Hi, I have a finished B-24 that I want to make look a little more realistic, does anyone have any tips on how I could do this ( I'm rather new to weathering! )

Here is a pic of the "before"


I have done some pastel exhaust stains and will do some silver dry brushing but it still looks like it just was fresh from the factory, while the decals seem to say its quite experienced! I'm wondering if I should dirty it up with pastels or mabye if there are any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Hi!, Kent
very nice B24, You did a good job on the paint scheme
very clean details on the clear parts, I'll have no heart
weathering too much, I think a little darker pastels here
and there should suffice.

Okay,the exhaust will dirty from the turbo supercharger under the engine nacelle,straight back along the bottom of the wing.A light brownish black,start light,and make it darker till you like it.
radial engines blew oil.Or else they werent working.from behind the edge of each cowl flap,drybrush some oily black straight back,as if the propwash was blowing it back.
Looking at pictures of aircraft from the same group as yours,you need the black deicing boots on the leading edges of the wings,horizontal stabilizer,and vertical stabilizers.

Very Cool Job
Personally, I like to add a little bit of scratches on the propeller`s edges.
It would make more real the use and abuse of the plane!

really nice b-24 who makes this plane.
i allways wanted to build a b-24

Check this thread for more info on the plane https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/16701&page=1

I started with pastels and they work pretty good, thanks for the tips guys

Dear Kent,

Very good looking model. I echo that the clear parts look excellent.

How would I weather it? Decide if it is new or if it has been around awhile. If a radial engine isn't dripping oil, it is out of oil! Even without being hit a radial will leave a thin film of oil behind it. This B-24 was in the desert--think dust. The dust will stick to the oil. The sticky dust will collect more oil. Never mind the exhaust, which will dirty up even more!

The ground crews would try to keep it clean, if able. Warplanes are meant to 'kill people and break things', not look pretty. When missions are being flown, getting the bird outta the nest is priority #1. Cleaned for parade is # last.

Fuel will be spilled. Spilled fuel first acts like a solvent to accumulated crude. Then it attracts dust. And tarnishes paint.

Like the sun.

One thing that I do, based on experience of flying DC-3s and working with planes 40 hours a week, is 'selective weather'. I only put oil / exhaust / fuel / scuffing stains where the pollutants would conceivably be. Fuel spills probably will not flow far along panel lines against gravity, so don't put them towards the outboard of dihedrial. Oil/ exhaust stays behind the engine and exhaust pipes.

All in all, the desert aged WWII planes rapidly. Paints of 1940s are not the hi-tech paints of today.

I don't know the history of Strawberry lady but assume it survived. A factor in weathering planes: attrition. It is good and proper to lightly weather some planes because the campaign they were in devoured them. They didn't last long enough to weather. Others survived and would look like patchwork. A B-17 like Nine-O-Nine with a zillion missions would be more 'weathered' than a replacement B-17 on its first mission or so.

Keep up the good work!

Fred

Hi Kent,

One other thing. "Death to raised panel lines!"

Why? The B-17, SBD and DC-3/C-47 had nothing but raised rivets. The F4F and F6F fuselages were built with raised rivets, though the wings were mainly flush.

Many of our beloved subjects SHOULD have raised detail to simulate the raised riveting. To use engraved lines on everything, every where is both inaccurate and not authentic.

My battle cry is "Death to mindlessly flush and engrave!"


All the best,

Fred

Fred,
about "death to raised panel lines". I agree that some places there should be raised detail but in most cases I would prefer the panel lines to be recessed if only to make my life easier. Especially on a kit like this Liberator, which has a tendency to require much sanding which in turn causes me to sometimes mistakenly remove some of the line.

And thanks for the advice. I appreciate your help!

my friend build this kit the 1/48 B-24D Liberator, from Monogram
about 15 years ago when we where kids and he still has it lol.,
i will try to get a pic of it

I am with you 100% there!

Fred

um..... watered down paint chip some paint off with tapeand dry brushing