AN-12BKM Civilian Gunship ***FINISHED***

TheChronicOne · May 15, 2019, 01:34:44 PM

Thanks!!! It's turning out to be a good model I think.

Now I've started painting it. It looks like arse right now but once I get things masked and get the next round of color on it'll start to take shape. I realize after I started that I should have sprayed the stupid red cheatline. As it sits, I brush painted it and of course it was a PITA. From now on.... all yellow and red will be sprayed on and possibly white as well.

Going to hit it with a bit of clear to keep the red paint attached to the model then I'll finish masking the cheat line and call it a day at that point. When I pick back up, I'll go back in and fix the green area and also mask it then it's down to laying out all the masking for the logo. I have no decals for that.

TheChronicOne · May 24, 2019, 09:23:21 PM

Finally picking up some speed on this one. I've painted the radar pod and gear wells. After, I masked the entire lower portion of the fuselage. Now, I'm having to wait on some masking tape to arrive in the mail so I can properly make my "A" logo. I contemplated trying to bisect my 3mm tape lengthways and go for it but.... I don't have a sharp blade..... and I'm lazy.... so.... I bought my way out of the problem. I bought an entire set (X2) of various "micro" tapes of which I'll either use 1.5 or 2mm.

This is what it looks like right now. It's kind of neat with all the colors...

Soon I need to do something about the anti-glare patch and walkways.

TheChronicOne · May 27, 2019, 02:49:04 PM

Going to do the anti-glare patch after I do the main painting. The walkway is started, I just need to put another coat of paint on it, let it dry, then mask it.

In other news... I decided to jump right into one of the more tedious aspects of the build, which is to try to mask a non-amateurish logo onto the tail. SO FAR, I think it is going exceptionally well... I thought it would be a huge ordeal of cursing and all kinds of trimming and re-positioning but I'm trying to measure everything and line it up with waypoints on the tail (line here, little oval thing there, hinge over here, etc. ). I think it looks good so far... I just need to do the center snow-cap negative space.

TheChronicOne · May 27, 2019, 03:34:12 PM

Yay!!! I think it worked well!!

zenrat · May 28, 2019, 04:02:32 AM

Great job Brad C.

Given that I hate masking, can I send some builds over for you to do for me?

NARSES2 · May 28, 2019, 06:27:38 AM

Quote from: zenrat on May 28, 2019, 04:02:32 AM

Great job Brad C.

Very much so

TheChronicOne · May 28, 2019, 08:08:38 AM

Thanks y'all! It helps having good stuff to use. I could use a new blade.... but... the masking tape by Aizu is turning out to be really good. It contours well and stays stuck down. I didn't think it would work going over that canyon in the rudder. Also..... for being so thin (2mm) it stayed straight instead of bending and all that. My 3mm tape bends... it was a pain in me arse trying to do the long red cheatline... everytime I looked at it, it was wavy so I had to redo it 4-5 times... but this thinner stuff stayed straight.

So... I masked the walkways on the roof and wing tops and I think that's it for now. The anti-glare thing I'll paint on towards the end and I'm thinking I'll do the same for the de-icers because if I use my silver spray can paint I can't mask it, clear coat it, or even touch it so it kinda HAS to be last... Otherwise, I'm going to hit this thing with white paint and that SHOULD be the end of the paint job other than the touch up and tiny stuff like gear wells and doo-dads. Oh... and the howitzers and interior.. I didn't bother masking them so they've been changing colors periodically.

Old Wombat · May 28, 2019, 08:41:55 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on May 28, 2019, 06:27:38 AM
Quote from: zenrat on May 28, 2019, 04:02:32 AM

Great job Brad C.

Very much so

Yup!

TheChronicOne · May 29, 2019, 12:24:40 PM

Thanks O-Dub!!

Back to work on this one and changed my mind yet again. Decided to go ahead and paint and mask the de-icers NOW. As it sits, I'd just have to mask the de-icers themselves. If I wait until later, I'd have to mask the entire aircraft (aside from the de-icers)! So... I decided to use the less appealing acrylic silver paint. It won't be as shiny as the other paint but this is going to save me a lot of time and effort. Besides, it's pretty neat stuff (the acrylic silver) and I imagine it will look just fine.

Also, I discovered that the anti-glare patch on the nose is provided as a transfer, so that's nice. Also, I noticed that the transfer sheet, period, is very nice!! Lots of details and options. I'm going to be using quite a bit of it despite not making any of the schemes. There're even little silver transfers for the metal whatevers on the prop blades! How nice, those should great. The spinners are glossy green, the blades are blue with yellow tips, and now there will be silver on there too. Fun to have colorful props for a change instead plain ol' black.

So here's the latest picture.

I've since put a coat of silver paint on all the wing leading edges and will need to put at least one more on before I let it dry. I think I'll be safe and go ahead and let it dry up a couple days. It's extremely humid here right now and this paint has a tendency to act like warm gum and peel off with the tape if masked before it can adhere properly. Or not... I might try a little piece of tape on it in a few hours and see how it goes. If it works, this WILL be the last masking I have to do on this project (THANK GOD).

TheChronicOne · June 02, 2019, 07:33:10 PM

I may as well do a "live" feed of this process.... So, I've been painting the aircraft. I have ignored my own usual methods, however, and have attempted to mist coat the paint in order to not have bleed or any other paint issues. Normally I'd put down a coat of the base color or a clear to "seal in" the edges and prevent bleed. But, I'm also trying to find ways to get around having too many layers of paint so this time around I'm trying to exercise self control by mist coating the paint and hoping this doesn't attack my masking.

SO.... I've done that... This paint claims to have primer right in with the paint ( not sure how in the hell this is supposed to work, but whatever... it's good paint but I'm dubious) so I just did a couple mist coats top and bottom followed by a final heavier coat. That last coat was applied 45 minutes ago and while the paint has a definite smell to it it is no longer tacky so I'm about to start removing the miles of masking.

I'm certain I have some issues with the de-icers and likely some issues with my custom logos on the tail but I'm hoping it's all alright for the most part. I'm going to take a short break here then start peeling it all away...

TheChronicOne · June 02, 2019, 08:37:54 PM

Success!! I'm so happy!

As I predicted, there were some mishaps with some of the de-icing but I can fix that in the detail/touch-up phase (I tried.. $:-\$ ). The rest was working quite well aside from a lip being left over in numerous areas after the tape was removed. I used a toothpick as a "rolling-pin."

It worked quite well in all areas but a couple places that had extra time to dry. In that case, I just hold the toothpick steady and rub it back and forth like an eraser and it burnishes the edge down pretty well.

So anyway, the rest turned out quite well.

More to come.. I can't wait to get the detail painting done. All the wing tips will be red and then there's stuff like the intakes. Then, the props will come later.... they're blue with green spinners.. the colors are so nice!

EDIT: Wing-walks. I may or may not keep these.

Old Wombat · June 03, 2019, 12:26:06 AM

Scotaidh · June 03, 2019, 01:47:58 AM

Oh, well done!!

zenrat · June 03, 2019, 03:50:41 AM

Bravo.

I'd forgotten it was 1/144 until the photo with the toothpick.

TheChronicOne · June 03, 2019, 07:46:48 AM

Much thanks, everyone! This thing is a bit unprecedented and kind of nutty to be honest so it's good to see other nutters like me that are into this sort of kinky action.

Plans today, I think, are to fix the wee mishaps with the de-icers and knock out as much detail painting as I can. The decal sheet saves me from a bunch of this so this shouldn't take too long then I suppose it's time to gloss coat it and put on the transfers.

Some of the things I'm still worried about: un masking the windows, especially the round side windows. Would be nice to score around these some how. Considering cutting down a pen tip.... the hollow cone part up front.... get it down to the same diameter then I can file the insides with my round file until it's nice and sharp then use it as a punch. I may not have the patience for all this, however... we'll see.