HiVis F-16 Viper
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Tamiya’s 1:48 F-16CJ is the kit that I picked to create a fictitious flight test chase plane which would be used to act as a safety observer for various flight testing scenarios and equipment. The model was primed with Tamiya Flat White then given a coat of Pactra Gloss White. I know I am not alone when I state that I wish RPM/Testor’s would reintroduce the Pactra line…it was a great paint! The Fluorescent Red Orange is my Hawkeye’s Talon Series Acrylic which too was applied over a primer of Tamiya Flat White.
The tail was actually painted three times. One the first attempt I was going to give the entire upper fuselage a red white and blue patriotic theme, but when I tried to correct a small speck of a booger in the red where it met the white…needless to say it went into the stripping tank (Windex) to remove all of the paint from the upper fuselage and tail (which were separate pieces…I left the subassemblies separate until painting was completed). One the second attempt, this time with just the tail itself, the stripes didn’t quite look right so it again went into the stripping tank.
On the third attempt after I had yet again having given it a primer of Tamiya Flat White I decided on a simpler paint scheme and chose to use my Fluorescent Red Orange. The areas to receive the Orange are the tail, lower fins, wingtip missile rails and external fuel tanks…the centerline one will just receive a band of orange.
I’ve scavenging through my decal stash to come up with some plausible markings. I’ll post more images as the build progresses as well as point out some of the details such as the NMF leading edges.
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!
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It’s in fact mandatory to prime the model with flat white before applying the Fluorescent Red Orange (FRO). I’m planning to build a Sikorsky H-19 which has the nose and a band on the tail boom painted with FRO, while the rest of the model is Aircraft Grey. I thought of using Tamiya flat white, but I’ve used it and I’ve found that it dries very quickly and clogs the airbrush frequently. If you have a suggestion on how to use Tamiya flat white efficiently, please let me know.
Thank you, Gerald
I find that it is best if you use very low pressure (8-10 psi). I thin the Tamiya Flat White with alcohol which facilitates rapid curing. I too occasionally get a clog but it is usually at the tip tip of the needle. I wipe out the tip with a alcohol soaked cotton swab (Q-Tip). Several misted on layers until solid coverage is achieved. Then if there are any bumps or crystalized areas, I give them a gently rub with a polishing stick to level them off.
The best thing to solve the fast-drying air-brush clogging problem is to thin the tamiya paint with lacquer thinner. One of the guys in the IPMS club tried it and reported back on it. I’ve since used it, and I found no clogging at all. It slows the drying time down, even with flat white, BUT it does leave a light shine.
It is a solution but is also is a problem. There are those who use acrylics for the very reason they don’t want to expose themselves to harsh petroleum based chemicals. It is one of the reason I was asked to develop an acrylic equivalent to SnJ Spray Metal. Long time users found it necessary to stop using solvent based paints. You can also use windshield washer fluid too, but that again has its own complications. Safest solution…distilled water. Some tell me hot distilled water.