Hi everyone!
I picked up Monogram’s old AT-6 Texan kit the other day and wanted to build it as the Navy SNJ. I love that yellow color! It’s going to be something different next to all the NMF and OD birds I have. Anywho, what color should I use? I can’t imagine that I would use plane old “yellow” straight fromt he bottle. Is there a particular FS number I should be looking for (or a color name)?
Thanks for the help!
Eric
Here’s some ideas from Belcher Bits. Plan on doing one of the SNJ-2s myself. And yes, the decal sheet comes with an alternative resin rudder for the SNJ-2.
http://belcherbits.mondenet.com/combo5.GIF
http://belcherbits.mondenet.com/decals.html
Quagmyre,
Thanks for the info! The markings look great. I was just going to use the box stock decals but now I think I’ll get this set from Belcherbits. Thanks for the links!
Eric
No problem. Had the same interest myself when I got my AT-6 kits. The Monogram and Modelcraft (old Occidental) kits both come with post-war schemes.
As for the yellow wings I’ve used Model Master Acryl Insignia Yellow in the past. Although this next time around I’ll probably use a mixture of Tamiya Yellow and Orange since when it comes to lighter colors (Whites, Yellows, etc.). Tamiya paints seem to have better coverage. One or two coats does the trick as opposed to many with MM Acrylics. I’ve got the right ratio for mixing the Tamiya paints documented somewhere. I think it’s in my old Tamiya F2A-2 Buffalo kit instructions. Let me know if you need it.
Quagmyre,
I would love to have that mix ration for the Tamiya paints! Thank you so very much! (get this!) My wife is going to stop off a at the hobby shop tomorrow to pick up some paints for me since she works just about a block away from it. Did you thin your Tamiya paints before airbrushing? If so, what did you use to thin it?
Thank you again,
Eric
We have the USN Chrome Yellow accurately matched and available in our Colourcoats enamels: ACUS 11 Chrome Yellow. No minimum order, and we ship worldwide.
Cheers,
John Snyder
White Ensign Models
http://WhiteEnsignModels.com
Testor Model Master paints have the correct chrome yellow paint also.
Additional note: the U.S. Air Force also had chrome yellow AT-6s used for training.
Thanks John for the correction… Chrome Yellow… not Insignia Yellow. DOH![:I]
I prefer Acrylics for easy cleanup, and the MM Acryls take multiple coats for good coverage when it comes to the lighter/brighter colors, but I’ve never tried Colourcoats. Might have to try those sometime.
echolmberg - If you choose to go the Tamiya Acrylic route the ratio is 2 parts Tamiya X-8 Lemon Yellow to 1 part Tamiya X-6 Orange. No thinning necessary (like most acrylics).
The only reason I have Tamiya Thinner is because I have a bad habbit of leaving the caps loose on my paints and some of my 2-3 yr old bottles of Tamiya Acrylic could stand to be thinned out a bit as a result.
You guys are all great! Thank you for all the responses and assistance. This will be my first plane being done in this color. With all your help it should turn out great.
Thanks again,
Eric
Try spraying your yellow paint over a white or silver base coat. The chrome yellow looks best over a silver base coat. Put the color on in thin coats and be patient. Yellow is one of those colors that is difficult to cover with.
Rangerj,
Thanks for the great tip. I’ve got a Devastator all put together but with a horrible paint job that I need to strip off. I’ve had that one shelved for about a year now because the yellow paint job I did on the wings was just short of criminal. I was getting so frustrated with it that I was just about ready to dip the da…I mean the stupid thing in a gallon of Dutch Boy. I will first lay down a base coat of silver and take it from there. I’ll bet, thanks to your tip, it’s going to look SO much better! Thanks! It’s because of the job I had done previously that I’ve been avoiding any planes with large amounts of yellow or white.
Best wishes to all,
Eric
Eric,
The Devastator, with its corrigated wing surface, poses another problem. Gloss enamel has a tendency to draw away from edges and pool in the lower areas. So, apply a base coat of silver. I use Model Masters non-buffing aluminum metalizer, or Floquil Old Silver. If you use silver enamel, spray it in light coats and just enough to cover. Then let it dry, and DO NOT touch it.
Next, put on a coat or two of flat chrome yellow, or just plane flat yellow. The reason for the flat coat is that the flattening agent in the flat paint gives the gloss enamel something to adhere to. It will be lress likely to draw away from edges and less likely to run. You still have to be careful not to build up color too quickly or it WILL run.
Spray your gloss Chrome Yellow in thin coats and wait at least 10 to 15 minutes between coats. Let the thinner flash off (dry or evaporate) of the enamel. The enamel will be tacky and less likely to let the next coat “run”. Stop when you have even coverage. Be patient. Yellow is more translucent than other colors and takes more paint to cover, but don’t over do it.
As for removing the old paint, Polly-S makes a paint and decal remover that works very well for this. They also have a plastic cleaning solution that removes mold release, the oil from our fingers, and neutralizes any static electricity, so that things like cat hairs and dust are not attracted to our fresh enamel paint.
One of my daughter’s cats loves to watch me work on models. I have not figured out the attraction yet. With cats you have no way of knowing what they are thinking. At least she keeps quiet. But, when I’m ready to paint I have to lock her out of my work area and clean, dust, and vacuum thoroughly.
I use a spray bottle, like a glass cleaner type bottle, and mist the area where I am going to paint. I mix water with a little dish washing detergent and it stays wet longer. The mist holds down any dust I may have missed. It also holds down any cat hairs. Let us know how the Devastator turns out. rangerj