SCALE MAKEOVER

A new scheme for a P-39

- CHRIS WOLFE

For this issue I wanted to return to our process of repairing and refinishing a crashed E-flite P-39 Airacobra. Last time we used a combination of lightweight spackle and polycrylic finish to repair the crashed airplane. From there, we applied multiple coats of primer (sanding in between coats) to smooth out the airplane and then painted the airframe. This time, we’re going to show the final finishing steps of panel lines and weathering that I applied to the model. These small things provide big results in adding realism to a nice looking scale model. Oh and remember, when it comes to weathering, less is more!

PANEL LINES

The nice thing about using polycrylic on a foam aircraft is that it hardens the entire surface providing a hard coat to apply paint. Because of this, we can use a 0.5mm lead mechanical pencil to lightly draw panel lines over the entire model. The 0.5mm pencil provides a very convincing panel line. Once applied (using rulers, etc.), adding a light coat of 2x Rustoleum matte clear over the entire model protects the lines from smudging during the weathering process.

CONTROL SURFACE FADING