by Phil Bardsley
philb@wolfenet.com

With the plethora of 1/300th scale aircraft models available to the air gamer these days I thought it might be of some value to share how I go about finishing these models. Let me say first, the majority of these planes are presently only available directly from the manufacturers in England but they are certainly worth the effort to acquire them - and most of the major dealers take credit card orders so the ordering process is relatively painless. At some point I will supplement this article with a separate listing of all the aircraft now available and who to contact if you would like to place an order. In the meantime - if you have any specific questions you can e-mail me at philb@wolfenet.com and I will do my best to respond in a timely manner.

Preparation
I begin the process by closely inspecting the model - first at the store if possible, then again when I get it home. Identify any casting faults - such as incomplete tail or wing surfaces, gouges and nicks in the metal. Using a fine toothed rattail file I gently go over the model removing any part lines and smooth the surfaces in preparation for priming. All casting burrs should be gently cut back with an X-Acto knife then filed smooth. I use a hobby model filler to fill in any holes or missing details. When this drys it can be filed to the correct shape.

Once the model is cleaned of all faults - as best as it can be, I use a pin drill with a very, very thin drill bit to drill holes for the radio antennae, flexible machine guns and other protrusions. I also drill a larger hole for the mounting wire at the approximate center of gravity on the bottom of the fuselage.

Priming
Take it outside - or at least into the garage! I use both Floquil Base White primer as well as Ral Partha primer for this. Any white spray primer should work (e.g., Krylon) if required. Apply in a thin spray coat being careful not to apply so much that you obscure detail or cause the primer to run. Two or three light coats are better than one heavy application. I start by priming the underside of the model, wait a few minutes then turn over and spray the top. I like to give the primer at least eight hours to cure depending on the temperature and humidity in your area. There is nothing worse than finding the primer is lifting off the model because you didn't wait long enough.

Bristles
Now that the primer has dried I apply the bristles. Paul Hannah, a friend and fellow gamer in the Seattle area, taught me this technique, take an old toothbrush (obviously!) and cut off ten or twenty of the bristles at the base using a sharp X-Acto knife. I use a super glue to attach these in the holes previously drilled for radio antennae, machine guns etc. Once dry use a sharp pair of scissors to cut them to the correct length - they can be painted as appropriate. At this point I also attach a 3/4" long brass mounting wire to the bottom hole drilled earlier. The game system we use employs these to attach to different altitude bases - until the painting is finished it makes a convenient tool to handle the model without marring the painted surface.

Painting
Whether you use oil or acrylic paint I recommend you paint the underside of the plane first. After the initial paint is dry - use the same color with additional white added to highlight the raised areas of the underside - cowlings, wheel wells, turrets etc. You can either paint this on wet or dry brush over the details. Add more white to the lightened mixture and apply again to the highest points a second time. If the highlights are too pronounced or you slop over - you can reapply you initial base color or blend lightly with thinner or water depending on the medium used.

Next the topside of the model is painted. If a camouflage pattern is required start with the lightest color first. Apply the same highlighting method used on the underside then proceed to the next colors until the topside is fully painted. I also take some of the lightened paint and using an almost dry soft brush scrub the center of the wings and tail - this tends to add some highlight to the overall sameness of the colors as well as weathering slightly. Don't worry if you think you have gone too far with the weathering at this point.

Glass For the cockpit, windows and turrets first paint these a medium gray then add white and apply to the center of each pane of glass. This will add life to the glass. If you have obscured the canopy frames while using the gray - go back with the original color and line in the frame as necessary. This may take a few tries to get it right but is worth the effort otherwise the cockpit will look like a single piece of plexiglass which is not what you want.

Insignia
I admit to having a difficult time painting numbers and national insignia in 1/300th scale. Thankfully a new company has come on the market which sells a number of excellent markings for all the major powers of World Was II as well as modern aircraft. I apply these in the standard fashion - cutting the decal carefully from the rest then I immerse it in water using a pair of tweezers - after a few seconds I apply it to the model and press with a soft tissue after it's located in its final position.

Black Lining
Now the fun begins - mix up a very thin black paint by adding clear thinner or water to your black paint. Using a fine brush, experimenting first with out of the way parts underneath, draw a thin line separating the flaps from the wing then go on to the tail surfaces. Once satisfied with your technique go on to the topside and do the same thing. The black lining will add depth and dimension to the model as well as breakup some of the weathering applied earlier. If you are feeling especially brave use the same paint to outline the wing and fuselage panels as well as the exhausts and other items around the engine and canopy. If you make a mistake you can still use the original base color to correct it .

Sealing
I seal all my models (except those finished in aluminum) with a light spray of dullcote. This is an important step as it will protect your painted surface from the oils found in the human hand which can easily discolor or wear through your new paint job... Other companies market spray sealer and I assume they also will work well.

Well that's about it - although I admit my technique is far from perfect it has rendered some passable aircraft models over the last few years.

Best of luck!