I like to build 1/72 WW2 fighters in my off time from smallscale armor. Question: I recently been toying with different techniques and I paint everything by hand ( by choice). I normally use humbrol, model masters, or tamiya paints. Do any of you people spray either gloss coate, dull coate or a coat of satin clear finish on the finished product? I know when I look at color plates in books everything appears either flat or with a slight sheen. Current restored warbirds usually have a gloss to them, but I don't know if that was necessarily accurate for actual WW2 wartime conditions. Any ideas or suggestions. Thanks Butch Cassidy Tanks46. (:-)




Der Sonntag Bund

I always have the feeling that gloss finishes on models look wrong... maybe it has somthing to do with the scale effect...
Even for a glossy aircraft, I'd rather use a satin finish, but that's just a gut feeling !

Anyway, real combat planes are always (except a few exceptions) painted flat.

I usually spray a coat of dullcoat (testors) on my A/C (except canopies). I agree, depending on the aircraft they may have a glossy coat in 1/1 scale. At 1/72 the sheen is going to be reduced. I think it depends on the aircraft, a navy F4 in navy blue may warrent a semigloss or satin finish, while a P40 in Itally in OD would be flat, then toss on an o'natural metal finish A26.

I know for sure that some USN aircraft were painted with gloss colors. However, during the aircraft's service career, the glossiness wore off or got dirty enough to end up either flat or with just a little shine. I usually give aircraft ( unless I want them Really dirty ) a coat of flat mixed with about 50% satin. I don't think a gloss coat would look right unless you're modeling an air racer or something.

I almost always give my AC a good dullcoat. We all try to give our models chipped paint, exhaust stains and faded paint for realism so to leave the finish a bright shiny gloss just doesn't seem right to me. I know close up many real AC are shiny, but step back 20 yards and you can barely notice it. As far as accuracy it might not be all that correct, but I always get comments about how much the model looks like a toy with a gloss finish. Of course these are the same people that keep asking me to repaint my p-51 purple "so it would be real flashy!"

Hi,
I ususally spray on a coat of Tester's Dull coat on all my planes, except the metal finished ones, I leave them glossy.

Hi I hand paint my WW2 fighters too i just give it as dull coat i think it looks wrong with the gloss looks to brand new

First off I want to thank everyone that responded to my inquiry so far. Some of you have I already chatted to in the Mail room. All your information was great and along the lines I was thinking. I have never sprayed or brushed anything on my aircraft as far as any type of coating. Lately I have been pondering this question and it seemed that a dullcoate was the way to go with maybe a satin for some carrier aircraft. I think I was looking at to many pictures of Warbirds . O f course in the back of my head I knew they are painted for the dramatic effect of display. This is why I love this sight. Good people, good info, and good conversation when we're in the chat room. By the way I finished my 1/72 Revell Butcher Bird that generated this question with the exception of the coating. It's a real subtle killer! Thanks again Butch Cassidy Tanks46.




Der Sonntag Bund

Even if the 1/72 scale a/c you're modelling had the glossiest finish in the world, painting it glossy at that scale will always look completely wrong as you will have reflections on your a/c that are 72 times too big. The best way to model a glossy aircraft at smaller scales is to simulate the sheen with either thin white or pale variants of the base colour. This is where pictures of your subject are actually a better reference source than looking at the real thing, as the mechanical reproduction process of the photograph has 'done a lot of the thinking' for you - where all the reflections and highlights and glints should be is readily apparent in a photograph.
People often paint shading on figures they are modelling, but for some reason, shy away from doing so on vehicles and aircraft. Go figure...