Got started on my 2nd one so i can use the other nose art from my Exito sheet. This one will be BABE.
Assembly is a dream. Put almost all of it together in a weekend while traveling.
Now working on the pilot before closing the canopy. Doing this one in flight. So far probably my best pilot ever. Still some work on gloves, straps, and helmet yet. Going to clear him tonight and add a wash tomorrow.
That is a good looking figure.
Good Lord! Your figure painting is amazing. Could you share what techniques you use to get those results? I’m astounded. I struggle with faces, which means I usually avoid figures.
Sure but i warn you this is one of my 1st decent ones 
in the words of Monty Python, “I got better”
Spray the whole figure black. I use chaos black fromCitadel. It’s a satin.
then mist flat white spraying from the top down, head towards the feet. This shadows the creases and highlights the high points
i used vallejo model color. Thinned 50% with vallejo airbrush thinner. Multiple thin coats. Let it dry well between coats. That’s the secret for me.
These have 10-15 coats on them over 2 days.
then a gloss coat. Wait 24hrs. Apply a Flory wash.flat coat amd DONE 
Thanks for the tips! I’ll give it a shot.
drop me a line if you have questions c va n d e g r At
ic lo ud dot com
Working on some creative weathering to see how this turns out. I’ve done a bunch of preshading and then sprayed a gloss clear over it to seal the flory washes.
definitely going to be interesting. Next up i’m adding the panels to the flaps by shadowing in light and dark olive drab. The pics here are OD lightened with orange yellow 2:1 in that order.
tomorrow i’ll shade the other 2 sides of the rectangles in a darker OD. Then a cover coat and chipping.
I think the experience overall was a success. I got some good practice doing the shading for panels. OD hides alot so i thinned the paint another 25% with mr color leveling thinner. Maybe 50% next time haha
This one is where i finished yesterday. Lightened OD on the lower and left hand panels simulating light coming down from the right side.
this one now has darkened OD on the top and right panels as these areas would be slightly shaded…more like a lot shaded as i made it too dark imo.
and finally the top coat. I put an extra coat over the darker areas of the shaded panels to try and blend them a little better.
now to let it dry and see if I’m happy with it tomorrow [blndfld]
Just about finished up. For those of you stopping by here’s a Tamiya thick as a glacier decal settling guide [8-|]
so these things are so thick, how thicc are they, well let’s check it out…
This one really shows it off
what i did since i don’t have any aftermarket stencils is a trick we used for pin striping on 1:1 Scale cars. I put three coats of gloss clear around the decals, then two coats over the decal and the prop blade. Once that dried I went back over everything and sanded with 3000 grit paper. A litle ver the top surface but mostly using a toothpick to catch just the edges to fare it all in.
This is with the gloss
Here’s one as i finish up sanding
and the finished job. Thought i had an original to show side by side but it seems I didn’t take one.
Finished! Here’s a few of my favorite pics, starting with my absolute favorite
Love these kits! I could do more for sure. Maybe next year i’ll come back to one
Next year’s IPMS Regional theme up in Dayton is Nose Art, I’ve got my entry!
Hey!Eugene!
Nice Birds! I was talking to a retired U.S.A.F. Tech Sergeant the other day, and he shared something with me that didn’,t I must say, really surprise me. He Said that just before Viet-Nam, a cadre of high placed Senators and Congress-Persons? Were offended by the nose art they saw on some War Weary birds and various bases and requested the A.F. to do somthing about it.
So ,the result? Some of the retired Warbirds had the Nose Art Painted out at the commands where they finally rested. Also, many had had the skins with that art removed and it found homes with various (at that time) " Confederate Air Force( Now “Commemorative Air Force”", Really?) This still rankles some in the services as they did the same to Destroyer Stacks and Macks Too! The U.S. Army also got the boot on some Armor Art as well. I am getting so sick of folks changing our history even in small things like that! I got chewed out at my tender age of 79 for wearing a Marine Corps Bulldog shirt with the Dog armed to the teeth. I have two, a Gruff looking one and a Metallica looking one. I was wearing the “Gruff” one. “I was told to be ashamed that I still glorified War in front of her Grandchildren.”!
I guess,“Esprit de Corps” Don’t mean diddly now! Even unit shirts and emblems cannot be construed to “De-Mean Women” or “Glorify” Battle! Gees, I didn’t even get my attendance star for 20 years in service either! Some guys would’ve been proud of their “Rosie the Riveter” Wives! Some Females in Gummint find pictures of “Rosie” Repugnant. If’n Rosie hadn’t stepped up we’d been in a world of bad. And it started with the likes of the W.A.CS. More than that the Womens Army Transfer Pilot Corps! Women learning to fly so men could go forward and fly to the lines on planes they ferries.That way men weren’t required behind the lines for that.Brave women abound in service. It to bad they didn’t have women singing their praises back when they needed it!
Those ladies at Boeing, Grumman and Republic are to be thanked (They are, from the bottom of my Heart)
Yes Marlin Brando mentioned something similar in Apocalypse Now!
"Those ladies at Boeing, Grumman and Republic are to be thanked (They are, from the bottom of my Heart) "
Absolutely! Some people just don’t understand the mentality in the world. If you sit on your ass and don’t defend yourself then you’ll be subjugated and somebody elses slave in no time. Wear your shirt proud!
Always like seeing Lightnings made up, great figures thanks for the tips very handy for the GB I recklessly signed up for.
Eugene that’s a great one. Who’s decals did you use?
Est 1961 I signed up for that one too i think, Dodgy’s right? I’ve got some figures for a dio I think I can finally do justice to. This P-38 figure from Tamiya has to be one of the best included in a kit.
Beautiful build of my favorite WWII aircraft! Stunning work sir!
tjs
You Betchya!!Mongoose,Thank You!
I found the pin up gal in my decal stash,I thnk it came from a B-25 kit!
I put her on my 61! 