FW 190 ARII and Halifax

[dogsbody]

By the time the B.III Herc-powered version of the Halifax started night operations, a lot of squadrons were painting the exhaust collectors with black stove enamel type paint. This was to shield the hot glowing collector from being observed by Luftwaffe nightfighters.

From the IWM:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205126638

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205126992

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205218869

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211554

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205090448


This paint was also used on Wellingtons, Stirlings and Lancaster B.II's. It also flaked off and had to be redone every so often.

But please please do not paint them shiny bright bronze or copper. Just look at wartime colour pictures or at modern flying restorations. There are at least one Faiery Swordfish and Gloster Gladiator flying. Look at their exhaust collectors to get an idea of the colour of the heat stained metal.


Chris

[Allan]

Hi Chris
haven't heard of Hataka...are they acrylic?...Lifecolor I like a lot as the container has a screw cap and that prevents the stuff drying out, like you said...and it's easy to insert the brush, not like xtracrylix where the brush seems to disappear into the pot and there's no knowing if it has touched the paint...what I do with lifecolor is add a drop of water to the paint in the lid once I have unscrewed the lid after shaking it and use that if the area to be painted is small...it sprays quite well but you need an undercoat, a matt one like a grey, and enamel is best for this, though I sometimes wonder why I am using an acrylic paint if the undercoat is enamel, why not go 100% enamel?...but the L/color doesn't smell so it's good for brush painting in the house, especially small parts like undercarriage legs...it's good paint...we should have a thread on paing somewhere on this site

[NARSES2]

But please please do not paint them shiny bright bronze or copper. Just look at wartime colour pictures or at modern flying restorations. There are at least one Faiery Swordfish and Gloster Gladiator flying. Look at their exhaust collectors to get an idea of the colour of the heat stained metal.


Chris

Absolutely and replicating heat stained metal in miniature is very difficult. Or least it is for us users of the hairy stick. The old tin of Antique Bronze I use has a nice dark colour to it, not shiny or gold/bright bronze at all. Just the hint of a brighter bronze underneath the discolouration. Some of those old Humbrol Authentic's were and still are very good paints.

Alan. Yes Hataka is acrylic and it comes in the eye dropper type bottle.

[dogsbody]

Very good. Carry on.


Chris

[Allan]

some more snaps.....this is a little hotel I run as a sideline in an Australian country town near Sydney....charmingly and possibly libellously it is referred to in the local rag as a "flophouse", but it never fails to turn a tidy profit, which keep me in models and paint (yeah, sure!!!)
here's the Hali as it takes shape to give you some idea of the green, which I think is acceptable..and finally a gap on one of the wings that has since been filled with PPP and painted over...
Allan in Canberra

[Allan]

away for two weeks...back in late May
Allan

[zenrat]

Dammit, I hate cliff hangers...

[Allan]

latest snaps...what I have to do now is mask off the fus and wings to apply the underneath flat black...

[NARSES2]

Camouflage isn't very effective Al ? 

Nice work on it mate 

[Allan]

thanks Chris...here she is partly in black, which color has been leavened with a little grey..

[TheChronicOne]

Right on!! Looking good... shaping up nicely!

[Allan]

it's too cold and dark to spray at the end of the day as I do it in the garage and while its possible to spray a little in the morning while warming up the car I only have about 10 minutes and that isn't enough...sssooo I have to wait for the weekend and will do some tom and Sunday....it's going to be about minus 6 tom Saturday and Sunday

[zenrat]

Ah, the delights of living in our nation's capital.

[dumaniac]

nice going Allan - beaut to see the progress

yes the cold is now a problem in Orange too - only a few hours above ten degrees C - it is a balancing job between doing the required weekend jobs in slight comfort (a bit of warmth) and slipping in a quick spray of the plastic

[Allan]

quite agree Bernie and Zenrat...minus 7 yesterday and today Sunday morn minus 7.5 and minus 8 at the airport...daytime is fine though with clean air and blue skies....sunny too...Asians from polluted capitals must wonder at the clean air...I was airbrushing some black on the plane yesterday and the small size of the brush cup made it necessary to fill and refill and fill and refill so much that I said hang it and toddled off to the junk store to buy a 4.50 can of black spray paint, not model paint, and went back to the garage to do some much easier spraying...will post piccies later...