Japanese F/A-16XL "Taifun" (Typhoon) anti-shipping aircraft

[seadude]

After working the last 2 or so weeks on dozens of small 1/350 scale aircraft for my stealth aircraft carrier project, I need to give my eyes a rest as I was working with so many small parts.
So I'm taking a break from the carrier and temporarily switching to working on an aircraft I started long ago, but never finished.
I'm thinking of whiffing a 1/72 scale F-16XL into a Japanese aircraft for anti-shipping purposes/missions. It will be fitted out with Harpoon anti-ship missiles as well as Sparrows or AMRAAMS for self defense. Painting complex camouflage patterns is not one of my strong suits. So I plan to just go with a single blue color on top of the aircraft, and overall white underneath the aircraft. More progress to follow in future days and weeks.

[kerick]

Sounds like fun! The two tone Japanese pattern is pretty easy. Just use silly putty to cover the light blue around the outside edges.

[seadude]

Sounds like fun! The two tone Japanese pattern is pretty easy. Just use silly putty to cover the light blue around the outside edges.

The word "easy" can mean different things to different people. 
Anyway, I know the camouflage measure you're talking about which is shown in the first picture below.
I already tried that type of scheme on my X-29 aircraft long ago as an "experiment" to see if I could do it or not and how well I could do it.
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=51142.0
The results from that endeavor were "mixed". It was a modest first attempt. But I didn't have the correct "shades" of blue colors on the aircraft.
And that was hand brushed too without the use of an airbrush or silly putty.

The second and third pictures below are a different scheme that I may go with.
Right now, I'm trying to find a equivalent Vallejo paint match to the blue.
I'm looking at the Vallejo Model Air, Vallejo Mecha Color, and Vallejo Game Color lines of paint to see what might work.

[HarryPhishnuts]

Sounds cool. I love that kit. I've got a few of them for different Whiffy ideas. 

[Captain Canada]

Cool kit. Looking forward to seeing more. The Japanese always have the best looking camo !

[perttime]

The blue and white scheme does look good!

[MiB]

I always love the XL!!!  :thumbsupup:  : il lub:  : il lub:  : il lub:  : il lub:  : il lub:

[seadude]

Cool kit. Looking forward to seeing more. The Japanese always have the best looking camo !

I would have to second that.   
The only other "camo" I love on aircraft is Tiger Meet markings. The more realistic, the better I like it.

[kerick]

Don't get too concerned about correct colors. In my experience the Japanese modern colors don't match up with FS or different paint manufactures colors. WW2 era paints are a different matter. Just eyeball something the best you can and if anyone says anything tell them it's because of the lighting.
I'm looking forward to more of this one.

[seadude]

I've been trying to match the light blue color as seen on the Japanese F-2's seen in my earlier pics. But it hasn't been easy.
But anyway, the first picture below shows the armament configuration I hope to go with for my model with 4 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, plus other missiles for self defense.
Since Vallejo is the main brand of paint I now use, the closest I could find was either Vallejo Model Air Light Sea Blue or Vallejo Mecha Color Deep Blue. They both look nearly identical. But the Mecha Color Deep Blue has a "slightly" darker tint. This is the color I will probably go with. The Light Sea Blue just seems too light.

[PR19_Kit]

Looks like Tophe Blue to me. 

[Old Wombat]

I've been trying to match the light blue color as seen on the Japanese F-2's seen in my earlier pics. But it hasn't been easy.

Since Vallejo is the main brand of paint I now use, the closest I could find was either Vallejo Model Air Light Sea Blue or Vallejo Mecha Color Deep Blue. They both look nearly identical. But the Mecha Color Deep Blue has a "slightly" darker tint. This is the color I will probably go with. The Light Sea Blue just seems too light.

Are we talking the two-tone uppers or the single-tone uppers?

If the former, then Tamiya X-14 Sky Blue looks pretty close (looking at my paint stocks).

Mind you, online images are highly variable:



None of them are an exact match for the real thing but the swatch in the 3rd is the closest (as viewed on my monitor) with the real colour edging a little bit in the direction of the lighter 4th image.

[Wardukw]

 Vic Hobby out of Japan do a whole range of paints for their aircraft...multiple blues aswell.
I've got several of their paint sets and one it's got JASDF sea blue A and B and deep sea blue A and B ...they do mecha sets too.

[seadude]

Are we talking the two-tone uppers or the single-tone uppers?

If the former, then Tamiya X-14 Sky Blue looks pretty close (looking at my paint stocks).

Mind you, online images are highly variable:

I'm doing the single tone upper.
And I have no intention of using TAMIYA paints. I stopped using them a few years ago.
All my model projects, present and future, will be exclusively painted with Vallejo paints. I will NEVER go back to using TAMIYA.

[kerick]

You're looking at pictures taken under various lighting conditions and looking at on a computer screen. No way to tell if the image has been edited or altered. Then the sample paint samples are viewed on the same screen. Short of taking actual chips and holding up to the actual aircraft that's newly painted you can't be sure. So paint it in what looks good to you. I don't know about Vallejo but flat paints seem to always darken anyway with a gloss coat so there you go. So my point is, go a little lighter than you think and just go for it. That's my wordy $0.02 for tonight.