I am new but i see planes with camo patterns on them. How do you guys paint them?

Hello Nick and welcome to the Aeroscale site. You will have to first tell me how you plan to paint your models? Will it be by brush, canned paint, or airbrush. Airbrush is probably the easiest way and I simply freehand most of my camoflage onto the model airplanes I build. You can take a look at my photos when I post this message by clicking on the appropriate button.

Give me some more info and I'll try and help you out. Again, welcome. Russell

Airbrush and WWII planes.

Okay Nick, thanks. I think you will find it quite easy, with a little practice to do splotches on the sides of German aircraft for instance. The key is a little practice and turn down the pressure on your air source, air compressor whatever. Use the double action feature of your airbrush, I am assuming that you have a double action airbrush, if not holler at me.

Keep the pressure down and simply draw, again, requires a little practice, the pattern on the wing of again say a German 109 or 190.

Russell

Is there a plane that sticks out in your mind that is great for beginners

What scale do you want to work in? Do you prefer Air Force or Navy/Marines? Do you prefer American, British, German, Japanese or Italian? Sounds like I am suggesting whats for dinner doesn't it? Russell

1/72 scale
Navy/Air Force
American/Japanese

How about that. You work in the same scale I do. I think I have one more question. What kind of airbrush do you have? Is it double action? Russell

It's a cheap one didn't want to go overboard just yet
Airbrush

Okay Nick. I have looked at your airbrush. It is a very basic Aztek. I use the Aztek line as well, I have been airbrushing with it for the last 13 years. Mine is a model 4709. It has both single action and double action. Double action means that you depress the trigger for air, the more you depress it, the more air you get. You then add paint by pulling back on the trigger. Also, I have what is known as an internal mix airbrush. The paint and air mix together on the inside of the brush. You have an external mix. No problem. It should work.

I think you will want to spend the 80 to 100 dollars to buy a double action Aztek when the time comes. It has twist on and twist off nozzles. It is worth the money I can attest to that. You really don't need, I really don't need what I have, I seldom use the single action function on my airbrush.

I recommend that you invest in some acrylic paints. They are water soluble and are much safer for the human body than enamels which are oil based.

I use Polly Scale military colors and also Model Master Acryl. They can be found generally at any well stocked hobby shop and certainly can be ordered as well.

Let's look at kits next. I'll send you this message and you can write back with any airbrush questions. Then I'll suggest a couple of kits. Russell

I see so a 80-100 dollar air brush with double action should do the job?

I just checked the Testors site. It looks like at just over 100 dollars, 104. You can buy the most basic double action aribrush. The Aztek has a series of different heads which screw in and out of the nozzle of the airbrush. I recommend you get an acrylic head, which is black or yellow in color. A fine head which is red or tan I don't remember which is the finer. Then get maybe a turquoise head for large areas such as gloss coating models before you apply decals.

It really depends how much you enjoy the hobby. I think it is a worthwhile investment though in the long run, yes. Russell

Hi Nick and welcome to the site . It really doesn't matter whether you have a single action or double action . It's learning how to use the tool . Work with what is comfortable with you while keeping to your boundiers .

There are two types of camo . hard edge and soft edge .

a hard edge camo pattern is when you lay your masking tape down flush to the surface to be painting . or paper is used with the pattern drawn on and cut out and tape flat to the surface .

A soft edge is done in the same manner . Drawn the pattern on paper cut it out but don't tape it flat . Place small floded pieces of tape on the underside of the pattern leave a space between the paper pattern and the surface .

So what kits for 1/72 Navy/AF WWII would be good?

The acrylic head is black or white I should of said, not yellow in color. Aztek heads can be ordered from Testors or bought at a hobby shop for about 11 dollars a throw. They do wear out after awhile, but it is relatively inexpensive to replace them. Also, Testors offers a lifetime guarantee on the airbrush body for the4709. You would have to check to see if that applies to the double action function alone brush, I think it does. If it breaks you send it back to Rockford, IL and they replace it free of charge.

Also modern day coast guard

Terri is correct. It is a tool to learn with. I just think an initial investment in a double action is worth the money in the long run.

As for what kind of kits. A late model Vought F4U Corsair would be good. Hasegawa makes one. You can use sea blue overall for the color. Some of the fun is researching colors online and with books.

How about a Japanese Zero? Hasegawa makes one and also I think that Tamiya kits have good offerings as well.

Air Force could be a Mustang. There is an Italeri kit of a P-47N used for long range escort in the Pacific. It is around 22 dollars I think? The choices are numerous and up to you really. Russell

Academy makes good kits as well. You would be better getting some of their later offerings do to the fact that sometimes some of the decals don't work as well as you would like. I just build the Messerschmitt 262 swallow from Academy and it was a good kit. Russell

The Vought F4U Corsair looks just like the kind of plane I am interested in anything in the Pacific

How about a nice Northrop P-61 Black Widow kit? I think that DML makes one for just under thirty dollars. It is an overall black paint scheme so it would be relatively easy to paint. Russell

That was my dad's favorite aircraft. He was a Marine in the Pacific in WW2. Good choice. Tamiya makes an F4U as well. A good kit at around 21 dollars I believe. I would recommend that one. I believe it is in overall sea blue as well. Another good choice for learning with the airbrush. Russell

Other planes I like are Coat Guard rescue or search planes

Lets see. Academy I believe makes a nice PBY which with the decals that come with it you can make into a black cat. They used the PBY to attack shipping in that mode in the Pacific.

If you can find it, on Ebay, Revell I believe made a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft with Coast Guard decals. I can't remember the scale, it might of been 1/144. The Herc is such a large aircraft though 1/144 would make a nice kit.

There is also a model out of the Spruce Goose! It is in 1/200 scale if memory serves. Not exactly a rescue plane but neat anyway. A Howard Hughes first....and last!

There is a kit of the Boeing 314, the big flying boat from the late thirties which is out. I've wanted to build that myself sometime.

Hasegawa makes a Martin Marlin I believe a post world war 2 flying boat. There is also a Grumman HU-16 Albatross kit made in an off scale. I built it or tried too as a kid. Russell

Have you ever built a P-38 Lighting?

Yes I have. Academy has a nice one in both European and Pacific markings. Russell