Race for the finish

As we enter the month of December, the winter race is now on to pad the number of models completed in this calendar year. November through March tend to be my most productive times. Little wonder if you are at all familiar with Seattle weather patterns. 2012 has had a couple of down periods due to distractions and that rather annoying problem called real life, but inspiration seems to have picked up with the arrival of the Xtradecal sheet for 2011/12 RAF anniversary schemes. There is a good likelihood of hitting the high 40s finished this year, though my unstated goal of 52 (or one completed per week average) is looking increasingly unobtainable. Still, it will be the highest annual total since I started keeping track. Again, the lesson for increasing productivity: lower your standards and get unemployed. Maybe not the best advice...

Now that the White has cured from the marathon paint session earlier this week, the wheel bays on the Phantom, Eurofighter, and Tornado GR4 can be stuffed with wet paper towel. The Green spine and tail of the Eurofighter was masked so that the overall Barley Grey color coat could be applied. Then once that cured, I masked for the metallic portion of the exhaust.

The Tornado’s next job was a Black spine and nosecone. And the three P-47s got a shot of ZC Yellow for their wheel wells.

I did have one bonehead moment during this paint session. I had spent some time masking off the lower sections of the F3H Demon and took it downstairs to get its color coat sprayed on. As the airbrush was all loaded up, I realized with a start that I had forgotten to mask off the White upper aileron surfaces. So I just shot around it and let the overspray go where it wanted to. After it dries I will remask the ailerons and reshoot them White. At times like these the world is thankful that my chosen profession is not brain surgeon.