SPA Modeler

Stikpusher wrote:Excellent progress and update Stuart! Your Defiant is looking real good!

Thanks Carlos! It's a much maligned aircraft the Defiant, although a failure for it's intended purpose it was apparently a very study aircraft and a good gun platform. I do often wonder how history would have viewed it if Boulton-Paul had seen fit to put a few guns in the wings, as well as the turret.

speedgraflex wrote:Hi Stuart,

I hope your foot is better. Any chronic pain makes life difficult. Turning to your work bench, I like the results you achieved so far a great deal. I’m not simply writing that, mind you. I sincerely feel that a proper usage of brush paint truly adds a deep dimensional perspective to the representation of an aircraft. I have been thinking as of late about trying out a thin interference layer above the robin’s egg blue of Airfix kit plastic, perhaps a medium gray, just something to add a touch of character. I’m not sure if I have explained my thoughts properly.

At the moment, I have set aside an Airfix 1:72 Hawker Hurricane to be the test subject. I will attempt a brush painting process using medium gray Humbrol acrylics followed by the suggested scheme (and box paints) for the kit’s subject.

Long preamble over. My question is, have you ever prepared a layer or layers underneath the top coats, and was it worth the time? Look forward to your progress.

Thanks Bruce, my foot's feeling a lot better. It's not 100%, and I still have the pebble feel under my toes, but I managed a 7 mile walk today with no problem, which was good.

In answer to your question - yes. I've no experience with the old Airfix duck egg blue, but I've built enough Matchbox kits over the years to know not to paint over the kaleidoscope of colours they mould their kits in. A good neutral grey primer is always a good idea (you should prime acrylics anyway) to even everything out - especially when the plastic is a multiple of colours. I do like Humbrol's #1 primer, which brush paints well and is a nice medium grey, which matches their plastic, although these days I use Ultimate primer - mainly because I brought a massive bottle to test and might as well finish it off first. It's a good primer, but not quite as nice as the Humbrol as it's a few shades darker.

Does that help?

It's looking great Stuart!

Thanks Mike!

Nice progress on the Defiant! Not my favorite fighter but what an interesting concept!

Stuart I'm glad to see you posting again. I know what you mean about pain in the foot. A little over a month ago, I dropped 200+ lbs of solid wood on my right foot. I couldn't walk for most of a month, and then only short distances and with a crutch. Even though all the swelling is gone,. I still experience pain and swelling when I walk or stand too long.

That being said, I love the look of your Defiant! You are bringing this to life and I'm thrilled to see your work again. Keep it coming Stuart!

jkim wrote:Nice progress on the Defiant! Not my favorite fighter but what an interesting concept!

Thanks John, yeah, it's a bit of a strange looking beast! It was a concept partly inspired by the Bristol Fighter of WWI vintage. However, it would have faired a lot better if it had been given forward firing guns (like the Brisfit), as well as the turret!

Duke Maddog wrote:Stuart I'm glad to see you posting again. I know what you mean about pain in the foot. A little over a month ago, I dropped 200+ lbs of solid wood on my right foot. I couldn't walk for most of a month, and then only short distances and with a crutch. Even though all the swelling is gone,. I still experience pain and swelling when I walk or stand too long.

That being said, I love the look of your Defiant! You are bringing this to life and I'm thrilled to see your work again. Keep it coming Stuart!

Thanks Mark!

Yes I'd picked up that you'd hurt your foot - very nasty. I'm glad that you are getting better. Having foot issues suck, as there's not a lot you can do about it!

Just getting some paint on whilst I'm listening to my course... All paints are hataka. I've decided to go with the box scheme on this one in the end, I'll save the AM decals for the other two kits I have in the stash.





Onto the dark green and metallic bits next.

Cheers!

Coming along nicely! Perhaps more on-line trainings will increase your modeling output . Your brush painting skills continue to floor me. Just fantastic.
I've always liked the looks of the Defiant. Agree on their performance record - the 109s ate them up. Must have been a horrible feeling seeing a 109 coming straight at you with no guns!

LOL! Very true!

Yeah I agree, a very interesting subject and I'll always wonder why they didn't fit at least a couple of forward firing guns. I think the crews that got into these aircraft, knowing that the chances of them getting shot down were so high, were very brave indeed. That being said, it was actually a very effective night fighter, especially after it was fitted with radar. I think that the only thing that hampered it in that role as the war dragged on was it's lack of speed. Certainly one of the other two of these kits I have will be a night fighter.