Beautiful work, it looks better and even better step by step! I'm looking forward to the final photos.
I have a question on this occasion. Vital to me personally! What about the application of paint on airplanes, when using aluminum / silver paint? The metal parts of the aircraft were also painted with this paint, or was clear paint only used? I will be happy for any opinion.
Hello Honza 78, Thank you for the comments! Great question. As for the application of aluminum paint, I used the following as a guide. According to Rene J. Francillon in Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, Japanese Navy aircraft could either be natural metal finish or aluminum dope. Since Dave operated in a salt water environment, I chose to depict my model in aluminum dope and then proceeded to distress the finish to depict wear from the environment. Perhaps George has more detailed information.
I also wish you a good day. Thank you very much for your answer. Michael, you have accomplished an amazing rendition. Whatever the surface, the result is perfectly usable in both cases. I am interested in this question because of my project that I have on the table now. I'm trying to build a new A2N3 from A.B. & K. hobby kits. So I'm looking for where I can. The result one post higher is phenomenal. Amazing work!!
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Please George don't you have any information up your sleeve?
I think there is some confusion in the modelling community regarding the terminology. But anyway, let me be clear. All the pre-war IJNAF aircraft were painted silver. All their surfaces, including metal (exception in some types the cowling which was painted anti-glare black). That was standard official practice. The aircraft left the factories finished like that. Things first started to change with the "Claude" resulting in the well known "golden Claude" controversy. The surfaces of almost all the pre-war IJNAF types were mostly covered with fabric with only the cowling and/or some areas around the engine covered in metal. The fabric was covered with 3 coats of clear primer then 1 coat of red brown then it was painted with the silver paint. The paint instructions for the "Willow" we included in Eagle Eye#2 show how IJNAF fabric covered aircraft were finished. Just subtitute the orange paint with silver. All metal parts of the "Willow" have first red-brown primer and then the black paint was applied. This would have been particularly important for the metal floats. Pre-war IJNAF types saw relatively little action with no urgency for mass production. Therefore they were properly built and painted in the factories and properly maintained in the units. It's because of all the above reasons that we don't see heavily weathered pre-war IJNAF types with excessive chipping etc. As Mike stated, his model shows a neglected "Dave" at the end of its life, and therefore I think it is a perfect example of how such aircraft could have looked. For a "Dave" operating from a ship, weathering would have been more pronounced especially in the areas where the aircraft got in touch with the catapult, where the crew stepped on to hook the aircraft to be lifted up on the ship etc. HTH
Beautiful work, it looks better and even better step by step!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the final photos.
I have a question on this occasion. Vital to me personally!
What about the application of paint on airplanes, when using aluminum / silver paint? The metal parts of the aircraft were also painted with this paint, or was clear paint only used?
I will be happy for any opinion.
Hello Honza 78,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comments! Great question. As for the application of aluminum paint, I used the following as a guide. According to Rene J. Francillon in Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, Japanese Navy aircraft could either be natural metal finish or aluminum dope. Since Dave operated in a salt water environment, I chose to depict my model in aluminum dope and then proceeded to distress the finish to depict wear from the environment. Perhaps George has more detailed information.
Mike
I also wish you a good day. Thank you very much for your answer. Michael, you have accomplished an amazing rendition. Whatever the surface, the result is perfectly usable in both cases.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in this question because of my project that I have on the table now. I'm trying to build a new A2N3 from A.B. & K. hobby kits. So I'm looking for where I can.
The result one post higher is phenomenal. Amazing work!!
-----------------
Please George don't you have any information up your sleeve?
I think there is some confusion in the modelling community regarding the terminology. But anyway, let me be clear. All the pre-war IJNAF aircraft were painted silver. All their surfaces, including metal (exception in some types the cowling which was painted anti-glare black). That was standard official practice. The aircraft left the factories finished like that. Things first started to change with the "Claude" resulting in the well known "golden Claude" controversy.
ReplyDeleteThe surfaces of almost all the pre-war IJNAF types were mostly covered with fabric with only the cowling and/or some areas around the engine covered in metal. The fabric was covered with 3 coats of clear primer then 1 coat of red brown then it was painted with the silver paint. The paint instructions for the "Willow" we included in Eagle Eye#2 show how IJNAF fabric covered aircraft were finished. Just subtitute the orange paint with silver. All metal parts of the "Willow" have first red-brown primer and then the black paint was applied. This would have been particularly important for the metal floats.
Pre-war IJNAF types saw relatively little action with no urgency for mass production. Therefore they were properly built and painted in the factories and properly maintained in the units.
It's because of all the above reasons that we don't see heavily weathered pre-war IJNAF types with excessive chipping etc.
As Mike stated, his model shows a neglected "Dave" at the end of its life, and therefore I think it is a perfect example of how such aircraft could have looked.
For a "Dave" operating from a ship, weathering would have been more pronounced especially in the areas where the aircraft got in touch with the catapult, where the crew stepped on to hook the aircraft to be lifted up on the ship etc.
HTH
Thank you George for the comprehensive answer. Invaluable information.
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