Airfix 1/72 Curtiss Hawk 81-A-2

[Paul]

Wanted a quick build so chose this out the stash, shouldn't take too long to build hopefully

Pics took with my phone.

Wheels down this build I think.













Shark mouth

[Paul]

Fuselage halves cut of the sprue, using Hannants xtracrylix interior green for the cockpit walls, after some research it was a mix of colours as they started running out of the aluminium powder for the green chromate paint, so I think it was a case of spray it with whatever they had at hand, so for me this will be fine.



Green coat airbrushed on at 25 psi 60/40 (thinner to paint ratio) mix with a drop of Windsor Newton flow aid. I really do rate these paints. Then given a quick airbrush over with some highly thinned tamiya XF 1 to highlight some areas.

[Modelpro72]

Great start Paul. Haven't got this kit so will follow this one with great interest.

Lenny

[Paul]

Great start Paul. Haven't got this kit so will follow this one with great interest.

Lenny

Hi lenny, yes another new tool so should be a good kit

[Gav0909]

I built this plane from the Airfix Club set, went together very nicely indeed.

I look forward to the finished result.

[AlexModelling]

I built this kit a few months ago but i got to build another one with the shark mouth... love that plane:) great job mate:)

[Paul]

I built this kit a few months ago but i got to build another one with the shark mouth... love that plane:) great job mate:)

Cheers Alex ill update this later as I'm working on it as we speak

[UKscalemodeller]

Will follow this one closely as I got this for my birthday a week or so ago.

I am planning on making it a lend lease version.

[Paul]

Ok so fuselage halves glued together using tamiya extra thin, and all the cockpit parts cut of the sprue and tidied up, typical common airfix fault trying to get the thin control stick of the sprue snaps it in half.

Btw please forgive my photos I'm still trying to get used to my dslr



Cockpit parts glued to the undercarriage


Not much detail at all in here


Cockpit given a coat of xtracrylix interior green



Using the mr hobby putty tools, I went over the seam lines with perfect plastic putty


This was allowed overnight to fully dry, and sanded off, I then applied a single application of mr hobby mr surfacer 1200, again this was allowed to dry before being sanded smooth and the fuselage polished using various sanding sponges and polishers

The undercarriage was also glued in position ready for the wing tops.



Wing all glued in position as well as the engine cowling top and bottom



This will be allowed to dry then I'll crack on with filling any gaps.

[Paul]

Ok some more progress today
The tail sections were added and I got any gaps on the model filled with deluxe material plastic putty, I just put it on with a putty tool then wiped it off with a moist Cotton bud.



It was allowed overnight to dry, and then polished to a high shine





I then set to masking the canopy and glass work, i also gave the rear cockpit section behind the screen a coat of mr hobby H309 (FS 34079) ready for the Camo pattern.





The glasswork was then glues in position with micro scale Krystal Klear and allowed to dry



It was then primered in Vallejo grey primer



This will be left to dry till tomorrow and then I'll get some preshading done.

These are the Camo colours ill be using

[Gav0909]

Paul, I have a question. I have also started using that Vallejo grey primer, after hearing people raving on about how good it was. Now don't get me wrong, it is easy to use in that you just whack it straight in the airbrush and off you go.

However here is where I have an issue. Its said to be very hard wearing etc, yet I have yet to use it on a model where I then haven't had some issue with it. I spray it as a thin misted coat, then go over again until I have a solid, smooth coat. Great. Now perhaps previously I wasn't giving it enough time to dry, but recently I gave the Spit longer to dry. Yet through light handling of the model for painting etc, areas of the paint rubbed right off, with the primer peeling away.

Any ideas on how to stop that happening? It happened on my FW190, had it all painted and masked, gently removed the masking and in several places, big areas of paint just lifted right off down to the plastic. Needless to say I wasn't impressed and the plane has sat on the shelf since!

[Paul]

Paul, I have a question. I have also started using that Vallejo grey primer, after hearing people raving on about how good it was. Now don't get me wrong, it is easy to use in that you just whack it straight in the airbrush and off you go.

However here is where I have an issue. Its said to be very hard wearing etc, yet I have yet to use it on a model where I then haven't had some issue with it. I spray it as a thin misted coat, then go over again until I have a solid, smooth coat. Great. Now perhaps previously I wasn't giving it enough time to dry, but recently I gave the Spit longer to dry. Yet through light handling of the model for painting etc, areas of the paint rubbed right off, with the primer peeling away.

Any ideas on how to stop that happening? It happened on my FW190, had it all painted and masked, gently removed the masking and in several places, big areas of paint just lifted right off down to the plastic. Needless to say I wasn't impressed and the plane has sat on the shelf since!

It does need time to dry, but I've never had an issues with it coming off, but I try to handle them as,little as possible when theres just primer on there. It needs at least 24 hours to dry, longer if your going to be masking or sanding.

I've literally just primered this 30 mins ago and i know it'll be good to go tomorrow morning but i don't need to handle this one as im hoping to do the Camo freehand

Try letting it dry for a couple of days first, this is why I usually have two models on the go at the same time, I can get on with one while the other dries.

[Lee]

Once I've primed a model with Vallejo I leave it three days to cure, it's hard as nails by then...

[UKscalemodeller]

Paul, I have a question. I have also started using that Vallejo grey primer, after hearing people raving on about how good it was. Now don't get me wrong, it is easy to use in that you just whack it straight in the airbrush and off you go.

However here is where I have an issue. Its said to be very hard wearing etc, yet I have yet to use it on a model where I then haven't had some issue with it. I spray it as a thin misted coat, then go over again until I have a solid, smooth coat. Great. Now perhaps previously I wasn't giving it enough time to dry, but recently I gave the Spit longer to dry. Yet through light handling of the model for painting etc, areas of the paint rubbed right off, with the primer peeling away.

Any ideas on how to stop that happening? It happened on my FW190, had it all painted and masked, gently removed the masking and in several places, big areas of paint just lifted right off down to the plastic. Needless to say I wasn't impressed and the plane has sat on the shelf since!

Silly question, but what did you wash the model with prior to assembly?

[Paul]

Paul, I have a question. I have also started using that Vallejo grey primer, after hearing people raving on about how good it was. Now don't get me wrong, it is easy to use in that you just whack it straight in the airbrush and off you go.

However here is where I have an issue. Its said to be very hard wearing etc, yet I have yet to use it on a model where I then haven't had some issue with it. I spray it as a thin misted coat, then go over again until I have a solid, smooth coat. Great. Now perhaps previously I wasn't giving it enough time to dry, but recently I gave the Spit longer to dry. Yet through light handling of the model for painting etc, areas of the paint rubbed right off, with the primer peeling away.

Any ideas on how to stop that happening? It happened on my FW190, had it all painted and masked, gently removed the masking and in several places, big areas of paint just lifted right off down to the plastic. Needless to say I wasn't impressed and the plane has sat on the shelf since!

Silly question, but what did you wash the model with prior to assembly?

I never wash any of my models before building them, and haven't had a problem yet.

[Gav0909]

Yeah same as Paul Ian, I never wash a model before I prime it. Only models I ever did that with was resin models from Forgeworld as they are coated in mould release agent.

When I get onto priming this model I am working on I will give it a good few days this time and see if its any better.

[Paul]

Yeah same as Paul Ian, I never wash a model before I prime it. Only models I ever did that with was resin models from Forgeworld as they are coated in mould release agent.

When I get onto priming this model I am working on I will give it a good few days this time and see if its any better.

Hope it works better for you gav

I've just preshaded this, it looks ok well it looks like a blind escaped mental patient has had an argument with my airbrush and then a spider has legged it across the model and died

[UKscalemodeller]

Yeah same as Paul Ian, I never wash a model before I prime it. Only models I ever did that with was resin models from Forgeworld as they are coated in mould release agent.

When I get onto priming this model I am working on I will give it a good few days this time and see if its any better.

I guess it's force of habit from the past when everythi i painted was undercoated with a brush. I have had problems with trying to brush and it not wanting to take.

I still do it as a belt and braces approach.

[Paul]

Just spent the last 2 hours applying to two tone Camo freehand, had the preshading showing through just right and just as I'm finishing the last section of green I go and drip paint over the top of the airbrush colour cup right onto the side of the fuselage and left wing, talk about........annoyed shall we say, I very nearly snapped it in half, so I taken the paint off to bare plastic on the wing and fuselage and re primered it, will sort it tomorrow as im going to bed in a minute for a little cry.


Good job I don't own a cat or it would be getting a good kick up the backside about now (I'm am of course joking)

[Lee]

I've done that far too many times mate. I ALWAYS put a lid on the colour cup now, without fail!

Shame about the mess bud, I feel your pain

[Paul]

I've done that far too many times mate. I ALWAYS put a lid on the colour cup now, without fail!

Shame about the mess bud, I feel your pain

First time I've ever got it on a model, I've come close before. The H&S Evo doesn't come with a lid as standard, but the one of my Neo is a loose fit so ill be using the lid of that on the H&S for now on.

Very nearly back to the stage I was at 12 hours ago minus the paint spill of course

[Paul]

Right so back were I was 12 hours ago

Preshading



FS 36622 light grey sprayed underneath


The FS 34079 and FS 20219 Camo pattern sprayed freehand, I've lost,most of the preshading with the respray after last night spillage







A clear coat next ready for decaling.

[UKscalemodeller]

Lovley work, a great rescue. With regards tothe amount of feathering between the vamo covers, howdid you get it to that level? What pressure and how far away.

I only ask as its about howI want to do the StuG.

Thanks

[Paul]

Lovley work, a great rescue. With regards tothe amount of feathering between the vamo covers, howdid you get it to that level? What pressure and how far away.

I only ask as its about howI want to do the StuG.

Thanks

Cheers mate, it's was mr hobby paint thinned approx 60/40 thinner/paint, sprayed at 20psi from about 1.5 inch away, using circular motions, I just paint the basic outline then backfill the colour in circle patterns creeping slightly over the outline.

This using a harder steenbeck Evo with a .2 needle

[UKscalemodeller]

Thanks, I'll see what I can replicate with my setup.

[Paul]

Just finished it now, it came out ok considering I mucked up the wing.

I sorted the exhausts in mr hobby buff able steel, sorted the landing gear and got the decals on, it was then given a coat of clear, then given dark dirt wash and finally a coat of alclad Matt clear.

The canopies are a right pita on this especially the two rear glass sections one of which has holes in.

Anyway, not a bad little model, I drilled the wings and using some plus model wire made my own wing guns as the others removed prior to sanding, also not a big fan of wing gun stains but there was a slight scratch on the left wing so i added them to hide it. I also drilled the exhausts. The wing decals are whited out by the light.

[Lee]

Very nice mate and a nice save....

Wing guns always have stains - Nuff said

[UKscalemodeller]

I like it, almost makes me want to do mine in the same livery but I think I'll still turn.it into a lend lease.

[Gav0909]

Nice work mate. Has turned out really nicely there. Personally think the wire used for the guns is perhaps a tad on the thin side, but hey, your model!

Overall a really nice build.

[Paul]

Cheer gav, if you look at reference shots of the p40 there not too far off

[Telegraphist]

Very nice job done there Paul .
I have this kit also, it is high up on the 'build me next' list, your walk through has been informative as to how to go about getting the best from this kit.
Dave.

[Paul]

Very nice job done there Paul .
I have this kit also, it is high up on the 'build me next' list, your walk through has been informative as to how to go about getting the best from this kit.
Dave.

Cheers Dave, look forward to seeing you build it.

[Kelvgood1]

Smashing, question, what is the blue tape you used? I have seen it before, is a more flexible tape for doing curves?
Kelv

[Paul]

Hi kelv yes it's much more flexible tape by jammy dog. You can find it on eBay in various widths

[Kelvgood1]

Many thanks, will look it up