What alclad do you builders of Korean war USAF Mustprangs use?
I usually use airframe allu over gloss black but for the weathered planes it might be to shiny
Anyone ever use alluminium over gloss black? I understand that it is not a high shine alclad and does not need the black but I like the “depth effect” it gives to alclad.
Thanx
Theuns
I can’t say which Alclad product to use. But don’t forget that the wings are lacquered and not bare metal. They still needed to be puttied sanded and then were lacquered to maintain the laminar flow effect.
From what I can see in pix of korean war F-51’s it looks like the wings on some are bare metal. I would assume that by that stage the putty in the seams would have come out and the lacure come off?
Theuns
That is possible. Conditions in Korea were quite austere for aircraft maintenance.
Theuns, I was trying for the same effect on the P-36 I am building in the Pearl Harbor GB, I used ALC 101 aluminum over a gloss dark blue undercoat, with some areas oversprayed with white aluminum for contrast. Take a look at it and see if it would work for you. I would think the Korean F-51’s were well past the days of filled wings.
Duraluminum has a nice look for weathered bare metal. Kind of dull.
Have a look here and see what you think…
http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/158510.aspx
I would chose one of two aluminum Alclads, just plain aluminum, or white aluminum, a more weathered finish. Do not use polished aluminum, to bright for a bird in combat theatre.
I think normal alluminium will work. Usuallt I get different “tones” with airframe allu over gloss black by adding more coats in some areas. I am not sure if it will work the same for alluminium over gloss black aswell. Failing that I will have to do some panels with a different alclad but the tone difference in colours is (to my eye) to harsh.
How well does alclad alluminium cover the base coat? Wit airframe allu over black I have to build it up in quite a few coats.
Anyone ever painted some pannels grey and others maybe white and then spray alclad alluminium over that to get different “tones”?
Theuns
So, as painting time comes colser I have had to experiment with the meatls I will put on.
The mustprangs in Korea seem to have been very dull and weathered.
I painted a plastic spoon to see what works the best
Left side is my usual airframe alluminium over alclad grey on the bottom corner and alclad black on the top corner.
The right side top is duraluminium over alclad black and the bottom dura over alclad grey.
All has been sealed with alclad semi matt clarcoat.
To my eye the airframe alluminium over black can work for the darker areas like exhaust pannels, gun bays ect but airframe allu over grey is to grainy and looks to “silver”
The varition in the duraluminium looks closer to the pix I have seen.
I have also heared that some guys wil (after all different pannels are painted) shoot a coat of say alluminium over the wholw thing to blend it all together.
Any ideas on this??
Theuns
Yep, it works okay. I have even painted with gloss colors, a dark yellow and a dark blue to simulate different alloys.
Diferent clours , that is a good idea Don 
Theuns
I painted the extra tail the kit gives .
Both sides were parimed with alclad grey primer filler.
I masked off a few pannels of the grey and one side I sprayed alclad gloss black base, the other on I sprayed tamiya gloss enamel.
Then 2 coats of dura alluminium on both (with masking removed) gave some very interesting and nice tone differences. One has to be carefull though as just 1-2 coats of dura allu over it all reduces the tone difference to much and it all liiks the same then.
Theuns
I’m trying my first P-51 in decades and likely first NMF ever and planning my first Alclad job, so thanks very much for this discussion and all the good info.
That test of yours laying down the Alclad over different color primer bases is good stuff, Theuns.
And Stik’s pics of the not very shiny aircraft (plural) is eye-opening for sure.