Author Topic: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas  (Read 2595 times)

Offline strikehawk

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Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« on: November 06, 2019, 08:40:29 AM »
The local model builders club decided a couple of months ago decided to have a build off of a single or twin engine airplane of any era in either 1/72 or 1/48 scale. I decided to use an Airfix 'Ford', F4D Skyray. My problem is this, I hate doing out of the box and real life paint and markings, my being in this forum indicates that. The rules of this build off are simple, nothing too complicated, in fact the suggestion was made that we go way back to the very basics as in how we built things when we were kids. You know, kitchen table or TV tray, nail clippers, emery boards and such.

Since my situation of not having a dedicated workroom persists, this works fine for me. The problem is this, out of the box the paint on the box is the Navy grey over white which would look awful if I use a brush, even in 72 scale. The only other option I have is the 1950s over all Navy blue. What would the Ford look like if it had been put in the USAF inventory and painted in the SEA scheme? When I was in my teens and twenties I got very good with that scheme with a brush so I'm sure it's doable. The other paint jobs I was thinking of are these,

Royal Navy Dark Sea Grey over Sky Type S
West German Luftwaffe Splinter
SEA with Black undersides.

I plan on one of those but I'd like to hear what somebody else thinks of or could suggest. At some point in time I do plan on doing a what if with the Skyray sporting the current JASDF blue scheme, I think that it would've been something the US would've sold Japan if they had expressed and interest in a non-sea going version.
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Online The Big Gimper

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Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2019, 09:15:12 AM »
How about this older RCN presentation of DSG over Sky.

FS36099 and FS34504
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Offline finsrin

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Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2019, 10:07:11 AM »
Fine looking Skyray  8)      Canada shoulda been jet.

Offline strikehawk

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Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2019, 12:14:57 PM »
How about this older RCN presentation of DSG over Sky.

FS36099 and FS34504

That's an idea but I don't know if I have any RCAF roundels in my stash. Truth be told, I don't recall ever getting a kit with a Canadian decal option.

One of  my other hobbies is writing stories based on existing properties, otherwise known as fan fiction. I know, I'm a geek, but I am married and I began writing after I retired from work and my wife knows. Anyway, I did have a story based on a popular anime series where the hero's nation has a modern military. I could use that scheme and cut a stencil for Konoha to go on the wings.

Now that would be a real 'What If'.

Anyway, thank you for the idea, it is now on the list.
U.S. Naval Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class
US Navy (Retired)
USS Saratoga CV-60
VP-65 Tridents
VTU-7676 The Vegetable Training Unit
VP-0919
HAL-5 Blue Hawks
VFA-305 Lobos
NAWS-0176
HCS-5 Firehawks

IYAOYAS

Offline Kerick

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Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2019, 12:34:32 PM »
There was some experimental camouflage schemes on Navy planes during Vietnam. It never caught on but what if it had been tried earlier?

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2019, 03:56:26 PM »
The full array of schemes by John Lacey can be viewed as posted by TBG in the "Oops!!! I bought another model" thread;

http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=8315.555

An F9F-8 Cougar I've almost finished in Extra Dark Sea Grey (high demarcation) over Sky;

"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Online The Big Gimper

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Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2019, 08:30:30 PM »
How about this older RCN presentation of DSG over Sky.

FS36099 and FS34504

That's an idea but I don't know if I have any RCAF roundels in my stash. Truth be told, I don't recall ever getting a kit with a Canadian decal option.

One of  my other hobbies is writing stories based on existing properties, otherwise known as fan fiction. I know, I'm a geek, but I am married and I began writing after I retired from work and my wife knows. Anyway, I did have a story based on a popular anime series where the hero's nation has a modern military. I could use that scheme and cut a stencil for Konoha to go on the wings.

Now that would be a real 'What If'.

Anyway, thank you for the idea, it is now on the list.

You can substitute any British Commonwealth Navy Roundels with this scheme.

Looking forward to reading your stories.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2019, 08:45:59 PM by The Big Gimper »
Work in progress ::

I am giving up listing them. They all end up on the shelf of procrastination anyways.

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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2019, 09:20:11 PM »
Light gray and finished as a USAF aircraft assigned to ADC or NORAD?

Offline strikehawk

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Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2019, 02:57:13 PM »
Well, I got the paints and everything else I need today for the build. I had to start over with everything, and I mean everything! Brushes, cement, magnifying visor, the works.

I decided on one of the Navy's experimental cammo schemes from the Vietnam era. One of the Viggie squadrons  used the AF SEA pattern, so I'm going with that but replacing the sand or brown areas with a deep grey. Since I'm on a tight budget and no airbrush or working compressor I'm brush painting this one. Since one of the things suggested for this build was to go back to how we built our kits when we started out, so it's going to be brush painted with the cheap acrylics in the squeeze bottles. I;ve used them with figures with no problem, so I figure with the plastic properly primed it should be easy. The reason I say this is that the paints are dark enough to hide the strokes and the underside is going to be finished in a very dark grey with a hint of green to it. Hopefully, I can remember to get pictures as I work.   

Now, I have one major question I would like answered, I have never pre-shaded panel lines on a kit before but after seeing some builds on YouTube using the technique I would like  to know if it can be done by brush. If it can be done what color should I use aside from straight black and how dilute should the shading color be as to not over do the effect?

As of now, I'm just mounting the drop tanks but further down the line I want to give it some kind of ordnance load out, maybe AIM-9B on the middle pylons and either TER or MERs with Mk82 slicks on the inboard stations. Since this is a 'what if' I'm thinking that it would be filling the A2G role and let the Phantoms fly MiG CAP and BAR CAP missions.

Thank you, all, for the input. Somewhere down the line I think I may use one or more of what was suggested to me.
U.S. Naval Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class
US Navy (Retired)
USS Saratoga CV-60
VP-65 Tridents
VTU-7676 The Vegetable Training Unit
VP-0919
HAL-5 Blue Hawks
VFA-305 Lobos
NAWS-0176
HCS-5 Firehawks

IYAOYAS

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Douglas F4D Paint Ideas
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2019, 09:48:41 PM »
From what I've gathered from what I've read on pre-shading over the years, pre-shading for brush work is pretty pointless, as you can't get the paint thin enough to show the pre-shading without the brush strokes being visible.

Airbrushing gives a good even coverage with a thin layer of paint, brush painting needs to be thicker to get a truly even appearance. The pre-shading works by modulating the tone of the even coat, which can be slightly translucent with airbrush work but not so much for hairy stick work.
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."