Another of the things I wanted to do on this build is to paint all the markings.
First I made the masks in Corel Draw and cut the masks on my Silhouette Portrait cutter using Oramask 810 as the medium. I sized the codes by eye using the reference photos I found of No 25 Sqn Blenheim MK 1F’s in late 1940.
First were the codes under the turret which were painted Mr Color Medium Sea Grey.
Next were the big wing roundels. I started with the red centre. The red was a mixture of Tamiya paints. It started as 50% XF-7 Flat Red, 25% X-7 Gloss Red, and 25% XF-64 Red Brown. I then adjusted it a bit to get the shade I liked (using the decal as a reference).
Now the Fuselage Roundels. First I painted the white, which was SMS Insignia white. This is my current favourite white paint as it covers well with only a light coat. Then I applied the white mask and sprayed the red. After covering the hole it was ready for the blue.
As much as I take the piss out of my mate Bruce’s Scale Models he occasionally has some good advice. Prior to painting the yellow roundel ring he suggested undercoating with pink. So I mixed some red and white and sprayed a light coat first.
Then I sprayed the MRP Marking Yellow. Off came the masks before adding the last of the codes and the serials. I was happy how they came out
Some more photos before the final weathering phase begins.
Paul Bentham says
Hi Callum,
Firstly, congrats on a great build and thanks for the tips re the cockpit canopy assembly. One question re the aerial wire: what material did you use and how did you fix it? I’ve recently restarted the hobby after a 49 year May off and have a couple of kits on the bench that need both rigging lines and aerial wire and I’m having issues so any tips you can pass on would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Paul B
Calum Gibson says
HI Paul, thanks for the compliment, I’m happy with the build.
As for the aerial, it is ezy line . This is an elastic type thread which I think is for tying fishing flies. The advantage of this is that it being elastic means it won’t break when it’s bumped. It’s fixed with CA glue at one end, then stretched to the other end with another small drop of CA to hold it. You don’t need to stretch it to tight, just so it is taunt.
The Isolators were just blobs of white glue painted when they have dried.
Geoff has some info in the techniques bank on Aerials as well