Official FlightLine F4U-1A Corsair 1600mm (63") Wingspan

[Hardway]

Full scale, but missing the gun sight...

[Alpha]

What are you guys doing for exhaust detailing with airbrushes? just matte black streaking or is there more to it?

I enjoy painting exhaust streaks and usually use at least three or four colors. The key is that Less Is More. With an airbrush, I build up very fine increments of color. Exhaust streaking should be oily so I'll add a gloss black into the mix, but always knock it down with matte browns, because pure black would look too stark and unrealistic. In scale models, almost nothing is ever pure black. Consider airstream, heat, materials, and other factors when airbrushing exhaust streaks. Look at references of real aircraft, preferably the one you're modeling. Metallic burnt tones are difficult to depict, but can really set your model apart.

The key again is Less is More. Most aircraft, even 1944 Pacific theater, wouldn't ever have long dark exhaust plumes from stack to stern.

[Grover54]

Yay..….. good to hear!

DFU? I guess that one went over my had
Rich

LOL Dumb F-ing User (ME!!). LOLLOL

[Aros]

I enjoy painting exhaust streaks and usually use at least three or four colors. The key is that Less Is More. With an airbrush, I build up very fine increments of color. Exhaust streaking should be oily so I'll add a gloss black into the mix, but always knock it down with matte browns, because pure black would look too stark and unrealistic. In scale models, almost nothing is ever pure black. Consider airstream, heat, materials, and other factors when airbrushing exhaust streaks. Look at references of real aircraft, preferably the one you're modeling. Metallic burnt tones are difficult to depict, but can really set your model apart. The key again is Less is More. Most aircraft, even 1944 Pacific theater, wouldn't ever have long dark exhaust plumes from stack to stern.

Excellent, excellent advice. Alpha has a true gift for realism when it comes to weathering. Someday I hope to be half as good...The subtle layering of various colors is key.

[Ken Smith]

What are you guys doing for exhaust detailing with airbrushes? just matte black streaking or is there more to it?

I like to start off with a yellow, then a brown or tan, then a slight accent with a dark gray. Black is too much, I do little testing to find which one I like best depending on the base coat.

[Aros]

Well done Ken!

[Elbee]

I like to start off with...

Ken, beautiful work, sir. Best, LB

[Ken Smith]

Well done Ken!

Thank you, coming form means a lot

Ken

[RichJ53]

LOL Dumb F-ing User (ME!!). LOLLOL

OMG … I am on the floor laughing right now!
Thanks for making me smile today
Rich

[Hardway]

Finally getting back to the corsair base coats. Doing aluminum, zinc yellow, and primer gray so far... Then the pre-shading of the panel lines will be next... I posted pics of one wing earlier in the thread, but the picture I took was when the zinc yellow was wet and looked really bright lemon yellow! :Scared: Anyway, more to follow soon if I stay on schedule...
:Confused: Big if....

[Hardway]

Also, I mixed the "Salmon Primer" color from Tamiya Red, Tamiya White and Tamiya Yellow-Green... I will post a pic of the sample when it dries... :Cool:

[TwistedGrin]

Had a successful maiden of my new FlightLine 1600mm F4U-1A Corsair on Sunday thanks to Sparky for helping me trim out in crosswind conditions. It needed about 15clicks of uptrim and everything else was spot on. This bird flies much heavier than the FlightLine 1600mm Spitfire....I kept expecting both planes to perform the same. The second flight of the Corsair I kept floating down the runway too long for my taste of landings. My determination of landing near center gate had me thinking to get this aircraft down to wheels nearly touching the grass much sooner at the North End of the runway with final roll-out starting at center gate. I misjudged our northern slope and ran out of elevator authority....resulting in slamming the wheel struts back into the wing. Amazingly there is no damage to the aircraft, even the landing gear doors survived the belly landing and the three blade prop has no stress marks. Further inspection of the retracts today revealed the trunion arms simply popped away from the worm screw plate allowing them to swing free. Both landing gear struts snapped back into position and are operating just fine. I have ordered replacement retracts for back up....in the meantime.....this aircraft is ready for it's third flight. I may consider waiving touch-n-go's until the fresh new retracts arrive though. Lesson learned....no two birds fly alike.

[Aros]

Congrats on the successful maiden TG! Although I don't get the "too heavy" aspect. She feels very light to me for the size.... :Confused:

[OV10]

It needed about 15clicks of uptrim and everything else was spot on.

A little nose heavy with 15 clicks up elevator TG:Whew:............assuming that was retracted gear so slide that batt a little aft;)

[MrSmoothie]

What are you guys doing for exhaust detailing with airbrushes? just matte black streaking or is there more to it?

Most exhaust streaks I've seen look too heavy to me and often it's because people try to use black paint and airbrush in a single pass. A great tip I learned (credit: Rob Caso) is to thin your color with something clear (and not just adding more solvent). For example, if using Tamiya acrylic, mix 50/50 with matte polycrylic -- and then windex until it sprays nicely. This means you will need multiple passes with the airbrush and "build up" the color gradually. One less-than-perfect pass won't ruin the whole job. As far as color, I start with black but add brown and gray (or whatever I have just a little left of!). When the streaks are on the bottom, I don't go too nuts with them. But if on the side (like a Mustang or Spitfire) I like to do the lighter streaks in the middle or around the edges, depending on what photo references appear to indicate. Photos are great to show how large, and the direction of the stain as well. On many dark aircraft, the streaks were mostly light (not black), such as olive drab or black-painted P-61's. I use light and medium grays there.

This same idea of thinning with clear medium (and not just solvent) also helps to do nice gun blast stains.

Rob uses enamels so he thins with the matte clear that Model Master sells.

[RCAV8R]

I enjoy painting exhaust streaks and usually use at least three or four colors. The key is that Less Is More. With an airbrush, I build up very fine increments of color. Exhaust streaking should be oily so I'll add a gloss black into the mix, but always knock it down with matte browns, because pure black would look too stark and unrealistic. In scale models, almost nothing is ever pure black. Consider airstream, heat, materials, and other factors when airbrushing exhaust streaks. Look at references of real aircraft, preferably the one you're modeling. Metallic burnt tones are difficult to depict, but can really set your model apart.

The key again is Less is More. Most aircraft, even 1944 Pacific theater, wouldn't ever have long dark exhaust plumes from stack to stern.

I would love to get a tutorial from you Alpha on your Corsair paint job...it is awesome! For those who missed it, here's the link to the post with the pics: https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc...854#post165854... Rob

[Alpha]

With luck, I'll have a bit more consistent access to Squawk moving forward. I'll make a better effort to post a tutorial on how I approach weathering, but it's just my own approach. Many of you do excellent paintwork and weathering; we can all learn from each other!

With any kind of weathering, I think the key concept is layering and subtlety. This wing pictured below has about 20 different shades on it. The "fabric" areas are lighter since they'd likely fade quicker than metal in the Pacific sun. The base coats and later additives are different as well. Black basing for the metal areas, (applied spottily to save time/paint/weight), and yellow for the fabric areas. The overall effect is subtle, has dimension, and is really only possible because there are so many different colors on it in varying degrees of intensity that our eyes read the data as depth/realism. In a sense, we expect something at 1/6 scale to be solidly colored, and yet I think our brains will call out "extremes", such as pure blacks, as being "fake". Dulling down the contrasts and blending everything together with subtle layers is, in effect, an attempt to fool the brain that we're looking at a real plane at a distance, not a model plane close up.



Just because there are so many different colors doesn't mean that it takes forever to paint, either. I keep my airbrush cup open (gravity feed), and add a drop of different colors as I go. I shot the entire Corsair in under three hours. Move quickly, tread lightly, don't overthink it.


As for chipping, this Corsair is actually a poor, incomplete example. One of these days I need to finish it. Or perhaps I'll time lapse the other wing and post a video instead? 'Saves me typing wordy worded wordinessy words.

[Alpha]

Most exhaust streaks I've seen look too heavy to me and often it's because people try to use black paint and airbrush in a single pass. A great tip I learned (credit: Rob Caso) is to thin your color with something clear (and not just adding more solvent). For example, if using Tamiya acrylic, mix 50/50 with matte polycrylic -- and then windex until it sprays nicely. This means you will need multiple passes with the airbrush and "build up" the color gradually. One less-than-perfect pass won't ruin the whole job. As far as color, I start with black but add brown and gray (or whatever I have just a little left of!). When the streaks are on the bottom, I don't go too nuts with them. But if on the side (like a Mustang or Spitfire) I like to do the lighter streaks in the middle or around the edges, depending on what photo references appear to indicate. Photos are great to show how large, and the direction of the stain as well. On many dark aircraft, the streaks were mostly light (not black), such as olive drab or black-painted P-61's. I use light and medium grays there.

This same idea of thinning with clear medium (and not just solvent) also helps to do nice gun blast stains.

Rob uses enamels so he thins with the matte clear that Model Master sells.

Stellar paintwork, MrSmoothie! You're right, depending on the engine, material, and even type of paint and fuel would impact the exhaust colors. The P-61 is a great example of this. Even on certain F4U-4s, there's good examples of heat damage to the point that the sea blue paint was bleached into stark, chalky white. The F7F is another good example.

Walking airplane graveyards helps get a sense for how out of service aircraft age. In service aircraft, even in wartime, were often worse but still not very exaggerated.

Your weathering is very tastefully done!

[Dual Prop Dave]

Alpha and all you other masters of the weathering, it would be a great help to everyone that wishes to try their hand at painting our own models!
I've always been amazed at the work I see on the Squawk! There are quite a few talented people on here!
I for one always wanted to try but never felt confident enough to do so in fear of messing it up and making it look like a kindergarten kid painted it for me.
Pictures and a short description of what was used and how and why or even a short video example would be fabulous!
Thank you in advance for any and all help!

DPD

[Ken Smith]

With luck, I'll have a bit more consistent access to Squawk moving forward. I'll make a better effort to post a tutorial on how I approach weathering, but it's just my own approach. Many of you do excellent paintwork and weathering; we can all learn from each other!

With any kind of weathering, I think the key concept is layering and subtlety. This wing pictured below has about 20 different shades on it. The "fabric" areas are lighter since they'd likely fade quicker than metal in the Pacific sun. The base coats and later additives are different as well. Black basing for the metal areas, (applied spottily to save time/paint/weight), and yellow for the fabric areas. The overall effect is subtle, has dimension, and is really only possible because there are so many different colors on it in varying degrees of intensity that our eyes read the data as depth/realism. In a sense, we expect something at 1/6 scale to be solidly colored, and yet I think our brains will call out "extremes", such as pure blacks, as being "fake". Dulling down the contrasts and blending everything together with subtle layers is, in effect, an attempt to fool the brain that we're looking at a real plane at a distance, not a model plane close up.



Just because there are so many different colors doesn't mean that it takes forever to paint, either. I keep my airbrush cup open (gravity feed), and add a drop of different colors as I go. I shot the entire Corsair in under three hours. Move quickly, tread lightly, don't overthink it.


As for chipping, this Corsair is actually a poor, incomplete example. One of these days I need to finish it. Or perhaps I'll time lapse the other wing and post a video instead? 'Saves me typing wordy worded wordinessy words.

I really liked your Corsair and was going to follow suit until I came across the photos I have been posting. I wish I had the money and space, I would buy another just to weather like yours. It is hard to know when to stop.
Now was if I could get out of these endless weather fronts I may get a decent flight in. I tried before just windy for a new unknown plane.