The ‘Raider Repaint – Painting and weathering the Legend Hobby A-1 Skyraider

I knew in the intervening time I acquired the Legend Hobby A-1 Skyraider 86”, that it wanted the total remedy. It’s such a powerful wanting and flying mannequin and there’s simply one thing in regards to the A-1 Skyraider that I like. So, in my analysis of the A-1 Skyraider, I got here throughout a particular scheme I favored and so it was off to the races!

For the repaint, I selected the scheme of George J. Marrett’s private plane in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969, which carried the moniker of “Sock it to ’Em,” a tag line from the 1960’s comedy present “Laugh-In.” The plane operated with the 602nd Special Operations Squadron (SOS) from Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base and George accomplished 188 missions with over 600 fight hours within the plane.

Painting Process

The Legend Hobby airframe comes with a flat clearcoat utilized over its iron-on masking so the mannequin takes paint extraordinarily nicely. In truth, the paint was utilized on to the floor with none primer in any respect. I like to make use of spray cans at any time when doable.

The portray course of consisted of making use of colours from lightest to the darkest, so with this in thoughts, the underside shade (AS-16) is sprayed first. To masks the feathered underside separation line, I take advantage of 3M Soft Edge masking tape. Being designed to create mushy feathered edges, this tape makes portray feathered camouflage with spray cans a neater prospect, although the traces are nonetheless touched up with an airbrush to complete.

Shades of Grey & Tan

With the gray down and masked, the tan shade (AS-15) was utilized subsequent adopted by the sunshine inexperienced (AS-14) and at last ending up with the darkish inexperienced (AS-6). In the masking course of, paper towels and Frog Tape had been used to guard from undesirable overspray. The good factor is that with this being the A-1 Skyraider SEA Camo ARF, the paint separation traces are already outlined and so had been used as a information in inserting the mushy edge tape.

Separation Lines

While the mushy edge tape does present a good feathered edge with the spray cans, it may be troublesome to get a constant feather. So, to get a greater look from every of the separation traces, every shade was sprayed right into a paper cup as wanted, thinned with some lacquer thinner after which the combination was airbrushed over all the separation traces for the suitable colours. This offered a constant and scale feathering throughout your entire A-1 Skyraider mannequin and in addition allowed for fixing downside areas that popped up as nicely.

Tamiya AS spray cans had been used to color your entire mannequin. They’re nice spray paints and the colours are good!

The first shade painted was the camouflage grey underside (AS-16) adopted by the tan (AS-15), gentle inexperienced (AS-14), and darkish inexperienced (AS-6) on the higher surfaces.

3M mushy edge masking tape was used to masks the paint separation traces between all the colours. This offers a feathered edge between the colours.

With the tape eliminated, a feathered (however typically inconsistent) feathered edge is revealed.

Markings & Panel Lines

Once the Skyraider was painted, custom-made printed and minimize vinyl markings had been utilized. They had been made by a fellow A-1 Skyraider driver much like what you’ll get from Callie-Graphics. Once they had been utilized, I utilized the panel traces which I merely drew onto the painted surfaces with a 0.5mm lead mechanical pencil. It’s wonderful how easy pencil panel traces can utterly change the seems to be of a scale mannequin. A medium hardness lead is beneficial as it’s much less liable to smudging whereas dealing with the airframe. A choice of numerous sizes of straight edges and Frog Tape had been used as wanted to put the traces down throughout the airframe. Additionally, I minimize smaller strips of Frog Tape as wanted to make use of as a information for drawing panel traces round a number of the extra complicated curves as nicely. To shield the panel traces throughout weathering, I utilized a lightweight clear coat utilizing Rustoleum 2x Matte Clear. Without this, the panel traces would fade away and smudge throughout the weathering software.

Weathering

The final merchandise of enterprise, which actually brings the airplane to life, (my favourite half!) is weathering. The entire objective right here is to simulate (not replicate!) the years of service these plane suffered by way of and A-1 Skyraiders in Vietnam had been particularly haggard and soiled. Note that it’s endorsed making use of the weathering course of indoors below synthetic gentle because the solar tends to clean out the colours.

Washes & Oil Stains

The course of begins with the applying of oil stains and streaks throughout the airframe. I used a mix of FolkArt Raw Umber and Black acrylic pigments. Black could be a bit overpowering by itself when utilized closely, so the Raw Umber, being a pleasant darkish brown, is the first shade used with the black used for accents. To make the stains/streaks, some pigment was utilized to the floor in a desired location alongside a panel line utilizing a paint brush, then I used a paper towel to flippantly streak/rub the pigment again alongside the path of the airflow on the wings and vertically for fuselage surfaces. The Skyraider was a particularly soiled plane and so the stains on the underside should be utilized fairly closely. Application of the pigments throughout the rest of the airplane had been fairly a bit lighter and extra sporadic as a complete. Having some footage of your topic plane for reference actually helps, however finally it’s about inventive license and getting the specified look from the end. Note that since that is all being carried out with acrylic pigments, the wonder is that should you’re sad with the applying, merely clear the realm with Tamiya Acrylic thinner and take a look at once more.

To get a constant feathering alongside all the shade separations, the spray can colours had been sprayed right into a paper cup and flippantly thinned with lacquer thinner and airbrushed over all of their acceptable shade separation traces.

Once painted, the markings had been utilized and panel traces had been drawn with a .5mm lead mechanical pencil over your entire mannequin. A choice of tapes and straight edges had been used as guides for the pencil. Once utilized, a lightweight clear coat with 2x Rustoleum matte clear was sprayed over the mannequin to guard the pencil panel traces.

The weathering course of began on the underside with making use of oil stains and streaks utilizing Acrylic Raw Umber and Black pigments. Note that if the applying isn’t to your liking, it cleans proper up with Tamiya acrylic thinner!

To create some gentle fading, all the panel traces had been airbrushed over with very skinny black enamel paint. Once utilized over the mannequin, the mannequin was burnished down with a lightweight Scotch-Brite pad to mix the weathering collectively.

Here’s the panel traces and weathering and the US insignia after the ScotchBrite remedy.

The underside of the Skyraider requires heavy weathering. I utilized streaks within the path of the airflow on the underside and vertically alongside the centerline tank.

The exhaust and gun staining had been utilized with an airbrush as desired with the identical black paint. Using reference pictures helps get the staining acceptable on your mannequin.

To apply curved panel traces skinny strips of tape had been used as information for the pencil.

This shot of the lowered flap present the feathered separation line remedy between the completely different colours.

“Sock It To ’Em” with its weathered scale paint scheme is able to go!

Panel Line Shading

Once all the oil stains and streaks had been utilized, I utilized a fast airbrush shading utilizing very-thinned down Flat Black Enamel over all the panel traces. This helps produce variation inside every of the panels giving the phantasm of accrued grime whereas additionally offering a barely pale heart look alongside every of the panels. Once all the shading was utilized over all the panel traces, your entire airplane was burnished down with a wonderful Scotch-Brite pad to even and mix the layers (essential!). This additionally helps scale back any of the too heavy functions that may happen as nicely.

Exhaust Stains

Additionally, black was used to use the attribute A-1 Skyraider exhaust staining alongside the fuselage. The thinned black paint is utilized a little bit at a time to construct as much as the specified look and darkness. To end, some thinned down Flat Gull Gray was airbrushed close to the exhaust exits to shade the middle and simulate warmth staining.

Final Clear Coat

To end the mannequin after all the weathering work has been accomplished, I sprayed the mannequin with a remaining matte clear coat to guard the end. Again, I used Rustoleum 2x matte clear to finish the job. I completely love the outcomes, the mannequin has been utterly reworked! While the Skyraider seemed good in inventory colours, it’s onerous to beat having an FS correct paint job because it provides a lot to the plane’s realism. Until subsequent time, I’ll see you on the subject!

Scale Colors
Tamiya makes an unimaginable line of plane spray paints which are fairly correct to the Federal Standard colours. For the Skyraider makeover, I used the next Tamiya Aircraft Spray colours:

• AS-16 Light Grey (Camouflage Gray FS 36622, Underside shade)
• AS-15 Tan (Dark Tan FS 30219)
• AS-14 Olive Green (Medium Green FS 34102)
• AS-6 Olive Drab (Dark Green FS34079)

Text & Photos by Chris Wolfe