So now that Testers in it’s infinite wisdom is discontinuing the Model Master enamel line does anyone know what paint I can use to replace the navy and army greens and grays for WW2 Japanese aircraft?
That I can use in a air brush and I can get in the states.
Thanks
John
MM acrylics. Sorry to say this but acrylics are what’s going to be left be it Life Color, Vallejo, Model Master, Tamiya.
Order online in places like scalehobbyist and stock up a few bottle of each color you need.
Sending you a PM on a LHS in my area you could try since he has quite a lot of Model Master enamel paints in stock.
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Hang in there Chuck Tamiya in going to bring there lacquer paints into the U.S. they should have the Japanese colors you need.[:D[ ACESES5
Humbrol has made no indication of discontinuing their enamels line, or shipping it to us here in the colonies… Mind you that they no longer have their dedicated Japanese colors of their old “Authentic” line. But they have several that will work as close substitutes in most cases.
But if you’re gonna go acrylic, I’d say go Tamiya as they airbrush wonderfully, and they have dedicated Japanese colors.
They don’t have a wide range of colors in their lacquer lines. I’m with stik on this one - Tamiya acrylics is your best choice.
I want to build a few 1/72 scale Japanese aircraft models before “retiring” from the hobby; 69% of me is history relative to how long Dad lived so dozen more years building tops.
My Regia Aeronautica Italia builds remain first priority, expect to get them all built by 2020. The Battle of Britian (BoB) series build follows, i.e. kits originally released before 1975 most of them on or before 1965, got all the Germans need to buy the Brits.
The Japanese builds are low priority right now but might build something after the BoBs. Revell’s Ki-21 II Type 97 “Sally” always has interested me but is hard to find. Whenever I get around to building Japanese subjects will pray enamel paints are still available to finish them.
John,
Gunze Mr. Color lacquers are available now in the US. They have an extensive line of WW II Japanese Army and Navy A/C colors; greens, greys, propeller brown, cowling black, interior colors representing Mitsubishi & Nakajima factory built planes, and maybe others. Now I have ZERO (pun intended!) idea if the colors are regarded as accurate, but they do look good.
If your LHS or favorite mail order shop stocks Gunze paint, you are all set up. HTH
Although Gunze has a slightly larger selection of Japanese aircraft colors compared to Tamiya, I would still recommend Tamiya. One, Tamiya acrylics are easier to work with. Two, Tamiya paints are thinned with their own thinner, isopropyl alcohol, or generic lacquer thinner. And three, with their retarder, Tamiya paints are now easily hand brushed again. At least like they used to be when first introduced and before they were reformulated.
Gunze Mr Color paints are much harder to find in a shop. They thin only with their thinner (which is very pricey), or lacquer thinner (fairly at best), and do not hand brush as well. At least I have not yet found the trick to do so yet…
Tamiyas line of Japanese aircraft paint colors has a few more than the Model Master line.
So there are the pros and cons between the two replacements that I have found.
So you can really use lacquer thinner with thier acrylics?
John
I have used hardware store lacquer thinner with both Tamiya acrylics and Gunze Mr Color paints for airbrushing. It works with both types, but I think it worked better with Tamiya.
Lacquer thinner and Mr Color is more sensitive to the mix ratios. If the ratio is off, the paint can “spider web” or come out like cotton candy as it is moving in between your airbrush and model.