I’m looking for some advice from all of you weathered veterans again!
I have just started buiulding a 1/48 P-51D (Tamiya). After fininshing the Accurate Miniatures TBM-1 Avenger, I thought I would do a quick and easy one, but I just realized there are many “firsts” with this one:
First time to create a “wood” floor in the cockpit
First time to use photo-etched parts
First time to paint NMF
The questions I have are:
What are the secrets to making a realistic wood floor? Is there a certain brand of paint or painting technique that help? Or do I just try to find some balsa?
Any do’s and don’t with PE parts? I don’t have that expensive bending tool, but I just have the cockpit set and it doesn’t look too challenging.
Considering how much of the floor is actually visible after assembly, I wouldn’t stress too much. I just painted it brown. The PE is great stuff, just take your time, follow the instructions and you will be fine. Here is my 1/32nd cockpit…
Thank you. I’ve printed your picture for reference. I especially like the detal on the left side panel.
Lufbery:
Is the Testors Decal Making system expensive? I have heard of the idea of making your own decals, but I don’t know the details. Also, yes if you could post some pictures I would print them for reference.
The floors in the Stang were plywood, but I’ve seen "expert " references which say they were 1) unpainted natural wood 2) painted Interior Green or 3) painted with a black anti-skid paint. So take your pick. I usually do mine in natural wood. I start by painting a light tan & then streak it using a wash of Burnt Umber oil paint. You could also use acryics, enamels or water colors for the wash. Just be careful that you don’t disperse the wash too much & just get an overall color, you want streaks to resemble wood grain. When all is dry, I dry brush a lighter tan to give it some depth.
The Testors Decal Making Systme was $5 at Wal-mart.
I’ll see about posting a few photos and giving more details on the process I used later tonight. In the meantime, there’s a ton of information on the Testors product here. Do a search of the forum and you’ll get a bunch of information.
Don’t worry about expensive building tools for your PE parts. First, on the ones that require being rolled or have compoud curves, anneal it by passing it through a flame for no more than a couple of seconds. This will make it pliable. As for as bending 90 degree angles or thereabouts, just clamp the part in needlenose pliers with the bend line even with the edge of the pliers, and bend away. I would love to have a $60 bending tool, but only if it was given to me. You could make your own if you were only a tiny bit motivated, and do it for a couple of dollars. Two pieces of 3/16 plexiglass and a wing nut or two and I think you could cut the top piece into various lengths and shapes to handle common bends. Metal were be best, but plexiglass would be practical for the average modeler. (and, no, I haven’t taken my own advice on the latter. I just give it. Dontcha hate guys like that? But, I do have considerable experience with PE parts and I’ve never found the need for a special tool.)
TOM
Mucker, all the reference photos I have seen of wartime P51 interiors show a floor either painted the interior colour or black. The only place where wood is even visible is in the heavy wear areas under the pilots feet near the rudder pedals or where he would stand up to enter/exit the aircraft and the finish has just worn through to show a lighter dirty brown colour. This would apply if we are talking a wartime fighter plane. If we are talking a restored warbird then yes, I have seen finished wood on the floor. The finished wood thing on wartime service planes is probably just modelers taking some artistic licence IMHO, which of course you are free to do on your model.
Thanks for the advice, guys.
I ended up with a combination of what everyone mentioned…the main floor board was washed to a wood effect and some of the plate from the cockpit PE parts were painted interior green or metal.