Billy Bishop's colourful 60Sqdn SE5 A8936

[uncletony]

Following with great interest as a 1/32 SE5 conversion set for the WNW or Roden is something that is on my list...

[RAGIII]

Following with great interest as a 1/32 SE5 conversion set for the WNW or Roden is something that is on my list...

I am following along also. Excellent work! That conversion set is something I would certainly be interested in..Uncle Tony 
RAGIII

[KiwiZac]

Great work Sandy, and Bo: I think you'd be onto a winner with that.

[macsporran]

Thanks guys.
A conversion set from 'The Artist formerly known as Bo' would be a very welcome addition, especially if it included the early pointed wings of, for example, Albert Ball's A4850. (There is a terrific build on FB where Patrick Watson has created a masterly Ball conversion out of the WNW kit.)

Anyway holidays over, kids, grandkids etc off home: time to return to A8936. I'd primed it with Halfords White in a rattle can (great value) and now drew in the understructure in soft pencil, to try out something new. Rather than spraying over with my usual MRP Linen, I thought I'd brush paint with Humbrol 74 Linen so I could experiment with working the graphite lines with the brush for a bit of tonal variation.

Also gave me a chance to thoroughly use my mains-powered paint shaker: I'm never happy stirring Humbrol - it usually comes out quite patchy, but the shaker did a superb thinned job. First coat (1) was quite light and rather satisfying to use the graphite mix to work on shades. Of course that 'set' the pencil lines and a second coat (2) was added just for the depth. I quite like the stronger colour and haven't decided if I'll give it a light overspray of MRP or not.

I'm having teething problems with my new Cricut cutter so probably won't cut masks as previously intended. I'll use strip masking tape for the white details lines then spray PC10 and blue either side - thus I've brushed on some Humbrol, gloss white where the pin lines will be.
Sandy

[AngryJazz]

Great progress! Shaping up to be a stunning model 

[NigelR]

Good to see this one back progressing. It's looking good - I'm amazed you can get a good brush painted finish in this scale. I never could (which is why I gave in and bought an airbrush!).

[macsporran]

Thanks Chaps

A lot of headscratching and experimentation with masking tape, but eventually got something I can go forward with.

I found that a Revell enamel (52) gives me the best colour match for the spare Wingnuts roundels I intend to use. (Hope they don't break-up, but the rest of the sheet worked fine on a 5a build so fingers crossed.)

I've used MRP PC10 (late) on the fuselage. I love the ink-like quality of MRP paint, but I seem to have to spray coat after coat after coat to get decent coverage. I use almost a full bottle per kit - do others find this too or am I wasting paint somehow?
Quite a bit of work and touching up still to do, but feel it's back on track now.
Sandy

[Davos522]

Oh, my, this is looking pretty. She's going to be a stunner when all's said and done.

Dutch

[PrzemoL]

Thanks Chaps

A lot of headscratching and experimentation with masking tape, but eventually got something I can go forward with.

I found that a Revell enamel (52) gives me the best colour match for the spare Wingnuts roundels I intend to use. (Hope they don't break-up, but the rest of the sheet worked fine on a 5a build so fingers crossed.)

I've used MRP PC10 (late) on the fuselage. I love the ink-like quality of MRP paint, but I seem to have to spray coat after coat after coat to get decent coverage. I use almost a full bottle per kit - do others find this too or am I wasting paint somehow?
Quite a bit of work and touching up still to do, but feel it's back on track now.
Sandy

Fine results...
As for your question, I do not use MRP paints but there are problems with covering with another brands too. Yet, I have never heard about problems with a blue paint, it is yellow, white and red which are usually problematic.
I try to overcome these issues preparing a background in a colour which covers well and is "similar" in hue to the final one.

[NigelR]

Looks like you are getting there and I agree with Dutch, this will look stunning when done.

I love the ink-like quality of MRP paint, but I seem to have to spray coat after coat after coat to get decent coverage. I use almost a full bottle per kit - do others find this too or am I wasting paint somehow?

I don't use MRP but seem to get through a lot of paint when I am spraying (MIG and Vallejo), far more than I see people use in YouTube videos. I put it down to my poor airbrush technique........

[AngryJazz]

Used MRP on my Dolphin, PC-12 on topside and fuselage and Clear doped linen on the underside. About 25% of the bottle was used for both colors. Not sure if my colors had better coverage or opacity.

But I really great job on the model! Its looking stunning 

[macsporran]

Thanks amici.

Starting to get the look of a proper SE5 now, but a lot still to do.
As usual with a conversion, you don't really appreciate all the myriad small details until you're in the thick of it. In this one for instance a real headache was how to deal with the characteristic fairings front and back of the rocker covers on the Hispano engine. I considered moulding them with the old Harry Woodman male/female technique: also searched all sorts of medicine blister packs to see if there were any curved corners that would provide a solution. Finally an old Heller 1/24 Talbot-Lago cannibalised in the spares box provided suitable engine covers that could be rounded and sanded into the correct shape. The fore parts lie painted by the nose, the second white cover (for the rears) awaits slicing up below them. Exhausts next. I also ordered up some kit-world 3D seatbelts to pop into the open cockpit.

I love the colours though, so on we go!
Sandy

[Davos522]

Oh, that's purty, as they say out West!

How did the stuffed shirts ever let them get away with decor like that? I suppose in an age when "Speckled Jim" and his feathered pals were the hot set-up in communication you might be able to get away with stuff like that for weeks before anyone in St Omer noticed.

Dutch

[Mike Norris]

Oh, that's purty, as they say out West!

How did the stuffed shirts ever let them get away with decor like that? I suppose in an age when "Speckled Jim" and his feathered pals were the hot set-up in communication you might be able to get away with stuff like that for weeks before anyone in St Omer noticed.

Dutch

Hi Dutch,
Exactly.
The squadron were equipped with Nieuport Scouts until the 11th of July 1917.
They were replaced by the new SE5.
The three fligts had their aircraft painted in Flight colours.
A Flight (red), B Flight (yellow) and C Flight (blue).
This only lasted a month as on the 26th of August, the SE5 had been replaced with the SE5a version.
In addition, the squadron marking of a solid white disc (fuselage and upper wing) had been introduced.
Those markings remained until 23rd of March 1918, when they were changed to two white bars around the fuselage, forward from the tail plane.
The Squadron flew the SE5a until disbanded on the 22nd July 1920.

Mike

[NigelR]

Great attention to detail there. This is progressing nicely!