Cockpit
The first job was to remove any plastic in preparation for the photo etch, luckily there's not too much. When ready, the parts were sprayed with Alclad aluminium, the paint would have deteriorated quite a bit and I find the hairspray technique (using AK Interactive Worn Effects) the best way to achieve this look.
With this technique it's important to spray on a matt coat, this will give the chipping fluid something to grip to but also there is a danger that the top coat will just wipe off. I find the AK Interactive stuff just a little too thick to spray well so I find it's best to dilute it with water until it will mist out of the nozzle. I find about to light mist coats will be enough for what we want.
After a blast with the hairdryer to dry the fluid, the top coat is sprayed. This was Gunze Interior Green which normally dries to a satin finish but I added some Tamiya Flat Base, this will help the chipping phase. The areas to be chipped are damped with tap water applied with a soft brush, then a stiff cut down brush is used to gently scrub the area, eventually the water will dissolve the Chipping Fluid and the top coat will lift off revealing the chipping.
It is important to seal the work so far with some matt varnish or the subsequent weathering may damage the paint work, the Chipping Fluid makes it a bit susceptible.
With the chipping done and sealed, the details were painted with Vallejo Model Color and a fine brush and then the photo etch added. I also added numerous placards from the excellent Airscale range of deals.
To enhance the shadows and lift the raised detail a pin wash using AK Interactive's Dark Streaking Grime was used. I wanted a bit more contrast than normal because it will be quite dark inside and there will be a lot more weathering going on top.
Now for the fun part. Using Mig Productions Russian Eart, Dry Mud and AK Interactive Dark Earth pigments, I simulate the build up of dirt, grime and soil which would have accumulated. Small amounts of the pigment were applied with a small, dry brush and then they were blended with white spirit. On the floor, the area was wetted with white spirit and then the pigments dropped onto it by tapping the brush, it's important to allow the effect to build up slowly. As a finishing piece, some Joefix Studios grass tufts were glued in and some Plus Models leaves glued in place. The leaves were a bit stark so they were toned down with pigments.
The final piece of the jigsaw was the instrument panel. I find that in a few cases the excellent Eduard colour photo etch sets can be a bit flat, this is no exception. I used the main panel and switch panel but painted the circuit breaker part as this had some nice relief. In keeping with the theme, I didn't use the rear part with the dials as I wanted to simulate that the instruments themselves had been cannibilised but you'll note I've added one hanging by it's electrical lead!
OK, that's it for part two, in part three I'll be painting the engine and gluing the fuselage together.
Jamie! The more I look at your pictures, the more it makes me want to try to build and weather an aircraft! This is amazingly well done! Keep working this way, and keep writing as well! I like reading your posts!
ReplyDeleteAlex!