The Hawker P.V.5 Cyclone, the model.

[nighthunter]

Kit, we have a cleaning solution in the states called simple green and it works well on plastic.

[PR19_Kit]

The EU Commission would probably ban it over here Nighthunter!

I've just laid on the FOURTH primer coat, after some carefull sanding, and it looks just about OK. First colour coat goes on later tonight.

[nighthunter]

Kit, glad everything worked out for the best, from the sound of it, anyway

[zenrat]

Sounds like a partially blocked nozzle.
You know you can strip paint off plastic with brake fluid or caustic soda solution?  It'll affect your filler though.

[PR19_Kit]

Whatever it was the problem never recurred and the 4th primer coat went on fine. I've got two coats of silver on it now and I've detailed some of panels with different silver shades and it's looking quite good.

But there's so much paint on the fuselage that all traces of the 'fabric' finish have vanished, it looks as if the fuselage has been skinned in plywood, so I may have to re-write the backstory. 

[Howard of Effingham]

But there's so much paint on the fuselage that all traces of the 'fabric' finish have vanished, it looks as if the fuselage has been skinned in plywood, so I may have to re-write the backstory. 

maybe not. you could alter the back story to explain about the dope of a painter [not yourself of course] who rather over did the painting in the factory.

i recall a letter to SAMI magazine years back where an old gentleman who'd been a painter/finisher in a WW2
british aircraft factory said that often dope for fabric finishes was often applied with a suitable floor broom and
sometimes none too precisely, especially where invasion stripes were concerned.

[Weaver]

Nice one Kit - be nice to see the outcome, paint probs notwithstanding.

[NARSES2]

But there's so much paint on the fuselage that all traces of the 'fabric' finish have vanished, it looks as if the fuselage has been skinned in plywood, so I may have to re-write the backstory. 

maybe not. you could alter the back story to explain about the dope of a painter [not yourself of course] who rather over did the painting in the factory.

I used that get out for some crooked wing walk markings on a Meteor 

[PR19_Kit]

I've got to find some shinier silver for the cowling, it's not bright enough to see a marked difference from the doped fuselage. You can see the effect I want if you look at any pics of the Hawker bi-planes of the period, Hart, Hind, Audax, Osprey, Fury, etc., their cowlings postively SHONE against the doped fabric.

My Dad said the ground crew positively HATED AoC's inspections as they had to hand polish all their Audax cowlings to exactly the same level of shine when he was on 4 (AC) Sqdn. 

[TallEng]

Bare-metal foil is the stuff to use
http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?adv=1&product_category_id=&product_division_id=&manufacturer_id=&product_type_id=&code=&scale_id=&keyword_search=Foil&setPerPage=25&sort=0&search_direction=0&save_search_name=&save_search=

Regards
Keith

[zenrat]

Yep.  I'd go for "new improved chrome".  The ultra shiny chrome is too shiny IMO.
Money can be saved by using foil from chocolate bars or very thin cooking foil (the really cheap stuff that tears when you so much as think about baking) glued on with spray adhesive - although i've always bought BMF as I know i'd just make a mess.

[NARSES2]

Humbrol Metalcote polished, or their ordinary Polished Aluminium enamel

[PR19_Kit]

Bare-metal foil is the stuff to use

No it isn't, not for me anyway.

I once covered an entire Airfix F-27 Friendship that I'd converted into a Faichild-Hiller version in that stuff for a Bonanza Airlines scheme. NEVER again! It drove me nuts.

It has to be paint and I think I'm going with an old bottle of Pactra Chrome Silver I have  squirelled away.

[Mossie]

Citadel metallic come up quite nicely when brush painted.  I've not used the current range (it changed a year or two ago) and I've still got some of the older pots but from what I can gather they're largely the same, just have different names.  If you've got a Games Workshop store nearby you can get them there, I think Hobbycraft do them too.  They've got odd sounding names, but anything describing metal.

The 'silver' shades are:

Runefang Steel (a bright silver shade)
Ironbreaker (an aluminium shade)
Leadbelcher (a steel/light gunmetal shade)

[PR19_Kit]

I've used some Citadel paints already, the first attempt on the cowling was their 'Mithril Silver' (?) but it wasn't shiny enough.

I can't find the Pactra Chrome Silver bottle anywhere but I found a part-used tin of Humbrol Metalcote Polished Aluminum which has gone on a TREAT! 

I've now got the windscreen, prop, aerial mast and exhausts in place and it's starting to some together. It's been Kleared all over twice so tomorrow it's Decal Day.