V Bombers

[johnS2000]

I returned to the hobby a couple of years ago and have built up a little stock pile of paints including Humbrol ,Vallejo and Tamiya .

After a time of using all 3 I've concluded that Humbrol is OK for little bits of brush painting and not to use it in the airbrush .

The Vallejo is good but do not thin with Tamiya Thinners .

Tamiya paints thinned with Tamiya thinners spray better dry better and I'm currently replacing with Tamiya as I run out .

Just my thoughts from the last couple of years .

There are other manufacturers out there that will come highly recommended by people far more knowledgeable than I but these wont be available from your local Hobbycraft should you need a particular colour in a hurry !

[dr_gn]

audikentman said:

sad61t said:

I'd recommend building out of the box and focussing on the fit and paint; the more complications you add, the longer the build takes (exponentially). I'm in a similar position as yourself, having not built for several decades and getting back into it - the biggest problem is my eyesight isn't what it used to be and I really struggle to focus on the small parts.

I too have the Lightning in my stash - exactly the same kit. Any idea if I could get paint scheme and decals for the squadrons (either 5 or 11) based at RAF Binbrook in the late 70s? (dr_gn will probably lambast me for using the wrong mark as it should be an F6, but that option was only on Airfix's 1/48 kit).

Good tip on building out the box, as I said must be 30 years since I last built a kit, I can always get another Victor kit and mod it if I want, the prices hardly seem to have gone up in that time though. No doubt paints, glues, putty's etc have improved over that period, I always used Tamiya pots and rattle cans are these still a good choice? having a bit more money now means I can look at airbrushes this time. I needed something to fill the time at home and my cycling is not going to happen again until 2016, so I'm looking forward to this.

Acrylics are easier to clean up than enamels (being water soluble), but they do tend to dry very quickly which causes problems for both brush painting and airbrushing - depending on colour and finish. They often dry too quickly for effective spreading and levelling with a brush, and can dry and clog the end of an airbrush giving a spatter effect. I've found that using a retarder agent solves these issues; basically it slows down the drying time giving you a fighting chance of spraying nicely, or brushing out streaks.

If you're using Tamiya acrylics, IME you need to spray them for anything more than the smallest details; they don't brush very well. If you're brush painting, Vallejo Model Colour, with a drop of retarder, are the best I've used in terms of acrylics. Humbrol enamels were good for brushing in the past, but I've tried their latest pots and found them pretty poor. Ditto Revell Aqua Colour - I bought some for my son to brush paint a recent model and they were absolutely useless, the paint being both translucent and thick.

Bottom line is that if you want teh best finish, use a good quality airbrush (e.g. Harder & Steenbeck) in conjunction with decent masking tape (ie Tamiya) on every part of the model.

[sad61t]

+1 for using a retarder when airbrushing acrylics; Vallejo Model Air & Color clogs almost instantly without it.

Vallejo's retarder is a thick gel so quite strange to work with (and estimate paint ratios). I have heard (but not used) that their Glaze Medium includes a retarder, so could be a better choice for brush painting.

If you do decide to airbrush, the finish is much better, but practice on cut-up water bottles or bubble packs before committing to the model. It takes a while to find the correct paint consistency and air pressures, so use something cheap, not a model with 60 hours already invested in its build!

[dr_gn]

For Vallejo Model Colour you definitely need to thin it with the corresponding thinners anyway, so the retarder gel isn't much of an issue once it's dissolved. The Model Air is already thinned, and you can just about get away with not adding more if you use retarder. I use one small drop of retarder in about 2cc of airbrush-ready paint mix.

Don't underestimate how critical it is to keep an airbrush scrupulously clean before and during spraying, and get the paint consistency right; any tiny lumps in the paint or a reaction between paint makes spells disaster. Conversely, work slowly and clean everything thoroughly, and airbrushing is dead easy - as ever there are no short cuts to getting a good result. Believe me, I've tried!

[audikentman]

Thanks for the tips so far the Victor and Lightning were delivered by the postie today.

It seems from some of the online build guides that having the plane with its landing gear down then some scratch built engine covers are a good way to hide the veins. Its a pity these are not supplied with the kit.



If I paint both the Lightning and the Victor in the RAF Cammo colour scheme I assume they are the same shade, what would be the best brand, also is there an online chart to cross reference colours?[

[Eric Mc]

Don't assume anything.

My favourite brand for RAF colours is Xtracrylic.



Lightnings only carried the grey/green upper camouflage for a relatively short period towards the end of the 70s and the early 80s. Earlier Lightning variants never carried it.

[dr_gn]

audikentman said:

Thanks for the tips so far the Victor and Lightning were delivered by the postie today.

It seems from some of the online build guides that having the plane with its landing gear down then some scratch built engine covers are a good way to hide the veins. Its a pity these are not supplied with the kit.



If I paint both the Lightning and the Victor in the RAF Cammo colour scheme I assume they are the same shade, what would be the best brand, also is there an online chart to cross reference colours?[

Cheapest option would be to use Tamiya White primer all over, then mask the undersides and airbrush Tamiya Medium Sea Grey, then mask again and spray Tamiya Dark Green. Spraying white with an airbrush over that area will be time consuming and you'll use a hell of a lot of paint. In fact, the model is large enough that you could use Tamiya spray cans for the upper camo too. Your masking will need to be sound though.

IPMS Stockholm do a paint conversion chart, which I would link to if I'd not found it inaccurate in the past, so beware of what you read!

[johnS2000]

Being a rank amateur compared to some on here if you have a smart phone I've found "Hobby Colour Converter " to be useful .

[audikentman]

I found a paint conversion chart here for those of us without a smart phone *cough cough*

http://www.paint4models.com/

[pmessling]

Not having yet built my Airfix valiant but the other too kits are easy builds out of the box, but are a bit boring,

I have completed a skybolt vulcan, not yet finished a Bluesteel victor and the to be avoided the contrail which needs painting. All started about 5 years ago, also that needs painting a falklands XM607 with open bomb bay and bombs, all extras on all models are scratch built. except bombs and missiles.

[audikentman]

dr_gn said:

Cheapest option would be to use Tamiya White primer all over, then mask the undersides and airbrush Tamiya Medium Sea Grey, then mask again and spray Tamiya Dark Green. Spraying white with an airbrush over that area will be time consuming and you'll use a hell of a lot of paint. In fact, the model is large enough that you could use Tamiya spray cans for the upper camo too. Your masking will need to be sound though.

Ordered Tamiya cans to do this, looks like Lightning's had a darker shade of grey than the Victor


Victor K2 (XM669) refuelling a pair of English Electric Lightnings, September 1978

[dr_gn]

audikentman said:

dr_gn said:

Cheapest option would be to use Tamiya White primer all over, then mask the undersides and airbrush Tamiya Medium Sea Grey, then mask again and spray Tamiya Dark Green. Spraying white with an airbrush over that area will be time consuming and you'll use a hell of a lot of paint. In fact, the model is large enough that you could use Tamiya spray cans for the upper camo too. Your masking will need to be sound though.

Ordered Tamiya cans to do this, looks like Lightning's had a darker shade of grey than the Victor


Victor K2 (XM669) refuelling a pair of English Electric Lightnings, September 1978

It could well be that the Victor upper camo is a similar colour, but faded.