Hi All,
I am building a B-25 mitchell and amgoing with the Olive Drab color scheme with the gray bottom like the picture in the attached link. I have two questions. 1) What color gray should I use? Gull Gray? 2) What is the best way to mask the transition from the gray to the Olive color, To capture that curved transition between the colors? Thanks for any help.
B-25s, as with other AAF planes, would almost always have the undersides painted Neutral Grey when the top was painted Olive Drab. Whether that’s the color of the B-25 in your link is subject to debate since it looks to have been repainted recently, as most reconditioned warbirds are. I’ve used Model Master Neutral Grey, #1725, which looks close enough to real deal for me and is what’s recommended by Accurate Miniatures for their B-25s for those using that brand paint.
There are several ways to mask the transition between the colors. For a hard-edge line, I would cut strips of Tamiya tape into the curves and apply directly onto the model. I’ve found that Tamiya tape, although more expensive than other brands, is the best tape for masking out there. For a more feathered, soft-edge line, I’d probably roll out some long strips of Blu-tac (though I’ve heard Silly Putty works as well if not better). I’ve both used the Blu-tac as the ‘shield’ itself while spraying, and have also used it to hold some precut paper masks slightly off the surface to good affect for a soft-edge line. For those with better airbrush abilities than me, there’s also the option of simply painting the transition freehand.
Everybody has their personal preferences for the colors and masking, and these are just mine. I’m sure others have different and possibly much better ones.
Hope this helps though,
Mark
Thank you for the tips! I really like the idea about some precut masks being held just off the surface to get that soft edge look. I think I will give that a test run and see how it works. Thanks again for the help, it is much apprieciated.
Travis
For the bottom color, I used MM Light Sea Grey, FS36307 ; it appeared in my pictures to be just a shade darker than Flat Gull Gray, and I had a couple of cans of the stuff lying around (I haven’t graduated to an airbrush yet!). It looks okay on my B-25.