Wathering - Grease And Dirt

8 432074 052159

26,5 € 144 Pages/Páginas This book is one clear and easyto-follow guide not only for those who love the aircraft of the First World War. Many of the techniques presented in this volume can also be used in other modeling disciplines. This is an essential resource for any aviation modeler. The First World War caused an advance in unprecedented weapons: the armored vehicle, the flamethrower, the tracer bullets, the chemical weapons, the submarine, the aviation... Definitely, this conflict would change the way of understanding the war. It is for this reason that we wanted to continue our collection dedicated to aircraft modeling, Airplanes in Scale, with a volume focused exclusively on the First World War. Through some of the most emblematic airplanes of this era, several procedures and techniques are taught by each author thanks to many detailed photographs with step-by-step captions. In this book you will learn how to imitate wood, aircraft fabric covering, WWI engines or something very characteristic of these airplanes, the different bracing systems. In addition, as we close the book, we have added two articles that show how to paint two pilots.

www.euromodelismo.com • [email protected]

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What child has not questioned whom they love more, Dad or Mom? Perhaps whoever buys me more models was a tempting answer, the reality is that your love for both was equally strong. In the modelling world, we’ve been struggling with a similar dilemma for years: clean airplanes vs. greasy and dirty airplanes. There have been many different trends over the years, one constant is how modelers from all over the world have depicted aircraft with varying degrees of wear, ilth, and deterioration within these pages. The core concept is to replicate the real aircraft, to make scale versions that look as close as is possible to the reference photographs.

Chief Editor Javier López de Anca Original Idea and Art director Mig Jiménez Editorial Management Carlos Cuesta Editorial Coordination Iñaki Cantalapiedra Cover Antonio Alonso Layout Jorge Porto Article Assistant Iain Hamilton Akatsiya Photographer José Irún Special thanks Elizabeth Wiese Styling Assistant Mila Gómez Akatsiya Bárbara A. Collaborators Angel Exposito Julio Fuente Jamie Haggo Oto Drobik Ricardo Batista Yang Yu Pei Translation Marta Ramírez Gómez

The Weathering Aircraft by AMMO of Mig Jiménez www.theweatheringaircraft.com [email protected] [email protected] Quarterly Magazine

DL NA 251-2016 ISSN 2445-1177 November 2019

We know that the degree of weathering on aircraft is a controversial subject, the debate over pristine inishes versus realistic levels of grease and dirt occasionally causes heated debates in modelling circles. When you have the plane lawlessly assembled with perfectly straight panel lines and accurate riveting, you must complete the harrowing task of adding camoulage, markings, and accumulations of leaked grease, oil, dust, and dirt to the appropriate areas. You are alone with the model to decide if you should apply a wash, use a ilter, and how to utilize pigments. All the while the plane sits in front of you in the unrealistic and toy like state of assembled bare plastic. It is only by practicing your craft that you will master the techniques used to paint and weather aircraft to the degree you have chosen. Of course aircraft are not as ilthy as tanks but that doesn’t mean that they should be clean. The aging of your car is a real time example. This not only includes the scrapes, parking lot dings, and messy kids. There are likely remains of oil, mud, dust, grime, and splashes to be found. Now imagine how a transport plane deployed in the desert or a ighter on a primitive airstrip would accumulate layers of appearance altering effects. Abandon your fears fellow modelers, you are not alone in waxing philosophical about the premise our magazine, weathering aircraft. Think about what the subject of your model has endured from the airstrips it lies from, what conlicts it has served in, and maintenance record. After studying reference photos of the inal appearance, throw yourself into the fulilling painting and weathering stages of aircraft modelling with conidence and zeal. The journey from inspiration to a dynamic and realistic inal result is easier and quicker than you think.

By Javier López de Anca

ÍNDEX

A-7H CORSAIR II

P-47D “HAD IT” THUNDERBOLT

pag. 10

pag. 18

A-10 THUNDERBOLT II

MIG-29 SMT

pag. 28

pag. 38

COLONIAL VIPER II

BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER TF.MK X

pag. 48

pag. 54

Grease and Dirt

The key to knowing how, when, and where to imitate staining and dirt on each aircraft lies in knowing how to interpret the reference photographs. All modelers currently have a multitude of sources at their disposal thanks to various publications and the Internet, so there are no excuses for lazy modelling. The presence of dirt and deterioration on aircraft has changed throughout the history of aviation and aircraft design. During the dawn of maned light, grease and dirt was more evident in very speciic areas surrounding the engine. But as aircraft designs became increasingly complex and modern, the presence of staining became a common element on all aircraft. The increase in hydraulic systems, the complexity of the engines, and the extreme demands placed on an aircraft leave effects that contribute to the unique appearance of each example. Most are subjected to temperature extremes, excessive friction, fatigue from high G loads, high speed, and the duress of altitude with each contributing to grease, dirt, and discolouration becoming a primary feature of most aircraft. In some cases, the weathering is as characteristic as an aircraft’s silhouette. As a modeller, you must always bear in mind that while some weathering aspects are common to all aircraft, each subject is unique. The general appearance depends on the length of time it has been in service, the theatres of operation it has been deployed to, the maintenance it has received, and whether it has served in times of peace or war. Once you are clear as to what you intend to do, it is essential that you know the techniques and products you will use to apply the desired inal result. You have a wide range of options at your disposal, but not all of them are adequate or

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adapted to your way of working. That is why this issue highlights various alternatives and interchangeable options. Not all stains created by grease and dirt appear the same. For example, interior areas housing the engines typically exhibit traces of luids or fuel, while grease and staining usually concentrates around moving parts such as laps, rudders, and air brakes. The shape and surface features of a plane are equally important as the staining is captured in a very unique way based on the airlow speciic to each design, as well as the speed at which it moves, and whether it is cleaned upon landing or allowed to accumulate over time. On the other hand, dirt can also originate from external factors such as handling by the ground crew and the airield’s natural environment. Finally, we must take into account some exceptions that necessitate caution when adding dirt and weathering to a model. There are factors that prevent you from applying excessive effects and even on occasion may cause speciic effects to be omitted completely. This is typically the case with exhibition planes such as acrobatic squadrons and the famous stealth designs which demand extreme levels of care to maintain the effectiveness of the radar diffusing or absorbing exterior paint.

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A-7H

Corsair II The A-7H was a version of Corsair II built for the Elliniki Aeroporia known as the Hellenic Air Force. This variant is very similar to those lown by the U.S. During the 70’s, several Greek units received these ighters destined to replace the obsolete F-84F Thunderstreak irst and later the F-104G Starighters withdrawn from service. Although the primary role of the Greek A-7 was ground attack, they were also tasked with air defence as a secondary purpose and could carry a pair of Sidewinder missiles on the launch rails located on the sides of the fuselage. Based on the photo reference material used for this project, I found that these aircraft did not stand out for their general cleanliness or pristine appearance, it is precisely this degree of aging and dirt that inspired me to recreate the dynamic inish on this aircraft.

Ángel Expósito

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Hasegawa 1/48

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1

First the wheel wells and cabin were masked before airbrushing the lower areas with black to establish a foundation for an extreme level of grime.

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Using Grey (H-311) the highlights were drawn without losing the black as a shadow.

A few drops of white were added to lighten the colour for marking the panel lines and rivets.

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I began with the lightest shade using Tan (H-310) applied without completely covering and eliminating the previous work.

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For the upper surfaces, the shading was carefully added without completely covering the surfaces.

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To begin the chipping process, table salt was afixed to the surface with a little water. Once dry, the surface was painted using the previously mixed Tan lightened with white.

The salt was removed with a hard brush and the panel lines retraced with a darker brown such as Cocoa Brown (H-17).

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With the same colour slightly lightened with white, the irst dirt and discolouration effects were applied on the Tan surfaces.

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Bluetac was used to outline the camoulage pattern and the Green FS34102 (H-303) surfaces were airbrushed in light coats allowing the pre-shading to inluence the base colour.

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Alclad II White Aluminium (ALC-106) was airbrushed on the laps and the windscreen framing cabin to represent exposed bare metal.

Using Heavy Chipping Effects A.MIG-2011 was applied to the aluminium surfaces before airbrushing Green FS34079 (H309). Water was used to activate the chipping luid creating a worn and chipped effect revealing the bare metal below.

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The following layer of dirt staining was applied using a liquid mask placed selectively over some panel lines and panels. Once dry, I apply the same green tone used in the previous step lightened with white.

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Here you can see the aircraft once all airbrush work was complete.

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The fuel tanks accumulated a large amount of grease which also traps dirt. They were varnishing in gloss to prepare them for weathering.

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In order to increase the contrast of the dirt stained Corsair, some areas and panels were slightly lightened.

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A unique characteristic effect on this aircraft is the grease leaks that accumulate in the rivets under the wings, easily and accurately replicated using PLW Blue Black A.MIG-1617.

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Once dry, the oil and fuel stains were drawn with Streaking Grime A.MIG-1203.

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After varnishing in matt, small quantities of Oilbrusher Starship Filth A.MIG-3513, Ochre A.MIG-3515, Dark Brown A.MIG-3512, and Black A.MIG-3500 were placed and dragged downward to create accumulations of dirt mixed with fuel staining.

I continued to accentuate the stains made with dark colours using lightened mixes. The most effective method is to work in one area at a time while masking adjacent panels with post-it notes to avoid over spray. The next step was to reinforce all panel lines with PLW Blue Black. The wash was generally applied to help simulate traces of dirt.

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On the fuselage sides, small quantities of Black Oilbrusher were applied around the removable access panels used for regular service by ground crew.

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This effect was applied with small dots placed with a brush, then blurred and blended to produce the effect of the accumulation of dirt produced by years of maintenance.

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References show that the greatest amount of dirt accumulates on the lowest areas of the fuselage. The Oilbrusher colours can be blended with a dry brush or dampened with thinner for different effects.

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This is the result obtained by blending the colours. The process can be repeated as many times as is necessary to achieve the desired result.

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Other remains of dirt that we can see in quite a few photographs of the Greek Corsair are the remains of bird droppings on the tail. In this case I used Oilbrusher White A.MIG-3501 to draw the vertical lines.

A key feature that tends to accumulate large amounts of grease are the landing gear bay doors, easily replicated by simply using Oilbrusher colours blended according to references.

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P-47D “Had it ” Thunderbolt

Tamiya 1/48

Ricardo Batista

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Nicknamed the “jug” for its robust proportions and construction, the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt was one of the most important combat aircraft ielded by the United States during World War II. Manufactured between 1941 and 1945, it was an aircraft that stood out as much for escorting bombers as for ground attack in both the Paciic and European theatres of operations. Some 12,602 units were produced, far more than any other U.S. ighter of the war. In Europe the P-47 was replaced as a longrange ighter escort by the North American P-51 Mustang, the Thunderbolt would serve until the end of the war with 3,752 aerial victories over the course of 746,000 missions of every type with 2,449 P-47s lost in combat. At the end of the conlict, the 56th Fighter Group was the only Fighter Group in the 8th Air Force using this aircraft in preference to the P-51s. Today, its equivalent would be the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, with which it shares the moniker in honour of the legendary durability and rugged versatility of the P-47.

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1

After having applied the metallic base with Alclad colours and AMMO acrylics, the decals were placed and two thin layers of Aqua Gloss A.MIG-8212 were airbrushed with an approximate pressure of 1.2 bar and left to dry for 1 hour between each layer.

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Using the Synthetic Liner Brush A.MIG-8590 and the PLW colour Blue Black A.MIG-1617 all of the upper surfaces of the plane received a wash focused on panel lines and rivets. Although the focus is the recessed details, subtle surface staining can provide interesting effects in the end.

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When the diluent has evaporated, remove the excess with a cotton swab using soft passes in the direction of airlow. If necessary, you can moisten it with Enamel Odourless Thinner A.MIG-2019 for complete removal.

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On the blue of the roundels, I used Oilbrusher White A.MIG-3501 highly diluted and applied using the same technique.

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The washes on the lower surfaces were applied using the same colours with the addition of Deep Brown A.MIG-1618 added to the areas closest to the wing root and the landing gear bays to create dirt effects. With Oilbrusher Black A.MIG-3500 diluted with thinner, I added a feeling of depth to seems of the moving parts.

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6/7/8

To create subtle highlights and shadows on speciic panels of the aircrafts bare metal skin, I used the Oilbrusher colour Gun Metal A.MIG-3535, Silver A.MIG-3538, and Aluminium A.MIG-3537 by depositing a small amount in the desired area and blending the colours with a clean and dry brush.

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To create dirt effects and contrasts on the anti-relective panel, I used a lat and dry brush to create tonal variation. For the highlights, Yellow A.MIG-3502, White A.MIG-3501, and Olive Green A.MIG-3505 were used, While Black A.MIG-3500, Dark Green A.MIG-3507, and Starship Filth A.MIG-3513 were used for the shadows.

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A dynamic and realistic effect easily reproduced are heat stains on fuselage metals, as is a characteristic of the P-47’s turbocharger. This prominent feature was irst painted using acrylic colour Silver A.MIG-0195 to which I added diluted drops of Marine Blue A.MIG-0123.

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Closest to the rear lip, I added Brass A.MIG-0197 as shown.

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I added some Red Leather A.MIG-0133 for stronger contrast, using a ilter-like thinner, I painted the area closest to the trailing edge.

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Finally, I added Satin Black A.MIG-0032 to the previous mixture and darkened the trailing edge to apply a burnt appearance. Once the process was inished, the entire plane was sealed and protected with a coat of Aqua Gloss varnish A.MIG-8212.

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A pattern of dirt streaking and general wear was applied by splashing Blue Black Panel Line Wash lightly diluted with thinner.

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The colour Deep Brown A.MIG-1616 was added to the areas closest to the wing root and landing gear bays.

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Another characteristic effect of this aircraft is the exhaust location and staining patern. To represent this effect accurately, irst a line was drawn along the length of the underside with Red Brown (XF-64) highly diluted with lacquer thinner and sprayed at an approximate pressure of 0.5 bar.

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Then using Satin Black (X-18), I painted a line half the width and slightly shorter inside of the stain leaving the previous red brown at the edges.

To inish the effect, Medium Grey (XF-20) was added to the beginning of the stain creating a burnt effect.

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Considerable grease stains accumulate around the landing gear, additionally dust typically adheres to the staining. To represent this effect, I irst used Oilbrusher colour Summer Soil A.MIG-3534. The colour was spread and diffused using Enamel Odourless Thinner. Once the thinner had evaporated, the effect was blended with a dry brush.

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After one hour, I continued to add to the effect with small quantities of Earth A.MIG-3514 without covering it completely. For this layer, the effect was blended dry.

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After allowing the previous steps to dry, the colour Dark Mud A.MIG-3508 was added using the same technique in the same way to the areas where more earth coloured staining accumulated per references.

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The rear wheel also kicked up a considerable amount of dust and dirt that accumulated on the bottom of the tail and vertical stabilizer. This effect was added using the same techniques used for the previous steps.

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By using both Kursk Soil A.MIG-1400, and Earth A.MIG-1403 combined with Streaking Grime A.MIG-1203, I applied a combination of splashes with a hard bristle brush and a toothpick to the areas where the wheels projected the most dirt.

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The next step will be to make trails of dirt dragged by the slip stream with the Streaking Brusher Grime A.MIG-1253, Medium Brown A.MIG-1250, and Red Brown A.MIG-1250 beginning by drawing lines of different sizes with the products built in applicator.

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I let it dry for 15 minutes before blurring the line with a saw-shaped brush moistened with thinner. Before blurring, individual lines were reshaped and adjusted with a ine brush. At the same time, I intensiied a select few lines with watercolor pencils.

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The staining along the fuselage was applied using the same techniques and several products: Fuel Stains A.MIG-1409, Winter Grime A.MIG-1255, Starship Grime A.MIG-1259, Medium Brown A.MIG-1250, Cold Dirty Grey A.MIG-1251, Grime A.MIG-1251, Grime A.MIG-1255, Warm Dirty Grey A.MIG-1257, Streaking Gray for US Modern Vehicles A.MIG-1207, Summer Soil A.MIG-3534, Starship Filth A.MIG-3513, and Black A.MIG-3500. I also combined Fuel Stains A.MIG-1409 with Black pigment A.MIG-3001 to simulate burnt oil residue for the areas closest to the engine and exhaust ports.

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By mixing the Oilbrusher colour Black A.MIG-3500 and Dark Mud A.MIG-3508, I accentuated the dirt on the ends of the laps using a lat brush and the dry brush technique.

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The smoke staining from the machine gun barrels were made by drawing lines with Oilbrusher Black and blending them dry.

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The various layers and effects may seem laborious, but the end result is worth it.

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I begin to work on the accumulated grease and dirt staining on the upper surfaces focusing on the crew passage and maintenance areas. With Oilbrusher Summer Soil, lines were drawn and staining applied directly with the built-in brush.

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With a brush dampened in Enamel Odourless Thinner, the effect was softened and blended with a clean and dry brush. The excess was removed with a makeup sponge dampened in the same thinner.

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The process was repeated by again using the versatile Oilbrusher colour Earth over the previously applied staining without covering them completely.

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To inish the effect, I mixed Oilbrusher Dark Mud and Black to accentuate the shadows on the panel lines, rivets, and wing root.

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View of the inished surfaces after working with the Oilbrusher colours. The remains of dirt are very convincing.

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For the upper surfaces of the laps, a mix of Streaking Brusher Winter Grime was used for the red stripe, both Starship Grime and Warm Dirty Grey for the wings and laps, with Medium Brown and Grime used for the dusty areas and Red Brown in the panel lines.

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Since the leading edge of the wings had become too clean, I decided to soil it with Starship Filth applied to the panel lines and rivets.

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Although the Oilbrusher product dries quickly, wait a few minutes for the diluent to evaporate before blending the effect with a clean and dry brush. I cleaned the area between each row of rivets using a makeup sponge.

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In order to imitate the dirt produced by the engine when the ventilation cowling laps are opened, random small quantities of Oilbrusher Black and Dark Mud were applied and blended with a dry brush.

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From the cockpit area forward to the engine cowling, dirt staining was made by focusing on panel line joints and rivet lines, as well as the areas used to the cockpit. In this case, I used the colour Oilbrusher Starship Filth to draw the stain with and a clean dry brush to blur the staining.

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For the engine exhaust ports located on the lower fuselage, soft passes with Black pigment were used to draw straight lines of varying length.

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For the critically important authentic grease stains, Fresh Engine Oil A.MIG-1408 was mixed with Metal Slag pigment A.MIG-3020 and slightly diluted. The mottling was applied with a ine brush onto the panels near the engine.

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Using a black watercolor pencil, I imitate staining on the air low cowling laps and engine cowling panels.

For the external fuel tank, the same colours and techniques used for the bottom of the aircraft were used for a cohesive inish.

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Landing gear covers also accumulate a noticeable amount of dirt. For this example, the effect was accurately recreated with the pigments Europe Earth A.MIG-3004, Russian Earth A.MIG-3014, and Metal Slag A.MIG-3020. Soft dirt staining and dust was applied with Oilbrusher Summer Soil. Additional grease staining was placed with Starship Filth and Fresh Engine Oil per references.

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All of the effects of grease and dirt that I represented on the model were sealed and protected by airbrushing a couple of layers of Alclad’s Klear Kote Semi-Matte. Once dry, matt Marabou varnish was applied to the anti-relective panel for the correct contrast with the adjacent bare metal.

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A-10

Thunderbolt II

Julio Fuente Díaz

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The Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an aircraft with a service history that lends itself to working with the most extreme wear and grime. The references used depict an aircraft from the United States Air National Guard 82-0659, 103rd Fighter Squadron. Further reseach allowed me to see how many A-10s are discoloured and stained across the sides of the fuselage and the undersides. In fact, I found one in particular in which the belly appeared to be completely black in stark contrast with the light grey of the base colour. Although some modelers may ind the inal result exaggerated and call me a heretic, I have tried to be as faithful as possible to reality. And all you have to do is search for photographs on the Internet to see that once again, extremes in reality surpass the level of weathering some incorrectly assume is iction.

Hobby Boss 1/48

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I started with a foundation layer of Aluminium A.MIG-8201 to check the seams and paint the visible engine intakes.

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The following base coat was airbrushed using Grey FS36375 (H308). The previously applied chipping luid was activated using water to create a worn and chipped effect.

Once the previous step had dried, One Shot Oxide Primer A.MIG-2026 was applied. Planing ahead is critical at this stage, the areas to be chipped were airbrushed in NATO Black (XF-69) followed by two thorough layers of Heavy Chipping Effects A.MIG-2011.

The second tone was added using Grey FS36320 (H307) added to the upper wings, the top of the engine nacelles, and the front of the fuselage.

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A mixture of NATO Black and German Grey (XF-63) was airbrushed over the area. After 5 minutes, a wet brush was passed over the surface moving from the nose towards the tail.

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The versatile Heavy Chipping Effects were used to mimic the irst layer of grease and dirt. First the panel lines to remain in light grey were masked with 0.4mm Aizu tape as shown in the reference photos.

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Although it’s an interesting effect and a good base, it still didn’t have the necessary dirt and discolouration. An additional layer was added to the effect by airbrushing Holbein’s black and sepia inks.

To avoid the repetition of using the same effects in the upper surfaces, a different method was used starting by lightening the centre of each panel by adding white to the base colour.

All of the panel lines and details were shaded using highly diluted black. This mixture can also be used to apply some subtle lines that imitate dirt remains in laps and ailerons.

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A random mottled appearance and discolouration were applied with the aid of photo-etched masking.

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Amazing results were created by simply placing the mask and airbrushing the altered colour. Light and subtle effects can be created by distancing the mask from the surface, while moving closer to the surface creates bolder high contrast effects

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Here you can see the light grey mottled effect. It is important to keep the effect subtle and in scale by working with thin layers for maximum control.

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It is possible to rectify errors by applying the base colour over the area with the very diluted paint.

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A homemade technique used to make other types of staining is to use a scouring pad by opening the weave so that the paint passes through it. In this case, a highly diluted black was airbrush to create an irregular pattern.

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You can play with the intensity of the paint to alter the effects, move the template slightly and apply the colour again to blur the edges, or insist on a speciic area to imitate accumulations of stains.

It is important not to use this effect in any random place, but rather only where it is observed in the real photographs.

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In addition to deining the panel lines, PLW Blue Black A.MIG-1617 and Deep Grey A.MIG-1602 will also leave small traces of dirt when removed by blending.

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After 15 minutes of dry time, a tissue was used to rub the surface in the direction of the air low.

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On the lower part of the fuselage darkened by staining in previous steps, the PLW Medium Grey A.MIG-1601 was used for contrast.

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Another area that suffers the continuous manipulation of the crew is the engine nacelles and surrounding surfaces where staining, grease, and

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dirt accumulate.

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The next step was to protect the effects applied so far with a layer of A.MIG-2051 applied in a few thin layers.

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The next step was to reproduce grease stains on speciic areas such as the undercarriage housings. I started by applying Streaking Grime A.MIG-1203 directly from the bottle, followed by Fresh Engine Oil A.MIG-1408 used to imitate splashes by rubbing the brush against a stick.

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With a lat brush dampened in Enamel Odourless Thinner A.MIG-2019, a vertical stippling motion was used perpendicular to the surface to blur the stain.

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Reference photos reveal dirt residue between the armament pylons which I imitated with small traces of Oilbrusher Medium Grey A.MIG-3509 and Starship Filth A.MIG-3513, as well as Streakingbrusher Starship Grime A.MIG-1259 and Warm Dirty Grey A.MIG-1257.

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Then I dragged the colours and blended them with a saw brush dampened with thinner.

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To make more localised grease staining and residue, toasted Sienna earth watercolour markers from Winsor & Newton were used.

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The same saw brush was used to drag them, this time slightly dampened in water.

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I increased the diversity and colours of the staining by using other greyish toned watercolour markers from the Koi brand.

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Different patterns can be drawn by pointing or blurring the stains made with the marker back towards the wings trailing edge.

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Working with Oilbrusher colours, Streakingbrushers, and markers make it possible to increase the variety of effects and avoid the monotony of any one application method.

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The use felt-tip pens was also effective on the upper area to intensify select panel lines. This product can be dragged using a dry brush, which leaves a few subtly visible traces.

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Once I was satisied with all combined layers of staining, I varnished the entire aircraft in mate before removing the masking.

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Tonal variation was added across the upper surfaces using small amounts of Oilbrusher colours White A.MIG-3501, Dark Brown A.MIG-3512, Light Flesh A.MIG-3519, Dusty Earth A.MIG-3523, and Streaking Brusher colour Grime A.MIG-1253.

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The colours were dragged and blended again using the saw-shaped brush by always following the direction of the air low for a realistic result.

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Here you can see the inal result of each layer of effects combined for the inal result. Differing types of effects were added to each area of the aircraft to provide realistic variation. Any tide marks or remnants of thinner can easily be blended into the inish using a coat of matt varnish.

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MiG-29 SMT

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Oto Drobik

GWH 1/48

The MiG-29 is an aircraft often seen with large amounts of wear and grime, including loss of hydraulic luids and grease. The effects are especially signiicant on the lower surfaces. For this example, I chose the SMT version, which is not very well known but stands out for having very worn and dirty examples. Although the Great Wall Hobby model is generally a good example, I decided to add the Aires resin seat and some Eduard photo-etch detail. This is the irst model on which I have used the Oilbrushers so intensely, and I am pleased with the ease of use and inal results. Here you can see the process and the cumulative result of the effects applied in layers.

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The MiG-29 is an aircraft often seen full of stains and obvious signs of use. That’s why I decided to start imitating this from the airbrush painting phase. To have a good base, I primed the model with Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black.

The painting began with the lighter fuselage staining using a mixture of Off White (C69) and Light Gray FS36495 (C338) in equal parts. The colour was applied irregularly to simulate discolouration from the beginning.

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After reviewing the available documentation, I found that this surface appeared rather discoloured which was imitated by applying a small cloud pattern.

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The darkest grey was obtained by mixing 80% Dark Sea Grey (C331) and 20% Light Grey FS36495 (C338).

After masking, I prepared another mixture this time using Grey FS36375 (C308) and Light Grey FS36495.

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This is the result after removing the masks.

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In some photographs the upper part of the fuselage and the centre of the wings are very dirty as well as discoloured. This effect was created by pushing the highlights even more.

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Before applying the decals and applying the dirt using speciic products, I varnished all surfaces with Mr.Paint Super Clear (MRP-48).

All panel lines were emphasized with Blue Grey A.MIG-1613 enamel, while also adding some dirt to the base paint.

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The MiG-29 is an ideal subject for using Oilbrushers. I deposited small dots of colour to the central upper fuselage with Starship Filth A.MIG-3513 and White A.MIG-3501, the later more heavily concentrated on the raised spine.

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With an old brush slightly dampened with thinner, the Oilbrusher colours were blended by moving the brush perpendicular to the surface.

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The effect was dragged downward on vertical surfaces from the highest points with a lat brush.

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Before the Oilbrusher has time to dry, I spread the product without removing it using a cotton swab.

I repeated the same process on the area surrounding the cockpit. By studying reference photos, I could see that the discoloration in this area was more evident, so I worked mainly with Oilbrusher White.

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I also used the Starship Filth colour to highlight the actuators on moving surfaces, where it is common to see accumulations of grease residue.

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To increase the contrast, I repeated the process using Oilbrusher White on the top of the spine, this time leaving small clouds of lighter discolouration.

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The joint between the fuselage and the horizontal surfaces was darkened as this is an area where a lot of dirt accumulated. I reached again for the Starship Filth and blended the colour leaving the largest accumulation in the joint.

The bottom of the vertical stabilizer is another area that accumulates noticeable amounts of dirt. In this case, I dragged the Oilbrusher from top to bottom with a lat brush.

The result must be subtle, especially when working on light colours.

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Work continued with the same tone, creating the accumulation of dirt within the joint with the fuselage by following the same steps previously shown. References show that this area is quite dirty, so I insisted on working with the Oilbrushers by depositing small points of the product.

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Be sure to not overlook the inner surface of both sides.

By following the panel lines and the hinges, I gradually blurred the effects with a brush slightly dampened in thinner while trying to remove the least amount possible from the seams.

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Continué con el mismo tono trabajando la acumulación de suciedad en el encastre de la deriva con el fuselaje, siempre siguiendo los mismos pasos. No debemos olvidar la cara interna de ambas derivas.

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Using the same stained brush used for the previous effect, I worked the fuselage between both engines. As can be seen in this photograph, I was looking for a rather exaggerated effect. Once this area was inished, I refocused on the wings using both the previous colour and white.

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It was necessary to create variation amongst the different areas of the fuselage. You can see the difference between the vertical stabilizers which tend to accumulate a lot of grease and dirt, and the wings which are discoloured but generally cleaner.

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To create a sheen and mimic fresh grease, I applied Fresh Engine Oil A.MIG-1408 to the actuators of the moving parts.

When the upper surfaces were inished, work proceeded on the lower zones. In this case I used the same technique with only Starship Filth.

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I spread the Oilbrusher with a soft, lat brush in the direction of the air low, depositing a trail of dirt.

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Larger accumulations can be added around the lap actuators.

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I drew the remains of hydraulic luid staining on the hinges and actuators of the laps. It is necessary to maintain the correct scale with all effects.

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Another place where this type of staining tends to accumulate in smaller quantities on this aircraft is the lower surface of the laps.

To replicate this aspect, the surface was rubbed in the direction of airlow with a cotton swab dampened with thinner.

The area behind the undercarriage wells is often incredibly dirty on the MiG-29. I started by tapping the Oilbrusher Starship Filth on the surface.

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This time I replaced the brush with the cotton swab to blend the dots of Oilbrusher colour. This method effectively leaves more product on the surface for a stronger effect. Obviously, this effect must be added to both sides.

For the next layer of effects, I switched to the airbrush for a particularly dirty area of the Fulcrum. I applied ilter thin and ine strokes using very diluted black.

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As is logical, the surface between both engines also accumulates a large amount of staining which was accurately recreated with Oilbrusher.

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As with previous steps, I blended the Oilbrusher using a cotton swab by moving in the direction of the air low.

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To enhance the appearance of these surfaces, I traced along the panel lines using a watercolour pencil by drawing small strokes.

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Here you can see the combined appearance of the layers applied so far. It is important to recognize how the weathering work evolves to achieve balanced effects.

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Of all the lower surfaces, the dirtiest is typically the fairing that covers each of the two turbines. Recreating this heavy weathering began with Oilbrusher Black which was blended by moving in the direction of the slip stream towards the trailing edge.

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Speciic panels of the MiG-29 tend to exhibit more exaggerated grease stains produced by the drainage. The panels of both engine nacelles are one such example, Fresh Engine Oil perfectly imitates this when applied directly with the cotton swab.

It is typically necessary to intensify the effect at the source of the stain, for this task I added subtle touches with Starship Filth which was then blended by moving in the direction of the airlow.

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Colonial

ViperII

The twelve human tribes left Kobol millennia ago, settling on different planets of the Cyrannus galaxy. These were good times, when civilization prospered to previously unimaginable heights. But its growth attracted the attention of the Cylon empire, an imperialist and expansive race of robots that endlessly travelled through space moving from one conquest to the next. An unforeseen nuclear attack destroyed the twelve colonies of Kobol, only those humans that managed to take off during the attack or who were in space at the time managed to survive. Humanity had been reduced to an itinerant leet, wandering through the universe protected by the Battlestar Galactica under the directive of Commander Adama, and the famous colonial Vipers.

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Yang Yu Pei

Revell 1/32

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Before the painting began, an electric drill was used to simulate impact damage.

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Shading will help to imitate dirt on the fuselage, but you must also use different colours randomly. In this case Warhead Metallic Blue A.MIG-0196, Grey Blue A.MIG-0210, Warm Sand Yellow A.MIG-0061, and Matt Black A.MIG-0046 were used.

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To increase the accumulations of dirt on select speciic areas, very diluted Gray A.MIG-0059 was carefully applied.

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The red striped markings were masked off and a couple of layers of Heavy Chipping Effects A.MIG-2011 was applied.

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Without eliminating the previous effects, a semi-transparent coat of Satin White A.MIG-0047 was airbrushed in thin transparent layers.

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To represent the bleached paint, the stripe was only partially covered with Red A.MIG-0049. To represent dirt, some areas were shaded with Crystal Black Blue transparent acrylic A.MIG-0099.

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A touch of Yellow A.MIG-0048 was added to the red for highlighting the stripes.

The area was then moistened with water to activate the Chipping Fluid below, an old brush and the tips of some tweezers were then used to draw scratches and chips on the red strip.

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After placing the decals, the PLW Deep Brown A.MIG-1618 and Dark Sea Blue A.MIG-1603 served to highlight all the panels and create subtle dirt effects.

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For all of the remaining white surfaces, paint chips were added with a ine tipped brush and the colour Chipping A.MIG-0044.

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The effect was accentuated with a very diluted Matt Black. Care was taken to avoid fowling the surrounding areas and to keep the effects realistic by keeping them in scale.

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An altogether different type of staining is produced by extreme heat from the engines. The foundation for the patina of burnt metals was applied using Old Brass A.MIG-0190.

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Various translucent layers of metallic blue can be used to alter the base colour such as Bluish Titanium and Warhead Metallic Blue.

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However, the dirt inside the engines usually takes on a yellowish grey tone that was accurately depicted by mixing Warm Sand Yellow and Grey highly diluted.

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The most dynamic and high contrast staining is the carbon deposits on the exhaust, accurately imitated by airbrushing Matt Black on the trailing edge with a soft transition.

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The staining is not only due to the accumulation of dirt, the impacts received in combat also offer the opportunity to add dynamic effects. I began by drawing a soft shadow with the Chipping colour subtly applied with an airbrush, followed by a few light brush strokes using AMMO’s acrylic METAL colour range.

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Bristol Bea Be TF.Mk X

The Royal Air Force in the Second World War had an important strategic maritime attack role hunting Axis shipping in the North Sea and running the gauntlet between Denmark, Germany and Sweden. With the Royal Navy focussing on the North Atlantic and Arctic convoys, it fell to the Beauighters of Coastal Command to carry out these shipping strikes. Formed in Wings of 3-4 squadrons these aeroplanes constantly attacked shipping taking a heavy toll of the merchant vessels. However, knowing the importance of the cargo the Germans invested heavily in defending them with anti-aircraft guns both on the merchant vessels themselves and dedicated lak ships and E-Boats escorting them in convoys. This made the Beauighters’ job extremely hazardous and at times the loss rates ran close to the Bomber Command heavies! This model depicts an aircraft which has received lak damage but has managed to return back to base. The damage has punctured the airframe both near the tail and near an engine puncturing the oil tank leading to a heavy leak and subsequent engine shut down.

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aufighter eaufighter

Jamie Haggo

Tamiya 1/48

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Now for the messy job, thinning the plastic to scale thickness ready for the battle damage.

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Holding the parts up to the light we can assess how thin the plastic needs to be.

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A new scalpel is used to very carefully make the jagged holes. Keep them away from panel lines and make sure they are random. Also don’t do too much, remember this aeroplane made it home!

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The fabric primer colour is now sprayed as it will be too dificult to do later.

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Finally the airframe was ready for paint, note the iller required.

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The original EDSG was then applied. These airframes were kept outside and canvas covers protected the cockpit and engines and the effect is very noticeable in photographs.

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A gloss coat was applied, preparing the surface for the decals.

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It is important that the decals snuggle down into all that ine surface detail so multiple coats of the AMMO of Mig decal setting solutions were used.

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A sludge wash mixed from thinned oils and AMMO of Mig Oilbrushers tones were used on the underside. It is important that the contrast is not too high.

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Note how the sludge wash highlights the rivets after the excess is polished away with a cloth, this would be very dificult to do with a pin wash.

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Here is the wash being removed, a gloss coat is essential.

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The same technique is used on the upper surfaces.

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Again, note how the surface detail has been highlighted with the wash.

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A small ine brush was used around the exposed metal areas of the damage, obviously this was not done on the fabric.

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Oils are used for a general grimy patina and to create false shadows. Note how complimentary the oil tones are and how they are placed.

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The dots were then blended with a moist brush.

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You can see how effective the technique is, in this photo the left wing is inished the right wing is clean.

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The underside looked too bright therefore a ilter was applied to tone it down a bit.

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Here is the inal effect, lovely and grimy.

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The effect is necessarily quite heavy in parts.

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AMMO of Mig’s new Streaking Brushers are a good way to create subtle grime streaking. It was painted on using the applicator.

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The product was then blended using a brush and a small amount of thinner.

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In order to minimise drag, the pilot had to shut down the failing engine. The propeller blades have been carefully sawn off at the blade root and pinned.

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For the base of the oil staining a mix of black oil paint, black pigment and AMMO of Mig Oil Effects were painted on using a ine brush. This mix needs to be quite strong hence the pigment.

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This was also blended with a moist, lat brush.

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Next, neat AMMO of Mig Fresh Engine Oil was painted on coming out of the damage where the oil tanks would be.

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This was also blended.

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A special brush was used to concentrate the product making the edges sharper.

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Now the inal stage. Even more of the Fresh Engine Oil was applied towards the back end as if the leak has spread along the panel lines then lowed backwards.

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IN THE NEXT ISSUE... By Javier López de Anca

RARITIES Prepare to enter into the realm of the strange and the exotic. No, we are not going to teach you how to read a person’s aura or open your chakras. Rather, we have aircraft with strange patterns in mind with little-known markings, some of which you didn’t even know existed. We have thought of those of you seeking new challenges, as well as those with a stash of their favourite subjects yet are not motivated by the often repeated and monotonous colour schemes. In the inspiration charged pages of The Weathering Aircraft, our collaborators show you how they have used obscure and rarely seen inishes to demonstrate the most effective techniques used to inish these attractive and rare aircrafts.

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