Hi

Been getting interested in natural metal finish aircraft with all the new stuff coming out. However, I'm not sure how to handle fabric. I've got a Spirit of St. Louis and a Nieuport 17 asking to be built - not to mention fabric control surfaces on WWII planes. Would we be thinking of a paint pushed for the NMF market (I've got big hopes for the new Vallejo line - I don't use lacquer if possible)) or something more like the older "silver" colors. Golden has a beautiful fine silver that lays down beautifully. It doesn't emulate metal, but I think it would emulate metal paint nicely - it is one.
Thanks in advance.
Eric

I have seen pictures of the Spirit of St. Louis and the fabric areas were not "metallic" at all, they painted with what it looks like to me silver dope with a flat finish.

Good luck on your builds!!

I find that plain old Testors spray silver does a very convincing silver dope finish.

Wonder if silver dope was made flat because of heat. There is an argument that something like that caused the Hindenburg debacle.

I helped my brother paint a mint Cub yellow in a poorly ventilated building. Smell was awful. Don't think OSHA was around 70 years ago. I still don't like lacquer paints. I think the Golden High Flow will be perfect.

Most "silver" coatings on early aircraft were actually powdered aluminum mixed into a carrier and applied to aircraft linen or canvas. The reason for this was because UV rays (as in sunlight) would cause untreated fabric surfaces to deteriorate quickly, and the aluminum impregnated "dope" would repel UV rays, or at least attenuate them. During WWI, French aircraft like the Nieuport 11 and 17 came from the manufacturer in this finish, later, manufacturers found a way to mix paint with aluminum. I like to use Floquil Old Silver for fabric surfaces-- Testors bought the Floquil line a few years ago, not sure if it's still available, if not, I also like to use Testors silver mixed with a small amount of flat light gray-- it gives a smooth, fabric like finish. I suppose you could mix silver and any color of flat paint for a similar finish.
VR, Russ