A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

[Stikpusher]

Kenny, your on a PTO roll! Corsairs, Zeroes... then what? A P-38 or P-40? F4F or F6F?

[mustang1989]

That engine looks like the cat's "meow" right there. I use Alclad on all of my automotive exhaust manifolds after black basing them for a more realistic cast iron look. Works like a charm there and it certainly works great here.

[jkim]

Excellent! The small Zero is looking fabulous and the big Zero is shaping up to be a spectacular build! Alclad is a GREAT addition to the paint rack isn't it?

I gently suggest you start a separate thread for your 1/32 Zero. I'd be interested in seeing that one unfold in all of its big scale glory.

[Medicman71]

The engine looks awesome!!

[KennyX]

Thank you gentlemen! And John, yup, that’s a good idea, and I just created the thread for it!

Okay, back to progress on the 1:48.

First, I finished applying the decals, and inweathered a few of them in order to tie them into the rear of the composition.

That little red dot there would’ve been setting atop a chipped area. I carefully cut it off the sheet and while I did that I intentionally cut away an approximation of the chipping pattern on the surface and then mindfully applied it taking the chipping below into account:


That one there, the black Kanji characters with the black outline was weathered by stippling Model master Aluminum on it near the chipped areas, with the oldest, crappiest, rode-hard-and-put-away-wettinest brush I had:


Here’s a few more:





Also, I sprayed the prop and spinner with Tamiya AS-12 which I shot directly into my airbrush cup. Holy cow that stuff sprays nice and looks incredible! John, than you for the encouragement to use it and the recommendation! I love that stuff now!


Also John, I thought it over and opted to take your advice about weathering the wings a bit more on the outer surfaces. That was a solid idea and I did it, using the “stippling with a crappy brush” method I used on the markings. Real solid advice. I like how it carries out the effect but also dissipates it naturally. Visually I like this better than before. A lot actually. So thank you for making that suggestion as well!

[jkim]

Right on! Lots of the stuff that I do and use is a result of recommendation of others. There are very few things that I've developed completely on my own. I think an important recipe for success in any endeavor is to be open-minded. When I go fishing for bass, the three of us on a boat work as a team. We throw different things to find out what the bass want and when one of us finds a productive pattern, the rest of us follow suit.

I'm glad you like the AS-12. It's a good metallic color that is a bit different than the Alclad shades but has a great number of uses, as you are finding out. I think extending the chipping outwards really helps to defocus the eye onto only a portion of the aircraft and gives a more comprehensive wear effect. Don't be afraid to chip with non-metallic colors too. Greys, browns, greens... you'd be amazed at what a little variation can do to increase the level of fidelity to your wear effects.

I love the subtle wear effects on the red filler cap. It's small but I think those small details really help fool the brain into thinking it is looking at something much larger than a scale model.

[KennyX]

John,

Yessir, I agree whole-heartedly with that first point. If I had put a percentage on it, I’d say a solid 90% of what I’ve learned to do is stuff I learned from other people. Later on I managed to take a few things in a few other directions but the fact remains- numerous modelers in the past broke a lot of new ground for us and there’s a lot of great stuff to learn.

And regarding AS-12, I cannot wait to see what my 1:32 Zero looks like with a smooth, sexy coat of that stuff on.

And lastly, thank you! Those super-small, little details are what I’ve been trying to focus on, and I’m glad that I’m hitting the mark. A harmony is being established in my mind between the tonal variation in the paintjob, and the subtlety of the weathering effects. And thank you also for the recommendation to chip in other colors! That’s fantastic and I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll be noodling that for a while because visualizing it I can see all different kinds of uses for that!

[Stikpusher]

Looks like you’re nearing the finish line Kenny! I can’t wait to see this one all wrapped up!

[KennyX]

Yes sir! The enamel needs another day to dry, then I’ll clear coat it and get started with the oils. And I’ll be doing the landing gear and a few other sundry things this week. She’s almost there and I’m happy with her.

[Stikpusher]

You have every reason to be happy with this... it’s a beautiful build!