Weathering Carrier aircraft (info wanted)

[Glenn S v1]

Hello,
I would like to know if someone knows how to replicate the splochey
look of the paint on carrier aircraft. I seams that on most
aircraft(A-6,F-14,ect..)the paint takes on a faded splochey look prob.
from being exposed to sun and salt spray.
If anyone has done or knows how to do this please drop me a line.

Thanks in advance,
_Glenn_

[Bill Holmes]

On Thursday, May 09, 1996, Glenn S v1 wrote...

> Glenn,
When I was in VA-85 on the USS America, our A6's took the appearence of
a squadron of vagabonds. This is mostly because of phase maintenance
where every so many calander days or flight hours certain portions of the
aircraft are inspected for corrosion and wear and tear. While doing these
inspections airframers would usually REPAINT certain areas that had been
treated for corrosion along with any panels that had been removed. Add
this to the sun faded look of ghost grey and the amount of dirt and grime
that that paint seems to absorb and you have one terrible looking
aircraft. I simulated this by painting the entire a/c a subdued ghost
grey then masking off a couple of panels(mostly on the turtleback where
all the flight rods and cables run and the aft ALQ-126 panel.....these
come off the most) and painting them a less subdued ghost grey. Then dry
brush some dark grey into high contact areas(drop tank upper surfaces,
ladder door, canopy rails, wing upper surfaces, turtle back area,
horizontal stab area). This should give you a realistic looking A6E
Intruder! We also had 4 tanker KA6D too if you need help on those. If
you or anyone has any questions on A6's give me a shout and I'll be glad
to help you out!
INTRUDER'S ALL THE WAY!!!!!

--
Lead, Follow or get out of the way!

>

[Scott Van Aken]

Glenn,
It really is not that difficult. All you have to do is paint the entire
aircraft in what it would look like out of the paint shop. Then, every few
weeks, mix up a batch of paint that is almost the same color as the aircraft
and crudely paint a section. In amongst that few weeks, take a major section
of the aircraft (say a rudder) and paint the whole thing a shade close to the
original color. Occasionally, delete a crew name with another close shade,
or replace the nose number. If you want to get really creative, after about
7 months, pretend the aircraft (your best maintained bird) was transferred to
another unit that is just getting ready to deploy and needs a 100% mission up
aircraft. Then you can paint out all the squadron related items (with yet
another close-to-original paint color) and put on new squadron markings.
After a year or two, totally repaint the aircraft.
Don't forget to have your first filth job be one that represents flight-deck
boots that have walked through all sorts of oil and grease and then climbed
over your once-perfect aircraft. This evolution occurs about 15 minutes
after the aircraft comes from the paint shop. :->

[LEXAV]

Hi Glenn,

I built a 1/48 Hasegawa Tomcat.

To simulate the heavy weathering, I use pastel chalk.

Take colours close to the base paint (FS36320), mix it with white or black
pastel, to get an infinity of colours.

I covered the center of some panels with a light grey mix, and the panels
lines with a dark grey mix, some spots here and there, according to
pictures.

The result is quite realistic.

I covered the whole with a Gunze Sangyo matt varnish, to protect the
pastel chalk.

Warning : the contrast between various shades must be exagerated, because
the matt varnish will "uniformise" the colours.

Hope it helps,

le...@aol.com, IPMS "Provinces de France"

[Chris Douglas]

Another trick I've gotten a lot of mileage out of is to simply put a drop or
two of white or black into an airbrush cup of clear finish, then using this to
weather panels. The result will be a subtle lightening or darkening of the under-
lying color.

--
-----------------------------------------------------
Chris Douglas - cdou...@origin.ea.com
Production Designer/Animator - Origin Systems, Inc.
-----------------------------------------------------
Opinions expressed are my own.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
You have escaped from it, but it is there, always following you.
It is there, in your heart and your mind, in the very depths and
recesses of your being. You have covered it up, escaped, run
away; but it is there. And the mind must experience it like a
purgation by fire. --Krishnamurti.
-----------------------------------------------------------------