Hey guys, I just got a P-47 and I want to NMF it. Im going to airbrush it with Alclad. What shade of paint should I use? I used chrome on my last p-38 with a krylon gloss black primer underneath the alclad. What shade of alclad should I use for the Jug? If I use somthing other than chrome or polished aluminum is it still a good idea to use a gloss black primer coat?
It will depend on the finish you are trying to achieve. If you are going to do a nice clean or very lightly weathered a/c you may want to use the polished aluminum. That and the chrome need the gloss black primer. Bear in mind that these will be VERY shiny. If you are going to do a more heavily weathered bird… a combo of the different “regular” colors can be used. This can be used over many different primers. In a webinar that was given last week on this subject, the presenters used several different primer. But the one of the common techniques they all used was to work the primer after is applied. By that I mean they will go it with very fine micro mesh clothes, to give it an extremely smooth surface. The even said they had applied it over bare plastic but only after sanding the entire airframe down with micro mesh. But in general they all preferred the use of primer of some kind. Future can be used as well. I have had very good results with Model Master Gloss lacquer.
If you start with and overall aluminum then mask of different panels and apply some dark aluminum, duraluminum etc. Don’t over do it or you will get too much of a patchwork look.
And very nice effect was achieved by using a regular primer, then masking of some panels and applying some gloss black to several panels. The model was then given a coat of aluminum and the different undercoats gave some very different looks to the single color of Alclad. Play around on some sheet styrene to get the effect you want.
This one was MM gloss lacquer base then overall duralumin and some panels with aluminum and dark aluminum.
.jpg)
Well said Wingnut
Definitely check out color as well as black and white pics of Jugs in service. Duraluminum sheet weathers at different rates when exposed to sunlight and rain/moisture, so some panels will look different than others. Simply rubbing a panel that has been masked with post it notes using a piece of pantyhose will make the appearance of different grain orientation (aluminum is oriented depending on how you want the strength oriented, similar to wood) .
There have been LOTS of articles written in FSM magazine over the years, a look through your local clubs library of good will definitely yeild some helpful articles dating all the way back to the early 80s.
David
Ok, I think ill do a very shiny paint scheme! Thanks for the replys they are very helpful. BTW very nive stang you have there wing nut.