary to "cheat" just a bit anyway.
>
>
>
>[photo not recovered: 22065.jpg]
>
>
>[photo not recovered: 22066.jpg]
>
Ron B.
F4Fguy
Matt,
You're right of course, re the Luftwaffe "splinter" camo. I think you'd be surprised though, at how many personal trim jobs, like your P-51 checkerboard, were done by hand with a brush.
Very nice airplanes!
Ron B.
Short clip on Tbolt detail. I am just learning the video camara.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5193665979671762222
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5193665979671762222
Well first I put on the olive drab monocote then I cut some stips of gray and put them on where ever. The fuselage was busted a few times and repaired. Looks like it was in a war so pretty realistic. I put some yellow on the tip so I can see it coming on the pit stop but, there's a little yellow on a Fulkwolf anyway so it's still scale. I used different greens and grays on the tail and fuselage then oversprayed it with black to blend it in. It looked better before the engine blew the prop into 3 pieces and vibration instantly cracked every piece of wood in the plane. I have to get some black monocote to put the black crosses on the wings. Have to keep it covered when I take it out to the car, don't want to scare the neighbors.
Giffy
[photo not recovered: 22064.jpg]
Giffy
[photo not recovered: 22064.jpg]
Attachment
#1, (jpg file)