G’day Folks,
I built this 48 scale PBY-5 Catalina, as part of a contract with the RAAF Officer Training School here in Melb. It deplicts a bird of 43 Sqn RAAF finished in the Ocean Blue / Dark Sea Grey over Black. the RAAF supplied only the serial number of the aircraft and the name of the Pilot, the rest was basicly the kit, a set of own ‘fishtail’ exhausts and the aftermarket decals. With exception to the wing rundals [taken from a faded RAAFset] and the DF loop which was made from a piece of brass wire, these aircraft were at the mercy of the eliments of Tropical hash weather and salt water.
The Extra Colour range of paint was used for the cammo, which was applied over a coat of Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal finish, when the decals had set and sealed, the fuselage and tailplanes where then rubbed back, with a fine emery board to expose the bare metal and the beaching gear was added. Next step was the main wing, [which has not been fitted to the fuselage as yet], was also rubbed done in the same manner, then the weapons were fitted and the wing attached to the fuselage, now all the other little bits were added to their respective places. To get a more fadded apearence to the canvas aleron surfaces, grey chalk was applied and sealed.
Everything was then covered in ‘DullCoat’ and more chalk dust, sealed and another coat of ‘DullCoat’, now the trailing antenia’s were added, between wing tips and tail to fuselage and main wing centre, only the ‘clothes line’ section was not fitted, which runs from the rudder to maing wing.
This aircraft subject was entered at the recent Model Expo here in Melb.
The above photo’s show the upper and lower surfaces, of this aircraft subject, there are nine, photo’s of this model, if you are intersted in a copy of these photographs, or copies of the Black and White Wartime photo’s contact me at scalemag@telpacific.com.au and I’ll email them to you.
Regards
Rob.