The subject is a 35" wingspan plan built Spitfire Mk VIII. I've looked and am unable to find a commercial source for either. Any ideas? I have cut my own templates before....the results were less than stellar.

Jeff

Tower Hobbies carries Major Decals. Take a look at http://www2.towerhobbies.com/CGI-BIN...gm?c=QAE&V=MAJ

Their ".40 Size" may be about what you need.



John

This was done scanning a set of Aeromaster decals, converting to .emf format and scaling them up. (42" span). The paint job was done with a mask, cut out from a scaled up drawing, attached to the surface with roll of tape to keep it off the surface and airbrushed using Model Masters RAF colors.

dd.

Any better art supply store will have friskett paper, which is an adhesive backed paper made esp. for masking shapes. It is available in high and low tack versions - I use the high version. It's made for airbrush use but could also be used with spray can paint. After you cut and fit it onto the model, burnish the edge down to prevent paint bleed under it.

Actually, you want some paint to 'bleed' under it. The use of mats in painting the real planes at the factory resulted a slightly blurred or feathered edge. Masking tightly to the surface will give too crisp an edge.

I emulated this by rolling up masking tape and using the rolled up piece to hold the mask in place about 1/8" off the surface. Obviously, care needs to be taken when spraying, airbrush or can, that you do not spray at a joint. Spray down on it or across and away from it but never directly at it as too much paint will go underneath.

dd.

Originally posted by Doc Data
Actually, you want some paint to 'bleed' under it. The use of mats in painting the real planes at the factory resulted a slightly blurred or feathered edge. Masking tightly to the surface will give too crisp an edge.

1. There's a difference between a "bleed" and a properly feathered edge, such as you'd get with a blanket mask.

2. While camouflage was painted with blanket masks, national insignia and unit markings were almost always masked with tape and masking paper, so that they'd have a hard edge. I have lots of photos of insignia being painted on WWII aircraft - on the production floor, on carrier hangar decks and in the field - and I can't think of any in which they DIDN'T mask with tape or at the very least use a hard-edged stencil.

Jim

Is the general concensus to find a suitable picture of the camouflage pattern and simply trace it by hand? I would prefer to buy a 1/12 scale mask, due to my artistic side being a little.........underdeveloped. Last time I tried that, it looked like this........(God forgive me).

Jeff

By the way Doc, I forgot to mention how impressed I am with the quality of your Spitty! If I could do that with mine, I'd show 'em off more. As it is, you're looking at my best camouflage attempt. Most of the time, I just cover things red.

Jeff

Jim Ryan,
Sorry I wasn't clear. I was referring only to the camo paint when talking about feathered edges. All insignia where masked with tape (or occasionally free handed with a brush).

JWC,
Thanks. However, the plane ended up looking not so good...
http://www.mustangone.com/MySailPlanes/SpitWreck2.jpg

dd.

Oh man Doc! That made me a little sick! Hopefully you've recovered from your loss. I'm considering attempting the Jim Ryan fiberglass technique, to see if my mishaps can be less demanding......structurally!

Jeff

I found some roundells online, Yeah! There are also markings for Canada, Italy, USA (of course) Germany and a P-40. Here's the link.

Jeff

http://www.scalecombat.com/sections/...p/workshop.asp

The only thing I haven't found so far is someone to come over and spray my spitty for me. Covering is half on, I'll finish up tomorrow and take it out for a maiden. I'm not about to paint an unproven model. The roundells are simply printed out and sprayed on with 3M77.

Jeff

Thanks for the link on the insignias Jeff!!
You just saved me a lot of trouble searching for some for my Scratch Built 109.
The Jagdeschwader 1 marking was exactly what I was looking for.

Bryan

Glad I could help Brian! Maybe to pay me back, you can come over and spray my Spitty for me. Wait a minute....If the wind dies, the maiden flight is tonight. You might want to hold off and wait for the carnage..I mean flight report!

Jeff

Originally posted by JWC
Oh man Doc! That made me a little sick! Hopefully you've recovered from your loss.

Ouch. No kidding. What a shame to crunch such a great looking plane and finish.

I'm considering attempting the Jim Ryan fiberglass technique, to see if my mishaps can be less demanding......structurally!


Jeff, let me make it clear that the glassing technique outlined on my website is NOT going to make the airframe significantly stronger in terms of crash resistance. Glassing will make it a little stiffer torsionally and flexurally, and it'll create a slightly harder shell so it doesn't suffer so much from hangar rash. But the purpose of glassing an airframe is that the filled glass cloth makes a nice smooth paintable surface. If you expect more, you may be disappointed.

Jim