SPA Modeler

Them photos clearly show one beat up drop tank.

jkim wrote:My first attempt at weathering the drop tanks using two-layer chipping. RLM 76 Light Blue over Silver was chipped first and then the black overall chipped again. Not very happy with the results but I'll leave it alone for now and revisit later.

I mean this in the nicest way possible....


...but...

Thanks Fermis but the tanks have already been wiped clean and awaiting attempt #2!

Drop tank weathering attempt #2...





I abandoned the two-layer chipping and went with black over lightened RLM 76. Varied the paint thickness and hairspray application to emphasize removals from the front of the tanks. Difficult to replicate the exact wear patterns but I think this attempt gives a more authentic depiction.

I like those better.

John: I am sure you have seen all of these images and many, many more! Your work is incredible, John. I would go monochromatic with a hint of the blue beneath, but I love both versions. Cheers.

That looks better with the black paint worn away from the RLM 76.

Agree, the first attempt was really good but it seemed too busy just a lot for the eye to take in. This gives a clear wear pattern and I like it much better.

Thanks guys! There will be a bit of detail painting and some additional weathering to be performed on the drop tanks but I am done with the hairspray chipping on the tanks.

I decided to start the mottling today. Mr Hobby Aqueous RLM 76 and White at a 2:1 ratio will be the paint mix. There is no clear photo of the mottle pattern on top of the wings so I just started freehanding it, trying to consciously create mottle shapes with the dark background.


My the time I got to the port engine nacelle's I started to loosen up a bit and not be so pre-deterministic about the mottle shapes.


I carefully sprayed the light color around the decals. The red "10" has been protected by a mask to avoid excess overspray.



The use of the mask to protect the "10" ended up biting me back as it took out a little chunk of red. A delicate repair operation ahead.



I decided to take a pause at this point and take a look at my work. I'm not going to try and exactly match the archive photos but there are some noticeable features that I'll try to capture including the visible overspray on the port "10".




Due to the controlled nature of the mottle spraying, I don't think I will have to mask the black undersides of the horizontal stabilizers. Any inadvertent overspray would be easy to fix too.

The break will be used to repair the "10" marking.

Wow. Amazing control going around the decals