Sky Pirates of the Nullarbor Coast: Kawanishi H6K5 (finished pics pg9)

[zenrat]

Mind you, give the way they go together with the ends separate from the centre section it would not be to much work to use two kits to build a six engined version.

I can't think of a single reason why you shouldn't do that. Apart from the need to get a World Bank loan to by another kit of course.

And space needed for storage but more importantly i've glued these ones together now.

[zenrat]

First shot coat of primer on the thing today.  This has revealed lots of nastiness needing glue and PSR.

[loupgarou]

First shot coat of primer on the thing today.  This has revealed lots of nastiness needing glue and PSR.

From pirates (sky or otherwise) you have to expect nastiness.

[zenrat]

True.
It also revealed that I am nearly out of primer - It hadn't occurred to me how much more area there is to paint on something this size.

[zenrat]

I'm having trouble coming up with a paint plan for this.  It obviously needs to be something out of the ordinary but also semi-practical for use in the Great Australian Bight.
Sky shades on the undersides seem de-rigeur and (spit balling as I type) maybe a combination of sea shades on the top with splinter on the wings and mottle on the hull (Luftwaffe go to the beach).  Maybe.
I'll have to be carefull with colour selection or it'll just turn out as a variation on the PDRV Archipelago scheme.

[NARSES2]

Alternatively take the dazzle schemes used on the Felixstowes as a starting point ?

[zenrat]

Hmm yes.  Dazzle.  I had forgotten about that.
Underside is now sky blue so I need to make a decision.

[ericr]

dazzle ! yes ! oh yes !!! 

[NARSES2]

Hmm yes.  Dazzle.  I had forgotten about that.
Underside is now sky blue so I need to make a decision.

So use sky blue overall with a black and white "dazzle" or even a splinter on the upper surface ?

[zenrat]

To do a dazzle scheme justice means masking it so as to get precisely straight lines.  Any error will show up due to the high contrast (typically black/white or red/white) colours used.  And i'm not feeling like masking such a big job.
Also, dazzle would look best on a larger more slab sided hull (like the Marlin in the stash) rather than the slim Kawanishi.

So now i'm thinking about Brad C's contour line camo idea he tried on the Aztec Phantom. 

[Rick Lowe]

Yeah, that would look good on this bird, too! 

[Tophe]

Have you considered a twin-hull possibility?

[zenrat]

I hate to say this Tophe but i'm not a big fan of zwillings.  I consider doubling up fuselages introduces too much structural stress due to twisting moments.

I think i've thought out the paint scheme.  I just need to do some blending to get appropriate colours.

[zenrat]

A decision and some progress.
H6K5 WIP 10-01-18 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Old Wombat]

Wow! That looks cool!