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Snake Bite! - AH-1W Super Cobra

Painting/weathering

After masking the canopy the model was ready to paint (photo .31). I decided for the Land Camouflage Scheme used by US Marines, Field Green (FS 34095), Blue Gray (FS 35237) and Flat Black (FS37038), and I choose GUNZE SANGYO acrylic colours - my favourite paints for airbrush work (photo .32).

First of all I gave one coat of Tamiya surface primer and I left to dry for 48 hours. Afterwards I airbrushed the model with the first camouflage colour (blue gray). Then, with a darker tone, I outlined the panel lines and added shadows, while with a lighter tone I brightened the center of panels and the lightest areas (photo .33). After applying masks (with TAMIYA tape), I painted the green and black areas (I didn’t use pure black, but I added a drop of white). Then I repeated the previous procedure (photo .34 and .35). After two days I gave two gloss varnish coats to facilitate applying decals and after that three matt coats.

The model didn’t need a heavy weathering job. I only applied some very light washes to the whole model (I call them “filters”): 95% Humbrol thinners and 5% oil paint (black+burnt umber, Vandyke brown, etc..). Later, using a small point brush (nr° 0 or 00) I applied a selective wash with a less diluted mixture only on the panel lines and around engravings and rivets. After a couple of days I applied a light dry-brush to highlight details (projections, rivets, etc...) (photo .36). The gun and exhausts were airbrushed with MODEL MASTER metalizer (nr°1405 gunmetal and 1406 exhaust), than lightly drybrushed with Chrome Silver, only over the details (photo .37). I also applied a black mix wash to the exhausts.

I painted the AGM 114 Hellfire missiles and their pods in Helo drab FS 34031, which I re-created mixing GUNZO SANGYO Olive drab FS 34087 + Flat Black FS 37038 (photo .38).

Finally, to re-create the Blue-metal finishing of the 2.75 inch rockets I used the following technique: a base of HUMBROL matt aluminium than a thin coat of TAMIYA “clear blue” (photo .39).