Modeling, Detailing, Painting, Weathering BE ea ..and building Dioramas. eee eerie Pa acract iteWWII AIRCRAFT Modeling, Detailing, Painting, Weathering and building Dioramas.COPYRIGHT © 1998 By ‘The VLS Corporation SIT Lone Star Drive (OFallon, MO 63366 Usa All rights reserve. NNo pars of this book may bo reproduced in any form, stored in 0 rereval system or ansmted In any form and by any means, be It electronic, mechanical, photocopying, for atherusse without the wien eonsent ofthe publsher \VERLINDEN PUBLICATIONS / The VLS Corperation. Published and distributed by The VLS Corporation §311 Lone Stor Drive Lone Star industrial Parke (Fallon, MO 63366 Usa Project Manager 8 Chit Eitor Frangois VERLINDEN Photography raneols VERLINDEN unless otherwise indicated ‘Text, Research & Modeling Francois VERLINDEN, ‘Gordon STRONACH Chase PRITCHETT Printed in the USA.ME - 109G2 segawa’s ME 109G2 has been around several y urate representation of the ME 109. The kit imple and easy. Built straight from the box it can be made into a show winner. However, with VP's new 1302 we can take the ME 109 and hack it up and display its insides! VP's ME 109 G-2 update kit is more extensive than usual ind extra planning is necessar Fortunately VP's 1303 Lock-On #28 ME 109 has well detailed photographs to help along with painting, detailing and loca tion of parts, To start with the plastic kit was cut and chopped up to accommodate the new parts. Some areas alter cutting left a thick over scaled edge. These edges were carved with a knife to a thinner scale thickness Completely finished and weathered airplane. Chipped metal effects done with silver printer's in toned down with Raw Umber.Next the major components were assembled with many of the resin parts built up into sub-assemblies, These sub-assem- blies helped the painting process. Test fitting is very important and rewarding. The engine assembly with its ‘mounts in particular had to be aligned just right. As can be seen in the photos, copper wire was added to the engine mounts and a brass rod was inserted through the rear of the engine assembly (also simulating cannon barrel). The engine's brass rod goes between the ammo chutes on the bulkhead. A. small piece of resin carrier block was cut and glued into the opening. Then a hole was drilled into the small piece of car- rier and held the engines brass rod. This brass rod also acts, as a support for painting, he cockpit was assembled and painted using the Lock-On #28 for a painting quide. VP provides an option for either having the co-axial MG 151/20 to be displayed or closed up. The basic cockpit color was brush painted with Humbrol Matte 111 and allowed to dry overnight. Next drybrushing with Matte 111 and White was done io highlight the detail Alter that was dry a wash of Raw Umber oils and Aeromaster Matte Black was applied for the shadows. A little silver print er's ink and Raw Umber here and there simulated worn and chipped paint. Finally detail painting of the knobs, buttons, ires and stenciling was done with enamel and a fine point- ed brush, Next the engine and other interior parts were assembled and painted. The engine started as basic Matte Black with other areas being shades of Grey. The engine mounts, bulkheads and insides of panels were brush painted Humbrol Matte 72 with a touch of Aeromaster Medium Green. This provides a good base color for RLM 02. Machine guns were also paint fd Aeromaster Matte Black. After drying overnight they were Grybrushed a dark metallic shade using Raw Umber and siver printer's ink. The RLM 02 areas were drybrushed with Humbrol Matte 72. Next a wash of Raw Umber and Matte Black were added for depth and shadow. Worn and chipped paint was added by using Raw Umber and siker printer’ ink Areas cut away for the new detail parts. Underwing ‘cannons are located, pegged and set aside. Small photo etched details have been added. Test fitting of the cowl parts.Alll pieces masked quickly and effectively. Canopy masking made easy. Cut an oversized piece of Bare Metal Foil, burnish it down with a toothpick, run the edge of the toothpick along the insides of the frame, and cut it off with a brand new X-Acto blade. The sticky side of a Post-It note is excellent for hold- ing very le parts. The low-tack adhesive Double-sided tape and a holding block secures your won't damage them during removal. work.Cockpit parts painted and weathered prior to assem- bly. The Lock-On provided useful painting references. Decals applied. The squiggle pattern was applied around the marking as was the real thing, so the decals were applied first. | The engine assembled, wired and painted. Various shades of grey and touches of silver accentuate the Homemade jig to hold the plane while airbrushing. Testors RLM 79 and RLM 76 colors were used. You details. can see the masked off white wingtips . 6Cowling components and landing gear built into sub- assemblies, painted and weathered. Through the use of washes many shades of color can be achieved on the base color. Notice the effects of metalizing, Al this point everything was assembled, test fitted, re painted and weathered (additional weathering will be after model is complete) and the main body of the ME 109 is prepped for painting. A w f Scotchbrite rub the helps smooth and provides 1a good foundation for paint. Canopies w Bare Metal Foil and tacked to a holding To start with, White was sprayed first to i ving tips, rudder and nose. After the paint dried, the tips and fusela find it easier to mask #76 was sprayed tc and gear doors. Then Te upper fuselage, cowl panels and Sub-assemblies are washed and weathered separate- ly and added later for ease of handling. Note how the Bare metal foil masks a good clean line. Free hand squiggles were sprayed with a fine nozzle, carefully avoiding the markings. White areas were carefully unmasked. Markings come from Aeromaster and are applied using their system. sprayed with a fine ine setting on the airbrush. AYter the had dried, a light scrubbing with apiece Scotchbrite made the surface ready for decals. After the decals were applied the masked white areas were removed. A t of matte Varnish was applied to all painted areas and allowed to dry 48 hour Weathering started a: with a touch of Burnt Sienna over the plane body ai drybrushing of Humbrol Matte 72 for highlights. Chips and apes were made with Raw Umber and silver printer's ink. il painted and attached and weatheredSame as the underside; apply wash first around panel After blending away with a cloth the main color stays lines and then wipe away with a lint free cloth. within the panel lines and the removed paint lightly stains and tints the surrounding areas breaking up the mono-tone look of the base color. Te aN eee eT drips are pulled toward the rear of the Press ceo rmTop to bottom: Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna and Matte Black are the primary weathering colors. Mixed thin with turpentine you can see it applied to right wing prior to being removed with a cloth. Flexible tubing and copper wire simulate hoses and pipes under the engine. The wash is heaviest and most concentrated around the engine. with various shades of Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna, « was removed after the canopy frame was vihing assembled and in place, under ‘wing cannon pods were added from VP's ME 109 underwing hing assembled, small details h hatch covers, pitot tube and under ‘A final run of washes and weatheWeathering Examples BF-109-G2A styrofoam base was measured, outlined and cut. Groundwork, in this case Porion , was spread on with a Kitchen knive. Next sand, small pebbles and static grass were sprinkled on and blended to the groundwork with a wet brush. When the groundwork became soft but firm all the elements of the diorama were impressed into the soft ground work and then set aside for later. The painted and completed diorama base. Tamiva paints were mixed for a dark earth tone and applied as a basecoat. Successive coats of lighter shades were drybrushed for the highlights. Grassy areas were di brushed a dark earthy green color and highlighted with successive shades of light green to almost yellow.Figures come from VP 1332 and are painted with oil paints and enamels. The flesh tones were basecoated on bare resin with a mixture of Mars Brown, Raw Umber and Yellow Ochre (one part each). Next a medium highlight of this same mix but with half Yellow Ochre was added and blended. Then a mixture of Yellow Ochre and Titanium White (half and half) was added to the final highlights and blended. Hair was painted with straight oils of darker colors such as Burnt Umber. Clothing was painted in Humbrols in the same method of accessories. This is a quick and ‘easy way of painting small scale figures. For a more in-depth approach check out VP 0855. Painting Fig The System Volume One ‘As an added accessory VP 0380 Fuel cart was added. All the components are placed for just the right bal ance. Color balance is also important and m; 1g the same tone can be difficult.Tire Tracks are impressed into the wet groundwork using a straitedge such as a ruler. A final coat of Acrylic Matte Black is painted around the edge of the base. 13An important part of any of accessories can help ‘lean’ a balance. After all the accessories are pai they are placed in their respective impressions. Footprints that were impressed are now visible and add a sense of traffic. ‘The use of barrels and crates help fill up any blank areas. The vacuformed tent is an added attraction, plastic rod and stretched sprue hold it down. Irregular shaped bases work nicely for such scenes whereas a square base adds a ‘perimeter’ or bound- ry and breaks the illusion which leaves empty cor-P-51 MUSTANG Update Set, it opens up the possibilty of additional detail Modeling & Photography by J.M. Villalba, Spain Tam P-51 Mustang kit is an excellent mode! that looks good and fits well. With the addition of VP's 1170 P-S1D To start with the areas that needed to be removed for the new part cut away and sanded (cowling, gunbay, etc). The elevators were also cut and separated. The cockpit was scratch built with sheet plastic and copper wire. The seat har iade of lead foil and copper wire buckles. Small pieces of plastic detailed switches and placards. After this st fitted it was painted with TS 1715 Interior Green, with a wash of Dark Green, The details were picked out by hand with a small pointed brush. Cockpit placards were painted first Uwith a black square then little dabs of white paint for lettering, Next the gun bay was fitted and painted along with its photo- tched doors. Placard was painted on the inside of machine gun baydoor, by painting a black square first and dabs for white lettering. The bay was painted Interior Green and the guns Matt Black, more copper wire was used to detail Ammunition feed chutes were painted Aluminum. New gun barrels were added from hypodermic needles. ‘Completed engine prior to being wired up and base- coated with Matt Black. 15Elevators separated and retouched to set in new posi tion. Resin components cleaned up and flashed over holes opened. Painted and finished left cockpit half. A good pointed brush is useful in fine detail painting. Right cockpit half, Small stenciling is effective and Tailwheel bay painted, shaded and highlighted by gives a good sense of scale. drybrushing. 16copper wire detail the pilots seat. Completed cockpit floor. Copper wire and det Is can be painted by hand even if painting make the radio compartment look busy. n't there like on this instrument panel. ngine bearers, The engine was detailed extensively with cd brush with shades of silver paint. Bulkheads and ‘Cowling supports are pain wine was built up and painted along with the bulkhead and copper wire and painted Black, Details were hand painted with a poir engine bearers were painted interior Green with detail painting similar to the cockpit Aluminum fhe main body of the airplane wes painted with Testors TS 1418 Aluminum. With natural metal finishes, the surface of the plane has to be near perfect because the silver paint highlights any flaw such as glue marks, cracked seams and sink holes. Decals were applied and sealed with a clear varnish. The canopy was unmasked and polished with Tamiya compound and attached. Al the pieces were painted and glued into position and for the final touch stretched sprue was added for the aerialLanding gear bay receives the same detail painting ‘treatment. A wash and drybrushing help bring out the details. The couplings on the hydraulic lines can be simulated by detail effect painting even when the detail for them isn’t there. Gun bay completed and ready for masking. The bul- let tips on the tracers are painted red on every fifth one. Note the chipped metal on the zinc chromate and the lettering on the guns. Underside of cowling showing the intake trunk - note the simulated rivets on the trunk done with careful painting. Note also the painted placards on the land- ing gear oleos. ed us Recut [ce cee Cie eesExhaust stacks are painted a good rusty, scorched Red Brown. Chipped paint on the spinner is a nice touch. New gun muzzles were added from hypodermic nee- dles. The slip indicator (red mark on tire and wheel) is an easy additional touch for added realism. Above : Natural metal finishes are extremely difficult to do because the surface has to be flawless so the metal paint doesn’t highlight any blemishes. Note the finely polished canopy. At Left : Weathering was kept very subtle - to only chipped paint on the spinner, rusty exhaust mani- folds, and washes around rivets and other raised detail. 19WWII Luftwaffe Nightfighter 1:48 Scale‘amiya's release of their 1:48 He 219 “UHU" (Ow is the ‘beautiful kit i is! It can be built as a prizewinner straight from the box, but VP has man ‘our dio (no. 1323) that can vastly improve this kit with ease, Our diorama depicts a He 219A-7/R: plane was powered by a pair of DB 603E 1 tunate targets by FuG 220 SN 2 radar. The 'UHU" abused its roots, the other in the ventral gun tray), or slashing at the visible horizon and manouvering led bird in the first ever ope ing with 1/NIG 1 he lives of several previously untouc nly one of which escaped the scrape ya kit displayed with VP upgrade set no. 1323 parts installed prior to construction. The photo-etched sheet is packed with easy-to-assemble metal parts. beautiful straight out of the box, and can ly be made into a prize-winner. The VP set takes intage of this excellent kit by concentrating almost ‘ely on details covered-up by access-panels. at the point of rey by tearing into it with tw nolled styrene kit of this aircraft in this scale, and what {to come up with an uparade injection: sma illustrates. capture by allied forces in 1945. This particular ai ‘at night by flame dampers, and guided to its unfor irs of Mg 151 (one pair in the wing ith a pair of upward firing Mk 103 ge Musik” by ath the victim. In the event of an aerial emergency, the crew could safely Although relatively few "UHUSs" saw action, those that did able RAF "Mosquito’s.” By the end of the war, rds and survives today unrestored at the National Air ‘The kit wings after the installation of the VP gun and ammo bays. The engine was left out until after painting. Although it looks like a lot of work, the installation of the VP details is very simple and_ straightforward, requiring only the cutting away of the panels and instal- lation of the detail parts.The model just prior to painting, showing the access- panels fitted neatly over their corresponding openings to ensure proper camouflage allignment. Fuselage halves prior to addition of cockpit tub and ven- tral gun bay. Note additional oxygen hoses added to Radar console and ejection seats after pai sidewalls, addition of seat belts from VP set.This nightfighter camouflage scheme was parti tedious, requiring careful attention to uniformi Numer ny ea a Te aes Cte Perera eerAt this point we also painted the gun and ammc interiors of all of the access panels. S provided in the kit, and we were cut decided to cut away the molded-in. closed retractable boarding ladder under the port side of the cockpit and display it in the fold ed down position it detail for this kit is excellent, so VP only provides ahotoretched seat belts for the eje gunsight in resin, a wire harness for the start: I a thin strip of detail for the sil, and photo-etched armor sheild in front of the armored: lass windshield. This kit only has one quit, and that is the pilot's nearest, which is molded on to i's base backwards, This was uickly fixed by carefully trimming off the base, turning it aroun to face the other direction, and glueing it back together. After painting, fine black insulated wire was used for replicating th ‘oxygen hoses, The most interesting aspect of this cockpit is that he tub is cast in metal, with plastic details that fit snugly over it (Once installed in the fuselage, it acts as a nose- weight to prevent the tal from dragging, The bottom of the cockpit tub also serves as the floor of the nose-gear bay, which is provided with a pai Of small resin bottles by VP. and extra radar scope front sid parts to make the foldabl The cockpit tub and ventral gun tray were superglued into their places, and the to fuselage halves also bonded with superahie illing superglue was poured into the interior of the eam to ensure sirength, hardened with accelerator to prevent it from getting away. The dorsal Mk 108 assembly was omitted as the kit-provided access-panel is as far as we know nd the assembly would be invisible alter cementing this panel in Alot of gar place. A nice feature of the VP set is the addition of two thin resin bulk weads that fit neatly into the aft end of the engine nacelles and are visible through the wheel wells, a provision which was cur ously omitted from Tamiya’s kit. Alter dry-fitting the comp engine assembly to the nacelle, the win cemented to% cer with superglue, and then super the fuselage using extra thick superglue and accelorator. The installation of the gun and ammo bays restrict the use of the dowels provided in the kit for strengthening the wing-roots, so only the forward one can be used after cutting it to fit, Even with this, itis important to be sure that this area is reinforced, Part of the starboard :t away to make room for the VP engine, and this nacelle was only lightly nting, then later removed for insta: lation of the engine. The port nacelle at this point was cemented permanently. efully cut apart, cleaned-up, and re-assem to give a hile more dimension to such he tallplanes were bled in a different position a beautiful modelHere we can get a clear view of the details under the airplane, which carried no external stores. Note the VP opened access panels for the ventral gun tray. couple of small sinkholes on the fuselage spine just ard of the "Schrage M filed and blended, and yps from the p pled othe fox ‘sing double with wh with white glue, Once complete, the kit is tremen- dously enhanced by the addition of the VP upgrade set.tenance crews draped cammo-net- ting on their planes, or simply pushed them way back to the edge of nearby forest treelines. Using an Aztek A470 canopy was. painted \ Schwaragrau” to. simulate through the gla rn, and they ding gear RLM ich camouiflage was res coat Mc Master enamels cured with a smoot ‘The decals used were the or th the kit stenciling from various There is no telerence available on cillng for the "UHU" except for a few iblished in relerene applied a bare mini ‘mum of those that andar most Luftwaffe aircraft. After the decal smight, a clear matte varni and allow weathering, ous airmen investigated with cap- tured aircraft was the cockpit.The two airfield utility carts were pushed back and out of the way of the work being done on the nightfighter. The one on the left is from VP, the other from Pro- Modeler. A mixture of Raw Umber, Burnt and Black artists oil thinned with turpentine was used as a wash to mellow the cd the model, and give it more of a three-dimensional appear ance. The wash was very subtle so as not to make the air look too dark or too dirty. After the wash cured overnight, 1's ink darkened with Raw Umber oil pai ised hinned was I brush ngines where the flame dampers send hot, dirty ex paint % ame details and land painted for final assembly. Once the masking came off, the s completed rapidly. The landing gear, doors, engine panels all went on easily. A support brace was made yrene rod to hold open the canopy, and a piece of the etched fret was fashioned into the fuselage loop-antenna, The propeller shafts fit snugly into vingl washers that are lrappec between the nacelles and the cowlings, so cementing was 1 necessary. ‘The radat antennae are fragile, so after they were ning 19 add was the radio wire antenna The U.S. servicemen are pointing out some area of interest to them on an aircraft abandoned virtually intas dence of a very rapid capture. Note the red and white warning bands on the lower radar antennae, which no- came in handy to the allied crews who were unfamiliar with the features of the odd-loo} iachtjager".Here we see the Ame cussing the situat tured Nazi officer, as well as the excited allied pilots and gr scurrying about the site, checking things out. Most of the equipment positioned around the He 219 are items from the VP range. The ladders and engine crate were scratchbuilt from styrene strip. and one of the utility carts and bomb-jack were taken from the Pro-Modeler 1:48 Ground Support Equipment set (#85-5930).its a marvel of modern model technology. It is cram-ps p details never attempted d kits. It had to be built! enger Superdetail Set, VP 1278 WWI Pilots in Dinghy, and VP 1298 US Navy Pilots WWII a dioramaTo start with the photoetched cowl pan cls, due to the curved shape, were shaped fon the kit parts. All areas that needed cut ting out, to accommodate the update set, removed prior to assembly ymetimes a tedious process con- etch parts to an open ing but worth the results. Next the battl damage using a Dremel to thin the plastic the entry side punched thre Internal structure was simulated with plas strip. At this point the internal detail anbnased wih Testors TS, 2029 overnight plied and set aside for 48 hours. In the meantime the flaps were VP supplies the detail for t flap interior. Bulletholes were along the win prior to assembly. gun bi snd ammo compartment for the port» and this was incorporated for a ‘blown ated, re tioned and glued to each fuselage along with the main wings Interior assembled and battle damaged. Contents of VP 1274 Avenger Superdetail Set.Painted and weathered interior - very busy. of Humbrol 111 and Raw U Next a run of drybrushing wa: ive Matte. A very subtle drybrushing A was interio aint, A th a litle tmpentine, was added for for the damaged areas, Black squares around the Assembled cockpit and update components. Battle damaged cowling with props bent by heating it over a candle. Engine painted and weathered ready for installation. ¢ ignition wi oul is necessary because the fi Is very tight, as much of the interior thickness had rved away along sm the top and bottom of the eylinder heads satisfied with the fit, the engine was base-coate Humbrol 33 Matte Black with Medium Gray painted ‘erner. A drybrushing of Raw Umber and silver printer's ink was use io ae the deta. Anema wash of Ra Unber and tle Burnt a well used, wat Toaged, and ‘shot to heck’ look, The resin ducts were ued in inside the cowl and the engine was attached to its mount ing was painted, weAt this st svered. The canopie: re Metal. Foil Chrome Lightly oversized 5 ind the If you like drybrust th ng the edge proper contact and tight Next a brand new number 11 X-acto held ata 45 degr Quip. A pointed toothpick ‘each frame to ensure straight lines. was masked sun ‘masked with Adhesive Foil s cut and down bburnishec was dra eee acorn First run of weathering. Note blown off and buckled panels with stains from the damaged eng ap sd, even he rest of n the same alongside each frame. This edious but the result is ve This system work or circes like the turret the clear areas were dor applied first on the Interior e¢ paris and let night. N tntire airframe was with Test TS 2143 Semi-Gloss White, and set as TS 1730 Fiat Gull Gray A last. A ight scrub he entire airfram cotch- Brit the ate varnish was dry for 48 hour While this was drying, the fi US Navy Pilots WWII v e, The figures ith Humbrol 1 ‘eam Matte mixed with a little 110 Natural Wood Matte for the light kh flight suit, This wes then drybrushed straight 103, Humbrol 63 Sand Matte for the life prese Belts were painteDinghy from VP 1278 helps give color and balance. th boots painte Sienna, Flesh tones ated with oils, fi ‘of Yellow Ochre, rand Flesh Tint. ed with a litle Ivory Black Burnt Sienna was ble > the shi Highlights wi added with Flesh Tint, Yell ‘and Titanium White, and is with Flesh Tint and Titanium White. of the airplane started with a light wash sr and Yellow Ochre. This fective on the white A thicker wash of the same with a hint of a reddish hue (Burnt Sienna) was needed for the gray areas. The mask removed yet so the ames get the same treatment. N metalizing was done by drybrushing lightly with a 1 Umber and silver printer's nk; chipping was done with the same mixture but with a litle turpentine. Heavy chipping and flaking ‘was added around damaged areas. At this point masking was removed. The cowling received special treatment with streaks of Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber for engine fhuds ‘and damage from “blown off. engine panels. Pastels of varying hades of grays, browns and black were dusted on for a sooty smoky look. Sculptamold is very effective for simulating high seas.Ji imple rep 1g can be easily done with a little heat (from a cigarette) and super glue for gaps. Insult od smo Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber washed in the water sim- ulate oil spills.J Heavy weathering around cowling due to serious engine damage. Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Bhi ‘adimium’ Yellow, and mix and VP's new pilot figi + reposed for the right A coat of semi-gloss makes the water wet.FW-190 D-9 WORKSHOP PLANE the Focke-Wulfe 190 D-9 from Tamiya is an excellent kit with exceptionally well engineered parts for the best fit. Vi set is well detailed s n VP 1190 were cleaned up . test nal bull int se of painting mn ew detail piece: jo-etch was cut and test fitted and set aside for painting. Cockpit was built up and mbrol Matte 111, then drybrushed with Matte 111 and White. A wash of Raw ps and scrapes. Knobs, placards and switches ced with a pointed brush, A nice view of a busy maintenance scene with many little detail parts for that extra realism. 38Nice view of the engine and its components. Note the paint around worked on areas such as the gun bay wing root and MG 151/20 cannons. Note the chipped and cockpit. I Foil and the airframe w: sprayed Testors RLM 78 first. Next Testors RLM 75 was spray ‘of RLM 02 fuselage and set aside night. 2 light serubbing of worn-out as sprayed on and ted with a com Burnt Sienna and Matte ed around the panel lines and deta With th shades can be mix Wy of the three. applied, excess is remou 1 hard to reach areas, a wide This procedure is done a sectio ne, so that the wash doesn't have time to dry. Next a run of dry brushing is done to highlight any raised detail Diorama base and building created from sheet plastic and structural | gsily, metalizing is done to show w plastic shapes. A base coat of Dark Grey and wash and weathering add cut or chipped paint on high traffic to the re 40The completed busy maintenance scene. Lots of spare parts and extras come from the scrap box. VP fuel drums and VP 0380 Luftwaffe carts add to the This is done by using silver printer's ink toned down with Raw Umber. This mixture can be dry brushed or with a litle tur pentine painted on. Maskin: emoved and small fragile parts were painted 3 A final wash was done to accentuate any thing left out, To finish i aerial of stretched spruc added. Vise and drill press come from VP 0584 and the Luftwaffe carts are from VP 380. Figure uniforms are painted with enamels and highlighted and shaded jth washing and drybrushing.Flexible tubing, spare parts and fuel drums add to the realism. Extra accessories like the Machine Guns from VP 1261 help fill in any empty spaces. Wall posters come from VP 0014 but you can also use the newer releases being VP 1242 or VP 1264. Stepladder is fabricated from strips of plastic. th a diorama in mind, the bulding was f shes plastic, plastic | beams and structural “L.” beams and angle irons. Windo made of clear plastic and signs and posters come from the VP range. Building was washed and me manner with lots of spare 0467 were painted with ing system outlined in jure Painting, Makeshift tables and work benches were created eas- ily with sheet plastic and tubing. Painting was simpli- fied by gluing all the parts first to the table and bench tops - even the photo-etch tools.Many of these spare parts come from VP kits VP 0322 and VP 1132. Figures come from VP 0467. ‘Tarps for maintenance can be made from folded lead foil. Photo-etch tools are tiny and best glued first and painted later.Engine cowl panels were carefully removed to show for display. Using the Aeromaster decal system, spi- ral spinners are casi Gun bays, landing gear and other airframe interior parts were brush painted with Aeromaster RLMO2 and set aside to dry over night. A drybrushing of Humbrol Matte 72 highlighted these and a wash of Raw Umber, Matte Black and a touch of Burt Sienna shaded them. Next, a fet printers ink and Raw Umber gave them a The engine was base with Matte Black and after it en several drybrushing applications with subse- jades of silver using silver printer's ink - starting from to light. Details were picked out with straight Silver Machine guns were done using the same method Pee a ee recy eee ch re ear greasy, dirty look.PACIFIC RESCUE! A 1/48th scale Diorama by Gordon Stronach Water by Lewis Pruneau ‘The Catalina was always a welcome sight for stranded aircrews forced to ditch their planes! Tue Monet: The 1/48th PBY-5A Catalina from Revell Monogram Pro Modeler (#5934) is an enormous kit, measuring 16” in length ingspan, and features fine details, engraved panels, and detailed cockpit. From the first moment I saw it, it was im this aircraft be placed in a water diorama. It begs for it! So much so that it inspired us to create another release VP Pilots in dinghy 1:48 Scale. The general const of the kit ther seam . am has made grea provide modelers with well designed kits and have succeeded with this one. Th ouble is making room on the wor Assembly was straight from the box. First, the necessary interior components and cockpit were painted. Ar Testors 2029 Flat Greet hed with Raw Umber artist oil paint, General detail was subsequently drybrushed with Flat White mixed with 2 boxes and details were added last. The fuselage was then closed up and exterior painting preparation began and the wings A model this massive needed to be worked on in two stages: the fuse First the fuselage was cleaned up, filing seams and cleaning up the sprue attachments. All clear parts were masked with Bare Metal Foil and white-glued in place to protect the cockpit and the aft compartments, The wings were assembled with the painted engines. them from painting. At this point the fuselage and the Cardboard cones were fashioned and placed in the engine nacelles to prot wings were scrubbed down with Seotchbr a4Above : Interior base coat sprayed with Testors 2029 Flat Green and washed with Raw Umber artist oil paint. Right : Bare Metal Foil was used to mask the canopy from the exterior color airbrushing. Above : Interior details prior to assembly. Right : Notice the washed right side of the wing versus the bare base coat to the left. Washes make the difference! Parry An initial base coat of Aeromaster 9046 US Intermediate Blue Wwas airbrushed onto the aircraft, Next, 9046 mixed with 9056 Light Gull Grey and a touch of Testors'1715 Interior Green was lightly applied to the large, open upper surfaces. Next, a very light mixture of Flat White and 9046 was sprayed onto the very uppermost areas. All this created a good sun-bleached look. The underside was painted with slightly lightened 9056. A heavy application of matte varnish was sprayed the next day and left to set for 48 hours. Meantime, small parts were painted and pre- pared. Weathering: When you combine the exposure of the South Pacific, blaring sunrays, blasting sand, salt, and air, not to mer tion the hard life of an ‘amphibious aircraft, heavy weathering is, a must. First, a wash of Burnt Sienna and Matte Black was applied, wiping the excess in the direction of airflow. Weathering, around the engines was more concentrated while surfaces of fab Fic was lighter. In areas where panel lines adjoin, moving surfaces were laid in with a much darker mixture, The lower surfaces (Light Grey) were washed with Yellow Ochre artist oil paint mixed with Mars Brown. This lighter was was applied because the wash used on upper surfaces was too dark for the lighter grey panels. Areas around the wheels were heavily weathered and other fabric sur faces were, once again, weathered in a lighter fas After these general washes, local washes were put in around the engine, wheels, movable areas, and heavily trafficked surfaces. Metal wear wes applied next, which gives the illusion of metalic surfaces underneath the paint.There are two phases: worn and chipped. The “worn look” was accomplished by toning down silver printer's ink with Raw Umber oil paint, Why not black? Black is too harsh and unnat ural, while Raw Umber gives a warmer, more subtle darkening of the silver. This mixture was applied by drybrushing - sparingly to areas of high traffic, behind props and handled areas. The ‘chipped look’ is achieved in the form of a thinned mixture of printers ink and Raw Umber. This mixture is lightly “tickled” with the point of a small brush in areas where paint would suffer tra ma or scratching. These are areas such as leading edges, hand/foot holds, access panels, landing gear doors, and occo: sionally in the middle of nowhere just for good measure - per haps a mechanic's fallen wrench? TIhese techniques are all used inside as well to lend a "lived in” look to the Catalina. All of these weathering techniques come togeter in harmony io sv ie to the model After the weathering was completed, the wing was finally mated to the fuselage and support braces put in place. Floats were attached and the true size of the plane was evident! With the canopy removed, here's a view of the cockpit and pilots. Base: Open the floodgates! Next came the groundwork, in this case "waterwork’. The envisioned scene was to be a Catalina res cuing stranded airmen from the middle of the Pacific. First, a siz able base was cut from 2x4s and plywood and sprayed Flat Black. After determining the position of the “Cat, the aircraft and dinghy were glued directly to the base top. The medium of choice was none other than Celluclay! This amazing product sets up naturally and perfectly suits the open sea. A very generous amount of white glue was added to the mixture to prevent the Celluclay from shrinking, cracking, or cutling up at the edges. ‘The mix was spread around and leveled by hand, and shoved up to the Catalina with a spatula, Left : The effective use of VP's new dinghy set. Below : A sealing coat of semi-gloss lacquer adds a real- istic wetness to the water.Note the antennas fashioned from clear stretched sprue, along with the airbrushed exhaust stains. A model this large is like a palette, requiring numerous treatments of washes, hlights, and weathering to bring ‘out the immense detail With the entire water area coated with Celluclay, peaks and valleys in the water ‘were shaped and patted by hand. Wakes and crests were shaped with a paintbrush handle. After the Celliclay had complete ly hardened, the Catalina and dinghy were hasked off with paper and masking tape. The water was. then sprayed. Several shades of blue, green, and even brown were applied, varying ‘the concentration color while striving for a continuity in Washes of artist oils gave added er and depth to. the water uches of white were added to the wake and white After all the paint had thoroughly cured, the water was sprayed with Testors Semi-Gloss Lacquer for a wet look, and the masks removed from the Catalina Various washes of Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna oils give the upper wing surfaces a good color variation.Ficues ano Dinciy: A mixture of kit figures and spare VP 1/48 figure parts were used for the pilots, The posing of the pilot figures and the out siretched airman in the blister was tedious, but made possible with arms and hands from the kit bodies, The stranded floating figure was converted from the new VP dinghy set, with an inflat life vest added from Miliput, and was sawn in half for a water ine look! The two men in the boat come with the new dinghy set, Shark fins were quickly fashioned from sheet plastic. All ig Ures were painted in Humbrol enamels and flesh tones painted 1 the end, everything came together nicely and displays a scene of drama on the Pacific Ocean. Watch tho harks! for the kill Above : Using blue/green oil paints in semi-transparent layers gives the water a fine sense of depth. Right : Touches of Titar white caps on the water. um White oil paint simulate the 48Sao aI Poe eL Aer w Ee Nty Essar else eL ee ICY