Painting an RC P-51, part 2

The cover is one factor you can not afford to mess up, so masks it rigorously. I used the fuselage as a resting place to do the masking.

The cover body wants silver on the entrance solely, however I painted the whole body with silver as a primer.

The entrance cover body stays silver so it must be masked off after drying, however the decrease body will get OD Shade 41. Several gentle coats as earlier than till it covers properly.

While you could have one shade within the gun, go forward and paint different small components on the similar time. Saves cleansing the paint gun yet one more time.

This explicit P-51D had silver cover frames and OD Shade 41 as properly. I saved the correct paint the place I might. The extra genuine particulars you add, the extra attention-grabbing the mannequin turns into.

Part of the enjoyable (or distress) of portray is deciding the place issues match on the paint scheme. Most of what I do is “eyeballing” together with some measuring. Here, I’ve decided that the stripes start on the OD Shade 41 paint line and prolong across the fuselage to the opposite facet. Pick one facet and go at it.  The whole space right here can be white latex. Use outdated parts-bags that include ARF’s to masks off massive areas as proven right here. Saves a number of masking paper. But, don’t use newspapers for masking because the ink will come off in your fingers, after which to the mannequin. But nonetheless you do it, be sure you have lined all of the OD and silver paint. The essential factor right here is to make the strains completely VERTICAL. Not as simple because it sounds, particularly going round to the underside of the fuselage. It additionally helps to dam the fuselage up as near degree as attainable to present a greater eyeball perspective.

I’ve set the tail on customized stands to degree the fuselage and to clear the froth cradle. Several coats of white have been executed. Let this facet dry whereas working the opposite facet.

Keep it going to each side and backside. Stuff tissue or paper into any openings to maintain overspray out.

Mask off for the black stripes. Again, make sure that your strains are vertical and properly sealed on the edges of the tape. Going across the curves is the toughest part to get appropriate. I tape-on kevlar fishing line to go across the curves as a information after which calmly pencil-trace them when it appears proper. Try to visualise slicing the fuselage in two on a desk noticed, that’s how the strains ought to look on the curves – completely straight.

Black paint covers fairly simple, however nonetheless takes a number of gentle coats.

Making progress! All edges are sharp and clear. Especially the transition between the OD and stripes.

The first Star and Bar paint masks is in place. This requires some measuring to verify the S&B is parallel to the paint separation line between the OD and silver. The S&B goes within the middle of the invasion stripes and barely above the paint line. Mask off all areas of the fuselage.

I missed a photograph of this step on the fuselage, so I’ll substitute the one from the wing S&B. Mask will get painted white inside. Make certain it covers all of the OD Shade 41 and black invasion stripes.

After the white is dry, add the 2nd paint masks (star and 2 bars) to cowl the white areas. Make certain all of the masks are centered and sealed tight. Note the pencil marks on the paint masks. It helps to mark the lifeless middle of every paint masks earlier than you apply them as you’ll be able to gage the place the star goes; lifeless middle. Then spray with Insignia Blue Mil Spec FS 35044. Use gentle coats right here to maintain any moist spots from across the edges as they might bleed by way of the masks.

CAREFULLY take away the interior S&B paint masks to disclose the stark white areas and you might be executed. And then CAREFULLY pull off the outer paint masks.

Now you could have a fantastic wanting S&B that can keep in place, gained’t bubble underneath the warmth of the Sun, and appears like the actual deal. Process is similar for all S&B’s on the plane.